Item 1. Business
Item 1. Business
GENERAL
Coeur Mining, Inc. (“Coeur”, “the Company”, or “we”), founded in 1928, is a precious metals producer with assets located in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Our common stock is listed on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “CDE”.
Coeur’s strategy is to be a well-diversified, growing precious metals producer with a focus on generating sustainable, high-quality cash flow and returns from a balanced, prospective asset base in mining-friendly jurisdictions along with our commitment to exploration and expansions. Our strategy is guided by our purpose statement, We Pursue a Higher Standard , and three key principles: Protect our People, Places and Planet; Develop Quality Resources, Growth and Plans; and Deliver Impactful Results Through Teamwork . We conduct our business with a proactive focus on positively impacting the health, safety and socioeconomic status of our people and the communities in which we operate as well as the environment.
OUR BUSINESS
Operating Segments
We produce and sell precious metals from the following operating segments:
• The Palmarejo gold-silver complex, located in the State of Chihuahua in Northern Mexico, which has been in operation since 2009. The processing facility at the Palmarejo complex is fed by the Guadalupe, Independencia and La Nación underground mines. The Company also carries out exploration activities across the Palmarejo property package.
• The Rochester open pit heap leach silver-gold mine located in northwestern Nevada, which has been in operation since 1986. Coeur Rochester commenced a significant expansion project in 2020 (Plan of Operations Amendment No. 11, or “POA 11”) consisting of construction of a new leach pad, crushing facility, process plant and related infrastructure, which is expected to support an extended mine life. The construction is expected to be completed during 2023. Coeur Rochester also acquired the Lincoln Hill, Gold Ridge, and related exploration assets adjacent to its Rochester mine in 2018.
• The Kensington underground gold mine located north of Juneau, Alaska, which began operations in 2010. Coeur Alaska received a favorable final Record of Decision from the Forest Service for their Plan of Operations Amendment 1 (“POA 1”) on February 24, 2022. POA 1 gives Coeur Alaska the ability to increase tailings and waste rock storage capacity to support an expected longer mine life, reflecting positive exploration results, current metal prices, and ongoing operational efficiencies. Coeur Alaska is now working on supplemental permit requirements following this significant milestone.
• The Wharf open pit heap leach gold mine located near Lead, South Dakota, which was acquired by Coeur in 2015.
In addition, the Company operates the Silvertip underground silver-zinc-lead exploration project located in northern British Columbia, Canada, which was acquired by Coeur in 2017. Silvertip commenced commercial production ramp up in 2018. In February 2020, we announced a suspension of mining and processing activities at Silvertip. While mining activities are suspended, the Company (i) is investing in exploration to potentially further expand the resource and extend the mine life, and (ii) continues to work to pursue a mill expansion to improve the asset’s cost structure and its ability to deliver sustainable cash flow.
The Company has interests in other precious metals exploration projects throughout North America, other mineral interests, strategic equity investments, among other items, which are included in “Other” for segment reporting purposes. The Company sold the La Preciosa project in the first quarter of 2022 and the Crown and Sterling projects in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Metals Prices and Hedging Activities
The results of the Company and its operating segments are substantially dependent upon the market prices of gold and silver, which fluctuate widely. The Company has in the past and may in the future enter into derivative contracts to protect the selling price for certain anticipated gold and silver production and to manage risks associated with foreign currencies. For additional information see “Item 1A – Risk Factors”, “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” and “Note 15 – Derivative Financial Instruments in the notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.”
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Metal Processing, Marketing and Sales
We produce gold and silver doré, as well as gold concentrate. The doré produced at the Palmarejo complex and Rochester mine, as well as the concentrate product produced by the Wharf mine, is refined by a geographically diverse group of third-party refiners into gold and silver bullion according to benchmark standards set by the London Bullion Market Association, which regulates the acceptable requirements for bullion traded in the London precious metals markets. We then sell gold and silver bullion to multi-national banks, bullion trading houses, and refiners across the globe. Our gold concentrate product from the Kensington mine is sold under a variety of agreements with a geographically diverse group of third-party smelters and traders, and the smelters and traders pay us for the metals recovered from the concentrates.
We believe that the loss of any one smelter, refiner, trader or third-party customer would not materially adversely affect us due to the liquidity of the markets and current availability of alternative trading counterparties.
Commodities
We purchase materials and supplies from third parties to conduct our business, including electricity, fuel, chemical reagents, explosives, steel and concrete. Prices for these commodities are volatile and can fluctuate due to conditions that are difficult to predict, including inflation, currency fluctuations, global competition for resources, consumer or industrial demand and other factors . For most of these commodities, we have existing alternate sources of supply or alternate sources of supply are readily available. We continuously monitor supply and cost trends for these items.
