Spanish Mountain Announces Results of the Preliminary Economic
Assessment (PEA) for the Spanish Mountain Gold Project
Spanish Mountain Gold Ltd. ( the "Company") (SPA-TSXV)
is pleased to announce that the Preliminary Economic Assessment
("PEA") for its 100%-owned Spanish Mountain project in south-central
British Columbia has recently been completed by AGP Mining Consultants Inc, in
conjunction with BGC Engineering Inc, Knight Piesold
Consulting and SRK Consulting.
The completed National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") report,
including a new resource estimate and mineralized inventory, will be available
under the profile of the Company on SEDAR within 45 days.
All monetary values are references to Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.
Highlights of the Project's Economics and Development Assumptions
The following are highlights of the PEA, which assumes
a gold price of US$ 1,100 per ounce and an exchange rate of US$1 to C$1.10:
- Average annual gold production
of 213,800 ounces during the first 5 years
- Life-of-mine ("LOM")
average annual production of 172,400 ounces of gold
- Mine life of 10 years at a
maximum production rate of 40,000 tonnes per day
- Estimated initial capital
requirement of $447 million not including leased mining equipment
- Undiscounted pre-tax cumulative
net cash flow of $411 million and an NPV of $209 million at a discount
rate of 5%
- Average total cash costs of US$
570 per ounce during the first 5 years of production and US $625 per ounce
LOM
- Pre-tax internal rate of return
of 14.7%
Key economic parameters are
summarized in Table 1.
Table 1
Average Annual Gold Production (Years 1 to 5)
(ounces)
|
213,800
|
Average annual Gold Production Life of Mine (ounces)
|
172,400
|
Total Cash Cost, Years 1 to 5 (US $ per ounce)
|
$570
|
Total Cash Cost , LOM (US$ per ounce)
|
$625
|
Operating Cost ($ per tonne
plantfeed)
|
$10.14
|
Mine
Life
|
10 Years
|
Overall Gold Recovery
|
90%
|
Average Gold Grade of Ore Processed
|
0.51 g/t
|
Initial
Capital Cost ($ millions)
|
$447 M
|
Pre-tax Undiscounted Cumulative Net Cash Flow
|
$411 M
|
Pre-tax NPV @ 5%
|
$209 M
|
Pre-tax IRR
|
14.7%
|
Payback (from start of milling)
|
5 Years
|
The initial capital cost and operating costs for the Spanish Mountain Project
are presented in Table 2.
Table 2
Initial
Capital Cost Details
|
|
Mining (equipment to be leased)
|
$0 M
|
Processing
|
$213 M
|
Tailings storage
|
$47 M
|
Infrastructure
|
$42 M
|
Owner Costs
|
$8 M
|
Other indirect costs
|
$67 M
|
Contingency
|
$70 M
|
Total
Initial Capital Cost
|
$447 M
|
|
|
Operating
Cost Details
|
|
Mining Cost (per tonne
mined, including lease charges)
|
$1.54
|
Mining Cost (Per tonne
milled, including lease charges)
|
$4.64
|
Processing and Tailing Cost
|
$5.12
|
General
and Administrative
|
$0.38
|
Total Operating Cost (per tonne milled)
|
$10.14
|
The sensitivity of Project economics to the price of gold is presented in Table
3.
Table 3
Gold
price ($US)
|
$1,000
|
$1,200
|
$1,300
|
Cumulative
Net Cash Flow
|
$222 M
|
$600 M
|
$788 M
|
IRR
|
8.6 %
|
20.2 %
|
25.2 %
|
Payback(from start of milling)
|
8 Years
|
4 Years
|
3 Years
|
Highlights of Mineral Inventory and Updated Resource Estimate
- The Mineral Inventory within
the two open pit designs (termed the Main Zone and North Zone) contains
77.4 million tonnes at an in-situ gold grade of
0.55 g/t Au in Measured and Indicated categories and 39.5 million tonnes grading 0.48 g/t Au in the Inferred Resource
category.
- A total of 1.37 million in-situ
ounces of gold is included in the two open pits in the Measured and
Indicated categories and 0.61 million in-situ ounces of gold in the
Inferred category.
- Gold grades within the model
were constrained by 0.6 g/t gold grade shells resulting in four higher
grade domains oriented parallel to the local stratigraphy.
The previous model also considered stratigraphy
while modelling grade envelopes,
however a lower grade cut-off was used which resulted in larger domains at
a lower grade.
- The new resource model will
enable a more practical and cost-effective bulk open pit mine plan to be
realized.
- The updated NI 43-101 compliant
inventory of mineralized material is presented in Table 4 below. This is
based on a cut-off of 0.2 g/t Au.
