Ann: Business Update, page-76

Well the copper price has really tanked again overnight, now just below $8000 USD.
Looking forward to the release of the pumped hydro power PFS in the September qtr. It was supposed to be completed in June but like everything else it’s delayed. No doubt due to COVID. I would imagine the report has a lot of different sectors of industry putting in their bit. When one or more sector is affected by COVID you have delays, as the other party is waiting for the other party to complete their bit.
Like everything else highly technical reports as this one, is also a supply chain. A supply chain of people being absent from work.
COVID is not going away and this is the future of the world. A world affected by absenteeism which creates a service or a good to be more expensive. Going forward COVID will be just another factor of inflation and it’s sticky, real sticky, so sticky it’s permanently sticky forever. So if the Fed and other national world banks can slightly tame the other factors of inflation we will still have COVID.
I’m off the point here. My point being is, I’m looking forward to this pumped hydro study and I’m hoping Jake is going in head first if the investment business case stacks up and gets regulatory approval.

With base and precious metals being so cyclical you never know what your balance sheet will look like. With green power we know what we can get year on year and it’s in demand forever.
I’m hoping Jake can gets us into the largest stake possible. Not just for the ESG benefits of the business but by being a stakeholder that will be generating free cash year on year.

I think Jake has the vision and smarts to turn EVN into the next Lion Selection type mining company that has invested in solid business cases outside of mining.
If Jake espouses to be the lowest cost gold producer with margins over quantity and the pumped hydro free cash flow is as good or better than our AISC gold price how could you not make that business case decision of not taking a stake because it’s not in the wheelhouse of mining?
I feel for Jake at the moment. Jake is dealing with so many headwinds that will not go away like, labour, fuel and absenteeism.
The best business case for us is to get into this pumped hydro scheme because it doesn’t need that much labour. It doesn’t need any expensive diesel and guess what we will be on the other side of energy business being a supplier and not a user
Jake, you seem to be under the pump with all these headwinds thrown at you and I really feel for you as they are not at all of your making. I thank you for your strategy of always trying to do what is best for the shareholders, and you have done that by making us one of the lowest cost gold producer. I just want you to know that you have my blessing to go head first into the pumped hydro business case, if the investment case is warranted.
Hopefully the rest of you feel the same. We are in business to make money and I prefer green money over dirty money.