GOVERNMENT REGULATION
General
Our business is subject to extensive federal, state, local and foreign laws governing the protection of the environment, prospecting, development, production, mine closure, taxes, labor standards, occupational health, mine safety, toxic substances, protection of endangered, protected or other specified species and other matters. The costs to comply with these regulatory requirements are substantial and possible future legislation and regulations could cause additional expense, capital expenditures, restrictions and delays in the development and continued operation of our properties, the extent of which cannot be predicted. Expenditures for environmental compliance in 2023 are expected to range from $9.2 million to $10.2 million. We have reviewed and considered current federal legislation relating to climate change and do not believe the legislation to have a material effect on our operations. Future changes in U.S., Mexican or Canadian federal, state or provincial laws or regulations could have a material adverse effect upon us and our results of operations. For additional information regarding key regulatory risks, please see the section titled “Risk Factors” included in Item 1A.
Permitting
The Rochester, Kensington and Wharf mines are subject to extensive U.S. federal and state permitting laws and regulations. Mexico, where the Palmarejo complex is located, and Canada, where the Silvertip exploration property is located, have both adopted laws and guidelines for environmental permitting that are similar to those in effect in the United States. The permitting process in each jurisdiction requires, among other things, a thorough study to determine the baseline condition of the mining site and surrounding area, an environmental impact analysis, and proposed mitigation measures to minimize and offset the environmental impact of mining operations, in addition to consultation requirements with local indigenous groups, in certain instances. We have received all permits required to operate and carry out the current scope of activities at the Palmarejo complex, Rochester, Kensington and Wharf mines, and the Silvertip exploration property. We are in the process of amending existing permits at our Palmarejo complex and Wharf mine to support future planned activities. If we pursue an expansion at Silvertip, it will require new or amended permits.
Maintenance of Mining Claims
All of the jurisdictions where we operate impose federal, state and/or provincial requirements for maintaining mining claims (United States), mining concessions (Mexico) and mineral claims and mining leases (British Columbia), including fees, reporting, and/or evidence of work, among other requirements. Our failure to comply with any of these requirements could result in the loss of our ability to conduct mining activities in a particular location, which could have a material adverse impact on our business.
HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT
Effective human capital management at Coeur is critical to achieving our strategic goals. We aim to be an employer of choice by promoting safety first, proactively developing our people and fostering a diverse and inclusive culture. In 2022, we were proudly named one of Crain’s Chicago’s ‘Best Places to Work.’ At December 31, 2022, we had approximately 2,107 employees (1,091 in the U.S., 74 in Canada and 942 in Mexico) and 1,072 people were working as contractors in support of
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Coeur’s operations. Approximately 65% of the employees of Coeur Mexicana are represented by a collective bargaining agreement.
Culture Assessment
We are focused on regular evaluation of our culture. In 2019 and again in 2021, we invited all employees to participate in a culture assessment by completing an anonymous survey. Employee participation in 2021 was over 93%, which exceeded industry benchmarks. Feedback was reviewed by the management team and our Board of Directors (our “Board”). The management team also reviewed the results with employees at each of our operations through facilitated discussions to gain additional insight into the feedback. We developed site-specific action plans to address feedback and monitor progress in the future. The results of the assessment confirmed our belief that we have an ethical, safe, engaged, and proud workforce and also highlighted areas for improvement that are now being addressed. Specific action plans taken in 2022 included diversity, equity and inclusion (“DEI”) training forums with hourly employees, bolstered communications through written and in-person meetings, and implementation of a career progression ladder to provide guidelines for employees’ skill development. The organization will be surveyed again in 2023.
Recruitment
We seek to recruit and retain employees at all levels who embody our purpose statement, We Pursue a Higher Standard , through safe and ethical conduct. Our strong culture of teamwork and our reputation as a responsible company and an engaged community member motivates new employee referrals. We have also created a series of partnership programs in local communities to provide internships, scholarships, and apprenticeships to build a pipeline of potential employees in the next generation. We have maintained an average employee age of 40 years old since 2018 by focusing on building our bench strength and increasing our under 40 population to 34% of our workforce.
Diversity & Inclusion
Our President & CEO, Mitchell Krebs, was the first precious metals mining CEO to sign the CEO ACTION for Diversity & Inclusion pledge. This pledge highlights Coeur’s continuing commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce, evidenced by programs such as Coeur Heroes , which provided over 80 career opportunities to current and former U.S. Military personnel last year. Fifty percent of our Board members have indicated that they are diverse, 12% of our employees are female, up from 10% in 2020. While we continue to work to increase our overall female population, over 60% of our female employees are supervisor or higher-level positions. In the US and Canada approximately 21% of our workforce is non-white, up from 18% in 2020, Partnerships with organizations like the National Society of Black Engineers and Women in Mining at their U.S. university chapters are providing further avenues for recruiting diverse talent. In order to emphasize the importance of DEI in the workplace, we provided training to our hourly workforce at every operation on topics such as bullying, bystander intervention and education on overall mental wellness to ensure each employee feels respected and included at work.
