Sibanye Stillwater keeps operating guidance for 2023 unchanged
Primarily as a result of the impact of the shaft incident at the Stillwater West mine, along with ongoing operational constraints impacting the US PGM operations, guidance for 2023 has been revised. 2E PGM production for 2023 is now forecast to be between 460,000 2Eoz and 480,000 2Eoz, with AISC of between US$1,550/2Eoz to US$1,650/2Eoz. Capital expenditure is forecast to be between US$285 million and US$300 million, including approximately US$25 million project capital.
3E PGM production for the US PGM recycling operations is forecast to be between 450,000 and 500,000 3Eoz fed for the year. Capital expenditure is forecast at US$2.6 million (R41.9 million).
Forecast 4E PGM production from the SA PGM operations for 2023 remains unchanged at between 1.7M 4Eoz and 1.8M 4Eoz including approximately 60,000 4Eoz of third party PoC, with AISC between R20,800/4Eoz and R21,800/4Eoz (US$1,300/4Eoz and US$1,363/4Eoz) –
excluding cost of third party PoC. Capital expenditure is forecast at R5.4 billion (US$338 million)* for the year, including project capital of R920 million (US$58 million) on the K4 project.
Gold production from the managed SA gold operations (excluding DRDGOLD) for 2023 is forecast at between 23,500kg (756koz) and 24,500kg (788koz). This guidance reflects a return to normalised rates of production following the industrial action in 2022 but excludes
production from Beatrix 4 shaft and Kloof plant 1, where operations ceased during Q1 2023 following the conclusion of a successful Section 189 consultation.
While guidance currently remains unchanged, the company is undertaking a detailed technical review of marginal operations considering operational and power constraints as well as sustained high levels of inflation. This review is expected to be completed during the second quarter of 2023.
AISC is forecast to be between R950,000/kg and R1,020,000/kg (US$1,882/oz and US$1,940/oz). Capital expenditure is forecast at R5.9 billion (US$369 million), including R1.95 billion (US$122 million) of project capital expenditure provided for the Burnstone project and R150 million (US$9 million) on the Kloof 4 deepening project.
