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Subject: ANALYSTS' COMMENTS

Positive Feasibility Results Establish Cordero as One of the World's Leading Development-Stage Silver Projects


TORONTO, Feb. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Discovery Silver Corp. (TSX: DSV, OTCQX: DSVSF) ("Discovery" or the "Company") is pleased to announce results from the Feasibility Study ("FS" or "the Study") on its 100%-owned Cordero silver project ("Cordero" or "the Project") located in Chihuahua State, Mexico. Highlights include (all figures are in US$ unless otherwise noted):

Tony Makuch, CEO, states: "Our Feasibility Study has delivered outstanding results that clearly establish Cordero as one of the world's leading development-stage projects. Cordero is the largest undeveloped silver project globally based on both reserves and annual production and has low unit costs in support of high margins and substantial cash flow generation. Cordero is also extremely capital efficient, with an initial NPV to Capex ratio of 2.0x, with the NPV almost doubling to over $2 billion by year four following completion of the Phase 2 mill expansion that is primarily funded by internal cash flow. With more than 300 Moz of silver reserves, a mine life of close to 20 years and significant extension potential, Cordero is uniquely positioned to play a key role in closing market deficits in the silver space and in supplying future consumption in high-growth areas including the battery vehicle and solar power sectors.

"Importantly, Cordero will have a major positive socio-economic impact locally in Parral, in the Chihuahua region and at the national level. Cordero will create up to 2,500 jobs during the construction period, 1,000 direct jobs over the mine life, will purchase in excess of $4 billion of goods and services from local and regional suppliers, and will generate $1.4 billion of tax revenues at all levels of government. As part of our proactive approach to water management, we also plan to invest in infrastructure and technology that will support recycling of wastewater produced from local communities for use as our primary source of water for the Project. Our team in Mexico has already won numerous awards for social responsibility, environmental protection and workplace culture and we look forward to expanding on these efforts as part of our commitment to the sustainable development of Cordero and our adherence to the highest industry standards for environmental protection, water management, social responsibility and health and safety."

The Company will be hosting a Conference Call to present the FS results on Tuesday February 20, 2024, at 11:00am ET. A presentation by management will be followed by Q&A. The webcast can be accessed at the following link: Webcast Link

FEASIBILITY STUDY SUMMARY

Project Economics

The economics for the FS were based on the following metal prices: Ag - $22.00/oz, Au - $1,600/oz, Pb - $1.00/lb and Zn - $1.20/lb. A 10% increase in metal prices results in a 40% increase in the Project NPV to over $1.6 billion. The payback is 5.2 years due to the expansion of the processing plant from 26,000 tpd to 51,000 tpd in Year 3 at a capital cost of $291 million. This expansion will be funded from operating cash flow. Completion of the expansion in Year 3 results in a peak Project NPV of $2.2 billion in Year 4.

 UnitsBase CaseBase Case
Metal Prices
+10%
Base Case
Metal Prices
-10%
After-Tax NPV (5% discount rate)(US$ M)$1,177$1,647$707
Internal Rate of Return(%)22.0%27.2%16.1%
Payback(yrs)5.24.36.5

Note ? refer to Appendix C for a more detailed sensitivity analysis.

Production & Costs

Annual production over the life-of-mine ("LOM") is expected to average 33 Moz AgEq. In Years 5 ? Year 12 production averages more than 40 Moz AgEq with peak production in Year 8 of 64 Moz AgEq. These production levels position Cordero as one of the largest primary silver mines globally. All-In Sustaining Costs ("AISC") average less than $13.50/oz AgEq over the LOM. These costs were effectively flat in comparison to the PFS due to cost inflationary pressures being offset by improved silver payabilities and reagent cost reductions.

 UnitsYear 1 ? 4
(Phase 1)
Year 5 ? 12
(Phase 2)
Year 13 -19
(Phase 2)
LOM
AgEq Produced ? Average/yr1(Moz)29402833
AgEq Payable ? Average/yr(Moz)26352429
AgEq Produced - Total(Moz)116323196635
AgEq Payable - Total(Moz)102279169550
All-In Sustaining Cost (AISC)2(US$/AgEq oz)$13.22$13.01$14.36$13.47
  1. AgEq Produced is metal recovered in concentrate. AgEq Payable is metal payable from concentrate and incorporates metal payment terms outlined in the Concentrate Terms section below. AgEq is calculated as Ag + (Au x 72.7) + (Pb x 45.5) + (Zn x 54.6); these factors are based on metal prices of Ag - $22/oz, Au - $1,600/oz, Pb - $1.00/lb and Zn - $1.20/lb.
  2. AISC is a non-GAAP measure; refer to the Non-GAAP Measures section of the release for further information on this measure. See Technical Disclosure section for AISC calculation methodology.

