BIOX announces 2013 first quarter results

TSX symbol: BX

TORONTO, Feb. 13, 2013 /CNW/ - BIOX Corporation (BIOX) (TSX: BX), a renewable energy company that owns and operates Canada's largest biodiesel production facility, today announced its fiscal 2013 first quarter (Q1 2013) financial results for the three-month period ended December 31, 2012.

Highlights

• Production of methyl esters was 3.3 million litres in Q1 2013, due to the temporary suspension of production that commenced in October 2012 with production subsequently resuming in February 2013, compared to 13.4 million litres in the first quarter of 2012 (Q1 2012)
• Sales were $9,475,000 in Q1 2013, compared to $28,932,000 in Q1 2012
• Operating loss was $4,834,000 in Q1 2013 compared to an operating income of $2,453,000 in Q1 2012
• Operating loss prior to non-cash items⁽¹⁾ was $3,745,000 in Q1 2013 compared to an operating income prior to non-cash items of $3,503,000 in Q1 2012
• Operating loss prior to non-cash items of $1,156,000 in Q1 2013 for BIOX's operating segment (BIOX Canada Limited and BIOX USA Limited) compared to an operating income prior to non-cash items of $5,106,000 in Q1 2012
• Net loss was $5,145,000 in Q1 2013 compared to net income of $1,979,000 in Q1 2012
• Loss per share was $0.11 in Q1 2013 compared to earnings per share of $0.04 in Q1 2012

"Production resumed at our Hamilton facility on February 1, 2013 and we are already operating at our targeted production capacity," said Kevin Norton, Chief Executive Officer of BIOX. "With the 28 percent increase to the mandate in the U.S. market for 2013 and the full implementation of the Canadian content requirement, the addressable market for our product is larger than it's ever been. In addition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently released a draft plan to improve integrity in the RIN (Renewable Identification Numbers) market by establishing a new voluntary RIN quality assurance program. We believe this program will improve the trading liquidity in the RIN market. The increased mandate and improvements to the regulatory structure provide us with confidence that we are transitioning to a sustainable North American biodiesel market."

Financial Highlights

Sales were $9.5 million for the three-month period ended December 31, 2012, compared with $28.9 million for the corresponding period last year. The decrease in sales was primarily the result of a decrease in litres of biodiesel sold, due to the temporary shutdown of our Hamilton facility, offset by the increase in separated RIN revenue compared with the corresponding period in 2011.

Direct expenses were $10.5 million for the three-month period ended December 31, 2012, compared with $23.6 million for the corresponding period last year. The decrease in direct expenses was primarily the result of lower sales volume due to the temporary shutdown of the Hamilton facility.

General and administrative expenses were $1.5 million for the three-month period ended December 31, 2012, compared with $1.6 million for the same period last year.

Operating loss was $4.8 million for the three-month period ended December 31, 2012, compared with operating income of $2.5 million for the same period last year. As a result of market conditions, on December 24, 2012, BIOX exercised an option to terminate the land lease agreement with International-Matex Tank Terminals (IMTT) to construct a 100 million litre per annum biodiesel production facility in New York Harbor. Based on the decision to exercise the option, IMTT returned, in full, the US$4.1 million letter of credit related to the proposed tank modifications. BIOX has also been reimbursed US$1.4 million of the US$2.1 million upfront payment it made to IMTT. The net difference of US$0.7 million was expensed as a termination charge recorded in the three-month period ended December 31, 2012.

Operating loss prior to non-cash items⁽¹⁾ was $3.7 million for the three-month period ended December 31, 2012, compared with operating income of $3.5 million for the same period last year.  The increase in operating loss prior to non-cash items was primarily due to the temporary shutdown of the Hamilton facility.

Combined operating loss prior to non-cash items⁽¹⁾ for BIOX's operating segment (BIOX Canada Limited and BIOX USA Limited) was $1.2 million for the three-month period ended December 31, 2012, compared with a combined operating income prior to non-cash items of $5.1 million for the corresponding period last year. This loss was primarily due to the temporary shutdown of the Hamilton facility.

