Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Orbit Garant Drilling's fiscal 2025 second quarter results conference call. At this time, all lines are in a listen-only mode. Following management's remarks, we will conduct a question-and-answer session. If at any time during this call you require immediate assistance, please press star zero for the operator. Please be aware that certain information discussed today may be forward-looking and that actual results could differ materially. Certain non-IFRS financial measures will also be discussed. Please refer to the company's SEDAR filings for additional information on both risk factors and non-IFRS measures. This call is being recorded on Thursday, February 13th, 2025. I would now like to turn the conference call over to Mr. Daniel Maheu, President and CEO of Orbit Garant. Please go ahead, sir.
Thank you, Jenny, and good morning, ladies and gentlemen. With me on the call today, Pier-Luc Laplante, Chief Financial Officer. Following my opening remark, Pier-Luc will review our financial result in greater detail, and I will conclude with comments on our outlook. We will then welcome questions. Our profitability improved significantly in the quarter compared to Q2 last year. We generate strong over-year growth in adjusted gross margin, adjusted EBITDA, and net earnings, reflecting stronger operating earnings in both our Canadian and international drilling segment. In Canada, our drilling activity increased compared to Q2 last year, and we benefit from improved operational performance. We had increased drilling activity in South America and also benefit from the cessation of our operation in West Africa in Q2 last year, which were largely unprofitable for us.
Gold prices have reached record levels this month, above $2,900 per ounce, and copper pricing also remains favorable, which we expect will continue to support strong demand from our senior and intermediate mining company customers. I will now turn the call over to Pier-Luc to review our financial result for the quarter in greater detail. Pier-Luc?
Thank you, Daniel, and good morning, everyone. Our revenue totaled $ 43.5 million in the quarter, a slight increase from 43.4 million in Q2 last year. Canada revenue was $ 30.8 million, an increase of 4.0% from Q2 last year. As Daniel noted, drilling activity in Canada increased year over year, and we benefited from improved operational performance. International revenue totaled $ 12.7 million compared to $ 13.8 million in Q2 a year ago. The decline reflects our exit from West Africa, partially offset by increased drilling activity in South America. Gross profit increased to $ 7.2 million for the quarter, or 16.5% of revenue, compared to $ 3.0 million or 6.8% of revenue in Q2 last year. Our adjusted gross margin, excluding depreciation expenses, was 21.5% in the quarter compared to 12.5% in Q2 last year.
Our increases in gross profit, gross margin, and adjusted gross margin reflect our increased drilling activity during the quarter, improved operational performance, and our exit from West Africa last year. Consolidated earnings from operations for the quarter were $ 3.8 million compared to a loss of $ 0.5 million in Q2 last year. Drilling Canada's operating earnings totaled $ 1.2 million compared to an operating loss of $ 0.4 million in Q2 a year ago, and our international operating earnings totaled $ 2.6 million compared to an operating loss of $ 0.1 million a year ago. Adjusted EBITDA increased to $ 5.6 million, up from $ 1.0 million in Q2 last year. Net earnings were $ 1.5 million, or $ 0.04 per share, compared to a net loss of $ 1.7 million, or $ 0.05 per share, last year.
The increases in our adjusted EBITDA and net earnings were primarily attributable to stronger operating earnings in both our Canadian and international drilling operations. Turning to our balance sheet, we repaid a net amount of $ 2.4 million on our credit facility in the second quarter compared to a repayment of $ 0.3 million in Q2 last year. Our long-term debt under the credit facility, including a non-drawn $5.0 million US dollar revolving credit facility and the current portion, was $ 18.6 million at quarter end, compared to $ 21.5 million as of June 30, 2024, at fiscal 2024 year-end. On November 29, 2024, we entered into a loan agreement with EDC, which provides for a term loan in the principal amount of USD 2.0 million . The loan was used to fund the manufacture of three new computerized drill rigs for our Chilean operations.
Our working capital totaled $ 49.2 million as of December 31, compared to $ 48.6 million at the end of fiscal 2024. I'll now turn the call back to Daniel for closing comments.
Thank you, Pier-Luc. I have been appointed CEO of Orbit Garant at an opportune time. We are enjoying a substantial period of positive momentum. Part of this momentum is due to the strong industry fundamentals, but a good part of it reflects change in our strategic direction. In May 2023, while Pier Alexandre was CEO, he implemented a five-point plan to improve our operating performance and competitive position over a period of 15 months. We made strong progress with this plan, and the result has been stronger financial performance. For four consecutive quarters now, our profitability has been significantly higher than the prior year, and we are committed to maintain our momentum.
We will do so in large part by continuing to focus on key parts of this five-point plan, including primarily focus on our operation in Canada and South America, prioritizing long-term specialized drilling contract with senior and intermediate customers, continuing to invest in our driller training and computer drilling technology, and fostering a more team-oriented leadership structure that encourages collaboration and personal accountability. On October 31, we filed a normal course issuer bid to enable us to repurchase and cancel nearly $ 1.9 million in shares over a 12-month period. To date, we have purchased and canceled nearly $70,000 in shares. We will continue to monitor our share price and take advantage of opportunity to repurchase shares if and when we believe it is an appropriate use of our capital. Our business outlook continues to be positive.
