Emerita Resources Corp. (" Emerita " or the " Company ") (TSX-V: EMO; OTCQB: EMOTF; FSE: LLJA) announces that through its wholly-owned Spanish subsidiary, Emerita Resources España S.L.U., it has submitted all the required documentation (the " Supporting Documentation ") to support its application to the "Delegación Territorial de Energía y Minas in Huelva province, Junta de Andalucia" for an exploitation licence (the " Exploitation Licence ") for Emerita's wholly-owned Iberian Belt West project (" IBW " or the " Project "). Please see the Company's September 12, 2023 press release for further details regarding the Company's application for the Exploitation Licence.
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Emerita Reports the Environment Department in Huelva Province Has Published a Resolution Approving Drilling the West Side of the IBW Project Including Romanera Deposit
Emerita Resources Corp. (TSX V: EMO; OTC: EMOTF) (the "Company" or "Emerita") announces that the Andalucian Environment Department in Huelva Province has issued its resolution and published it in the official gazette approving the Company's diamond drill plan for the west side of the Iberia Belt West ("IBW" or the "IBW Project") project on January 7, 2022 such that the entire Project is now permitted for drilling. This portion of the IBW Project hosts the large Romanera deposit and the El Cura deposit and as such this is an important step for the ongoing evaluation of the IBW Project. The publication in the gazette marks the commencement of a 30 business day period during which the reclamation plan for the drill sites are published on the government web site and available for comment. The application process in Spain requires a comprehensive exploration plan as well as a reclamation plan for the drill pads and the reclamation plan is published on the government web site for public viewing for a period of 30 days prior to issuing the permits. Permitting the west side of the project required a more involved process than the Infanta area where the Company has been drilling. The Company completed all studies required by the process including archaeological, flora and fauna studies and has written support from the two municipalities, Pueblo de Guzman and Paymogo, that encompass the project included in the filing documents. Once issued, the permits are valid for the duration of the license.
The Company already has agreements arranged with local landowners for access to the drill sites in order that work can commence immediately upon receiving the permits. Emerita presently has a contract for five drills on the IBW Project and will add three more drills bringing the total to eight, to coincide with the issuing of this permit in order to complete the drilling required for a NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource estimate as quickly as practical.
According to David Gower, P.Geo., CEO of Emerita, "This is a very exciting development for the Company. It provides access to two additional deposits for diamond drilling and given there are already 50 drill holes in Romanera, the geological model for the deposit is well understood. Our team along with our environmental consultants and government officials have worked diligently and carefully to produce an excellent environmental plan for the responsible exploration of the area. We greatly appreciate the support of the municipalities and are already setting up facilities in Paymogo and Pueblo de Guzman to support the program."
About Emerita Resources Corp.
Emerita is a natural resource company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties in Europe, with a primary focus on exploring in Spain. The Company's corporate office and technical team are based in Sevilla, Spain with an administrative office in Toronto, Canada.
For further information, contact:
Joaquin Merino
+34 (628) 1754 66 (Spain)
Helia Bento
+1 416 566 8179 (Toronto)
info@emeritaresources.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information
This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the legal processes in Spain, the timing of permits for the IBW Project, the exploration of the IBW Project, the prospectivity of the IBW Project, the Company's access to drill rigs, the timing of a NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource estimate and the Company's future plans. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward- looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Emerita, as the case may be, to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the actual results of current exploration activities; risks associated with operation in foreign jurisdictions; ability to successfully integrate the purchased properties; foreign operations risks; and other risks inherent in the mining industry. Although Emerita has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Emerita does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
NEITHER 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 RELEASE.
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Emerita Resources Files Supporting Documentation For Exploitation Licence For The IBW Project
The Supporting Documentation includes all (i) technical aspects for mining and processing at the IBW Project, as well as associated infrastructure, equipment and tailings storage facilities in order to build and operate a mine; and (ii) a restoration plan. Although the Exploitation Licence application and Supporting Documentation is thorough with all technical aspects of the Project necessary to receive the appropriate approvals from the Spanish authorities, it has not been prepared in compliance with National Instrument 43-101 (" NI 43-101 ") and, consequently, economics for the Project cannot be disclosed at this time. The Supporting Documentation, including the environmental parameters, basic engineering, along with a revised mineral resource estimate incorporating new drill results, will comprise the basis for a NI 43-101 compliant economic study in the first half of 2024.
The Exploitation Licence in Spain, when granted, has a 30-year term and can be extended for two subsequent 30-year periods.
According to Joaquin Merino, P.Geo., President of Emerita, "The submission of this detailed documentation in support of the Exploitation Licence application marks an important milestone for Emerita. We are moving from a purely exploration focused endeavor to a development company with an asset that merits proceeding with detailed engineering studies and demonstrates our intention to commit to a very long term investment in Huelva Province. We are very excited to take the IBW Project to the next phase in its development. We have had several very productive meetings with senior Government officials in Huelva Province, and are highly encouraged by the support and advice they have imparted."
Qualified Person
Scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Joaquin Merino, P.Geo., President of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.
About Emerita Resources Corp.
Emerita is a natural resource company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Europe, with a primary focus on exploring in Spain. The Company's corporate office and technical team are based in Sevilla, Spain with an administrative office in Toronto, Canada.
For further information, contact:
Ian Parkinson
+1 647 910-2500 (Toronto)
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information
This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the Exploitation Licence, the Supporting Documentation, the Company's ability to obtain the Exploitation Licence, the mineralization and prospectivity of the Project, the Company's exploration and exploitation plans, permitting for the Project, the commercial viability of the Project and the Company's future plans. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward- looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Emerita, as the case may be, to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the actual results of current exploration activities; risks associated with operation in foreign jurisdictions; ability to successfully integrate the purchased properties; foreign operations risks; and other risks inherent in the mining industry. Although Emerita has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Emerita does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
NEITHER 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 RELEASE.
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Emerita Announces Commencement of Drilling Program at Nuevo Tintillo Project, Spain
Emerita Resources Corp. (TSX–V: EMO; OTCQB: EMOTF; FSE: LLJA) (the "Company" or "Emerita") announces it is commencing with the previously announced diamond drill program (see news release August 30, 2023) (the "Drill Program") at its wholly owned Nuevo Tintillo project ("Nuevo Tintillo" or the "Project") (Figure 1). Due to an unusually hot and dry summer, the restrictions related to fire prevention in the area were extended to mid-October. During the hottest weather in this region of Spain, heavy equipment is not permitted to operate during the daytime hours. According to Joaquin Merino, P.Geo., President of Emerita, "This is the most extended dry period seen in the region in many years. Some rainy weather has started however much more is needed as reservoirs, ponds, smaller streams and rivers are still dry in many cases. The Company will truck water for the drill program."
Construction of drill access roads and platforms at the Project are completed. The drill campaign will start with one rig that will be mobilized next week. Permits for the program and agreements with local landowners are in place.
