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Results of Updated Scoping Study for Nueva Sabana Mine, Cuba
Antilles Gold Limited (“Antilles Gold” or the “Company”) (ASX: AAU, OTCQB: ANTMF) is pleased to advise the results of the Updated Scoping Study for the first stage of the proposed Nueva Sabana gold-copper mine in Cuba. The Study has been prepared by the 50% owned Cuban joint venture company, Minera La Victoria SA (“MLV”), which is undertaking the project.
- The Updated Scoping Study is based on a pit limited to 100m depth which, at a mining rate of 500,000tpa of ore, will result in an initial mine life of 4.8 years.
- With additional exploration, and a greater mining depth, the project life and NPV could be increased.
- Metallurgical testwork set out in ATTACHMENT C indicates the mine will initially produce a gold concentrate grading ~57.5g/t Au for around 18 months, followed by a blended copper-gold concentrate with an average grade of ~28.3% Cu, and ~29.8g/t Au.
- Payables for these concentrates have been received from a major international commodity trader that the joint venture is negotiating with to establish an offtake agreement.
- The off-take agreement is expected to include a provision for advanced payments for concentrates to assist in the funding of construction costs.
- The 752ha concession covering the Nueva Sabana oxide deposit also hosts the El Pilar, Gaspar, and Camilo porphyry copper intrusives, and numerous shallow gold targets identified by artisanal mining.
- The Nueva Sabana deposit has a small gold cap, an underlying copper-gold zone, and a deeper sulphide copper zone with mineralisation open at depth at 150m which could potentially transition into the El Pilar porphyry copper deposit offset to the south.
HIGHLIGHTS OF FINANCIAL ANALYSIS FOR STAGE ONE OF THE NUEVA SABANA MINE: 
- Estimated Operating Profit of ~US$60M from the first 22 months of concentrate production will comfortably permit repayment of the ~US$28.5M project debt before the end of this period.
- MLV intends to drill the copper mineralisation that continues below the stage one mining depth of 100m with the aim of deepening the Nueva Sabana mine and extending its life.
- The Revised MRE for Nueva Sabana which is incorporated as ATTACHMENT A in the Study, established approximately 25M lb of 0.75% copper in Inferred Resources within the 50m below the initial mine depth, which is a positive indication of the potential to extend its life.
- MLV also intends to drill identified oxide gold-copper targets overlying the nearby Gaspar and Camilo porphyry copper deposits to potentially increase resources.
- Subject to the results of additional drilling, consideration will be given to doubling the mining rate in the copper domain to 1.0Mtpa of ore to increase annual profitability and cash flow.
- It is possible that the Nueva Sabana mine could be significantly expanded and extended in the future to mine the three porphyry copper deposits located within the mining concession.
Antilles Gold Chairman, Mr Brian Johnson, commented: “The first stage of Nueva Sabana, while relatively small, has an excellent IRR and will deliver significant free cash within a short timeframe.
MLV’s priority at this time is to finalise current negotiations on a concentrate off-take agreement for the project, and to arrange financing for the mine construction.
Antilles Gold’s share of the estimated NPV8 for the first stage of Nueva Sabana is ~A$70M at current metal prices of US$2,600 per oz Au, and US$9,300/t Cu, and an exchange rate of A$1.00 = US$0.66, which is significantly higher than the Company’s current market capitalisation of A$7.5M.
The opportunity to unlock further value for Antilles Gold will occur with the proposed development of the joint venture’s flagship project, the La Demajagua gold-silver-antimony mine, where the Company’s share of NPV8 reported to ASX on 30 March 2023 was ~A$150M, prior to the joint venture’s decision to expand the project to produce gold doré from the mine’s gold arsenopyrite concentrate, and to increase antimony production.
Before the end of 2024, Antilles Gold will contribute the final US$0.4M of the US$15.0M earn-in for its 50% shareholding in the joint venture company, Minera La Victoria (“MLV”), after which the Company’s cash burn will be substantially reduced.”
