Interview with Darren Bowden, CEO of Metals Exploration PLC

Recording date: 6th February 2024

Metals Exploration has undergone a dramatic turnaround under CEO Darren Bowden. When Bowden took over 4-5 years ago, the London AIM-listed gold mining company was nearly bankrupt. Its Philippines-based mine was achieving poor recoveries below 50%, costs were high, debt was mounting, and cash flow was negative.

Bowden methodically analysed the issues and overhauled operations. His team resolved processing plant bottlenecks, boosting recovery rates to 92-94% today. Higher throughput and optimized mining have doubled annual gold production from 48Koz to 85Koz. Lower costs and higher gold output have allowed Metals Exploration to generate $73M in free cash flow in 2021. This cash avalanche has gone straight to paying down debt, which has declined from $130M originally to around $15M currently.

With debt cleared and profits flowing, Bowden has positioned Metals Exploration for a new phase focused on strategic growth. Its core Runruno gold mine has approximately 4 years of remaining life. Bowden is hunting for assets to acquire, with an emphasis on high-grade, small-scale gold mines in the Philippines. The goal is to replace Runruno's production profile before mining concludes in 4 years.

If Bowden pulls this off, he sees Metals Exploration evolving from a "~$200M company to a $2B company." There's still execution risk, but investors buying into the turnaround story at the current ~$100M valuation could see solid returns if his bold vision is achieved.

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