LOM Production

Note ? Au/Pb/Zn production is shown on an AgEq basis based on: Ag = $22/oz, Au = $1,600/oz, Pb = $1.00/lb and Zn = $1.20/lb

Study Project Team

The FS was supported by a high-quality project team consisting of the following groups:

Next Steps

The following work is planned for 2024 with the objective of reaching a construction decision later this year or early 2025.

Further details on the Company's 2024 work program can be found in the news release dated January 24, 2024, and filed under the Company's profile on www.sedarplus.ca.   

Resource Update

In conjunction with the FS, the Mineral Resource Estimate for Cordero has been updated to incorporate an additional 33,400 m of drilling (total drilling of 310,900 m in 793 drill holes). The Measured & Indicated Resource has grown by 70 Moz AgEq to 1,202 Moz AgEq with the Inferred Resource being reduced by 12 Moz AgEq to 155 Moz AgEq as summarized below. The overall expansion of the resource was largely driven by exploration success at depth and in the northeast part of the deposit.  

Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Further details on the Resource including all supporting technical disclosure are outlined in Appendix A.

CAPITAL EXPENDITURES

Cordero is a very capital-efficient project due to numerous underlying advantages:

Initial Capital (to achieve plant throughput of 9.6 Mt/a)

Initial capital to build Cordero Phase 1 is estimated to total $606 million and will be incurred over a two-year construction period. This capital estimate includes Phase 1 of the process plant with nameplate capacity of 9.6 Mt/a (~26,000 tpd), the construction of on-site infrastructure, a power transmission line, the upgrade of the local water treatment plant and water pipeline, all pre-stripping activities and construction of the TSF starter dam that will provide 3 years of initial tailings storage.

Contingency for the initial capital estimate averages 12% and is applied to direct and indirect costs. Owners costs represent 2.3% of direct costs. Indirect costs represent 16% of direct costs. These proportions are in-line with typical industry averages and are consistent with a cost base for a greenfield project build in Mexico and commensurate with the level of complexity of the project build.

Expansion Capital (to expand plant to 19.2 Mt/a)

The processing facility will be expanded to a nameplate capacity of 19.2 Mt/a (~51,000 tpd) at an estimated cost of $291 million. Most of the costs associated with the expansion will be incurred in Year 3. The expansion includes the addition of parallel grinding and flotation circuits, additional on-site infrastructure and a tailings dam lift that is concurrent with plant expansion.

An expansion of the flotation circuit is planned for Year 7 at a cost of $17 million to accommodate an increase in zinc grades.

Sustaining Capital

Sustaining capital over the LOM totals $388 million (excluding closure costs net of salvage). This includes $221 million to be spent on tailings management facility expansions with the remainder to be spent on mine equipment, the process plant, mobile equipment and replacements/refurbishments of infrastructure assets. Sustaining capital for the process plant has been classified as operating costs under the maintenance category. Sustaining capital for mining only includes down payments on replacement equipment with the remaining lease costs classified as mine operating costs.

DESCRIPTION (all in US$ millions)INITIAL
CAPITAL
EXPANSION
CAPITAL
SUSTAINING
LOM CAPEX
TOTAL LOM
CAPEX
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES    
Mining$117$2$110$229
Onsite Infrastructure$44$14-$57
Processing Plant$210$148-$359
Tailings Facility (TSF)$28$60$221$310
Offsite Infrastructure$57-$16$73
Indirects$73$44$11$128
Owners Costs$11$4-$14
Contingency$65$37$31$133
Closure costs / Salvage value--$75$75
Capital Expenditures - Subtotals$606$309$463$1,377


OPERATIONS

Mining

The mine plan incorporates accelerated stripping as well as stockpiling of low-grade material to optimize the grade profile over the LOM.

Processing

Processing was broken into two main phases to optimize the capital efficiency of the project. Oxides and sulphides are co-processed up to a maximum oxide tonnage proportion of 15% of total mill feed.

Head grades

The mine plan focuses on feeding higher grades to the mill earlier in the mine life:

TONNES PROCESSED / HEAD GRADES
UNIT
PHASE 1PHASE 2LOM
Year 1 ? 4Year 5 ? 12Year 13 ? 19
Oxide tonnes processed(Mt)061420
Sulphide tonnes processed(Mt)45143119307
Tonnes processed(Mt)45149132327
Head Grades     
Ag(g/t)42302329
Au(g/t)0.190.070.060.08
Pb(%)0.570.440.320.41
Zn(%)0.670.860.580.72
AgEq(g/t)99815874


Recoveries

Metal recoveries to the two concentrates are based on the three rounds of detailed metallurgical testwork completed by the Company and are summarized below:

METALLURGICAL RECOVERIES
(weighted average)
PHASE 1PHASE 2LOM
Year 1 ? 4Year 5 ? 12Year 13 ? 19
Ag91%87%81%87%
Au28%28%28%28%
Pb91%88%81%86%
Zn84%86%84%85%


Tailings Storage Facility (TSF)

OPERATING COSTS

Operating costs are summarized in the table below.