Employee Development
We periodically solicit feedback on each member of our executive team through 360 assessments. We believe this feedback is important to maintaining a strong culture by effectively assessing leadership performance and development, increasing accountability, facilitating succession planning and identifying areas for improvement and change. We provide opportunities for employees to participate in IMPACT training, an intensive one-year training program we created for front-line supervisors throughout our organizational structure to focus on leadership development and mining as a business. Through IMPACT training, we have invested over 22,124 cumulative hours of leadership training and personal development in almost 200 employees. In 2022, after many employees had graduated from IMPACT training over the last 4 years, we introduced our first Advanced IMPACT training for employees at manager and director levels in the organization.
Succession Planning
We conduct robust succession planning throughout the organization annually, by employing specific talent diagnostics and skills development. High potential performers and diversity discussions, along with action plans, are reviewed starting from the front-line supervisors to the Chief Operating Officer.
Our Board oversees the recruitment, development, and retention of our senior executives. Significant focus is placed on succession planning both for key executive roles and also deeper into the organization. In-depth discussions occur multiple times per year in meetings of the Board, Compensation and Leadership Development Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, including in executive sessions to foster candid conversations. Directors have regular and direct exposure to senior leadership and high-potential employees during Board and committee meetings and through other informal meetings and events held during the year.
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Local Hire
Investing in local communities extends beyond financial support. Since 2018, we have hired an average of 60% of our new hires from local communities. During 2022, we provided over 50 apprenticeships and internships and worked with organizations such as By the Hand Club in Chicago to educate youth in our communities about career opportunities in mining. Providing career opportunities to local community members and participating in community initiatives creates a closer connection between our operations and local stakeholders and communities.
Rewards & Wellness
As part of our fundamental need to attract and retain talent, we regularly evaluate our compensation, benefits, and employee wellness offerings. We have determined that our average employee earns over 40% more than the average employee in their local markets according to industry benchmarking. Over 94% of U.S. employees are enrolled in our medical benefit plan, and over 90% of U.S. employees contribute to our 401(k) plan. Supplemental healthcare is provided above government requirements in both Canada and Mexico. We were a leader in the mining industry by providing domestic partner benefits in 2017 and participation has increased 150% since introduction. New in 2022, we have expanded paid parental and primary caregiver leave for US employees.
In addition, we have engaged a third-party mental health care provider for innovative care and counseling resources throughout our footprint. This resource leverages technology and clinical best practices to assist our employees and their families gain fast access to highly effective quality care when needed most. We are also developing a Total Worker Health program, which is expected to be implemented by the end of 2023, that integrates protection from work-related safety and health hazards with promotion of injury and illness-prevention efforts to advance worker well-being both physically and mentally.
RESPONSIBILITY
At Coeur, we strive for best-in-class environmental performance while meeting the needs of today and respecting the needs of future generations. As a precious metals producer, we have the unique opportunity to supply the raw materials that play a key role in the clean energy transition. We work to protect our environment through an approach of responsible production and a focus on best practices. On an ongoing basis, we conduct site-specific environmental risk reviews and utilize a set of key performance indicators (“KPIs”) to evaluate performance results by mine. We believe that this systematic approach leads to awareness, risk mitigation and a pursuit of continuous improvement. Comprehensive environmental management plans in conjunction with topic-specific plans, such as waste management and storm water protection, at each site provide guidance on how to implement our environmental initiatives and meet or exceed regulatory standards.
We recognize that the climate is changing, which may adversely affect the environment, our business and the communities where we operate over the long-term. To that end, we are assessing the extent of these risks and potential opportunities and are taking action to manage our climate-related risks as well as the potential impact we have on climate. For example, we:
• updated our initial greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions intensity reduction target in 2022 to 35% reduction in net intensity by the end of 2024 compared to base-year and tied 20% of the 2022 executive performance share award to achievement of that goal;
• enhanced our climate disclosure in-line with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (“TCFD”) recommendations;
• conducted site-specific scenario analysis workshops, energy and emissions diagnostics and financial modeling;
• completed an initial scope 3 quantification exercise; and
• continue to incorporate climate risks and opportunities into our long-term business planning and strategy.
AVAILABLE INFORMATION
We make available on our website (http://www.coeur.com) our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and Proxy Statements, as well as Forms 3, 4 and 5 with respect to our common stock, including any amendments to any of the foregoing, as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports are electronically filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). These filings are also available at http://www.sec.gov.