The initial Drill Program at Nuevo Tintillo will focus on targets that have been identified on the west side of the Project, nearest to the Rio Tinto mine (see news release August 30, 2023). The Drill Program will evaluate six priority targets and comprise approximately 3,000 meters in the initial target testing phase (Figures 2 and 3). Subsequent drilling will be budgeted based on results. Targeting is based on a combination of airborne electromagnetic (AEM) surveying, detailed and archived gravity data, detailed mapping and a compilation of historical geology. The area has abundant evidence of base metal mineralization in surface outcrops as well as small historical mines and is situated on trend from large Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide (VMS) deposits such as Rio Tinto mine, Aznalcóllar mine and Cobre Las Cruces mine.
In addition to the drilling at Nuevo Tintillo, the Company has continued to evaluate the potential along strike to the east, towards the center of the property. The exploration team has been mapping and characterizing the lithologies and alteration types in this area. The geological interpretation indicates the stratigraphy correlates well with the western area in the Project and by extension the stratigraphy hosting the Rio Tinto mine further to the west.
Background
The Nuevo Tintillo project comprises 6,875 hectares with an additional 7,625 hectares of claims that are pending final granting to the Company (see the Company's August 30, 2023 press release for further details). As such, it is Emerita's largest landholding in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB). It is situated between several world-class Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide (VMS) deposits, including Rio Tinto, Aznalcóllar and Cobre Las Cruces. Seven known mineralized occurrences and several historic producing mines are located within the Project boundaries (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Location of the Nuevo Tintillo project with respect to Rio Tinto, Aznalcóllar and Cobre Las Cruces deposits. Pending claims shown in blue. The outline of Figure 2 is represented by the blue rectangle on the west side of the Nuevo Tintillo Property.
View Figure 1 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dec48fa0-686d-49be-8889-694207ca0c62
Figure 2: Plan view detail of gravity data previously shown, merged with TDEM conductivity data that has been filtered to show only very conductive zones (1km grid).
View Figure 2 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c983469b-911c-497f-aefc-7e1b7944f1bd
Figure 3: Oblique sectional view of surface geology at 1:5000 and TDEM section 724250E illustrating two of the drill targets.
View Figure 3 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3eabfb97-0bce-4645-a5cb-186f3fd0c9fa
El Cura Target – Iberian Belt West Project
The Company plans to temporarily suspend the drilling at the El Cura target to focus on the Nuevo Tintillo program and maintain a strong focus on the expansion drilling at La Romanera. Drilling has been very slow at El Cura through the fire restriction season, and results will be reported when assays are completed. Additional drill platforms are in the process of being permitted at El Cura, for when drilling resumes there.
According to David Gower, P.Geo., CEO of Emerita, "This combination of high-resolution geophysical coverage and boots-on-the-ground mapping and prospecting has generated six highly prospective targets in the western Nuevo Tintillo sector, of which five have been selected for first-pass drill testing."
An initial program of 3,000 meters has been approved with a potential expansion to an already designed program of 11,500 meters of diamond drilling depending on results. Core will be logged in the Company's processing facilities in Puebla de Guzmán with samples dispatched to ALS.
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Joaquin Merino, P.Geo., President of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators.
About Emerita Resources Corp.
Emerita is a natural resource company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties in Europe, with a primary focus on exploring in Spain. The Company's corporate office and technical team are based in Sevilla, Spain with an administrative office in Toronto, Canada.
For further information, contact:
Vincent Chen
+1 778 990 9433 (Toronto)
info@emeritaresources.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information
This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, the mineralization of the Nuevo Tintillo Project and El Cura; the prospectivity of the Project and El Cura; the Drill Program; the Company's ability to obtain the pending grants of claims for the Project and the Company's future plans. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward- looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Emerita, as the case may be, to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the actual results of current exploration activities; risks associated with operation in foreign jurisdictions; ability to successfully integrate the purchased properties; foreign operations risks; and other risks inherent in the mining industry. Although Emerita has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Emerita does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
NEITHER 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 RELEASE.
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Emerita Intersects 6.3 Meters Grading 0.8% Copper; 1.6% Lead; 3.9% Zinc; 2.8 g/t Gold and 52.0 g/t Silver within a 27.6 Meters Thick Massive Sulphide Zone, Extending La Romanera Deposit at Depth. Three Additional Thick Massive Sulphide Intervals, Assays Pending
Emerita Resources Corp. (TSX V: EMO; OTCQB: EMOTF; FSE: LLJA) (the "Company" or "Emerita") announces additional drilling results from the ongoing drilling program at La Romanera Deposit, part of Emerita's wholly owned Iberian Belt West project ("IBW" or the "Project"). IBW hosts three previously identified massive sulphide deposits: La Infanta, La Romanera and El Cura. Results contained in this release are from La Romanera deposit where drilling is tracing the extension of the deposit at depth.
Results herein are from drill holes LR154 and LR155, which have intercepted polymetallic mineralization in the form of a massive to semi-massive sulphide lens at approximately -450m elevation (approximately 600m below surface). See Figure 1 and Table 1 below.
Table 1: Diamond drill hole data
DDH | Easting | Northing | Elevation | azimuth | dip | depth (m) | FROM | TO | Width (m) | Cu_% | Pb_% | Zn_% | Au_g/t | Ag_g/t | LENS |
LR154 | 646716 | 4172736 | 146 | 235 | -68 | 680.9 | 640.0 | 667.5 | 27.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 1.49 | 25.5 | LL |
incl. | 653.9 | 660.2 | 6.3 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 3.9 | 2.82 | 52.0 | LL | ||||||
LR155 | 646751 | 4172871 | 154 | 231 | -56 | 782.7 | 725.9 | 743.1 | 17.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.34 | 19.5 | LL |
incl. | 739.1 | 743.1 | 4.0 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 4.7 | 0.60 | 57.0 | LL |
The encountered mineralization is very similar in both holes and is characterized by a high pyrite content at the hanging wall side of the lens that changes to a more chalcopyrite-sphalerite dominant zone towards the footwall. The two intercepts are located towards the western edge of the deposit (Figure 1). On the longitudinal section, the two intercepts are approximately 100 m apart. The elevation of the intercepts is shallower than expected because the dip angle of the sulphide zone in this area is not as steep as seen in other areas of the deposit. True thickness is close to 80% of the reported intercept thickness.
In addition to these two holes, drill holes LR156, LR157 and LR158 have all intercepted significant intervals of massive sulphides (Figure 1). LR156 intercepted 37.6 meters of massive sulphide, LR 157 intersected 51.6 meters of massive sulphide and LR 158, which is the western-most drill hole at this depth, intersected 5.5 meters of massive sulphides. Assays are pending for these drill holes and a more detailed description will be provided when assays are available.
Drill hole LR154 encountered 6.3 Meters grading 0.8% Copper; 3.9% Zinc, 1.6% Lead, 2.82 g/t Gold and 52.0 g/t Silver within 27.6 Meters Grading 0.5% Copper; 1.5% Zinc; 0.6% Lead; 1.5 g/t Gold and 25.5 g/t Silver.