PARAMETERUNITSFS COST
OPERATING COSTS  
Mining$/t mined2.35
Mining$/t milled7.35
Processing ? Milling (Phase 1)$/t milled6.56
Processing ? Milling (Phase 2)$/t milled6.24
Site G&A (Phase 1)$/t milled0.97
Site G&A (Phase 2)$/t milled0.54


Mining

Processing

G&A

CONCENTRATE TERMS

Metal Payable

 AgAuPbZn
Precious Metals Concentrate    
Average concentrate grade LOM3,0622.0550%-
Payable metal95%95%95%-
Minimum deduction50 g/t1 g/t3 units-
Zn Concentrate    
Average concentrate grade LOM231 g/t0.62 g/t-50%
Payable metal70%70%-85%
Deduction93 g/t1 g/t-8 units


Treatment/Refining Charges

PARAMETERUNITSFS COSTSPOT5-YEAR
BENCHMARK
AVERAGE
TREATMENT/REFINING CHARGES    
Treatment charge ? PM concentrate$/dmt$120~$25~$130
Treatment charge ? Zn concentrate$/dmt$200~$90~$240
Ag refining charge ? PM concentrate$/oz$1.00~$1.00~$1.10


Concentrate Transportation

2024 FS vs 2023 PFS

Summary

The main changes in the FS in comparison to the PFS include:

PARAMETERUNITS2023 PFS2024 FS
SUMMARY   
After-Tax NPV (5% discount rate)(US$ M)$1,153$1,177
Internal Rate of Return(%)28.0%22.0%
Mine Life(yrs)1819
Initial Capital(US$ M)$455$606
LOM Capital(US$ M)$1,003$1,377
Payback(yrs)4.25.2
    
OPERATIONS   
Tonnes Processed (LOM ? Total)(Mt)302327
Strip ratio (LOM)(w:o)2.12.0
    
PRODUCTION & COSTS   
AgEq Produced (LOM ? Annual Average)(Moz)3333
AgEq Produced (LOM ? Total)(Moz)591635
All-In Sustaining Cost (Y1 ? Y12)(US$/AgEq oz)$12.82$13.07
All-In Sustaining Cost (LOM)(US$/AgEq oz)$13.62$13.47

Project Economics are based on Ag = $22.00/oz, Au = $1,600/oz, Pb = $1.00/lb, Zn = $1.20/lb. See Technical Disclosure section for AgEq and AISC calculation methodology.

Initial Capital Changes

Total initial capital expenditures increased by $151 million as summarized in the table below. The primary drivers behind this increase were:

DESCRIPTION (all in US$ millions)2023 PFS2024 FSDifference
INITIAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURES   
Mining$60$117$57
Onsite Infrastructure$31$44$13
Processing Plant$156$210$54
Tailings Facility (TSF)$45$28($17)
Offsite Infrastructure$20$57$37
Indirects$61$73$12
Owners Costs$13$11($2)
Contingency$61$65$4
Total Initial Capital Expenditures$455$606$151


TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE:

APPENDIX:

An appendix with the following supporting information can be found at the end of the release.

Appendix A - Mineral Resource Estimate

Appendix B ? Mineral Reserve Estimate

Appendix C ? After-Tax NPV/IRR/Payback Sensitivities

Appendix D - LOM Mine Plan Summary

Appendix E - LOM Process Throughput Summary

Appendix F ? After-Tax Free Cash Flow

Appendix G - Simplified Process Flowsheets

Appendix H ? Metallurgical Balance Summary

Appendix I - Site Layout

Appendix J - LOM Production & Cash Flow Schedule

About Discovery

Discovery's flagship project is its 100%-owned Cordero silver project, one of the world's largest silver deposits. The FS summarized in today's release demonstrates that Cordero has the potential to be developed into a highly capital efficient mine that offers the rare combination of large-scale production, low costs and a long mine life. Cordero is located close to infrastructure in a prolific mining belt in Chihuahua State, Mexico.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,
Tony Makuch, P.Eng
President & CEO

For further information contact:

Forbes Gemmell, CFA
VP Corporate Development
Phone: 416-613-9410
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.discoverysilver.com

Qualified Person

The FS for the Company's Cordero Silver project as summarized in this release was completed by Ausenco with support from AGP and WSP. The Mineral Reserve estimate as outlined, as further set out in Appendix B, in this press release was completed under the supervision of Willie Hamilton, P.Eng. of AGP, who is an independent "Qualified Person" as defined under NI 43-101 and who has reviewed and approved the mineral reserve estimate disclosure in this press release. The Mineral Resource estimate, as further set out in Appendix A, as outlined in this press release was completed under the supervision of R. Mohan Srivastava, P.Geo., who is an independent "Qualified Person" as defined under NI 43-101 and who has reviewed and approved the mineral resource estimate disclosure in this press release. A full technical report supporting the FS will be prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and will be filed on SEDAR within 45 days of this press release. The remaining scientific and technical content of this press release was reviewed and approved by Gernot Wober, P.Geo, VP Exploration of the Company and a "Qualified Person" as such term is defined in NI 43-101 and Pierre Rocque, P.Eng., an Independent Consultant to the Company, and an independent "Qualified Person" as such term is defined by 43-101.

