1.01
Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition.
On October 23, 2024, Gold Resource Corporation (the “Company”) issued a press release reporting its preliminary production and select financial results for the third quarter of 2024 (the “Press Release”). A copy of the Press Release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this report.
In accordance with General Instruction B.2 of Form 8-K, the information in this Item 2.02, including Exhibit 99.1, shall not be deemed to be “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liability of that section, and shall not be incorporated by reference into any of the Company’s filings or other document filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.
Item 8.01 Other Events.
On October 23, 2024, the Company issued the Press Release, which announced that tonnes and grade, with respect to the Company’s mining operations at the Don David Gold Mine (“DDGM”), have declined during 2024 and are below budget, especially in the third quarter. There are several factors that caused these declines. The Company has encountered significant issues with equipment availability due to the age and condition of some of the critical mining equipment in use at the mine. Due to the continued challenges with equipment availability and the decreased cash flow due to prior productions shortfalls, the Company has not been able to maintain its projected timeline for development of future production zones. As a result, the Company is currently mining only one face at a time in areas that are accessible. The current lack of other available production zones has placed additional pressure on the Company’s ability to achieve its production estimates, as any problems encountered at the current production zone cannot be offset by producing elsewhere in the mine. In addition, the mill also experienced some mechanical issues and wet ore handling difficulties due to unusually high rain fall that resulted in lower throughput and a production shortfall. To minimize the mechanical issues and return the mine to a cash positive position, capital is necessary to replace some of the mining fleet and upgrade the mill.
The mine has significant potential to generate positive cash flow based on the information to date from the new areas of the Three Sisters as well as other areas that have been discovered near the existing mining zones. In order to develop access and better define these new areas, an investment must be made in the equipment and mine plan. Without the addition of these areas to the life-of-mine plan, the Company does not believe that the mine will generate sufficient free cash flow in the near term.
The Company’s inability to achieve its production estimates have created a short-term liquidity concern. The Company currently anticipates that it will require approximately $7 million to obtain additional mining equipment and mill upgrades and approximately $8 million in working capital in order to fund the initial development to access the Three Sisters and Splay 31 systems. Due to the 2024 production challenges described above, the Company does not believe that the mine will generate sufficient cashflow to fund these improvements. The Company is evaluating various financing options in order to fund this development in the near term.
If the Company is unable to obtain this additional capital and successfully develop these new mining areas, the continued operation of the mine may not be possible beyond November 2024. If continued operation of the mine is not possible, the Company may be compelled to place the mine on “care and maintenance” status, which would likely trigger significant severance and other costs which the Company may not be able to pay.
This Current Report on Form 8-K contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The statements contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. When used in this Current Report on Form 8-K, the words “plan,” “target,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “intend” and “expect” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, (i) the Company’s anticipated near-term capital needs and potential sources of capital and (ii) the Company’s ability to continue to operate the mine in the absence of additional capital. All forward-
