CAPITAL MARKETS

Kirkland Lake joins the ASX

WITH its involvement in two of the hottest global gold stories – the Fosterville mine in Victoria and the Pilbara gold rush – it makes perfect sense that Kirkland Lake Gold is listing on the ASX today.

Kristie Batten
Kirkland Lake joins the ASX

Trading of KL’s CHESS depositary interests start this afternoon under the ticker code KLA.

The company did not conduct a raising in connection with the listing.

The Canadian company has its primary listing in Toronto and earlier this year, listed in New York.

It acquired the Fosterville and Stawell mines in Victoria and Cosmo mine in the Northern Territory via its merger with Newmarket Gold late last year and has been one of the best-performing gold stocks in Toronto since.

KL CEO Tony Makuch told MNN in September that the company saw it as important to have a presence in Australia, given where that’s where a big chunk of its operations are.

Despite KL closing two of its three Australian mines in the past year, Fosterville in Victoria is shaping up as one of the world’s premier gold mines.

“We are excited to be listing on the ASX on the one year anniversary of our transformational transaction with Newmarket Gold Inc, which resulted in the acquisition of our Australian assets,” Makuch said.

“Since that transaction, our Fosterville mine in Victoria has emerged as one of the world’s great high-grade, low-cost gold producers, with production on track to reach 250,000-260,000 ounces in 2017 and all-in sustaining costs currently averaging around US$500 per ounce.

“The ASX listing reflects our company’s long-term commitment to Australia as one of our two core markets and provides existing and potential shareholders based in the country, including our 470 employees, with access to an Australian-based trading platform.”

Makuch and KL vice president of operations in Australia Ian Holland, along with four gold bars from Fosterville, are in Sydney today to ring the bell.

"We are excited to welcome Kirkland Lake Gold to the ASX, where the company will join some of the world's leading resource, finance and technology companies,” ASX head of listings and issuer services Eddie Grieve said.

“ASX is home to more than 260 international companies from around the world, and we look forward to providing Kirkland Lake Gold with access to our full suite of listing, trading, clearing and settlement services.”

KL shares have jumped by around 160% so far this year and the company now has a market capitalisation of just under C$4 billion.

Much of that rise has been driven by the success at the Fosterville mine in Victoria, which had an eye-watering average head grade of 17.2 grams per tonne gold in the June quarter.

Fosterville produced 184,688oz at AISC of US$501/oz in the first nine months of the year and the mine had a record mine of production in October of over 30,000oz at a head grade of 23gpt gold.

Makuch has suggested that Fosterville could get to 450,000-500,000oz of gold per annum without the need to expand the plant, and the mine’s grade is expected to increase next year as it starts mining the Swan Zone.

The Swan Zone has a maiden reserve of 523,000 ounces at 58.8gpt gold, and the company recently announced a hit of more than 9000gpt gold nearby.

KL is also heavily invested in another Toronto market darling, Novo Resources, investing US$61 million in the company in September, which registered it a $99.5 million non-cash, pre-tax gain on its investment for the quarter.

Makuch told MNN in September that KL made the investment with a view to potentially develop the project if a deposit was found, and reiterated that earlier this month.

“We’re not an investment fund company – we’re a gold mining company,” he said.

“We see this as an arm’s length extension of our exploration and growth strategy.”

The company, chaired by famous gold bull Eric Sprott, also participated in a fundraising by De Grey Mining.

KL has generated $113.5 million of free cashflow in the first nine months of the year and doubled its quarterly dividend to C2c per share after closing the quarter with US$210.5 million in cash and equivalents.

Year-to-date production was 429,822 at AISC, more than double the first nine months of 2016, and the company this month increased its full-year guidance to 580,000-595,000oz at AISC of $800-825/oz, the third increase this year from the original 2017 target of 500,000-525,000oz at AISC of $950-1000/oz.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining News Intelligence team.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining News Intelligence team.

editions

MiningNews.net Research Report 2024

Access a multi-pronged tool to identify critical risks and opportunities in Australia’s mining industry.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Investor Sentiment Report 2024

Survey revealing the plans, priorities, and preferences of 120+ mining investors and their expectations for the sector in 2024.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Mining Equities Report 2023

Access an exclusive, inside look on the quarterly mining IPOs and secondary raisings data and mining equities performance tables with an annual Stock Exchange Comparisons supplement.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence World Risk Report 2023 (feat. MineHutte ratings)

A detailed analysis of mining investment risks across 121 jurisdictions globally, built on 11 ‘hard risk’ metrics and an industrywide survey.