NON-GAAP MEASURES:

The Company has included certain non-GAAP performance measures as detailed below. In the mining industry, these are common performance measures but may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers and the non-GAAP measures do not have any standardized meaning. Accordingly, it is intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS.

CASH COSTS PER OUNCE

The Company calculated total cash costs per ounce by dividing the sum of operating costs, royalty costs, production taxes, refining and shipping costs, by payable silver-equivalent ounces. While there is no standardized meaning of the measure across the industry, the Company believes that this measure is useful to external users in assessing operating performance.

ALL-IN SUSTAINING COSTS ("AISC")

The Company has provided an AISC performance measure that reflects all the expenditures that are required to produce an ounce of payable metal. While there is no standardized meaning of the measure across the industry, the Company's definition conforms to the all-in sustaining cost definition as set out by the World Gold Council in its guidance dated June 27, 2013. Subsequent amendments to the guidance have not materially affected the figures presented.

FREE CASH FLOW

Free Cash Flow is a non-GAAP performance measure that is calculated as cash flows from operations net of cash flows invested in mineral property, plant and equipment and exploration and evaluation assets. The Company believes that this measure is useful to the external users in assessing the Company's ability to generate cash flows from its mineral projects.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

Neither TSX Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release is not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements within this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although Discovery believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Statements include but are not limited to the feasibility of the Project and its attractive economics and significant exploration upside; construction decision and development of the Project, timing and results of the feasibility study and the anticipated capital and operating costs, sustaining costs, net present value, internal rate of return, the method of mining the Project, payback period, process capacity, average annual metal production, average process recoveries, concession renewal, permitting of the Project, anticipated mining and processing methods, feasibility study production schedule and metal production profile, anticipated construction period, anticipated mine life, expected recoveries and grades, anticipated production rates, infrastructure, social and environmental impact studies, the completion of key de-risking items, including the timing of receipt permits, availability of water and power, availability of labour, job creation and other local economic benefits, tax rates and commodity prices that would support development of the Project, and other statements that express management's expectations or estimates of future performance, operational, geological or financial results Information concerning mineral resource/reserve estimates and the economic analysis thereof contained in the results of the feasibility study are also forward-looking statements in that they reflect a prediction of the mineralization that would be encountered, and the results of mining, if a mineral deposit were developed and mined. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts which address events, results, outcomes or developments that the Company expects to occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements include fluctuations in market prices, including metal prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions, the actual results of current and future exploration activities; changes to current estimates of mineral reserves and mineral resources; conclusions of economic and geological evaluations; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; risks in obtaining and maintaining necessary licenses, permits and authorizations for the Company's development stage and operating assets; operations may be exposed to new diseases, epidemics and pandemics, including any ongoing or future effects of COVID-19 (and any related ongoing or future regulatory or government responses) and its impact on the broader market and the trading price of the Company's shares; provincial and federal orders or mandates (including with respect to mining operations generally or auxiliary businesses or services required for operations) in Mexico, all of which may affect many aspects of the Company's operations including the ability to transport personnel to and from site, contractor and supply availability and the ability to sell or deliver mined silver; changes in national and local government legislation, controls or regulations; failure to comply with environmental and health and safety laws and regulations; labour and contractor availability (and being able to secure the same on favourable terms); disruptions in the maintenance or provision of required infrastructure and information technology systems; fluctuations in the price of gold or certain other commodities such as, diesel fuel, natural gas, and electricity; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities, including geotechnical challenges and changes to production estimates (which assume accuracy of projected ore grade, mining rates, recovery timing and recovery rate estimates and may be impacted by unscheduled maintenance); changes in foreign exchange rates (particularly the Canadian dollar, U.S. dollar and Mexican peso); the impact of inflation; geopolitical conflicts; employee and community relations; the impact of litigation and administrative proceedings (including but not limited to mining reform laws in Mexico) and any interim or final court, arbitral and/or administrative decisions; disruptions affecting operations; availability of and increased costs associated with mining inputs and labour; delays in construction decisions and any development of the Project; changes with respect to the intended method of mining and processing ore from the Project; inherent risks and hazards associated with mining and mineral processing including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures and cave-ins; the risk that the Company's mines may not perform as planned; uncertainty with the Company's ability to secure additional capital to execute its business plans; contests over title to properties; expropriation or nationalization of property; political or economic developments in Canada and Mexico and other jurisdictions in which the Company may carry on business in the future; increased costs and risks related to the potential impact of climate change; the costs and timing of exploration, construction and development of new deposits; risk of loss due to sabotage, protests and other civil disturbances; the impact of global liquidity and credit availability and the values of assets and liabilities based on projected future cash flows; risks arising from holding derivative instruments; and business opportunities that may be pursued by the Company.There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. Discovery does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable laws. The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements, or the material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information, are described under the heading "Risks Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form dated March 30, 2023, which is available under the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