Drill hole LR155 encountered 17.2 Meters Grading 0.2% Copper; 1.3% Zinc; 0.5% Lead; 0.3 g/t Gold and 19.5 g/t Silver, including 4.0 Meters Grading 0.2% Copper; 4.7% Zinc; 1.5% Lead; 0.6 g/t Gold and 57.0 g/t Silver.
Figure 1: La Romanera Vertical Longitudinal Section showing location of the drill intercepts
View Figure 1 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/20ef7ff5-960a-4e7b-8dfc-d916798a6e37
The exploration team performed a down hole TEM in LR155. Results indicate a strong geophysical anomaly (conductor) continues at depth, to be tested by drilling.
Currently, the Company has four rigs operating at La Romanera deposit, with the objective to test the continuity of the mineralization in the area below the current NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate (MRE) and increase the drill density in this area so it can be included in an updated mineral resource estimate after the metallurgical program has been completed.
Drilling productivity continues to be hampered due to restrictions related to the fire ban, such that heavy equipment cannot be operated during the hottest part of the day (approximately 12:00PM until 8:00 PM). Due to the unusually extended and hot summer weather this year, reservoirs in the area remain at very low levels and for this reason restrictions have been extended until approximately mid-October. Once these restrictions are lifted, the Company plans to initiate the drilling program at the Nuevo Tintillo Project that was announced previously. Permits and access agreements are in place and the drill contractor is on stand-by to initiate that program.
The metallurgical samples are being processed at the lab in the United Kingdom. Grinding test work is complete and mineral separation work is commencing. The metallurgical program is running 2-3 weeks behind schedule and initial results are now expected in November.
Qualified Person
Scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Joaquin Merino, P.Geo., President of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.
About Emerita Resources Corp.
Emerita is a natural resource company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Europe, with a primary focus on exploring in Spain. The Company's corporate office and technical team are based in Sevilla, Spain with an administrative office in Toronto, Canada.
For further information, contact:
Ian Parkinson
+1 647 910-2500 (Toronto)
info@emeritaresources.com
www.emeritaresources.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information
This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the prospectivity of the IBW project, the mineralization and the IBW project, the economic viability of the IBW project, the Company's future exploration plans at the Project and Nuevo Tintillo, the results of metallurgical tests and studies, the Company's ability to update the MRE and the Company's future plans. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward- looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Emerita, as the case may be, to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the actual results of current exploration activities; risks associated with operation in foreign jurisdictions; ability to successfully integrate the purchased properties; foreign operations risks; and other risks inherent in the mining industry. Although Emerita has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Emerita does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
NEITHER 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 RELEASE.
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Emerita Resources Files Exploitation Licence Application for the IBW Project
Emerita Resources Corp. (" Emerita " or the " Company ") (TSX-V: EMO; OTCQB: EMOTF; FSE: LLJA) announces that through its wholly-owned Spanish subsidiary, Emerita Resources España S.L.U., it has submitted an application to the "Delegación Territorial de Energía y Minas in Huelva province, Junta de Andalucia" (the " Junta ") for an exploitation licence (the " Exploitation Licence ") for Emerita's wholly-owned Iberian Belt West project (" IBW " or the " Project ").
The Exploitation Licence in Spain, when granted, has a 30-year term and can be extended for two subsequent 30-year periods. Under Spanish regulations, in support of its Exploitation License application, Emerita has 3 months to submit certain additional documentation to supplement the application for the Exploitation Licence including an environmental impact study and mining plan.
All documentation required to support the Exploitation Licence is currently being prepared by Emerita in a form designed to meet the criteria required to complete the Exploitation Licence application.
The Exploitation Licence, when granted, shall allow the Company to continue to conduct exploration and development activities at the Project. During the time that the Exploitation Licence is being reviewed by the Junta, Emerita's rights under its current exploration licence for the IBW project are extended allowing Emerita to continue with its ongoing exploration program at La Romanera, La Infanta and El Cura deposits at IBW. Definitive feasibility studies and detailed engineering will be completed in due course under the Exploitation Licence in order to finalize the development project that will ultimately be presented for final permitting.
According to Joaquin Merino, P.Geo., President of Emerita, "This application marks a milestone for Emerita as it marks the key transition to advancing the IBW project from purely exploration to the technical development stage with a focus on activities necessary to develop a potential future operation. Local Spanish authorities have expressed support for the application in recent meetings. The Company has been working with a well-respected Spanish engineering firm on conceptual mine plans in order to develop options for infrastructure locations and this along with the metallurgical testing that is in progress will provide the basis for the studies being prepared to support the application for the Exploitation Licence. Meanwhile, we continue to drill and expand the mineral resources at shallow depths on the IBW project."
About Emerita Resources Corp.
Emerita is a natural resource company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Europe, with a primary focus on exploring in Spain. The Company's corporate office and technical team are based in Sevilla, Spain with an administrative office in Toronto, Canada.
For further information, contact:
Ian Parkinson
+1 647 910-2500 (Toronto)
info@emeritaresources.com
www.emeritaresources.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information
This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the Exploitation Licence, the Company's ability to obtain the Exploitation Licence, the Company's ability to complete the required reports and studies, the mineralization and prospectivity of the Project, the Company's exploration and exploitation plans, permitting for the Project, the commercial viability of the Project and the Company's future plans. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward- looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Emerita, as the case may be, to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the actual results of current exploration activities; risks associated with operation in foreign jurisdictions; ability to successfully integrate the purchased properties; foreign operations risks; and other risks inherent in the mining industry. Although Emerita has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Emerita does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
NEITHER 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 RELEASE.
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Emerita Announces Planned Drilling Program at Nuevo Tintillo Project, Spain
Emerita Resources Corp. (TSX V: EMO; OTCQB: EMOTF; FSE: LLJA) (the "Company" or "Emerita") announces planned diamond drilling program (the "Drill Program") at its wholly owned Nuevo Tintillo project ("NT" or the "Project). The Drill Program is expected to commence late in the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter of this year. The precise start date for the Drill Program will depend on the easing of regulations presently imposed in southern Spain to reduce the risk of fires. Restrictions typically end around the middle of September as the weather begins to moderate. Presently, heavy equipment is not permitted to operate during the daytime hours due to hotter temperatures.
The initial Drill Program at Nuevo Tintillo will focus on targets that have been identified on the west side of the Project, nearest to the Rio Tinto mine (see below for details). The program will evaluate six priority targets and comprise approximately 3,000 meters in the initial evaluation phase. Subsequent drilling will be budgeted based on results.