Net loss for the three-month period ended December 31, 2012, was $5.1 million or $0.11 per common share compared with a net income of $2.0 million or $0.04 per common share in the corresponding period in 2011.

As at December 31, 2012, BIOX's cash balance amounted to $8.2 million, compared with $7.5 million on September 30, 2012. BIOX's working capital balance at December 31, 2012, was $14.2 million compared with $13.3 million at September 30, 2012. BIOX believes that its future cash flow from operations combined with its current financial resources are sufficient to enable BIOX to meet its ongoing working capital requirements.

Subsequent to the end of the period, the retroactive reinstatement of the U.S. federal tax incentive which had ended on December 31, 2011, allows BIOX to collect approximately US$7.7 million related to sales to customers during calendar 2012.

BIOX also took receipt of the US$1.4 million reimbursement from its US$2.1 million upfront payment it made to IMTT referenced above, subsequent to the end of the period.

As at December 31, 2012, BIOX had 45,748,691 common shares outstanding, as well as options to purchase up to 1,700,000 common shares, and share purchase warrants to acquire up to 1,982,143 common shares.

Outlook

The North American biodiesel market weakened throughout 2012. The expiration of the U.S. biodiesel tax incentive, which led to pricing uncertainty, and overproduction relative to the RFS2 minimum 1.0 billion U.S. gallon biomass-based requirement, resulted in significantly lower values and margins for biodiesel during calendar 2012 compared to the second half of 2011. 2013 RINs traded at approximately $0.57 (or $0.86 per U.S. gallon) on February 12, 2013 compared to an average of approximately $1.50 (or $2.25 per U.S. gallon) in January 2012.

In January 2013, the U.S. EPA proposed a structured process for buyers of RINs to verify their validity. Under the proposal, RINs would be verified through a new voluntary quality assurance program. Quality Assurance Plans (QAPs) would provide a recognized means for independent third parties to audit the production of renewable fuel and verify that RINs have been validly generated. For RINs that have been verified according to an approved QAP, the proposed program would provide protection against liability for civil violations resulting from the transfer or use of invalidly generated RINs under certain conditions. The rule would also specify both the conditions under which invalid RINs must be replaced with valid RINs, and by whom. The proposed rule allows verification of RINs to begin this year.

The regulatory structure for a growing biodiesel market across North America remains in place. A 28% increase in the 2013 minimum volume of biomass-based diesel under the expanded Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) has been confirmed. As a result, the minimum volume for 2013 is 1.28 billion U.S. gallons. In Canada, the Canadian Renewable Fuel Content Regulations require 5% renewable content in gasoline and 2% renewable content in diesel. These minimum volume requirements in Canada bring the Canadian mandate more closely in line with the U.S. market and its expanded RFS2 regulation, and we believe will ultimately drive new demand for biodiesel in Canada. While BIOX continues to be the largest producer of biodiesel in Canada, it currently sells nearly all of its product into the U.S. market. The implementation of these Canadian regulations significantly increases the accessible market for BIOX's product in Canada.

Management continues to believe the weakness in the 2012 biodiesel market was short-term in nature and reflects the maturing of a relatively nascent biodiesel market. Management remains confident that the definitive regulatory structures now in place in both Canada and the United States are an important step in the evolution of a sustainable biodiesel industry in North America.

Notice of Conference Call

BIOX will hold a conference call today, February 13, 2013, at 9:00 a.m. ET hosted by Mr. Kevin Norton, Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Chris Clinning, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, to discuss BIOX's financial results and corporate developments. To access the conference call by telephone, dial [phone] or [phone]. To access the telephone replay, dial [phone] or [phone] and enter reservation number 94629079. A live audio webcast of the call will be available at www.bioxcorp.com. The webcast will be archived for 90 days.