APPENDIX A ? MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATE

Material
Class
Tonnes
GradeContained Metal
AgAuPbZnAgEqAgAuPbZnAgEq
(Mt)(g/t)(g/t)(%)(%)(g/t)(Moz)(koz)(Mlb)(Mlb)(Moz)
Oxide
Measured29290.070.230.2749276714817145
Indicated37240.060.250.2944287420724153
M&I66260.070.240.28465514235541299
Inferred32190.030.260.3342203518823443
Sulphide
Measured324240.070.340.63572477452,4134,473598
Indicated329180.040.280.58481904162,0454,215506
M&I653210.060.310.60534371,1614,4588,6871,104
Inferred116120.020.160.35304586418906111
TOTAL
Measured353240.070.330.60572748122,5614,644643
Indicated366190.040.280.55472184902,2524,456559
M&I719210.060.300.57524931,3034,8139,0991,202
Inferred149140.030.180.3532651216061,140155


Supporting Technical Disclosure for Resource

APPENDIX B ? MINERAL RESERVE ESTIMATE

Material
Class
Tonnes
GradeContained Metal
AgAuPbZnAgAuPbZn
(Mt)(g/t)(g/t)(%)(%)(Moz)(Moz)(Blb)(Blb)
Oxide
Proven10460.080.350.38150.030.080.09
Probable10400.090.400.42130.030.090.09
Total P&P20430.080.370.40280.050.170.18
Sulphide
Proven212290.090.420.741990.611.963.48
Probable95240.060.400.73740.180.831.53
Total P&P307280.080.410.742740.782.795.00
TOTAL
Proven223300.090.420.732140.642.043.57
Probable104260.060.400.70870.200.911.62
Total P&P327290.080.410.723020.842.965.18


Supporting Technical Disclosure for Reserves

APPENDIX C: AFTER-TAX NPV / IRR / PAYBACK SENSITIVITIES

Sensitivity of the Project's NPV, IRR and payback at different Ag and Zn price assumptions is outlined in the table below. For these sensitivities the Au and Pb prices have been fixed at $1,600/oz and $1.00/lb respectively. The Base Case scenario for the FS is highlighted in grey below and assumes Ag - $22.00/oz, Au - $1,600/oz, Pb - $1.00/lb and Zn - $1.20/lb.

 Ag ($/oz)
$18.00$20.00$22.00$25.00$30.00
 NPV
(5%)
IRRPaybackNPV
(5%)
IRRPaybackNPV
(5%)
IRRPaybackNPV
(5%)
IRRPaybackNPV
(5%)
IRRPayback
(US$M)(%)(yrs)(US$M)(%)(yrs)(US$M)(%)(yrs)(US$M)(%)(yrs)(US$M)(%)(yrs)
Zn
($/lb)

$1.0560214.76.978417.26.396519.75.81,23723.14.81,69028.54.1
$1.1067315.66.785418.16.21,03620.45.61,30823.84.81,76129.24.0
$1.2081417.46.499619.75.91,17722.05.21,44925.24.61,90230.53.9
$1.3095518.96.11,13721.25.51,31823.44.91,59026.64.42,04331.73.8
$1.451,16721.25.71,34823.45.11,53025.54.71,80228.64.22,25433.53.7


APPENDIX D - LOM MINE PLAN SUMMARY


APPENDIX E - LOM PROCESS THROUGHPUT SUMMARY


APPENDIX F ? AFTER-TAX FREE CASH FLOW


APPENDIX G - SIMPLIFIED PROCESS FLOWSHEETS

PHASE 1 ? 26,000 tpd nameplate capacity / PHASE 2 ? 51,000 tpd nameplate capacity


APPENDIX H ? METALLURGICAL BALANCE SUMMARY

 



UNITS
PHASE 1 PHASE 2LOM
Years 1 - 4Years 5 - 12 Years 13 - 19
AgAuPbZnAgAuPbZnAgAuPbZnAgAuPbZn
MET BALANCE                 
Average head gradeg/t or %420.190.570.67300.070.440.86230.060.320.57290.080.410.72
Recovered to Pb Con%8318915771888470188447718865
Recovered to Zn Con%810nm851010nm861110nm851010nm85
Tailings%972nm101372nm101972nm111372nm10
Total%100100100100100100100100100100100100100100100100
                  
