Interview with Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse, President & CEO of Contango Ore Inc.
Recording date: 10th April 2024
Contango Ore (AMEX:CTGO) is on the cusp of a major transformation as it prepares to bring the high-grade Manh Choh gold project in Alaska into production in July 2024. The company owns a 30% stake in Manh Choh through a joint venture with major producer Kinross Gold, which is providing a unique opportunity for Contango to transition from explorer to producer with minimal capex.
The key to Contango's strategy is leveraging excess capacity at Kinross' nearby Fort Knox mill to process ore from Manh Choh. This innovative approach eliminates the need for Contango to permit and finance a standalone processing facility, dramatically accelerating the timeline and reducing execution risk.
Contango expects Manh Choh to produce 65,000 ounces of gold per year at a very low cash cost of $1100/oz. With 40% of production hedged and the balance sold at spot prices, Contango anticipates generating approximately $75 million in annual free cash flow assuming a realized gold price around $2200/oz. This represents a game-changing influx of cash for a company with a market cap of just US$200 million.
Longer-term, Contango sees significant potential to grow production and extend the mine life at Manh Choh through drilling. The company is also advancing the 100%-owned Lucky Shot project in Alaska, which has a historical high-grade resource and the potential for 500,000 additional ounces. Like Manh Choh, ore from Lucky Shot could be processed at Fort Knox, providing a template for a scalable, repeatable development model across the region.
Contango Ore offers investors a rare opportunity to gain exposure to a near-term gold producer at a deeply discounted valuation. With $75 million in expected annual free cash flow from Manh Choh, shares are trading at less than 3x cash flow. As the company executes its "hybrid royalty model" and demonstrates proof of concept, there is potential for a significant re-rating of the stock.
The company is led by a proven management team with a track record of value creation in the region. CEO Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse and his team have developed multiple successful projects in Alaska and the Yukon, including the donlin Gold project during his tenure at NovaGold.
The expected free cash flow will provide the fuel for Contango to pay down debt, accelerate exploration and development at Lucky Shot, and potentially acquire additional assets that fit its unique development model. For investors looking for exposure to a rapidly growing, high-margin gold producer in a Tier-1 jurisdiction, Contango Ore checks all the boxes. As the company begins generating meaningful cash flow in the second half of 2024, the stock appears poised for a significant re-rating.
View Contango Ore's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/contango-ore
Sign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com
What is Company Interviews?
An insight into junior mining and opportunities to invest.
Company Interviews, a Crux Investor show, exists to cut through the jargon, bias and bluster.
Matthew Gordon, and guest host Merlin Marr-Johnson hone in on the important factors that indicate a company's strong footing for growth and success.