¹⁾ Note: Non-IFRS Measures.  Operating income prior to non-cash items is defined as operating income or loss less production facility depreciation and amortization, and less amortization of furniture, equipment and intangibles. Management uses this measurement to monitor the operating cash flow of BIOX's business and believes this information is useful supplemental information to a reader of financial statements. This measurement may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.  Investors are cautioned that operating income (loss) prior to non-cash items should not be construed as an alternative to net income (loss) determined in accordance with IFRS as an indicator of BIOX's performance.

Reconciliation of Non-IRFS Measures

The following table presents a reconciliation of operating income prior to non-cash items to net loss for the three-month periods ended December 31, 2012 and 2011:

(in thousands)					Three months ended December
					2012			2011
					$			$
Operating income (loss) before non-cash items					(3,745)			3,503
Deduct:	Production facility depreciation and amortization				(912)			(855)
	Depreciation and amortization of furniture, equipment and intangible assets				(96)			(102)
	Stock-based compensation				(81)			(93)
Operating (loss) income					(4,834)			2,453
Other income and expenses					(311)			(474)
Net (loss) income					(5,145)			1,979

About BIOX Corporation
BIOX is a renewable energy company that owns and operates Canada's largest biodiesel production facility, with a nameplate capacity of 67 million litres per year. BIOX has an innovative, proprietary and patented production process that is capable of producing the highest quality, renewable, clean burning and biodegradable biodiesel fuel utilizing a variety of feedstocks - from pure seed oils to animal fats to recovered vegetable oils with no change to the production process. BIOX's high quality biodiesel fuel meets North American (ASTM D-6751) quality standards. BIOX is Canada's largest biodiesel producer and is focused on building, owning and operating a network of commercial scale biodiesel production facilities in jurisdictions where clearly defined renewable fuel standards policies exist.

Forward-looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking" statements that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, objectives or achievements of BIOX, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance, objectives or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements relate to, among other things, the impact of the extension of the biodiesel tax incentive in 2013 and BIOX's long-term expectations for the biodiesel market in light of current market conditions. These statements reflect BIOX's current views regarding future events and operating performance, are based on information currently available to BIOX, and speak only as of the date of this press release. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions and should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such performance or results will be achieved. Those assumptions and risks include, but are not limited to, the fact that BIOX's results of operations and business outlook are highly dependent on a mix of legislation and producer payment programs and tax credits and upon commodity prices, which are subject to significant volatility and uncertainty. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of BIOX to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including factors described in this press release and those discussed in BIOX's publicly available disclosure documents, as filed by BIOX on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) except as updated herein. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in this press release as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Unless required by applicable securities law, BIOX does not intend and does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Financial results included below:

BIOX Corporation
Condensed consolidated interim statements of comprehensive (loss) income
Three month periods ended December 31, 2012 and 2011
(Unaudited)
(Expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars, except share and per share amounts)
				2012		2011
				$		$
Revenue				9,475		28,932
Cost of sales
	Direct expenses			10,451		23,587
	Production facility depreciation and amortization			912		855
				11,363		24,442
Gross margin				(1,888)		4,490
Operating expenses
	General and administrative			1,510		1,586
	Depreciation and amortization of equipment and intangible assets			96		102
	Share-based compensation			81		93
	Expansion planning and development			1,259		256
				2,946		2,037
Operating (loss) income				(4,834)		2,453
Other expenses
	Financing cost			340		355
	Foreign exchange loss			1		184
				341		539
Net (loss) income before interest income and income taxes				(5,175)		1,914
Income tax expense				(18)		-
Interest income				48		65
Net (loss) income for the period				(5,145)		1,979
Other comprehensive loss
	Foreign currency translation loss			(279)		(88)
Comprehensive (loss) income				(5,424)		1,891
(Loss) earnings per common share
	Basic			(0.11)		0.04
	Diluted			(0.11)		0.04
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding
	Basic			45,748,691		45,748,691
	Diluted			45,748,691		45,790,770

 

 