CONCENTRATE GRADES                 
Pb Concentrateg/t or %3,7503.8657-3,0961.6052-2,5481.8244-3,0622.0550-
Zn Concentrateg/t or %3021.61-501980.43-512730.59-502310.62-50

nm ? Pb recovery into the Zn concentrate was not modelled for the purposes of this Study

APPENDIX I - SITE LAYOUT:


APPENDIX J ? PRODUCTION & CASH FLOW SCHEDULE:

 UnitsTotal/AvgY-2Y-1Y1Y2Y3Y4Y5Y6Y7Y8Y9Y10Y11Y12Y13Y14Y15Y16Y17Y18Y19Y20
MINING                        
Mineralized Material Mined*mt34722202227201929313120191617141816139------
Waste Minedmt 69659324244424343414146444649545130268------
Total Material Minedmt1,0437115365706262727272666362666869463917------
Mining Ratektpd

150193014517819217017019719719718117217118218719012510746------
Strip Ratiow:o2.013.54.11.61.91.62.12.21.51.31.32.32.42.82.93.82.91.82.00.8------
 *Mineralized material mined includes 20Mt of above cutoff oxides that are not processed. For ore processed (ie: reserves), see "Processing" section below
  
                         
PROCESSING                        
Oxides ? Mill Feed:                        
Ore Tonnesmt20--------0.10.31.90.0----1.30.00.12.72.62.72.72.72.5----0.4
Ore Grades:                        
Agg/t43.0--------50.864.746.046.0----44.532.148.142.442.642.642.642.642.6----22.8
Aug/t0.08--------0.090.060.090.09----0.090.160.030.080.080.080.080.080.08----0.07
Pb%0.37%--------0.68%0.63%0.34%0.34%----0.60%0.44%0.19%0.36%0.36%0.36%0.36%0.36%0.36%----0.20%
Zn%0.40%--------0.93%0.53%0.34%0.34%----0.68%0.73%0.41%0.39%0.38%0.38%0.38%0.38%0.38%----0.24%
AgEqg/t76--------1131097675----958572747474747474----43
Sulphides ? Mill Feed:                        
Ore Tonnesmt307----9109171719191918181816161616161618182
Mill Head Grade:                        
Agg/t27.7----44.844.338.939.931.728.131.441.727.025.223.127.024.824.325.423.622.112.612.612.6
Aug/t0.08----0.190.250.150.190.100.060.070.080.060.050.050.060.050.060.060.060.050.050.050.05
Pb%0.41%----0.59%0.61%0.54%0.56%0.39%0.36%0.48%0.73%0.48%0.40%0.28%0.42%0.43%0.38%0.36%0.38%0.40%0.16%0.16%0.16%
Zn%0.74%----0.73%0.61%0.73%0.65%0.61%0.75%0.92%1.29%0.99%0.77%0.74%0.89%0.80%0.69%0.66%0.75%0.69%0.35%0.35%0.35%
AgEqg/t74----1051049496747186118837063787267666864343434
TOTAL ORE - Mill Feed:                        
Ore Tonnesmt327----9109181819191919181819181919191918183
Mill Head Grade:                        
Agg/t29----4544394033283142282523292727282625131314
Aug/t0.08----0.190.250.150.190.100.060.070.080.060.050.050.060.050.060.060.060.050.050.050.05
Pb%0.41%----0.59%0.61%0.55%0.56%0.38%0.36%0.48%0.73%0.49%0.40%0.28%0.41%0.42%0.38%0.36%0.38%0.39%0.16%0.16%0.16%
Zn%0.72%----0.73%0.61%0.73%0.65%0.59%0.010.92%1.29%0.97%0.010.74%0.82%0.74%0.65%0.62%0.70%0.65%0.35%0.35%0.33%
AgEqg/t74----1051049496747186118847063777268676965343435
                         
Lead/Silver Conc. ? Recovery:                        
Ag%77%----83%84%82%82%74%75%80%86%78%77%71%73%73%72%71%72%72%58%58%58%
Au%18%----18%18%18%18%18%18%18%18%18%18%18%18%18%18%18%18%18%18%18%18%
Pb%86%----92%92%90%90%84%88%90%93%86%89%85%83%83%81%81%81%83%77%77%70%
Zinc Conc. ? Recovery:                        
Ag%10%----8%8%9%8%10%10%9%7%9%10%12%10%10%11%11%11%10%15%15%14%
Au%10%----10%10%10%10%10%10%10%10%10%10%10%10%10%10%10%10%10%10%10%10%
Zn%85%----85%84%85%84%84%85%86%87%86%85%85%86%85%85%84%85%85%78%78%79%
                         
