Daily Dziennik Gazeta Prawna has published a short interview with the company’s CEO Mr. Herbert Wirth. The key points were as follows:
• The company is going to submit its offer for a research and exploration works in Kazakhstan in December this year.
• KGHM is likely to present a new strategy in the beginning of 2013. Energy projects are likely to be highlighted however KGHM is probably not going to specify the target for revenues from this part of business (in current strategy over the long term energy revenues are set to amount to 30% of total sales of the group)
• The Sierra Gorda investment is likely to experience CAPEX overruns. Mr Wirth declined to comment what scale of the overruns could be. He expects the project to be kicked off in 1H14.
Our view:
Two most important things are revealed in this interview. Firstly, CEO is not specifying that Sierra Gorda would be launched in 1Q14 which was indicated in the past and secondly he admitted that some CAPEX overruns are on the cards. We expect that expenditures could be exceeded by 5- 10% which comparing o other global copper projects is not significant. We expect more news on the Quadra assets and Sierra Gorda project to come on the market in December this year.