BIOX Corporation
Condensed consolidated interim statements of changes in equity
Three month periods ended December 31, 2012 and 2011
(Unaudited)
(Expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars, except share and per share amounts)
				Common share capital
												Accumulated
												other
								Warrants		Equity		comprehensive				Total
				Shares		Amount		reserve		reserve		income (loss)		Deficit		equity
				#		$		$		$		$		$		$
Balance, September 30, 2011				45,748,691		167,787		3,151		1,991		206		(93,891)		79,244
Share-based compensation				-		-		-		93		-		-		93
Net income				-		-		-		-		-		1,979		1,979
Foreign currency translation loss				-		-		-		-		(88)		-		(88)
Balance, December 31, 2011				45,748,691		167,787		3,151		2,084		118		(91,912)		81,228
Balance, September 30, 2012				45,748,691		167,787		3,151		2,559		20		(107,972)		65,545
Share-based compensation				-		-		-		81		-		-		81
Net loss				-		-		-		-		-		(5,145)		(5,145)
Foreign currency translation loss				-		-		-		-		(279)		-		(279)
Balance, December 31, 2012				45,748,691		167,787		3,151		2,640		(259)		(113,117)		60,202

 

BIOX Corporation
Condensed consolidated interim statements of financial position
As at December 31, 2012 and September 30, 2012
(Unaudited)
(Expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)
				December 31,		September 30,
				2012		2012
				$		$
Assets
Current assets
	Cash and cash equivalents			8,186		7,543
	Accounts receivable			3,334		2,472
	Prepaid expenses			449		2,785
	Inventory			8,964		15,317
				20,933		28,117
Restricted cash				2,800		6,942
Property, plant and equipment				47,741		47,678
Intangible assets				1,011		1,044
Deferred income tax assets				9,509		9,499
				81,994		93,280
Liabilities
Current liabilities
	Accounts payable and other liabilities			1,754		7,970
	Demand loan			3,457		5,282
	Current portion of long-term debt			1,500		1,500
	Current portion of finance leases			65		69
				6,776		14,821
Finance leases				-		7
Long-term debt				11,971		9,932
Provisions				3,045		2,975
				21,792		27,735
Equity
Common share capital				167,787		167,787
Warrants reserve				3,151		3,151
Equity reserve				2,640		2,559
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income				(259)		20
Deficit				(113,117)		(107,972)
				60,202		65,545
				81,994		93,280

 

BIOX Corporation
Condensed consolidated interim statements of cash flows
Three month periods ended December 31, 2012 and 2011
(Unaudited)
(Expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars, except share and per share amounts)
				2012		2011
				$		$
Operating activities
	Net (loss) income			(5,145)		1,979
	Add items not involving cash
		Production facility depreciation and amortization		912		855
		Depreciation and amortization of equipment and intangible assets		96		102
		Financing costs		223		189
		Income taxes paid		18		-
		Interest income		(48)		(65)
		Unrealized foreign exchange gain		(265)		(232)
		Share-based compensation		81		93
		Accretion of asset retirement obligation		70		64
				(4,058)		2,985
	Net change in non-cash working capital balances related to operations			3,287		4,488
				(771)		7,473
Investing activity
	Purchase of property, plant and equipment			(2,741)		(1,005)
	Decrease in restricted cash			4,142		-
	Interest income			48		65
				1,449		(940)
Financing activities
	Payments on finance leases			(12)		(16)
	Proceeds from debt financing			2,415		-
	Repayment of debt financing			(375)		-
	Repayment of demand loan			(1,825)		(1,097)
	Financing charges			(2)		-
	Interest paid			(222)		(188)
				(21)		(1,301)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash held in foreign currency				(14)		144
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents during the period				643		5,376
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period				7,543		27,887
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period				8,186		33,263

 

SOURCE: BIOX Corporation

BIOX Corporation
Chris Clinning
Executive Vice President & CFO
Phone: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]

Investor Relations
Ross Marshall
TMX Equicom
Phone: [phone] ext. 238
E-mail: [email protected]