ERO.TO · 2022-03-08 12:00:00

Ero Copper reports record full-year 2021 operating and financial results

Financials

March 8, 2022

(all amounts in US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

Vancouver, British Columbia – Ero Copper Corp. (TSX: ERO, NYSE: ERO) (“Ero” or the

“Company”) is pleased to announce its financial results for t he three and twelve months e nded

December 31, 2021. Management will host a conference call tomorrow, Wednesday, March 9, 2022 , at

11:30 a.m. Eastern time to discuss the results. Dial-in details for the call can be found near the end of

this press release.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Record full-year copper production of 45,511 tonnes and gold production of 37,798 ounces

included 11,918 tonnes of copper and 8,544 ounces of gold produced during the fourth quarter,

surpassing the high-end of the Company's 2021 production guidance ranges;

• Copper C1 cash costs (*) for the fourth quarter and full year were $0.96 and $0.77, respectively,

per pound of copper produced;

• Gold C1 cash costs (*) for the fourth quarter and full year were $582 and $525, respectively, per

ounce of gold produced. All-in Sustaining Costs ("AISC") (*) for the same periods were $910 and

$732, respectively, per ounce of gold produced;

• Record 2021 adjusted EBITDA (*) of $331.9 million included $86.8 million of adjusted

EBITDA(*) generated during the fourth quarter;

• Fourth quarter and full-year adjusted net income attributable to owners of the Company (*) were

$59.7 million ( $0.65 per share on a diluted basis) and $215.4 million ( $2.37 per share on a

diluted basis), respectively, with the latter representing another record metric for the Company;

• Quarterly cash flows from operations of $66.7 million brought full-year cash flows from

operations to $364.6 million , which included a $100.0 million upfront payment related to the

August 2021 closing of the $110 million streaming agreement with RGLD Gold AG, a wholly-

owned subsidiary of Royal Gold Inc., in relation to gold production from the NX Gold Mine (the

"NX Gold Stream");

• Available liquidity of $230.1 million at December 31, 2021 included $130.1 million of cash and

cash equivalents and $100.0 million of undrawn availability under the Company's senior secured

revolving credit facility; and,

• Reiterate previously announced full-year 2022 production, operating cost and capital guidance.

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SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

• In February 2022, the Company bolstered its balance sheet and liquidity position with an offering

of $400 million of senior unsecured notes due 2030. The Company subsequently used

approximately $50 million of net proceeds from the offering to repay the outstanding balance

under its senior secured revolving credit facility and intends to use the remaining proceeds,

together with cash on hand, to fund capital expenditures related to the construction of the Boa

Esperança Project and for general corporate purposes.

• Concurrent to the closing of the $400 million senior unsecured notes offering, the Company

reduced the size of its senior secured revolving credit facility from $150 million to $75 million,

with an accordion option to increase to $100 million at the election of the Company.

• Pro forma liquidity position, subsequent to closing, was approximately $550 million, including

approximately $475 million in cash and cash equivalents and $75 million of undrawn availability

under the Company's senior secured revolving credit facility.

• In February 2022, the Company announced that its Board of Directors approved the construction

of the Boa Esperança Project, which is expected to commence construction in Q2 2022.

Commenting on the results, David Strang, CEO, stated, “2021 marked another exceptional year for Ero.

In addition to delivering record copper production and financial results, our team made significant

progress in solidifying transformational organic growth plans, placing the Company in a strong position

to execute on initiatives targeting approximately 100,000 tonnes of annual copper production and

60,000 ounces of annual gold production by 2025.

“Building upon operational momentum, subsequent to year-end we bolstered our balance sheet with a

$400 million senior unsecured notes offering, providing ample liquidity to fund our organic growth

plans over the coming years. Near-term, we will be focused on commencing the construction of the Boa

Esperança Project, which we expect to occur in Q2 2022, further advancing construction of the external

shaft of the Pilar Mine, an integral component of our Pilar 3.0 initiative, and continuing to grow our

asset base through ongoing exploration.

“As we look to the future, we are excited to solidify our position as one of the world's cleanest and

fastest growing copper producers. With decarbonization and tightening emission standards expected to

drive significant copper demand growth in the years ahead, our fully-funded growth strategy leaves us

well-positioned to be at the forefront of low carbon-intensive copper production.”

*Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”), Adjusted EBITDA,

Adjusted net income attributable to owners of the Company, Adjusted net income per share attributable

to owners of the Company, C1 cash cost per pound of copper produced, C1 cash cost per ounce of gold

produced and All-in Sustaining Costs (“AISC”) per ounce of gold produced are non-IFRS measures –

see the Notes section of this press release for additional information. C1 cash cost per pound of copper

produced are net of by-product credits from metal produced at the MCSA Mining Complex. AISC per

ounce of gold produced are net of by-product credits from metal produced at the NX Gold Mine.