According to Joaquin Merino, P.Geo., President of Emerita, "We are excited to see the results of the initial Nuevo Tintillo drill campaign. Our technical team has worked diligently to identify high potential drill targets. Targeting is based on a combination of airborne electromagnetic (AEM) surveying, detailed and archived gravity data, detailed mapping and a compilation of historical geology. The area has abundant evidence of base metal mineralization in surface outcrops as well as small historical mines and is situated on trend from large VMS deposits such as Rio Tinto mine, Aznalcóllar mine and Cobre Las Cruces mine. This is the first modern exploration evaluation that we are aware of for this highly prospective property."
Background
The Nuevo Tintillo project comprises 6,875 hectares with an additional 7,625 hectares of claims that are pending final granting to the Company (see the Company's February 16, 2023 press release for further details). As such, it is Emerita's largest landholding in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB). It is situated between several world-class Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide (VMS) deposits, including Rio Tinto, Aznacóllar and Cobre Las Cruces. Seven known mineralized occurrences and several historic producing mines are located within the Project boundaries (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Location of the Nuevo Tintillo project with respect to Rio Tinto, Aznacóllar and Cobre Las Cruces deposits. Pending claims shown in blue.
View Figure 1 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/679d9b7a-8ac3-4066-8bdd-ff417d434204
Recent Work
In 2022, Emerita completed an 897 line-kilometer Time Domain Electromagnetic (TDEM) geophysical survey over NT at 100m line-spacing (Figure 2). This program highlighted fifteen areas of interest and the Project area was subdivided into three zones for progressive follow-up: West, Central and East. Due to its proximity to the world's largest VMS occurrence at Rio Tinto, and the presence of the historic mines of Santa Flora and Nazaret, work will commence in the western sector first and will be the focus of the initial drill campaign.
Figure 2: Conductive zones identified in TDEM survey (hot colors) and historic producing mines in Nuevo Tintillo (2km grid). The area outlined in blue around the Santa flora Mine is the area detailed in Figure 4.
View Figure 2 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/825c475c-d888-46e9-b0f0-58419a44c704
The combination of TDEM and gravimetry has proven to be highly successful in identifying VMS deposits in the Iberian Pyrite Belt and globally. In early 2023, the Company completed a detailed gravimetric survey over an aerial extent of 6km by 2.5km, comprising 418 stations on 200m centers (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Combined historical and newly acquired gravimetry data collected by Emerita. Hot colors are gravimetric highs. The west portion of the Nuevo Tintillo project occurs in the black outline. The grid on the map is a 1km grid.
View Figure 3 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/040e31f7-5255-424e-aeb1-3fd8c003846b
Following the acquisition of the TDEM data, Emerita deployed a senior geologist with global exploration and production experience on VMS deposits to ground truth the anomalies, complete a detailed geological base, including local lithogic and structural models, and mineralized zones. In the western sector of Nuevo Tintillo, geologic mapping at various scales from 1:250 in the underground workings to 1:2500 and 1:5000 on surface was carried out across a 5km x 2km area (Figure 4).
Mapping and prospecting revealed important similarities between the nearby Rio Tinto district and western sector of Nuevo Tintillo. In both areas, mineralization is located near to the contact between dacitic volcanics and the overlying transition series and within the dacite volcanic suite itself. Halos of proximal intense sericitization and more distal chloritization of host rocks are associated with the mineralizing event and can be used to identify prospective areas.
Figure 4: Portion of 1:5000-scale mapping and prospect sampling, Santa Flora area.
View Figure 4 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9f015992-bbde-41c4-b2d6-4cea4a497d48
Structurally, much of the fold-thrust deformation is accommodated by the weaker sedimentary rocks and the boundaries between these and the dacitic volcanic rocks. North-dipping thrusts are commonly localized in purple and black (graphitic) shale units, which are clearly evident as through-going, highly conductive planar features in the TDEM sectional data. As such, shale-hosted thrust faults at or near to the dacite-sedimentary contacts where correlated with geophysical anomalies are interpreted to be highly prospective.
Integration of Geology, TDEM and Gravimetry for Targeting
Within this geological framework, the high-resolution gravimetry merged with the 2022 TDEM data yields a combined target-level guide to search for coincident anomalies that are both highly dense and highly conductive, which are key characteristic rock properties of massive sulfide bodies. TDEM anomalies that coincide with gravity highs constitute potential targets for testing, as shown in Figure 5 below.
Figure 5: Plan view detail of gravity data previously shown, merged with TDEM conductivity data that has been filtered to show only very conductive zones (1km grid).
View Figure 5 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4385a741-96be-4b14-8833-bdf28a6b00bd
Figure 6: Oblique sectional view of surface geology at 1:5000 and TDEM section 724250E.
View Figure 6 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1c5a8e6b-c2e4-4d90-8b12-2864a5c590a1
Figure 7: TDEM section 724250E and geological XS 724250E.
View Figure 7 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2db2fc0f-aa7f-4f7e-88b1-bdcd865656f2
According to David Gower, P.Geo., CEO of Emerita, "This combination of high-resolution geophysical coverage and boots-on-the-ground mapping and prospecting has generated six targets in the western Nuevo Tintillo sector, of which five have been selected for first-pass drill testing. The western Nuevo Tintillo area is under no special environmental restrictions with regards to exploration activity and as such the permitting process is simplified and managed solely by the Mining Department. It is anticipated that drilling could commence as early as October 2023, subject to the end of fire-related restrictions in the area and timely approval of the drill plan by the Mining Department."
An initial program of 3,000 meters has been approved with a potential expansion to an already designed program of 11,500 meters of diamond drilling depending on results. Core will be logged in the Company's processing facilities in Puebla de Guzman with samples dispatched to ALS.
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Joaquin Merino, P.Geo., President of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators.
About Emerita Resources Corp.
Emerita is a natural resource company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties in Europe, with a primary focus on exploring in Spain. The Company's corporate office and technical team are based in Sevilla, Spain with an administrative office in Toronto, Canada.
For further information, contact:
Vincent Chen
+1 778 990 9433 (Toronto)
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information
This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, the mineralization of the Nuevo Tintillo Project; the prospectivity of the Project; the Drill Program; the Company's ability to obtain the pending grants of claims for the Project and the Company's future plans. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Emerita, as the case may be, to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the actual results of current exploration activities; risks associated with operation in foreign jurisdictions; ability to successfully integrate the purchased properties; foreign operations risks; and other risks inherent in the mining industry. Although Emerita has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Emerita does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
NEITHER 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 RELEASE.
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BHP Overtakes Glencore as Top Mining Brand with US$6.1 Billion Valuation
BHP (ASX:BHP,LSE:BHP,NYSE:BHP) has emerged as mining's new leader in brand value, surpassing longstanding frontrunner Glencore (LSE:GLEN,OTC Pink:GLCNF), according to a recent report from Brand Finance.
The document outlines a 17 percent surge in BHP's brand value, soaring to an impressive US$6.1 billion.
This year-on-year rise was enough to propel BHP to the top spot and dethrone Glencore, whose brand value, while still substantial at US$5.9 billion, experienced a marginal decline of 1 percent from the previous period.