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This article includes content from Antilles Gold (ASX:AAU), licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Murchison South Increases to 67koz Gold Across Two Pits
HIGHLIGHTS
- Pansy Pit: Mining Plus confirms Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the Pansy Pit Deposit at Murchison South:
From Surface 72kt @ 2.5g/t Au for 5,800 oz Gold (Table 1) - Blue Heaven: Mining Plus confirms MRE for the Blue Heaven deposit at Murchison South: From Surface 681kt @ 2.8 g/t Au for 61,300 oz Gold (Table 1) (ASX Announcement 9 April 2025)
- Blue Heaven and Pansy Pit MRE, together total ~67,100 oz Gold
- Pansy Pit MRE is based solely on review by Mining Plus of historical drilling
- Historical drilling was only to 60m, mineralisation open at depth and along strike north and south (Figure 2)
- The Pansy Pit has the potential to be a shallow, open pit mining operation, with mineralisation observed from surface
- Strong Gold Market: Spot gold price of ~A$5,000/oz offers significant upside versus the A$3,500/oz price used in the MRE to model pit shells
- The Pansy Pit sits within granted Mining lease M59/662 and is just over 2km from the Company’s Blue Heaven deposit and on the south side of the Great Northern Highway (Figure 3)
- The Pansy Pit provides evidence of the expansion potential along the Primrose Fault, notably to the south at the Shamrock deposit and to the north at the Pansy North and Jacamar deposits (Figure 3)
The Pansy Pit MRE is shown in Table 1 on page 3.
Figure 1. Pansy Pit rotated and unclipped longsection view looking north with the optimised pit shell in grey, drill traces as black lines and the block model coloured by classification.
Figure 2. Pansy Pit rotated cross section view looking south at ~6,762,078mN +/- 10m with the optimised pit shell in black, drill traces as black lines and the block model coloured by estimated Au grade.
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This article includes content from Reach Resources, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Adavale Resources
Investor Insight
Adavale Resources’ transformative January 2025 acquisition of gold and copper assets in the prolific Lachlan Fold Belt in New South Wales puts the company on a growth trajectory, presenting a compelling investment opportunity for savvy investors.
Overview
Adavale Resources (ASX:ADD) is a dynamic junior exploration company primarily focused on its flagship gold and copper projects in New South Wales (NSW), within the prolific Lachlan Fold Belt. This portfolio spans 354.15 sq kmand comprises four tenements: EL7242, EL8830, EL8831 and EL9711. The acquisition of these assets represents a transformational opportunity, strategically positioning Adavale Resources in one of the world’s richest gold and copper belts.
Parkes Project in the Lachlan Fold Belt
In addition to gold and copper, Adavale boasts extensive uranium assets in South Australia and nickel projects in Tanzania. These diversified holdings place the company at the forefront of exploration across commodities critical for global industrial and technological advancement.
Adavale Resources is poised for significant growth as it advances its gold and uranium projects through strategic drilling programs in 2025. With a robust exploration pipeline, world-class assets in tier-one jurisdictions, and a leadership team aligned with shareholder interests, the company is well-positioned to capitalise on favourable commodity trends.
Company Highlights
- A junior explorer, with projects in tier-one jurisdictions; focused on gold and copper, Adavale also holds valuable uranium and nickel licences .
- The January 2025 acquisition of the Parkes project in the Lachlan Fold Belt, spanning 354.15 sq km, strategically positions Adavale to expand on the historic orogenic gold resource (124 koz gold) and make a major epithermal and/or porphyry gold and copper discovery in this tier-1 mining jurisdiction. The Lachlan Fold Belt assets are strategically located near world-class mining operations, including Cadia, Northparkes and Cowal.
- The company’s extensive uranium tenements span 4,959 sq km across the Flinders Ranges and Eyre Peninsula, regions known for hosting tier-one uranium deposits.
- Adavale’s nickel projects in Tanzania’s East African Nickel Belt are strategically located adjacent to the Kabanga nickel project — the world’s largest undeveloped high-grade nickel sulphide deposit.
- Drilling and resource-definition programs in 2025 will target key gold, copper and uranium assets, building on the company’s diversified growth strategy.
Key Projects
Gold and Copper – Lachlan Fold Belt, NSW
Adavale Resources recently acquired a 72.5 percent interest in the Parkes project, located in the highly prospective Lachlan Fold Belt of New South Wales. Adavale’s flagship project encompasses 354.15 sq km across four tenements in the Lachlan Fold Belt, a region that has produced over 80 million ounces (Moz) of gold and 13 million tonnes (Mt) of copper historically. The London-Victoria gold mine (EL7242) is a cornerstone of this portfolio, with historical production of 200,000 ounces of gold at an average grade of 2 grams per ton (g/t). London-Victoria (EL7242) also recently received a successful renewal until November 2030.
Exploration activity in 2024 included diamond drilling, which intersected a 12-meter-thick zone of quartz-carbonate veining and shearing, consistent with high-grade mineralisation seen in historical operations. Assay results from this program are pending and expected to provide critical insights for resource expansion.
In addition to the London-Victoria gold mine, the Ashes Prospect (EL8831) has returned high-grade rock chip samples, including results of 8.8 g/t gold and 5.5 percent copper. Similarly, the Birthday mine (EL8830) boasts historical grades averaging 11 g/t gold. The 2025 exploration strategy focuses on resource definition and advancing London-Victoria to JORC-compliant status, testing extensions, and unlocking additional mineralised zones at these prospects, supported by advanced geophysical and geochemical surveys.