Copies of our Corporate Governance Guidelines, charters of the key committees of the Board (Audit, Compensation and Leadership Development, Executive, Nominating and Corporate Governance, and Environmental, Health, Safety, and Corporate Responsibility Committees) and our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, applicable to the Chief Executive Officer,
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Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer, among others, are also available on our website. Information contained on our website is not a part of this report.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This report contains numerous forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) relating to our mining business, including anticipated mineral reserve and resource estimates, exploration efforts and expenditures, development, expansion initiatives at Rochester, Kensington and Silvertip, expectations about timing of deliveries against the Kensington prepayment, LCM adjustments at Rochester, permitting, estimated production, costs, capital expenditures, expenses, recoveries, metals prices, sufficiency of assets, ability to discharge liabilities, liquidity management, financing needs, environmental compliance expenditures, environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) and human capital management initiatives, risk management strategies, including hedging, capital resources and use, cash flow maximization, mine life and other strategic initiatives. Such forward-looking statements are identified by the use of words such as “believes,” “intends,” “expects,” “hopes,” “may,” “should,” “plan,” “projected,” “contemplates,” “anticipates” or similar words and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements include: (i) the risk factors set forth below under Item 1A and in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations under Item 7; (ii) the risk that the Rochester expansion project is not completed on a timely basis or requires more capital than currently anticipated for completion; (iii) the risk that anticipated production, cost, expenditure and expense levels at at Palmarejo, Rochester, Wharf and Kensington are not attained; (iv) the risks and hazards inherent in the mining business (including risks inherent in developing and expanding large-scale mining projects, environmental hazards, industrial accidents, weather or geologically-related conditions); (v) changes in the market prices of gold and silver and a sustained lower price or higher treatment and refining charge environment; (vi) the impact of geopolitical conditions, pandemics or epidemics, climate change, extreme weather events and other macro conditions, including disruptions to operations, the need for heightened health and safety protocols, inflation, and disruptions to our vendors, suppliers and the communities where we operate; (vii) the uncertainties inherent in Coeur’s production, exploration and development activities, including risks relating to permitting and regulatory delays (including the impact of government shutdowns), ground conditions, grade and recovery variability; (viii) any future labor disputes or work stoppages (involving us or our subsidiaries or third parties); (ix) the risk of adverse outcomes in litigation; (x) the uncertainties inherent in the estimation of gold, silver, zinc and lead mineral reserves and resources; (xi) impacts from Coeur’s future acquisition of new mining properties or businesses; (xii) the loss of access or insolvency of any third-party refiner or smelter to whom Coeur markets its production; (xiii) the continued effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including impacts to workforce, materials and equipment availability; (xiv) inflationary pressures; (xv) continued access to financing sources; (xvi) government orders that may require temporary suspension of operations at one or more of our sites and effects on our suppliers or the refiners and smelters to whom the Company markets its production and on the communities where we operate; (xvii) the effects of environmental and other governmental regulations and government shut-downs; (xviii) the risks inherent in the ownership or operation of or investment in mining properties or businesses in foreign countries; and (xix) our ability to raise additional financing necessary to conduct our business, make payments or refinance our debt. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We disclaim any intent or obligation to update publicly these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING DISCLOSURE OF MINERAL PROPERTIES
Mineral Reserves and Resources
We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and applicable Canadian securities laws, and as a result we report our mineral reserves and mineral resources according to two different standards. U.S. reporting requirements, are governed by Item 1300 of Regulation S-K (“S-K 1300”), as issued by the SEC. Canadian reporting requirements for disclosure of mineral properties are governed by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”), as adopted from the definitions provided by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum. Both sets of reporting standards have similar goals in terms of conveying an appropriate level of confidence in the disclosures being reported, but the standards embody slightly different approaches and definitions.
In our public filings in the U.S. and Canada and in certain other announcements not filed with the SEC, we disclose proven and probable reserves and measured, indicated and inferred resources, each as defined in S-K 1300. The estimation of measured resources and indicated resources involve greater uncertainty as to their existence and economic feasibility than the estimation of proven and probable reserves, and therefore investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of measured or indicated resources will ever be converted into S-K 1300-compliant reserves. The estimation of inferred resources involves far greater uncertainty as to their existence and economic viability than the estimation of other categories of resources, and therefore it cannot be assumed that all or any part of inferred resources will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Therefore,
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investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of inferred resources exist, or that they can be mined legally or economically.
Technical Report Summaries and Qualified Persons
The scientific and technical information concerning our mineral projects in this Form 10-K have been reviewed and approved by “qualified persons” under S-K 1300, including our Director, Technical Services, Christopher Pascoe. For a description of the key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate mineral reserves and mineral resources included in this Form 10-K, as well as data verification procedures and a general discussion of the extent to which the estimates may be affected by any known environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, sociopolitical, marketing or other relevant factors, please review the Technical Report Summaries for each of the Company’s material properties which are included as exhibits to, and incorporated by reference into, this Report.
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