Factors contributing to BHP's ascent include higher revenue, which was fueled by increased prices for commodities such as iron ore and copper. Additionally, the company's expansion efforts, including the contribution of new mines like the South Australia-based Prominent Hill and Carrapateena, have bolstered its brand value.
Graphic courtesy of Brand Finance.
Overall, Brand Finance reported a general rise in brand value in the mining industry, with 28 out of the 39 brands it tracks increasing in value by at least 4 percent compared to 2023. US aluminum producer Alcoa (NYSE:AA) saw the highest increase, jumping to a brand value of US$1 billion — equivalent to a 127 percent boost.
The report also sheds light on the resilience of Chinese mining brands in the face of economic challenges.
Jiangxi Copper (OTC Pink:JIAXF,HKEX:0358) led the charge as the most valuable Chinese mining brand; it is also fourth on the list overall despite a 9 percent dip in brand value year-on-year to US$4.1 billion. Notable new Chinese entries this year include Aluminum Corporation of China (OTC Pink:ALMMF,HKEX:2600), which boasts a brand value of US$1.4 billion, and CMOC Group (OTC Pink:CMCLF,HKEX:3993) with a brand value of US$1.3 billion.
This surge in Chinese representation underscores the nation's growing influence in the global mining arena. China now has the highest number of companies on the list, totaling 11 out of the 50 most valuable mining brands worldwide.
The US closely follows, with three new entrants bolstering its presence to a total of eight brands in this year’s rankings.
Graphic courtesy of Brand Finance.
In addition to assessing brand value, Brand Finance employed its Global Brand Equity Monitor research to compile a Sustainability Perceptions Value (SPV) Index. This metric provides insight into which mining brands global consumers perceive to be most committed to sustainability. According to the firm, sustainability is a significant driver of for investment, accounting for 8.3 percent of customer consideration.
As sustainability concerns continue to gain prominence, the mining sector is facing escalating pressure to adapt. The 2024 SPV Index from Brand Finance highlights South Korean brand Posco Holdings (NYSE:PKX,KRX:005490) as leading the charge — the steel manufacturer has the highest SPV at US$513 million.
Brand Finance Valuation Director Savio D’Souza commented on the industry’s upsurge in sustainability commitments:
“Amidst the global energy transition and prioritization to secure critical mineral supplies, the mining industry plays an increasingly important role in the shift to cleaner energy sources. Mining brands are poised for a promising future as they build resilience through their commitment to sustainability and continue to meet the changing needs of their stakeholders.”
As the mining sector continues to evolve amid global economic shifts and sustainability imperatives, stakeholders are advised to remain vigilant and adaptive to emerging trends and market dynamics.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Hudbay Provides Annual Reserve and Resource Update and Production Outlook
- Consolidated copper production is expected to average 153,000 i tonnes per year over the next three years, representing a 16% increase from 2023 and demonstrating Hudbay's strong and stable operating portfolio with three long-life operations in tier-one mining jurisdictions in the Americas.
- Strong complementary gold exposure with consolidated gold production expected to average 272,500 i ounces per year over the next three years, reflecting strong production in Manitoba and a contribution from Pampacancha high grade gold zones.
- Enhanced operating platform with the recent acquisition of Copper Mountain, positioning Hudbay as the fourth largest copper producer and the fifth largest gold producer in Canada in 2023 ii .
- Constancia's expected mine life extended by three years to 2041 as a result of mineral reserve conversion and the addition of a further mining phase at the Constancia pit.
- Snow Lake's expected mine life maintained until 2038 with average annual gold production of 185,000 i ounces expected over the next three years.
- Exploration activities in Peru focused on advancing drill permitting for highly prospective satellite properties near Constancia.
- Commenced largest annual exploration program in Snow Lake consisting of geophysical surveys and drill campaigns testing the newly acquired Cook Lake claims, former Rockcliff properties and near-mine exploration at Lalor.
- Developing access drift at the 1901 deposit in Snow Lake, located within 1,000 metres from the underground ramp to the Lalor mine, with a focus on confirming the optimal mining method for the base metal and gold lenses and converting inferred mineral resources in the gold lenses to mineral reserves.
- Continuing to de-risk Copper World after enhanced pre-feasibility study published in 2023 and remaining state level permits expected in 2024.
- Advancing Flin Flon tailings reprocessing opportunities through metallurgical test work and early economic evaluation to potentially produce critical minerals and precious metals while reducing the environmental footprint.
- Entered into an option agreement with Marubeni Corporation relating to three exploration projects located near Hudbay's Flin Flon processing facilities.
Hudbay Minerals Inc. ("Hudbay" or the "company") ( TSX, NYSE: HBM) today released its annual mineral reserve and resource update and issued new three-year production guidance. All amounts are in U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted.
"Our updated mineral reserve estimates and three-year production outlook demonstrate Hudbay's high-quality operating platform with annual production of more than 150,000 tonnes of copper and 270,000 ounces of gold from three long-life mines located in tier-one mining friendly jurisdictions in the Americas," said Peter Kukielski, Hudbay's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We saw strong reserve conversion in Peru after successful geotechnical work confirmed the addition of another mining phase at Constancia, extending the mine life to 2041, and we continued to progress drill permitting activities for the high-potential exploration satellites in Peru. Manitoba exploration efforts are focused on advancing the largest geophysical and drilling program in our history in Snow Lake to test the newly acquired land claims for another anchor deposit and extend the mine life well beyond 2038. Our Copper Mountain mine has a robust copper production profile over its 21-year mine life as reflected in the recent technical report. We already have a resilient operating platform delivering stable copper production and complementary gold production, and we expect to continue to add to our robust production outlook by leveraging our proven track record of delivering value through exploration and development as we advance our quality pipeline of growth assets."
Constancia Operations
Constancia is Hudbay's 100% owned copper operation located in the province of Chumbivilcas in southern Peru and consists of the Constancia and Pampacancha deposits. Current mineral reserve estimates total 548 million tonnes at 0.27% copper containing approximately 1.5 million tonnes of copper. Constancia's expected mine life has been extended by three years to 2041 as a result of the successful conversion of mineral resources to mineral reserves with the addition of a further mining phase at the Constancia pit following positive geotechnical drilling and studies in 2023. There remains potential for future mine life extensions based on the mineral resources that have not yet been converted to mineral reserves.
Hudbay continues to mine the high-grade Pampacancha satellite deposit located approximately six kilometres from the Constancia processing plant. Mining at the Pampacancha pit commenced in 2021 and is expected to extend until the third quarter of 2025, resulting in continued higher copper and gold production over this period. Annual production at the Constancia operations is expected to average approximately 101,000 i tonnes of copper and 62,000 i ounces of gold over the next three years.
Current mineral reserves and resources (exclusive of reserves) for Constancia and Pampacancha as of January 1, 2024 are summarized below.