Uranium – South Australia
Adavale holds 4,959 sq kmof uranium-rich tenements across the highly prospective Flinders Ranges outwash and Eyre Peninsula, regions known for hosting tier-1 uranium deposits. Historical drilling has revealed promising results, including intercepts of 1 metre at 263 parts per million (ppm) eU3O8 and 0.65 meters at 235 ppm eU3O8. These results underscore the region’s potential to host significant uranium resources.
The company is advancing its maiden 2,000 metre air core drilling program in Q1 of 2025, targeting paleochannel extensions and uranium redox boundaries, which have been identified through advanced geophysical surveys. Adavale’s uranium portfolio is particularly well-positioned to benefit from increasing global demand for uranium, driven by geopolitical factors, rising nuclear energy investment globally, and surging prices, which reached $106/lb in early 2024.
Nickel – East African Nickel Belt, Tanzania
Adavale’s nickel portfolio includes 1,315 sq km across 12 highly prospective exploration licences in Tanzania’s East African Nickel Belt. It is strategically located next to and along strike of the world-class Kabanga nickel project — the world’s largest undeveloped high-grade nickel sulphide deposit. Recent exploration at the Luhuma Central prospect has confirmed nickel sulphides in all five drill holes completed, with mineralisation trends extending southwest.
The company employs a combination of geophysical methods, including gravity, magnetics and Heli-EM surveys, to refine its understanding of subsurface structures and identify high-priority drill targets. Adavale’s ongoing exploration in this globally significant nickel belt is expected to build on recent successes, advancing resource definition and project development, making the company well-positioned to make a significant contribution to the global demand for battery metals.
Leadership Team
Allan Ritchie - Executive Chairman and CEO
Allan Ritchie is a seasoned executive with more than 30 years of experience in corporate finance and resource management, including as director and officer of ASX and HK listed companies. Ritchie’s distinguished career spans both the energy, resources, and investment banking sectors, and includes leadership roles in both private and publicly listed companies.
Ritchie has served as non-executive director of ASX listed Hydrocarbon Dynamics (ASX:HCD), and executive director and deputy CEO of HK listed energy group, EPI Holdings (0689.HKEX).
Ritchie’s investment banking background includes structuring commercial transactions in the energy and resources sector. Senior roles include positions within Westpac, ANZ Bank, HSBC and BNP Paribas in Australia, London, New York and Asia Pacific. His investment banking achievements have been recognised several times at the top of BRW’s annual poll of bankers.
Ritchie graduated from the University of Technology in Sydney in 1986 with a Bachelor of Business and subsequently attained a post graduate diploma in Applied Finance from the Financial Services Institute of Australia.
Maurice (Nic) Matich - Non-executive Director
Maurice (Nic) Matich is a mechanical engineer and finance professional with over 17 years’ experience in the resources sector. His wide industry experience includes the provision of engineering, risk consulting and insurance services to numerous tier-1 mining companies with operations in lithium, iron ore, mineral sands, gold and kaolin.
Matich previously served as managing director of Pinnacle Minerals (ASX:PIM) and executive director of Heavy Minerals (ASX:HVY), delivering both a maiden resource and scoping study (NPV8 $253M) for the Port Gregory project.
He holds a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours, Bachelor of Science (Phys/IT) and a graduate diploma in Applied Finance and is a graduate of the AICD.
David Ward - Non-executive Technical Director (Geologist)
David Ward is a seasoned geologist and mining industry executive with over 25 years of experience encompassing early-stage exploration, project development through to open pit and underground mining. For the last 8 years, he served as chief geologist of private company, Bacchus Resources. Ward was instrumental in defining over 950Koz of gold resources in the NT, while overseeing the development of other exploration assets in the NT, QLD and NSW. These assets were then incorporated into key projects for multiple ASX-listed exploration companies.
In addition to his success at Bacchus Resources, Ward has played key exploration and operational technical roles in several companies, including Newcrest Mining, as Production and Resource Definition Geologist for the Cadia Gold Mine and Clancy Exploration as senior exploration geologist overseeing porphyry and epithermal exploration in the Lachlan Fold Belt NSW.
Leonard Math - CFO & Company Secretary
Leonard Math is a chartered accountant with extensive experience managing financial operations for ASX listed resources companies. He graduated with a Bachelor of Business (double major in accounting and information systems) from Edith Cowan University in 2003 and became a chartered accountant in September, 2008. He has held multiple director, CFO and company secretary roles in the resources sector, most recently with Summit Minerals (ASX:SUM).