Interview with Michael Hodgson, CEO of Serabi Gold PLC

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/serabi-gold-lsesrb-38000-oz-gold-production-by-year-end-with-expansion-upside-6452

Recording date: 11th April 2025

Serabi Gold has kicked off 2025 with impressive momentum, delivering 10,013 ounces of gold production in Q1 – maintaining the strong rhythm established in Q4 2024 and exceeding budget expectations by approximately 800 ounces. The company is firmly on track to meet its 2025 production guidance of 44,000 - 47,000 ounces, with quarterly production expected to increase throughout the year, reaching 12,000 - 13,000 ounces by Q4.

The financial transformation of Serabi over the past year has been remarkable. Cash reserves grew from just $5 million in Q1 2024 to $22.2 million by year-end, and have further increased to approximately $27 million following Q1 2025 results. This substantial improvement stems from both operational excellence and favorable market conditions, with high gold prices and a beneficial Brazilian Real exchange rate creating what CEO Michael Hodgson describes as "a great time to be a Brazilian gold producer."

Serabi's growth trajectory is clearly defined, with production expected to increase from the current 44,000 - 47,000 ounces in 2025 to 60,000 ounces in 2026. The company has even more ambitious plans beyond this, with a goal of reaching 70,000-75,000 ounces in 2027 and potentially 100,000 ounces by 2028. Notably, management believes this growth can be funded entirely from operating cash flow, avoiding dilution to existing shareholders.

Underpinning this growth strategy is a significant $10 million investment in brownfield exploration, split equally between the Palito and Coringa operations. This program aims to expand the current resource base from 1 million ounces to at least 1.5 million ounces, and potentially up to 2 million ounces. Recent drilling at São Domingos has already yielded promising results, with early estimates suggesting a resource of around 100,000 ounces at impressive grades of 10-12 grams per ton.

Serabi is implementing an innovative hub-and-spoke model, where satellite operations employ crushing and ore-sorting technology to produce high-grade pre-concentrates that are then transported to the central Palito processing facility. This approach maximizes processing efficiency and enables increased production without major plant expansions.

With substantial free cash flow generation expected to continue throughout 2025, management is actively considering mechanisms for shareholder returns, including dividends and share buybacks. As Hodgson stated, "We know we can't sit on this amount of cash. That's the bottom line."

For investors seeking exposure to gold with strong growth prospects and potential shareholder returns, Serabi Gold presents a compelling opportunity. The combination of increasing production, expanding resources, innovative processing technology, and robust cash generation creates a foundation for both capital appreciation and potential income in a favorable gold price environment.

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Learn more: https://cruxinvestor.com/companies/serabi-gold

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