Constancia Operations Mineral Reserve and Resource Estimates 1 ,2,3,4 ,5 | Tonnes | Cu Grade (%) | Mo Grade (g/t) | Au Grade (g/t) | Ag Grade (g/t) | |
Constancia Reserves | ||||||
Proven | 465,600,000 | 0.260 | 78 | 0.038 | 2.63 | |
Probable | 61,600,000 | 0.212 | 64 | 0.034 | 2.24 | |
Total Proven and Probable - Constancia | 527,200,000 | 0.254 | 76 | 0.037 | 2.59 | |
Pampacancha Reserves | ||||||
Proven | 20,000,000 | 0.542 | 128 | 0.330 | 5.44 | |
Probable | 500,000 | 0.157 | 295 | 0.111 | 1.98 | |
Total Proven and Probable - Pampacancha | 20,500,000 | 0.533 | 132 | 0.324 | 5.36 | |
Total Proven and Probable | 547,700,000 | 0.265 | 78 | 0.048 | 2.69 | |
Constancia Resources | ||||||
Measured | 78,400,000 | 0.213 | 74 | 0.039 | 2.20 | |
Indicated | 93,100,000 | 0.224 | 90 | 0.040 | 1.98 | |
Inferred – Open Pit | 29,700,000 | 0.233 | 68 | 0.056 | 2.58 | |
Inferred – Underground | 6,500,000 | 1.200 | 69 | 0.140 | 8.62 | |
Pampacancha Resources | ||||||
Inferred | 700,000 | 0.149 | 65 | 0.098 | 2.71 | |
Total Measured and Indicated | 171,500,000 | 0.219 | 83 | 0.039 | 2.08 | |
Total Inferred | 36,900,000 | 0.402 | 68 | 0.072 | 3.65 |
Note: totals may not add up correctly due to rounding.
1 Mineral resources are exclusive of mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.
2 Mineral resource estimates are based on resource pit design and do not include factors for mining recovery or dilution.
3 The open pit mineral resources are estimated using a minimum NSR cut-off of $6.40 per tonne and assuming metallurgical recoveries (applied by ore type) of 86% for copper on average for the life of mine, while the underground inferred resources at Constancia Norte are based on a 0.65% copper cut-off grade.
4 Mineral reserves are estimated using a minimum NSR cut-off of $6.40 per tonne at Pampacancha, $7.30 per tonne at Constancia and assuming metallurgical recoveries (applied by ore type) of 86% for copper on average for the life of mine.
5 Long-term metal prices of $4.00 per pound copper, $12.00 per pound molybdenum, $1,700 per ounce gold and $23.00 per ounce silver were used to confirm the economic viability of the mineral reserve estimates and to estimate mineral resources.
Maria Reyna and Caballito Exploration
Hudbay controls a large, contiguous block of mineral rights with the potential to host satellite mineral deposits in close proximity to the Constancia processing facility, including the past producing Caballito property and the highly prospective Maria Reyna property. The company commenced early exploration activities at Maria Reyna and Caballito after completing a surface rights exploration agreement with the community of Uchucarcco in August 2022. A drill permit application was submitted for the Maria Reyna property in November 2023, and a similar application for the Caballito property is planned for the first half of 2024. In parallel, Hudbay continues to advance community engagement activities. Surface mapping and geochemical sampling confirm that both Caballito and Maria Reyna host sulfide and oxide rich copper mineralization in skarns, hydrothermal breccias and large porphyry intrusive bodies, as shown in Figure 1.
Snow Lake Operations
Hudbay's 100% owned Snow Lake operations in Manitoba include the Lalor gold, copper and zinc mine, the New Britannia gold mill, the Stall base metals concentrator and several satellite deposits. Current mineral reserve estimates in Snow Lake total 17 million tonnes with approximately 2 million ounces in contained gold, and the expected mine life of the Snow Lake operations continues to extend until 2038. The Snow Lake operations continue to achieve higher gold production levels due to the New Britannia mill operating at 10% above design capacity in 2023, the recent completion of the Stall mill recovery improvement project and the implementation of several optimization initiatives at the Lalor mine to improve the quality of ore production and minimize waste dilution. The company also increased its land package in Snow Lake by 250% in 2023, as shown in Figure 2, and has since launched the largest Snow Lake exploration program in the company's history to explore the highly prospective land package for new discoveries to maximize and extend the life of the Snow Lake operations beyond 2038.
Infill drilling at Lalor in 2023 resulted in the successful conversion of high value gold material from inferred resources to mineral reserves. There remains another 1.4 million ounces of gold contained in inferred resources in Snow Lake that have the potential to maintain strong annual gold production levels beyond 2030 and further extend the mine life in Snow Lake. The company is advancing an access drift at the nearby 1901 deposit to enable infill drilling aimed at converting the inferred mineral resources in the gold lenses to mineral reserves.
The Snow Lake mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates include the copper-gold WIM deposit, the gold-rich 3 Zone and the zinc-rich Watts, Pen II and Talbot deposits, which have the potential to provide feed for the Stall and New Britannia processing facilities and further extend the life of the Snow Lake operations. Hudbay is also conducting geophysical and drilling programs on the newly acquired land in Snow Lake, including the Cook Lake claims and the former Rockcliff claims, as discussed further below.
Hudbay has been executing a multi-phased gold strategy in Snow Lake since 2019, which has resulted in increased annual gold production from optimization initiatives, including higher processing capacity and gold recoveries since the start-up of the New Britannia mill in late 2021. As a result, annual gold production from Snow Lake increased from 69,657 ounces in 2020 to 146,233 ounces in 2022, New Britannia's first full year of production. The New Britannia mill achieved record throughput levels averaging 1,650 tonnes per day in 2023, exceeding its design capacity of 1,500 tonnes per day, which contributed to record annual gold production of 187,363 ounces in 2023. Annual gold production from Snow Lake is expected to average 185,000 i ounces over the next three years, in line with 2023 levels.
Current mineral reserves and resources (exclusive of reserves) for Lalor, 1901 and other Snow Lake satellite deposits as of January 1, 2024 are summarized below.
