Condor Gold Plc Announces Feasibility Study For La India Open Pit
The economic analysis in the 2022 FS (including IRR and NPV estimates) is based on the La India open pit only and does not include the Mineral Resources at the Mestiza, America, Central Breccia or El Cacao potential extractable as open pits or the Underground Mineral Resources at the La India, Mestiza, America, El Cacao, San Lucas or Cristalito-Tatescame vein sets. Condor believes there is high degree of certainty that additional open pit and underground Mineral Resources can be converted to Mineral Reserves and added to the mine plan through further studies.
Highlights: Feasibility Study La India Open Pit only
The 2022 FS demonstrates a robust and economically viable base case for the La India open pit:
- Probable Mineral Reserve of 7.3Mt at 2.56g/t gold for 602,000 oz gold
- Production averages 81,545 oz gold per annum for the first 6 years of an 8.4 year mine life
- An Internal Rate of Return (“IRR”) of 23% and a post tax, post upfront capital cost NPV of US$86.9 million using a discount rate of 5% and price of US$1,600 oz gold (Mineral Reserve Case).
- An Internal Rate of Return (“IRR”) of 43% and a post tax, post upfront capital cost NPV of US$205.2 million using a discount rate of 5% and price of US$2,000 oz gold.
- Low initial capital requirement of US$105.5 million (including contingency and EPCM contract)
- Low average Life of Mine All-in Sustaining cash costs US$1,039 per oz gold
Mark Child, Chairman and CEO commented:
“The Company’s strategy has been to develop the fully permitted La India Project in 2 stages using the new SAG Mill that has already been purchased. The delivery of a Feasibility Study on La India open pit with an average of 81,524 oz gold per annum for the initial 6 years for a relatively low total upfront capital cost of US$106 Million is a landmark and further de-risks the Project. At US$1,600 oz gold, the La India open pit Mineral Reserve produces total revenues of US$888 Million, the total operating costs of mining, process and G&A are US$480M, leading to an operating profit of US$408 Million or a 46% operating margin. After government and other royalties, but before sustaining capital, the operating profit is US$355M, which in Condor’s opinion is ample to repay any project debt on the relatively low upfront capex. At US$2,000 oz gold after paying royalties, but before sustaining capital the operating profit is US$563 Million. In reality, two permitted high grade feeder pits will be added during the early years of production thus increasing production ounces of gold. Early production is targeted at 100,000 oz gold p.a..
The plan is to materially expand production with a stage 2 expansion by converting existing Mineral Resources into Mineral Reserves and an associated integrated mine plan. On 25 October 2021, the Company announced the results of a Preliminary Economic Assessment and filed on SEDAR a technical report entitled “Condor Gold Technical Report on the La Indian Gold Project, Nicaragua, 2021” detailing average annual production of 150,000 oz of gold over the initial 9 years of production from open pit and underground Mineral Resources and provides an indication of a production target. Outside the main La India open pit Mineral Reserve, there are additional open pit Mineral Resources on four deposits (America, Mestiza, Central breccia and Cacao) which represent an aggregate 206 Kt at 9.9 g/t gold for 66,000 oz in the indicated Mineral Resource category and 2.1Mt at 3.3 g/t gold for 223,000 oz gold in the inferred Mineral Resource category. In addition, there is an aggregate underground Mineral Resource (La India, America, Mestiza, Central Breccia San Lucas, Cristalito-Tatescame, and Cacao) of 979Kt a 6.2 g/t for 194,000 oz gold in the indicated Mineral Resource category and 5.6Mt at 5.0 g/t gold for 898,000 oz gold in the inferred Mineral Resource category.”
