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Pacific back to making the big bucks

PACIFIC Coal released its first quarter results for 2014, showing a rise in production and revenu...

Sadie Davidson

Production for the three months ended March 31 was up 24% at 274,421 tonnes of coal from open pit mining.

Q1 coal revenues were $US35.6 million ($A38.4 million).

Prices per tonne increased from $94.52 in the fourth quarter of 2013, to 371,716t at an average realised price of $95.67/t.

Coal revenues increased 54% from Q4 2013 and jumped 62% from Q1 2013.

Earnings from operations for Q1 2014 were $1.2 million, a significant improvement compared to the loss of $5.4 million in Q4 2013 and a loss of $4.9 million in Q1 2013.

Pacific reported adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation for Q1 2014 of $3.1 million, an increase of $6.5 million and $5.6 million when compared to the 2013 fourth and first quarter losses of $3.4 million and $2.5 million respectively.

The company recorded $1.2 million in general and administration expenses in Q1.

It was able to reduce its spending by 26% compared to $1.6 million in the same period of 2013.

General expenses in Q1 2014 were also 13% lower than the $1.4 million forecast.

"In the first quarter of 2014, we were able to reduce general and administrative expenses below forecasted amounts, further ramp up south pit production at La Caypa, hire a third party operator at Cerro Largo and enter into an memorandum of understanding at Jam for a collaborative project,” Pacific executive chairman Hernan Martinez said.

“We aim to further strengthen our focus on the core assets by disposing of the remaining interest in the Barranquilla port and continue to increase cost and operational efficiencies to maximise production.”

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