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FOURTH QUARTER & FULL-YEAR REVIEW

• Mining & Milling Operations – strong Q4 operating results contributed to another year of

record copper production

◦ The MCSA Mining Complex processed 646,319 tonnes of ore grading 2.01% copper,

producing 11,918 tonnes of copper in concentrate during the quarter after metallurgical

recoveries of 92.7%; full year 2021 copper production totaled 45,511 tonnes based on

approximately 2.4 million tonnes processed at copper grades of 2.08% and metallurgical

recoveries of 92.4%.

◦ Higher quarter-on-quarter copper production was driven primarily by increased mill

throughput volumes related to (i) the ramp-up of mining activity and processing of

stockpiled ore from the Surubim open pit mine and (ii) a return to higher mill capacity levels

following the completion of preventative mill maintenance, which impacted mill throughput

volumes in Q2 and Q3 of 2021.

◦ The NX Gold Mine processed 47,159 tonnes grading 6.24 grams per tonne, producing 8,544

ounces of gold after metallurgical recoveries of 90.3% and 5,859 ounces of silver produced

as by-product; full year 2021 tonnes processed totaled 171,581 at an average grade of 7.27

grams per tonne, producing 37,798 ounces of gold after metallurgical recoveries of 94.2%

and 25,031 ounces of silver produced as by-product.

◦ Commissioning of the NX Gold Mine's paste-fill plant, where construction was completed

in Q3 2021, continued during the fourth quarter and concluded in January 2022. The paste-

fill plan is expected to improve overhand cut and fill mining operations and enhance pillar

recovery throughout the mine.

• Organic Growth Projects – clear and fully-funded organic growth strategy

◦ During the fourth quarter, the Company finalized a redesign of the new external shaft of the

Pilar Mine to allow for higher sustained production rates as part of the Pilar 3.0 initiative,

which was announced subsequent to year-end. Plans to construct a larger shaft were driven

by continued exploration success within the Deepening Extension Zone and in the upper

levels of the Pilar Mine, enabling the creation of a two-mine system whereby the upper

levels of the mine will be serviced by the existing shaft, while the Deepening Extension

Zone will utilize the new, larger external shaft. Pilar 3.0 is expected to enable higher annual

production volumes of 2.6 to 3.0 million tonnes compared to the current production rate of

approximately 1.3 million tonnes per annum at the Pilar Mine.

◦ The Company announced that its Board of Directors approved the construction of the Boa

Esperança Project subsequent to year-end. Construction is expected to commence in Q2

2022, with first production anticipated in H2 2024.

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OPERATING AND FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

3 months

ended

Dec. 31, 2021

3 months

ended

Sep. 30, 2021

3 months

ended

Dec. 31, 2020

12 months

ended

Dec. 31, 2021

12 months

ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Operating Highlights

Copper (MCSA Operations)

Ore Processed (tonnes) 646,319 572,666 483,447 2,370,571 2,271,625

Grade (% Cu) 2.01 1.90 2.26 2.08 2.08

Cu Production (tonnes) 11,918 10,057 10,018 45,511 42,814

Cu Production (000 lbs) 26,275 22,170 22,086 100,333 94,388

Cu Sold in Concentrate (tonnes) 12,393 10,762 10,265 45,717 42,813

Cu Sold in Concentrate (000 lbs) 27,321 23,727 22,629 100,788 22,629

C1 cash cost of Cu produced (per lb)(1) $ 0.96 $ 0.94 $ 0.69 $ 0.77 $ 0.67

Gold (NX Gold Operations)

Au Production (oz) 8,544 9,426 10,789 37,798 36,830

C1 cash cost of Au Produced (per oz)(1) $ 582 $ 538 $ 405 $ 525 $ 457

AISC of Au produced (per oz)(1) $ 910 $ 741 $ 608 $ 732 $ 628

Financial Highlights ($ in millions, except per share amounts)

Revenues $ 134.9 $ 111.8 $ 91.2 $ 489.9 $ 324.1

Gross profit 84.4 68.0 58.3 318.9 188.1

EBITDA(1) 80.7 48.5 91.3 296.4 116.2

Adjusted EBITDA(1) 86.8 72.9 67.2 331.9 207.1

Cash flow from operations 66.7 150.7 38.6 364.6 162.8

Net income 60.2 26.4 66.3 202.6 52.5

Net income attributable to owners of the Company 59.8 26.1 65.8 201.1 51.6

Per share (basic) 0.67 0.29 0.75 2.27 0.60

Per share (diluted) 0.65 0.28 0.71 2.21 0.56

Adjusted net income attributable to owners of the

Company(1) 59.7 45.7 37.4 215.4 117.3

Per share (basic) 0.67 0.52 0.43 2.43 1.36

Per share (diluted) 0.65 0.49 0.40 2.37 1.27

Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term

investments 130.1 92.6 62.5 130.1 62.5

Working capital(1) 86.0 81.4 35.8 86.0 35.8

Net debt(1) (70.9) (63.7) 105.6 (70.9) 105.6

(1) EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted net income (loss) attributable to owners of the Company, Adjusted net income