Lalor Mine and 1901 Deposit Mineral Reserve and Resource Estimates 1 ,2,3,4,5,6,7 ,8 | Tonnes | Au Grade (g/t) | Zn Grade (%) | Cu Grade (%) | Ag Grade (g/t) | |
Gold Zone Reserves | ||||||
Proven – Lalor | 3,263,000 | 5.5 | 0.73 | 0.59 | 29.6 | |
Proven – 1901 | 102,000 | 2.8 | 1.33 | 1.00 | 19.2 | |
Probable – Lalor | 3,678,000 | 4.5 | 0.37 | 1.22 | 22.1 | |
Probable – 1901 | 52,000 | 1.7 | 0.44 | 1.88 | 5.4 | |
Total Proven and Probable - Gold | 7,096,000 | 4.9 | 0.55 | 0.93 | 25.3 | |
Base Metal Zone Reserves | ||||||
Proven – Lalor | 4,406,000 | 2.8 | 5.17 | 0.41 | 30.2 | |
Proven – 1901 | 1,154,000 | 2.3 | 8.31 | 0.31 | 25.4 | |
Probable – Lalor | 649,000 | 1.9 | 4.63 | 0.35 | 35.1 | |
Probable – 1901 | 264,000 | 0.8 | 11.45 | 0.31 | 28.1 | |
Total Proven and Probable – Base Metal | 6,474,000 | 2.5 | 5.93 | 0.38 | 29.8 | |
Total Gold and Base Metal Zone Reserves | ||||||
Proven and Probable – Lalor | 11,997,000 | 4.0 | 2.46 | 0.70 | 27.8 | |
Proven and Probable – 1901 | 1,573,000 | 2.1 | 8.12 | 0.40 | 24.8 | |
Total Proven and Probable (Gold and Base Metal) | 13,570,000 | 3.8 | 3.12 | 0.67 | 27.4 | |
Gold Zone Resources | ||||||
Inferred – Lalor | 2,979,000 | 4.3 | 0.24 | 1.68 | 25.7 | |
Inferred – 1901 | 1,605,000 | 5.4 | 0.30 | 0.84 | 16.5 | |
Total Inferred - Gold | 4,584,000 | 4.7 | 0.26 | 1.39 | 22.5 | |
Base Metal Zone Resources | ||||||
Inferred – Lalor | 710,000 | 1.7 | 5.34 | 0.38 | 31.6 | |
Inferred – 1901 | 334,000 | 1.6 | 5.58 | 0.22 | 30.9 | |
Total Inferred – Base Metal | 1,044,000 | 1.7 | 5.42 | 0.33 | 31.4 | |
Total Gold and Base Metal Zone Resources | ||||||
Inferred – Lalor | 3,689,000 | 3.6 | 6.28 | 1.69 | 21.8 | |
Inferred – 1901 | 1,939,000 | 4.8 | 1.21 | 0.74 | 19.0 | |
Total Inferred (Gold and Base Metal) | 5,628,000 | 4.0 | 4.53 | 1.36 | 20.8 |
Note: totals may not add up correctly due to rounding.
1 Mineral resources are exclusive of mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.
2 Mineral resources do not include factors for mining recovery or dilution.
3 Base metal mineral resources are estimated based on the assumption that they would be processed at the Stall concentrator while gold mineral resources are estimated based on the assumption that they would be processed at the New Britannia concentrator.
4 Long-term metal prices of $1,700 per ounce gold, $1.25 per pound zinc, $4.00 per pound copper and $23.00 per ounce silver with an exchange rate of 1.33 C$/US$ were used to confirm the economic viability of the mineral reserve estimates.
5 Long-term metal prices of $1,900 per ounce gold, $1.25 per pound zinc, $4.00 per pound copper and $23.00 per ounce silver with an exchange rate of 1.33 C$/US$ were used to estimate mineral resources.
6 Lalor mineral reserves and resources are estimated using NSR cut-off ranging from C$146 to C$173 per tonne assuming a long hole mining method and depending on the mill destination.
7 Individual stope gold grades at Lalor were capped at 10 grams per tonne. This capping method resulted in an approximate 3% reduction in the overall gold reserve grade at Lalor.
8 1901 mineral reserves and resources are estimated using a minimum NSR cut-off of C$166 per tonne.
Snow Lake Regional Deposits - Gold Mineral Reserve and Resource Estimates 1 ,2,3, 4,5,6 ,7 | Tonnes | Au Grade (g/t) | Zn Grade (%) | Cu Grade (%) | Ag Grade (g/t) | |
Probable Reserves | ||||||
WIM | 2,450,000 | 1.6 | 0.25 | 1.63 | 6.3 | |
3 Zone | 660,000 | 4.2 | - | - | - | |
Total Probable (Gold) | 3,110,000 | 2.2 | 0.20 | 1.28 | 5.0 | |
Inferred Resources | ||||||
New Britannia | 2,750,000 | 4.5 | - | - | - | |
Birch | 570,000 | 4.4 | - | - | - | |
Total Inferred (Gold) | 3,320,000 | 4.5 | - | - | - |
Note: totals may not add up correctly due to rounding.
1 Mineral resources are exclusive of mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.
2 Mineral resources do not include factors for mining recovery or dilution.
3 Gold mineral resources are estimated based on the assumption that they would be processed at the New Britannia concentrator.
4 Long-term metal prices of $1,700 per ounce gold, $1.25 per pound zinc, $4.00 per pound copper and $23.00 per ounce silver with an exchange rate of 1.33 C$/US$ were used to confirm the economic viability of the mineral reserve estimates.
5 WIM mineral reserves assume processing recoveries of 98% for copper, 88% for gold, and 70% for silver based on processing through New Britannia's flotation and tails leach circuits.
6 3 Zone mineral reserves assume processing recoveries of 85% for gold based on processing through New Britannia's leach circuit.
7 New Britannia mineral resource estimates have been reported at a minimum true width of 1.5 metres and with a cut-off grade varying from 2 grams per tonne (at the lower part of New Britannia) to 3.5 grams per tonne (at the upper part of New Britannia).
Snow Lake Regional Deposits – Base Metal Mineral Reserve and Resource Estimates 1 ,2,3,4,5,6,7 | Tonnes | Au Grade (g/t) | Zn Grade (%) | Cu Grade (%) | Ag Grade (g/t) | |
Indicated Resources | ||||||
Pen II | 470,000 | 0.3 | 8.89 | 0.49 | 6.8 | |
Talbot | 2,190,000 | 2.1 | 1.79 | 2.33 | 36.0 | |
Total Indicated (Base Metals) | 2,660,000 | 1.8 | 3.04 | 2.01 | 30.9 | |
Inferred Resources | ||||||
Watts | 3,150,000 | 1.0 | 2.58 | 2.34 | 31.0 | |
Pen II | 130,000 | 0.3 | 9.81 | 0.37 | 6.8 | |
Talbot | 2,450,000 | 1.9 | 1.74 | 1.13 | 25.8 | |
Total Inferred (Base Metals) | 5,730,000 | 1.3 | 2.39 | 1.78 | 28.3 |
Note: totals may not add up correctly due to rounding.
1 Mineral resources are exclusive of mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.
2 Mineral resources do not include factors for mining recovery or dilution.
3 Base metal mineral resources are estimated based on the assumption that they would be processed at the Stall concentrator.
4 Watts and Pen II mineral resources were initially estimated using metal price assumptions that vary marginally over the assumptions used to estimate mineral resources at Lalor. In the Qualified Person's opinion, the combined impact of these small variations does not have any impact on the mineral resource estimates.
5 Watts mineral resources are estimated using a minimum NSR cut-off of C$150 per tonne, assuming processing recoveries of 90% for copper, 80% for zinc, 70% for gold and 70% for silver.
6 Pen II mineral resources are estimated using a minimum NSR cut-off of C$75 per tonne.
7 The above resource estimates table includes 100% of the Talbot mineral resources reported by Rockcliff Metals Corp. in its 2020 NI 43-101 technical report published on SEDAR+.