Table 4
Classification
|
Tonnes
|
Gold Grade (g/t)
|
Gold Contained
(oz)
|
Measured
|
4,875,900
|
1.05
|
164,600
|
Indicated
|
72,498,800
|
0.52
|
1,207,500
|
Measured + Indicated
|
77,374,700
|
0.55
|
1,372,100
|
|
|
|
|
Inferred
|
39,531,300
|
0.48
|
611,100
|
The resource model was based on 428 diamond drill holes completed between 2005
and 2009. Gold grades within the model were constrained by 0.6 g/t gold grade
shells resulting in multiple higher grade domains.
Block grades were interpolated from the drill hole
composites. Interpolation parameters included an inverse distance search
operator weighted to the second power and applied to blocks inside three of the
high grade domains. Ordinary kriging was applied to
blocks in one of the high grade domains and to the blocks outside of the high
grade domains.
Blocks were interpolated in three passes with search ellipses for sample
selection of increasing size. The block size used was 15 m x 15 m x 5m. Blocks
were interpolated in the first and second passes using a minimum of 5
composites from at least 3 holes, not more than 12 of the nearest composites
and not more than 2 composites were used from a single drill hole. Blocks were
interpolated in a third pass using a minimum of 3 composites from at least 2
holes, not more than 12 of the nearest composites and not more than 2
composites were used from a single drill hole.
Hard boundaries were applied during the interpolation of grade. Blocks within
the high grade domains were interpolated using only those composites found
within their respective domains. Blocks outside of the high grade domains were
interpolated using only those composites found outside of the high grade
domains. A bulk specific gravity of 2.78 was applied to all blocks based on
test work conducted on drill core.
Future Activities
- Drilling in early 2011 to
evaluate areas including the recently acquired Cedar Creek property for
resource expansion and to improve the level of confidence in areas of gold
mineralization that fall into the inferred resource category.
- A review of the detailed
tailings storage facility plan and metallurgical testwork
to allow the Company to proceed to pre-feasibility and feasibility studies
in 2011.
- Submission of the Project
description to the Provincial government as the first step in the mine
permitting process.
Brian
Groves, President and Chief Executive Officer, said today: "The results of
the PEA demonstrate that the Spanish Mountain project has no technical issues
standing in the way of its development. The reduction in smearing of the gold
grades and better confining of the grade distribution will allow us to develop
a realistic mine plan using low-cost open pit mining methods."
Ron Halas, Chief Operating Officer, said: "The very detailed tailing
disposal work completed to date in conjunction with the extensive metallurgical
testwork and mine optimization gives the Company
confidence to proceed quickly to pre-feasibility and feasibility studies for
this environmentally responsible project. I am looking forward to being part of
the team that can provide hundreds of jobs to the citizens of British Columbia
during the next few years."
NI 43-101 Statement in respect of PEA and Qualified Persons
The company cautions, in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards
of Disclosure for Mineral Projects as adopted by the Canadian Securities
Regulators, that the PEA referred to herein is preliminary in nature, includes
inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to
have the economic consideration applied to them that would enable them to be
categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the PEA will be
realized. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have
demonstrated economic viability.
Mr. Gordon Zurowski, P.Eng
and Mr. Michael Waldegger, P.Geo.
of AGP Mining Consultants of Barrie, Ontario are
Qualified Persons within the meaning of NI 43-101.
The mineral resource estimate was completed by Michael Waldegger,
P.Geo.,
an independent qualified resource evaluator, with an effective date of November
19, 2009 and complies with NI 43-101.
Mr. Zurowski and Mr. Waldegger
have reviewed and approve the contents of this news release.
About Spanish Mountain Gold
Spanish Mountain Gold Ltd is focused on the responsible development of its
flagship Spanish Mountain gold project in southern central British Columbia.
The Company has no debt and owns 100% of all four gold properties located in
British Columbia. Additional information about the Company is available on its
website: www.spanishmountaingold.com
On Behalf of the Board,
SPANISH MOUNTAIN GOLD LTD
Brian Groves,
President and CEO
Contact:
Brian Groves
(604) 601-3651
or
B&D Capital Partners
(604) 685-6465
info@spanishmountaingold.com
www.spanishmountaingold.com
This news
release contains forward-looking information, which involves known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ
materially from current expectation. Important factors - including the
availability of funds, the results of financing and exploration activities, the
interpretation of drilling results and other geological and metallurgical data,
risks associated with the estimation of mineral resources and the geology,
grade and continuity of mineral deposits, project cost overruns or
unanticipated costs and expenses - that could cause actual results to differ
materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in the Company's
documents filed from time to time on SEDAR (see www.sedar.com). Forward-looking statements can
often be identified by the use of words such as "plans",
"expects", "is expected", "scheduled",
"estimates", "forecasts", "intends",
"anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative
variations) of such words and phrases. Readers are cautioned not to place undue
reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date
of this press release. The company disclaims any intention or obligation,
except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
The TSX Venture Exchange
does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.