(loss) per share attributable to owners of the Company, Net Debt, Working Capital, C1 cash cost of copper produced (per

lb), C1 cash cost of gold produced (per ounce) and AISC of gold produced (per ounce) are non-IFRS measures – see the

Notes section of this press release for a discussion on non-IFRS Measures.

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ADJUSTED EBITDA & NET INCOME (LOSS) RECONCILIATION

($ in thousands)

3 months ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Adjusted EBITDA $ 86,780

Adjustments:

Unrealized foreign exchange loss on USD denominated balances in MCSA (1,649)

Unrealized foreign exchange gain on derivative contracts 3,278

Realized foreign exchange loss on derivative contracts (6,151)

Share based compensation and other (878)

Incremental costs in response to COVID-19 pandemic (669)

EBITDA $ 80,711

Adjusted net income attributable to owners of the Company $ 59,729

Adjustments for non-cash items (attributable to owners of the Company):

Unrealized foreign exchange loss on USD denominated debt in MCSA (1,642)

Unrealized foreign exchange gain on derivative contracts, net of tax 2,648

Unrealized gain on interest rate derivative 714

Share based compensation (981)

Incremental costs in response to COVID-19 pandemic (664)

Reported net income attributable to owners of the Company $ 59,804

2022 PRODUCTION OUTLOOK(*)

Copper production guidance from the MCSA Mining Complex of 43,000 to 46,000 tonnes of copper in

concentrate is expected to come from the Pilar and Vermelhos underground mines as well as the

Surubim open pit mine. Total ore processed of approximately 3.0 million tonnes at a blended grade of

1.60% copper is expected to be comprised of 1.8 million tonnes at 1.50% copper from the Pilar Mine,

900,000 tonnes at 2.05% copper from the Vermelhos Mine, and 300,000 tonnes at 0.75% copper from

the Surubim Mine.

Gold production guidance from the NX Gold Mine for 2022 of 39,000 to 42,000 ounces is expected to

come from the Santo Antônio Vein based on total ore processed of approximately 168,000 tonnes at a

gold grade of 8.00 grams per tonne.

2022 Guidance(1)

MCSA Mining Complex

Tonnes Processed 3,000,000

Copper Grade (% Cu) 1.60 %

Copper Recovery (%) 92.5 %

Copper Production (tonnes) 43,000 - 46,000

NX Gold Mine

Tonnes Processed 168,000

Gold Grade (gpt) 8.00

Gold Recovery (%) 93.0 %

Gold Production (ounces) 39,000 - 42,000

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2022 COST GUIDANCE(*)

The Company's cost guidance for 2022 assumes a USD:BRL foreign exchange rate of 5.30, a gold price

of $1,725 per ounce and a silver price of $20.00 per ounce.

2022 Guidance

MCSA Mining Complex C1 Cash Cost Guidance (US$/lb)(1) $1.05 - $1.15

NX Gold Mine C1 Cash Cost Guidance (US$/oz)(1) $500 - $600

NX Gold Mine All-in Sustaining Cost (AISC) Guidance (US$/oz)(1) $925 - $1,025

(1) C1 Cash Costs and AISC are a non-IFRS measure - see the Notes section of this press release for additional information.

2022 CAPITAL EXPENDITURE GUIDANCE(*)

The Company's capital expenditure guidance for 2022 assumes a USD:BRL foreign exchange rate of

5.30 and has been presented below in USD millions.

2022 Guidance

MCSA Mining Complex

Growth $125 - $140

Sustaining $80 - $90

Exploration $25 - $30

Total, MCSA Mining Complex $230 - $260

Boa Esperança Project

Growth $70 - $80

Sustaining $0

Exploration $5 - $6

Total, Boa Esperança Project $75 - $86

NX Gold Mine

Growth $0 - $1

Sustaining $16 - $18

Exploration $9 - $10

Total, NX Gold Mine $25 - $29

Company Total

Growth $195 - $221

Sustaining $96 - $108

Exploration $39 - $46

Total, Company $330 - $375

(*) Guidance is based on certain estimates and assumptions, including but not limited to, mineral reserve estimates, grade and

continuity of interpreted geological formations and metallurgical performance. Please refer to the Company’s SEDAR and

EDGAR filings, including the Company's most recent Annual Information Form, for complete risk factors.