Given the current record high gold price and strong copper price, we expect customer demand for our senior and intermediate mining customers will be strong throughout the 2025 calendar year. We generate approximately two-thirds of our revenue from gold-related drilling, so we are well-positioned to benefit from current industry dynamics, and a healthy copper market is positive also for our Chilean operation. Demand for junior mining companies continues to be restricted due to the challenging financing conditions, but we have a well-established relationship with juniors and the available capacity to service them as demand recovers. 2025 marks the 40th year of operation for Orbit Garant. We look forward to celebrating this important milestone throughout the year. As a long-term established leading mineral drilling company, we have a strong foundation of core strength to build on, including combined surface and underground drilling expertise and advanced specialized drilling capability.
Our focus on continuous innovation, our vertically integrated manufacturing operation, strong health and safety and driller training program, and long-standing customer relationship with leading mining companies operating in Canada and South America. Looking ahead, we will maintain our strategy, focus, and leverage our core strength to deliver exceptional value and performance to our customers. Our primary goals are to support and enhance our margin, drive overall profitability on a sustained basis, and continue to build value for our shareholders. That concludes our formal remarks this morning. We will now welcome any questions. Jenny, please begin the question period.
Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, we will now begin the question-and-answer session. Should you have a question, please press the star followed by the one on your touchtone phone. Questions will be taken in the order received. Should you wish to cancel your request, please press the star followed by the two. If you are using a speakerphone, please lift the handset before pressing any keys. Once again, that is star one should you wish to ask a question. Your first question is from Gordon Lawson from Paradigm Capital. Your line is now open.
Hey, good morning, everyone.
Good morning.
Can you please provide some color on the year-over-year slowdown in Chilean revenue and what these three new rigs mean for that segment?
Good morning, Gordon. As you know, we renewed last year two important contracts in Chile, one for three years, and the other one is the most important one for five years. We had to purchase new drills. We manufacture here in Canada four surface drills, and they bought one drill, an RC drill, from a manufacturer in Chile. These four drills are now in Chile. One is operating right now. The three others will be put on this contract in the next two months. The level of activity in Chile is stable. Last year, we had $ 39 million of revenue from Chilean operations. This year, this amount of revenue should increase a bit, not so much, because we renewed all these contracts, and the market in Chile is very stable, and we essentially work for the three biggest copper mines in Chile.
Okay. That kind of leads into my second question here. Your fiscal Q3 in the past, it's been a bit mixed in terms of seasonal lows to outperforming last year. Like you said, Chile was a big part of that. Can you provide some guidance on what you're seeing so far, and if it's fair for us to use this new higher margin run rate?
You're right. Q2 and Q3 is the slowest quarter for us historically, and Q1 and Q4 is a better quarter for us. What I could say, everything is relatively stable. The contracts are stable here in Canada and in Chile. We don't provide any guidance for the results or the margin, but we, as you know, as you can see, we reached adjusted gross margin of over 20% for the first six months of fiscal 2025. We try to keep that and continue our work with the good contract we have. As I said, it's very stable here in Canada and in South America also.
Okay. That's great. Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Thank you. Once again, please press star one should you wish to ask a question. Your next question is from Terry Villama, a private investor. Your line is now open.
Yeah. Hi. If I heard it correctly, the December quarter and the March quarter are the slowest quarters for the company?
Yes. Historically, that's the case. Yes.
Okay. Here in the December quarter, just released $6 million of adjusted EBITDA. Is that correct? You have $6 million of adjusted EBITDA in your slow quarter?
Yes. If we extract the yes. The adjusted EBITDA is $5.6 million for the quarter, so it's better than that for sure. You have to understand something very important there because in Q2 last year, we closed our operation. We stopped the operation in West Africa, which had a very negative effect on our results. With this West Africa operation stopped this year, that's why, because our operation in Canada and South America are positive for a while, but this West Africa operation affected us so much in 2022, 2023 fiscal. This year, it seemed very good, but at the end of the day, it's essentially the effect, the negative effect of West Africa ceased to affect us. Now we can make good business with our business in Canada and South America.
Okay. Super. Another question is on the some investors like to look at the earnings per share after tax instead of the adjusted EBITDA. What is the earnings per share after tax if the company earns about between $20 million and $24 million of adjusted EBITDA? I came up with about $0.25 to $0.32 area for the after-tax earnings per share run rate, so to speak, if the company gets $20 million to $24 million of adjusted EBITDA. Is that in the ballpark for those investors that like to see earnings per share using they like to use earnings per share for their valuation?
Yes. That's a good question. We don't provide any guidance for that, but we could say for the first six months of this year, without the negative effect of West Africa, we have $0.12. Technically, we have $ 91 million of income in the first six months of the year, and we have $0.12 earnings per share after tax. That's what we have now. As I said before, we have a very stable contract everywhere right now in Canada and South America. We should be able to continue in this way. I don't know if it will be more or less than that, but I could confirm the $0.12 for $ 91 million of revenue.
Yeah. Okay. The $0.12 cents is so far for the last six months. Okay.
Yeah.
Those are my questions. Thank you. Appreciate it.
Thank you very much.
Thank you. There are no further questions at this time. Please proceed.
Okay. Thank you, Jenny. Thank you, everyone, to participate today. We will be in Toronto in the first week of March at the PDAC. If you participate at this event, do not hesitate to come and meet us at our booth number 112. We look forward to speaking with you again after we report our fiscal third-quarter result in the spring. Thank you.
Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, the conference has now ended. Thank you all for joining. You may all disconnect your lines.