Background and Reporting Standards
The 2022 FS has been coordinated and compiled by SRK Consulting (UK) Ltd (“SRK”) and represents the next stage in development of the La India Project following publication of the 2021 PEA Technical Report on 9 September 2021. SRK also took responsibility for the following: Mineral Reserves and financial modelling, geology and Mineral Resources, open pit geotechnics, hydrology and hydrogeology, mining and waste dump schedules, metallurgical testing, geochemistry and acid rock drainage metal leaching (“ARDML”) and SRK has reviewed the environment and social management approach. Hanlon Engineering and Associates Incorporated (“Hanlon”) completed, and take responsibility for, the plant processing design of a 886ktpa (2,530 tpd) single stage SAG comminution and conventional carbon in pulp (“CIP”) circuit and the associated project infrastructure; and Tierra Group International Limited (“Tierra Group”) completed, and take responsibility for, the tailings waste management design and the La Simona water attenuation structure.
The reporting standard adopted for the reporting of the Mineral Resource Estimate and Mineral Reserve Estimate is the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (“CIM”) Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (May 2014) (the “CIM Code”) as required by NI 43-101”). The CIM Code is an internationally recognised reporting code which is aligned with the Combined Reserves International Reporting Standards Committee (“CRIRSCO”).
Further Information is attached.
Disclaimer
Neither the contents of the Company’s website nor the contents of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Company’s website (or any other website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.
Qualified Persons
The technical and scientific information in this press release has been reviewed, verified and approved by Andrew Cheatle, P.Geo., a director of Condor Gold plc, and Gerald D. Crawford, P.E., the Chief Technical Officer of Condor Gold plc, each of whom is a “qualified person” as defined by NI 43-101.
Technical Information
Certain disclosure contained in this news release of a scientific or technical nature has been reviewed by the Qualified Persons responsible for their respective components of the 2022 FS as defined below:
- On behalf of SRK: Dr Tim Lucks of SRK Consulting (UK) Limited, Mr Fernando Rodrigues and Mr Ben Parsons of SRK Consulting (U.S.) Inc., Mr Parsons assumes responsibility for the Mineral Resource Estimate, Mr Fernando Rodrigues for the Mineral Reserve estimate and the open pit mining study and production schedule, and Dr Lucks for the oversight of the remaining SRK technical disciplines.
- On behalf of Hanlon: Mike Rockandel for the Process design and Project Infrastructure and corresponding operating and capital costs;
- On Behalf of Tierra Group: Justin Knudsen P.E. for the tailings waste management and La Simona water attenuation structure design.
Forward Looking Statements
All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are ‘forward-looking information’ with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements with respect to: future development and production plans, projected capital and operating costs, mine life and production rates, metal or mineral recovery estimates and Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates at the La India Project. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as: "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", “strategies”, “estimate”, "expect", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intends", "believe", "potential", “could”, “might”, “will” and similar expressions. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management at the date the statements are made including, among others, assumptions regarding: future commodity prices and royalty regimes; availability of skilled labour; timing and amount of capital expenditures; future currency exchange and interest rates; the impact of increasing competition; general conditions in economic and financial markets; availability of drilling and related equipment; effects of regulation by governmental agencies; the receipt of required permits; royalty rates; future tax rates; future operating costs; availability of future sources of funding; ability to obtain financing and assumptions underlying estimates related to adjusted funds from operations. Many assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of the Company and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct.
Such forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, which may cause the actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including, risks related to: mineral exploration, development and operating risks; estimation of mineralisation and resources; environmental, health and safety regulations of the resource industry; competitive conditions; operational risks; liquidity and financing risks; funding risk; exploration costs; uninsurable risks; conflicts of interest; risks of operating in Nicaragua; government policy changes; ownership risks; permitting and licencing risks; artisanal miners and community relations; difficulty in enforcement of judgments; market conditions; stress in the global economy; current global financial condition; exchange rate and currency risks; commodity prices; reliance on key personnel; dilution risk; payment of dividends; as well as those factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s annual information form for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 dated March 29, 2022 and available under the Company’s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.
Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required by law.
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CEO
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Condor Gold plc Chairman and CEO
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