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The Company's Annual Report on Form 40-F for the year ended December 31, 2021 will be filed with

the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov) by March 30, 2022.

CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS

The Company will hold a conference call on Wednesday, March 9, 2022 at 11:30 am Eastern time (8:30

am Pacific time) to discuss these results.

Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Time: 11:30 am Eastern time (8:30 am Pacific time)

Dial in: North America: 1-800-319-4610, International: +1-604-638-5340

please dial in 5-10 minutes prior and ask to join the call

Replay: North America: 1-800-319-6413, International: +1-604-638-9010

Replay Passcode: 8517

NOTES

Non-IFRS measures

The Company utilizes certain alternative performance (non-IFRS) measures to monitor its

performance, including C1 cash cost of copper produced (per lb), C1 cash cost of gold produced

(per ounce), AISC of gold produced (per ounce), realized gold price (per ounce), EBITDA,

adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income attributable to owners of the Company, adjusted net

income per share, net (cash) debt, working capital and available liquidity. These performance

measures have no standardized meaning prescribed within generally accepted accounting

principles under IFRS and, therefore, amounts presented may not be comparable to similar

measures presented by other mining companies. These non-IFRS measures are intended to

provide supplemental information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for

measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS.

C1 cash cost of copper produced (per lb.)

C1 cash cost of copper produced (per lb) is a non-IFRS performance measure used by the

Company to manage and evaluate the operating performance of its copper mining segment and is

calculated as C1 cash costs divided by total pounds of copper produced during the period. C1

cash costs includes total cost of production, transportation, treatment and refining charges, and

certain tax credits relating to sales invoiced to the Company's Brazilian customer on sales, net of

by-product credits and incentive payments. C1 cash cost of copper produced per pound is widely

reported in the mining industry as benchmarks for performance but does not have a standardized

meaning and is disclosed in supplement to IFRS measures.

C1 cash cost of gold produced (per ounce)

C1 cash cost of gold produced (per ounce) is a non-IFRS performance measure used by the

Company to manage and evaluate the operating performance of its gold mining segment and is

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7 Ero Copper Corp

calculated as C1 cash costs divided by total ounces of gold produced during the period. C1 cash

cost includes total cost of production, net of by-product credits and incentive payments. C1 cash

cost of gold produced per ounce is widely reported in the mining industry as benchmarks for

performance but does not have a standardized meaning and is disclosed in supplemental to IFRS

measures.

All-in Sustaining Cost of gold produced (per ounce)

All-in sustaining cost of gold produced (per ounce) is an extension of C1 cash cost of gold

produced (per ounce) discussed above and is also a key performance measure used by

management to evaluate operating performance of its gold mining segment. AISC of gold

produced (per ounce) is calculated as AISC divided by total ounces of gold produced during the

period. AISC includes C1 cash costs, site general and administrative costs, accretion of mine

closure and rehabilitation provision, sustaining capital expenditures, sustaining leases, and

royalties and production taxes. AISC of gold produced (per ounce) is widely reported in the

mining industry as benchmarks for performance but does not have a standardized meaning and is

disclosed in supplement to IFRS measures.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) and Adjusted EBITDA

EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are non-IFRS performance measures used by management to

evaluate its debt service capacity and performance of its operations. EBITDA represents earnings

before finance expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is

EBITDA before the pre-tax effect of adjustments for non-cash and/or non-recurring items

required in determination of EBITDA under its revolving credit facility for covenant calculation

purposes.

Adjusted net income attributable to owners of the Company and Adjusted net income per share

attributable to owners of the Company

“Adjusted net income attributable to owners of the Company” is net income attributed to

shareholders as reported, adjusted for certain types of transactions that, in management's

judgment, are not indicative of our normal operating activities or do not necessarily occur on a

recurring basis. “Adjusted net income per share attributable to owners of the

Company” (“Adjusted EPS”) is calculated as "adjusted net income attributable to owners of the

Company" divided by weighted average number of outstanding common shares in the period.

The Company believes that, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with

IFRS, the Company and certain investor and analysts use these supplemental non-IFRS

performance measures to evaluate the normalized performance of the Company. The

presentation of Adjusted EPS is not meant to substitute the net income (loss) per share

attributable to owners of the Company (“EPS”) presented in accordance with IFRS, but rather it

should be evaluated in conjunction with such IFRS measures.

Net (Cash) Debt

Net (cash) debt is a performance measure used by the Company to assess its financial position

and ability to pay down its debt. Net (cash) debt is determined based on cash and cash

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