CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Nov. 13, 2013) - Titanium Corporation Inc. (the "Company" or "Titanium") (TSX VENTURE:TIC) today released its results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended August 31, 2013. During 2013, the Company successfully completed a $4.1 million pilot program and is focusing its resources on commercialization, working with oil sands operators on proposals which are currently under review.
"Our Company is now in an optimal position to commercialize our technologies," commented Scott Nelson, Titanium's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are working both directly with oil sands operators and collaboratively through Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance ("COSIA"). The industry is systematically addressing opportunities that improve resource recoveries and environmental performance and our project fits both of those criteria."
The following are highlights for the three and twelve month periods ended August 31, 2013:
-- During 2013, the Company engaged in meetings and working sessions with
oil sands operators to provide updated technical information and results
from the recent CanmetENERGY pilot and to share independent expert
analysis of the potential environmental improvements from implementation
of the technology. The Company has advanced specific project proposals
and believes the industry will adopt its technology due to attractive
economic and environmental benefits.
-- The Company successfully completed over $4 million of research and
development ("R&D") (before grant recoveries) in fiscal 2013 for a pilot
at CanmetENERGY. The pilot achieved excellent results at a larger scale
including improved recoveries of 82 percent of residual bitumen and 98
percent of solvents and produced a bulk HMC sample that was shipped to
Australia for processing in the final stage of the Company's mineral
products development program. This program is underway with testing of
final flow-sheet circuits and processing HMC into zircon products for
customer testing.
-- Received $1.4 million in additional grant funding through Sustainable
Development Technology Canada ("SDTC") and $0.5 million from the
National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program
("NRC-IRAP") bringing total government funding to $10.3 million.
-- Independent expert reviews confirmed that its CVW(TM) technologies would
significantly reduce the environmental impacts of solvents and bitumen
in tailings ponds. Solvent discharged into tailings ponds cause
significant green house gas ("GHG") and volatile organic compounds
("VOC") emissions. Titanium's technology would recover much of that
solvent prior to discharge, thereby materially reducing emissions.
-- A draft fiscal structure for the recovery of minerals and bitumen from
oil sands tailings is being worked on with the Alberta Government. This
structure will provide essential clarity around royalties, capital cost
treatment and other fiscal terms that will be finalized in conjunction
with industry projects.
-- Three core Canadian patents have been awarded that together secure its
innovative oil sands sustainable technology.
-- The Company was invited to join COSIA in the fourth quarter. This new
organization was recently formed by the oil sands industry to accelerate
the adoption of environmental technologies in several areas including
tailings. The Company's technology has been reviewed in detail and
prioritized in COSIA's Technology Roadmap.
-- With the completion of R&D and piloting in 2013, management and the
Board have taken a number of measures to reduce costs, conserve cash and
focus resources on commercialization. Pilot and laboratory facilities
have been decommissioned, surplus equipment disposed and staff and
contractors reduced. In addition, management and the Board have agreed
to receive a portion of their cash compensation and fees in the form of
equity-based compensation, subject to shareholder approval.
Scott Nelson continued, "Achieving commercialization is the most challenging phase of any start-up, technology-driven venture, and we continue our drive for agreement by oil sands producers and the Government of Alberta to move forward and make commercialization possible. 2014 promises to be an exciting year for Titanium Corporation."
FISCAL 2013 FINANCIAL OVERVIEW
As a research and development company, Titanium is focused on achieving long-term financial success by taking its innovative technologies into commercial production. Until commercial investment is made and a plant is built and operating, the Company expects to incur losses. However, with pilot testing completed, R&D investment in future quarters will be substantially reduced as the Company focuses its resources on commercialization.
Net Loss - For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2013 net loss was $4.3 million compared to $2.9 million for the year ended August 31, 2012. This increase in net loss of $1.4 million is reflective of the operation of the HMC bulk minerals pilot and the work related to the paraffinic tailings project conducted during the fiscal year. With the conclusion of pilot testing and as a development stage company, Titanium's net loss for the period is in line with expectations.
Research & Development - For the year ended August 31, 2013, R&D spending, before recoveries, was $4.2 million offset by $2.0 million in government grant recoveries and research tax credits. This compares to gross R&D spending of $1.7 million for the year ended August 31, 2012, offset by research tax credits of $0.8 million. The increase in R&D spending was related to pilot work on larger volume paraffinic tailings and pre-commercialization minerals development work, concluded in May 2013. Having completed its major piloting projects at CanmetENERGY, the Company is reducing staff and overhead costs to conserve cash and focusing its resources on commercialization.
General & Administrative ("G&A") - G&A expense was $2.3 million for the year ended August 31, 2013 as compared to $2.1 million for the year ended August 31, 2012. The increase in G&A expense is the result of the deferred compensation expense related to the issuance of deferred share units ("DSUs") to non-executive directors and non-cash stock based compensation charges of $0.2 million. None of these charges were paid out in cash during the year. All other G&A expenses remained lower by $0.3 million for the year ended August 31, 2013 as compared to the prior year.
Cash Position - The Company had $4.1 million in cash at August 31, 2013 as compared to $8.4 million at August 31, 2012. The decrease in cash of $4.3 million for the year ended August 31, 2013 relates to R&D piloting and G&A expenses incurred which were offset by the receipt of $1.3 million in government grant funding. The Company has sufficient cash and remaining grants in place to fund its R&D and G&A costs for a period in excess of 12 months. As the Company focuses on commercialization of its technology any discretionary R&D and engineering projects are expected to be pursued in conjunction with grant funding or partner support.
To view the Company's management discussion and analysis and audited financial statements for the year ended August 31, 2013, please visit our website at
www.titaniumcorporation.com or SEDAR at
www.sedar.com.
About Titanium Corporation Inc.
Titanium Corporation Inc. has developed innovative technologies to recover bitumen, solvent, valuable heavy minerals and water from oil sands waste tailings. The benefits are twofold: the recovered bitumen, solvent and minerals will have economic value; and green benefits that will significantly reduce environmental impacts of the oil sands industry. The Company's shares trade on the TSX-V under the symbol "TIC". For more information visit the Company's website at
www.titaniumcorporation.com.
Disclosure regarding forward-looking statements
Certain statements contained herein regarding the Company and its plans constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. By their nature, forward-looking statements require the Company to make assumptions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. There is a significant risk that predictions, forecasts, conclusions, projections, and other forward-looking statements will not prove to be accurate. We direct you to our statement of risks and uncertainties more particularly described and updated in the Company's management discussion and analysis filed for the period ended August 31, 2013 and annual information form for the year ended August 31, 2013 each filed on SEDAR (
www.sedar.com). Most notably these risks include, but are not limited to risks associated with the commercialization of the CVW(TM) project on the timetable anticipated or at all; access to capital on acceptable terms to fund our commercialization plan, operational or technical difficulties in connection with building and operating the CVW(TM) project and research activities; uncertainty related to the cost to build and operate CVW(TM) facilities; reliance on a small number of people, access to and cost of oil sands tailings necessary to carry out the CVW(TM) project, competition and intellectual property protection and changes to environmental laws and regulation.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.