                         
PRODUCTION PROFILEUnitsTotal/AvgY-2Y-1Y1Y2Y3Y4Y5Y6Y7Y8Y9Y10Y11Y12Y13Y14Y15Y16Y17Y18Y19Y20
METAL PRODUCED:                        
Ag ? Ag/Pb Concentratemoz229----1011101914131622131110131212121111441
Au ? Ag/Pb Concentratekoz153----101482010789755767776551
Pb ? Ag/Pb Concentratemlbs2,581----1041181021971311281822861751439613713912612112613363639
AgEq ? Ag/Pb Concentratemoz358----1618152921192436221814201818181817881
Ag ? Zn Concentratemoz30----11122222212222222110
Au ? Zn Concentratekoz80----574105345433434443330
Zn ? Zn Concentratemlbs4,437----11811013021720325933548035126425228725322622124522812212217
AgEq ? Zn Concentratemoz277----8881513162028211616181614141514881
Ag ? Totalmoz259----1113112117141724151311151313141312551
Au ? Totalkoz233----152112301610121310881091111109881
Pb ? Totalmlbs2,581----1041181021971311281822861751439613713912612112613363639
Zn ? Totalmlbs4,437----11811013021720325933548035126425228725322622124522812212217
AgEq ? Total Metal Producedmoz635----242523443535456443343037343232333316162
                         
METAL PAYABLE:                        
Ag ? Ag/Pb Concentratemoz218----10119181412152113119121111111110441
Au ? Ag/Pb Concentratekoz78----7116156332212323332330
Pb ? Ag/Pb Concentratemlbs2,427----98112971871221201722721651359012913011811311812558589
AgEq ? Ag/Pb Concentratemoz334----1517142720182334201713181717171616771
Ag ? Zn Concentratemoz12----01011110011111111110
Au ? Zn Concentratekoz7----1303--------------------------------
Zn ? Zn Concentratemlbs3,733----999210918217021828240629622221224221319018520619110210214
AgEq ? Zn Concentratemoz217----6661110131623171312141211111211661
Ag ? Totalmoz230----1011101915131521131110131212121211551
Au ? Totalkoz86----8146176332212323332330
Pb ? Totalmlbs2,427----98112971871221201722721651359012913011811311812558589
Zn ? Totalmlbs3,733----999210918217021828240629622221224221319018520619110210214
AgEq ? Total Metal Payablemoz550----212320393030395637302632292828282713132
                         
                         
REVENUEUnitsTotal/AvgY-2Y-1Y1Y2Y3Y4Y5Y6Y7Y8Y9Y10Y11Y12Y13Y14Y15Y16Y17Y18Y19Y20
OXIDES + SULPHIDES:                        
Ag RevenueUS$mm$5,065----$228$251$212$415$325$280$337$472$289$251$216$283$261$259$271$253$240$102$102$16
Au RevenueUS$mm$137----$14$22$9$28$10$4$5$3$3$2$3$4$2$5$5$4$3$5$5$1
Pb RevenueUS$mm$2,427----$98$112$97$187$122$120$172$272$165$135$90$129$130$118$113$118$125$58$58$9
Zn RevenueUS$mm$4,480----$119$111$131$218$204$261$338$487$355$266$254$290$256$228$222$247$230$123$123$17
Gross RevenueUS$mm$12,109----$458$496$449$847$663$665$853$1,234$812$653$562$706$648$609$612$623$597$288$288$43
Treatment & Refining ChargesUS$mm$1,296----$41$42$43$77$66$73$93$131$93$74$67$79$73$67$66$70$67$35$35$5
Total PenaltiesUS$mm$43----$1$1$1$2$2$2$3$5$4$3$2$3$2$2$2$2$2$1$1$0
Net Revenue - TotalUS$mm$10,769----$416$453$405$769$595$590$756$1,098$715$577$493$624$573$540$543$551$528$252$252$38
                         
