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Initial Scoping Results for Cassidy Gold's
Kouroussa Gold Project, Guinea
Cassidy Gold Corp.
("Cassidy") announces results of a Scoping Study (the
"Study") for the Kouroussa Gold Project (the "Project")
in Guinea, West Africa. The Study concludes that Kouroussa could produce an
average of 79,000 ounces of gold annually at a cash operating cost of US$484
per ounce over a 6-year mine life. Coffey Mining of Perth, Australia was
engaged by Cassidy to oversee the completion of the Study.
The Study proposes open pit mining of a series of pits utilizing contract
miners. Ore would be processed through a conventional gravity-CIP
(carbon-in-pulp) plant with a design capacity of 1.0 million tonnes per annum
(Mtpa). The average gold recovery is 94.5% and the strip ratio is 6.7:1.
Initial capital costs for the Kouroussa Project are estimated to be $97
million, with a further $11 million estimated for sustaining capital.
Table 1 shows the Net Present Value (NPV) at a discount rate of 10% and the
Internal Rate of Return (IRR) for the Project for a range of gold prices at a
milling throughput of 1.0 Mtpa employing a gravity-CIP process configuration
and assuming 100% equity financing. Project economics are favourable at a
gold price of greater than US$900. Cassidy believes that more work is
warranted as the Project moves toward feasibility including trying to reduce
capital and operating cost estimates and investigating alternative mining
configurations.
Table 1
(USD/oz)
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NPV10% and IRR
Sensitivity to Gold Price
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Au Price
(USD/oz)
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NPV10% (US$
million)
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IRR (%)
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$ 750
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-$23.6
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1
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$ 838
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$0.0
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10
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$ 900
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$16.8
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16
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$ 950
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$30.3
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21
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$1000
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$43.7
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25
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In addition to a conventional gravity-CIP process configuration, a
gravity-only option was investigated. Gravity recoveries range between 62.5%
and 58.4% for oxide, transitional, and sulphide ore types. These relatively
low recoveries negatively affect the economics for a gravity-only
configuration, though considerably more test work is required to assess this
option more fully.
Scoping work was based on an Indicated Resource of 680,000 ounces contained
in 11,380,000 tonnes grading 1.9 g/t Au and an Inferred Resource of 363,000
ounces contained in 6,466,000 tonnes grading 1.7 g/t Au (Table 2). Coffey
Mining completed the resource estimate in October 2008 in accordance with
Canadian National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral
Projects and the classifications adopted by CIM Council in December 2005.
Coffey Mining validated and interpreted the exploration data, constructed
wire frames, completed 3-dimensional block models, and estimated resources
for each of the mineralized zones using an Ordinary Kriging technique.
Table 2
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Total Indicated and
Inferred Resources, Kouroussa Project
(0.7 g/t Au cut-off)
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Resource Area
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Indicated Resource
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Inferred Resource
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Tonnage
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Au g/t
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Au oz
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Tonnage
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Au g/t
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Au oz
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Koekoe Trend
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5,586,000
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2.3
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420,000
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4,963,000
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1.8
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293,000
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Kinkine Trend
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2,353,000
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1.8
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136,000
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843,000
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1.4
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39,000
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Sodyanfe Trend
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3,441,000
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1.1
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125,000
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660,000
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1.5
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31,000
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TOTALS
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11,380,000
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1.9
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680,000
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6,466,000
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1.7
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363,000
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Pit optimization studies confirm that the bulk of potentially mineable
resources are contained in the Koekoe Trend, particularly in the Sanu Filanan
deposit, with important contributions coming from the Kinkine Trend. The
Sodyanfe Trend deposits (Junction-Bag Farm) are too low grade to contribute
significantly to the resource base given current economic conditions.
Metallurgical test work and process design investigations completed by SGS
Lakefield under the direction of SENET Engineering, confirmed excellent
recoveries from composite samples collected from the Koekoe Trend and the
Kinkine Trend. Gravity and carbon-in-leach (CIL) techniques were evaluated
individually and together.
In the scoping report, Coffey Mining recommended further work focused on the
discovery of additional "new" resources. A series of metallurgical
test work including Gravity Recoverable Tests, Variability Extraction Tests,
Comminution Tests, and Viscosity Settling tests are also recommended. Further
study on defining Tailings Storage Facility requirements and geotechnical and
hydrological characteristics will be needed. Baseline studies of
environmental and social conditions will be required as well.
Elsewhere, Cassidy has decided not to renew the Siguiri gold permit, 100 km
northeast of Kouroussa.
Christopher J. Wild, P.Eng, V.P. Exploration, is Cassidy's Qualified Person
for this release. Harry Warries, MAusIMM, Principal Consultant is the
Qualified Person overseeing the Kouroussa Scoping Study on behalf of Coffey
Mining. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.cassidygold.com.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Cassidy Gold Corp.
James T. Gillis
James T. Gillis, President & CEO
For further information, please contact:
Jim Gillis, President -- Phone: 250-372-8222 or Fax: 250-828-2269
This press release may be accessed at Cassidy Gold Corp.'s website: www.cassidygold.com and at SEDAR-CDY.
If you wish to be placed on Cassidy Gold Corp.'s e-mail press release list,
please contact us at cassidygold@telus.net
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 news release.
You can also view this News Release
on our website at:
http://www.cassidygold.com/s/NewsReleases.asp?ReportID=338619
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