SSRM's Operations at Copler Remain Suspended: Can It Achieve Growth?

SSR Mining SSRM continues to face significant impact on operations, cash flows and financial condition following the suspension of operations at its Çöpler mine in Türkiye. The mine’s operations have been suspended since Feb. 13, 2024, following a significant slip on the heap leach pad. SSRM has since been focusing on remediation and care and maintenance activities.

Çöpler was a key contributor to SSRM’s output, producing 220,999 gold equivalent ounces in 2023 and accounting for 31% of  its total gold production in the year. The company recorded gold production of 21,827 ounces from Çöpler in the first quarter of 2024. Consequently, contributions to revenues from Çöpler for 2024 dipped to 7%, down from 31% in 2023 and 2022. 

SSR Mining continues to work closely with the relevant authorities to advance the restart of the Çöpler mine. While the company remains confident and committed to resuming operations, it is uncertain when it will materialize. Despite the lost output from Çöpler, SSRM projects gold production between 320,000 and 380,000 ounces in 2025 with contributions from Seabee, Marigold and CC&V, higher than the 275,013 ounces produced in 2024.

In the first quarter of 2025, remediation and reclamation spend totaled $5 million and care and maintenance costs totaled $35.8 million, including $20.6 million in cash care and maintenance costs. As of March 31, 2024, the company had estimated a preliminary cost range of $250-$300 million for future reclamation and remediation costs related to Çöpler, in addition to the approximately $22.5 million incurred during the first quarter of 2024. SSRM recorded reclamation and remediation costs of approximately $272.9 million during 2024 as a result of the Çöpler incident.

Leach pad failures, where the structures holding mining waste and solutions fail, or similar incidents like tailing dams collapsing, can significantly impact mining companies, leading to financial losses, operational shutdowns, environmental damage and reputational harm. These failures often result in costly cleanup efforts and lawsuits.

One of the most notable cases is the Brumadinho dam disaster, which occurred on Jan. 25, 2019, when a tailings dam at Vale S.A.’s VALE Córrego do Feijão iron ore mine collapsed. 

Earlier in 2015, the collapse of the dam at the iron ore mine in 2015 owned by Samarco, a joint venture between Vale and BHP Group BHP, near the city of Mariana in southeastern Brazil, unleashed a wave of tailings and resulted in casualties. Both VALE and BHP have faced intense scrutiny. The companies have since committed billions toward remediation, including reparations, rebuilding communities and restoring ecosystems.

SSRM’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates

Year to date, SSRM shares have gained 73.2%, outpacing the industry's 16.1% growth. In comparison, the Basic Materials sector has risen 12.6%, while the S&P 500 has moved up 8%.

SSR Mining is currently trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings multiple of 6.75X compared with the industry average of 14.86X.

The consensus mark for 2025 earnings is pegged at $1.21 per share, indicating a year-over-year surge of 332%. The estimate for 2026 of $2.21 indicates an increase of 82.9%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SSR Mining’s earnings for 2025 has moved up 11.01% over the past 60 days. The same for 2026 has moved up 18.2%.

SSRM stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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