OPERATING COSTS                        
UNIT COSTS:                        
Mine (Incl. Rehandling)US$/t Moved$2.35----$2.42$2.33$2.36$2.55$2.48$1.95$2.03$2.17$2.20$2.19$2.28$2.29$2.15$2.21$2.65$2.81$3.72$0.97$0.82$1.12
ProcessingUS$/t Processed$6.28----$6.87$6.72$6.90$6.13$6.25$6.21$6.14$6.17$6.20$6.30$6.30$6.26$6.27$6.25$6.20$6.23$6.24$6.28$6.28$6.28
Site G&A CostsUS$/t Processed$0.59----$1.18$1.07$1.08$0.56$0.54$0.54$0.52$0.52$0.53$0.55$0.55$0.54$0.55$0.54$0.53$0.54$0.54$0.55$0.55$0.55
OPERATING COSTS INCURED:                        
Mine (Incl. Rehandling)US$mm$2,406----$128$151$166$158$154$140$146$156$145$138$142$152$146$153$121$110$62$18$15$3
ProcessingUS$mm$2,056----$59$64$65$109$115$115$118$119$117$115$115$116$114$116$117$116$116$115$115$17
Site G&A CostsUS$mm$192----$10$10$10$10$10$10$10$10$10$10$10$10$10$10$10$10$10$10$10$1
Total Site Operating CostsUS$mm$4,655----$198$226$241$277$279$266$274$285$273$263$267$278$270$279$249$236$188$143$140$21
NSR - GovernmentUS$mm$25----$1$1$1$2$2$1$2$2$1$1$1$1$1$1$1$1$1$1$1$0
Concentrate TransportUS$mm$1,043----$32$33$34$60$51$58$74$104$76$60$53$64$59$55$53$57$56$30$30$4
Total Operating CostsUS$mm$5,722----$230$260$276$339$332$325$350$391$350$325$322$343$331$335$304$295$245$174$171$26
                         
CASH COSTS:                        
Co-Product Basis:                        
Operating Cash CostsUS$/oz AgEq$8.46----$9.49$10.02$11.81$7.18$9.27$8.78$7.08$5.07$7.38$8.87$10.46$8.67$9.17$10.08$8.95$8.34$6.94$10.92$10.72$10.89
Total Cash CostsUS$/oz AgEq$12.83----$13.10$13.44$15.66$10.84$13.27$13.25$11.51$9.38$12.10$13.51$15.30$13.25$13.77$14.59$13.38$12.97$11.58$16.01$15.81$15.82
All-in Sustaining CostsUS$/oz AgEq$13.47----$13.49$13.84$16.45$11.01$13.39$15.38$11.73$9.60$12.19$16.46$15.68$13.54$14.07$14.70$16.86$13.00$11.62$16.08$15.84$16.02
                         
                         
CAPITAL EXPENDITURESUnitsTotal/AvgY-2Y-1Y1Y2Y3Y4Y5Y6Y7Y8Y9Y10Y11Y12Y13Y14Y15Y16Y17Y18Y19Y20
Initial/Expansion CapexUS$mm$914$151$454----$262$29----$17------------------------ 
Sustaining Capex (incl. Net Closure)US$mm$463----$46$9$16$6$3$64$9$12$3$88$10$9$9$3$97$1$1$1----
Total Capital ExpendituresUS$mm$1,377$151$454$46$9$278$35$3$64$26$12$3$88$10$9$9$3$97$1$1$1$0$75
                         
FREE CASH FLOW VALUATION                        
Net RevenueUS$mm$10,769----$416$453$405$769$595$590$756$1,098$715$577$493$624$573$540$543$551$528$252$252$38
Operating ExpensesUS$mm($4,655)----($198)($226)($241)($277)($279)($266)($274)($285)($273)($263)($267)($278)($270)($279)($249)($236)($188)($143)($140)($21)
Concentrate TransportationUS$mm($1,043)----($32)($33)($34)($60)($51)($58)($74)($104)($76)($60)($53)($64)($59)($55)($53)($57)($56)($30)($30)($4)
RoyaltiesUS$mm($25)----($1)($1)($1)($2)($2)($1)($2)($2)($1)($1)($1)($1)($1)($1)($1)($1)($1)($1)($1)($0)
EBITDAUS$mm$5,047----$185$193$129$430$263$265$406$708$365$252$171$281$243$205$240$256$283$78$81$12
Capital ExpendituresUS$mm($1,377)($151)($454)($46)($9)($278)($35)($3)($64)($26)($12)($3)($88)($10)($9)($9)($3)($97)($1)($1)($1)($0)($75)
Pre-Tax Free Cash FlowUS$mm$3,670($151)($454)$140$184($149)$394$259$200$381$695$362$164$162$271$234$202$143$255$282$77$81($63)
Mining TaxUS$mm($379)----($14)($14)($10)($32)($20)($20)($30)($53)($27)($19)($13)($21)($18)($15)($18)($19)($21)($6)($6)($1)
Income Tax PayableUS$mm($986)------($28)($6)($88)($41)($41)($79)($162)($77)($43)($39)($70)($59)($49)($55)($59)($67)($10)($11)--
Post-Tax Free Cash FlowUS$mm$2,305($151)($454)$126$141($164)$274$198$140$271$480$258$102$110$180$156$138$70$176$194$61$64($64)
Rolling EOP After-tax NPV (5%)US$B $1.4$2.0$1.9$1.9$2.2$2.0$1.9$1.8$1.6$1.2$1.0$0.9$0.9$0.7$0.6$0.5$0.4$0.3$0.1$0.0  
                         
  Pre-TaxPost-Tax                    
NPV (5%)US$mm1,9801,177                    
IRR%29.422.0                    
PaybackYears4.15.2                    


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