2024 Snow Lake Exploration Program
The planned 2024 exploration program is Hudbay's largest Snow Lake program in the company's history and consists of modern geophysical programs and multi-phased drilling campaigns:
- Modern geophysics program – A majority of the newly acquired Cook Lake and former Rockcliff claims have been untested by modern deep geophysics, which was the discovery method for the Lalor deposit. A large geophysics program is currently underway consisting of surface electromagnetic surveys using cutting-edge techniques that enable the team to detect targets at depths of almost 1,000 metres below surface.
- Multi-phased drilling program – The winter 2024 surface drill program is underway with eight drill rigs that are currently focused on testing the deep extensions of the gold and copper zones at Lalor and completing follow up drilling at the Lalor Northwest target, as shown in Figure 3. The drill rigs will be relocated to the Cook Lake and Rockcliff claims later in the 2024 season to test additional geophysical targets.
The goal of the 2024 exploration program is to test mineralized extensions of the Lalor deposit and to find a new anchor deposit within trucking distance of the Snow Lake processing infrastructure, which has the potential to extend the life of the Snow Lake operations beyond 2038.
Advancing Access to the 1901 Deposit
The 1901 deposit was discovered by Hudbay in 2019 and is located within 1,000 metres of the existing underground haulage ramp to Lalor. The deposit consists of a series of zinc and gold-rich lenses that were defined by surface drilling and pre-feasibility studies conducted between 2019 and 2021. In early 2024, the company commenced the development of an access drift from the existing Lalor ramp, which is expected to enable underground drill platforms for diamond drilling to further confirm the optimal mining method to extract the base metal and gold lenses and to convert the inferred mineral resources in the gold lenses to mineral reserves. The 1901 development and exploration drift program is expected to take place over 2024 and 2025. For further information, please see Figure 4.
Copper Mountain Mine
Current mineral reserve estimates at the Copper Mountain mine total 367 million tonnes at 0.25% copper and 0.12 grams per tonne gold with approximately 900 thousand tonnes of contained copper and 1.4 million ounces of contained gold. Hudbay acquired Copper Mountain as part of its acquisition of Copper Mountain Mining Corporation in June 2023 and holds a 75% interest in the mine with Mitsubishi Materials Corp. holding the remaining 25% interest. The current mineral reserve estimates support a 21-year mine life, as previously disclosed on December 5, 2023 in the company's first NI 43-101 technical report in respect of the Copper Mountain mine.
As detailed in the technical report, the mine plan contemplates average annual copper production of 46,500 tonnes in the first five years, 45,000 tonnes in the first ten years and 37,000 tonnes over the 21-year mine life. The updated mine plan represents an approximate 90% increase in average annual copper production and an approximate 50% decrease in cash costs over the first 10 years compared to 2022 levels.
Hudbay's mine plan for Copper Mountain is based on a revised resource model that was constructed using the same methods applied at the Constancia, Copper World and Mason deposits. There exists significant upside potential for reserve conversion and extending mine life beyond 21 years through an additional 140 million tonnes of measured and indicated resources at 0.21% copper and 0.10 grams per tonne gold and 370 million tonnes of inferred resources at 0.25% copper and 0.13 grams per tonne gold, in each case, exclusive of mineral reserves.
Since completing the acquisition of Copper Mountain in June 2023, Hudbay has been focused on advancing its plans to stabilize the Copper Mountain mine over the next few years to improve reliability and drive sustainable long-term value. This includes increasing mining activities by remobilizing the idle mining fleet from 14 trucks to 28 trucks, accelerating stripping to access higher grades, and improving mill throughput and recoveries with a more consistent ore feed grade and several planned mill enhancement projects. The new technical report filed in December 2023 reflects Hudbay's base case stabilization plan.
Current mineral reserves and resources (exclusive of reserves) for Copper Mountain as of January 1, 2024 are summarized below.
Copper Mountain Mine Mineral Reserve and Resource Estimates 1 ,2,3,4 ,5 ,6 | Tonnes | Cu Grade (%) | Au Grade (g/t) | Ag Grade (g/t) | |
Reserves | |||||
Proven | 195,000,000 | 0.27 | 0.12 | 0.8 | |
Probable | 172,000,000 | 0.22 | 0.11 | 0.6 | |
Total proven and probable | 367,000,000 | 0.25 | 0.12 | 0.7 | |
Resources | |||||
Measured | 41,000,000 | 0.21 | 0.09 | 0.7 | |
Indicated | 97,000,000 | 0.21 | 0.11 | 0.7 | |
Total measured and indicated | 138,000,000 | 0.21 | 0.10 | 0.7 | |
Inferred | 371,000,000 | 0.25 | 0.13 | 0.6 |
Note: totals may not add up correctly due to rounding.
1 Mineral resource estimates are exclusive of mineral reserves. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves as they do not have demonstrated economic viability.
2 Mineral reserves are reported using an NSR cut-off value of $5.67 per tonne that meets a minimum 0.10% copper grade.
3 Long term metal prices of $4.00 per pound copper, $1,700 per ounce gold and $23.00 per ounce silver were used to confirm the economic viability of the mineral reserve estimates.
4. Long term metal prices of $4.00 per pound copper, $1,650 per ounce gold and $22.00 per ounce silver were used to estimate mineral resources.
5 Mineral resource estimate tonnes and grades constrained to a Lerch Grossman revenue factor 1 pit shell.
6 Mineral reserve and resource estimates presented on a 100% basis. Hudbay holds a 75% interest in the Copper Mountain mine.
3-Year Production Outlook
The consolidated copper and gold production guidance demonstrates the continued strong growth from the successful completion of brownfield investments in Peru and Manitoba and the enhanced operating platform with the acquisition of Copper Mountain. Consolidated copper production over the next three years is expected to average 153,000 i tonnes, representing an increase of 16% from 2023 levels. Consolidated gold production over the next three years is expected to average 272,500 i ounces, reflecting continued high annual gold production levels in Manitoba and a smoothing of Pampacancha high grade gold zones in Peru over the 2023 to 2025 period, as further described below.
Peru's three-year production guidance reflects continued higher copper and gold grades from Pampacancha into the third quarter of 2025. Mill ore feed throughout 2024 and 2025 is expected to revert to the typical one-third from Pampacancha and two-thirds from Constancia until the depletion of Pampacancha, unlike 2023 when a majority of the ore feed was from Pampacancha in the second half of the year. Gold production reflects a smoothing of Pampacancha high grade gold zones over the 2023 to 2025 period as additional high grade areas were mined in 2023 ahead of schedule, resulting in gold production exceeding 2023 guidance levels, and other high grade areas being deferred to 2025. Total expected gold production in Peru over the 2023 to 2025 period is higher than previous expectations with 2025 gold production now expected to total 80,000 i , compared to 58,500 i ounces in the company's previous guidance.
Manitoba's three-year production guidance reflects continued strong gold production levels averaging 185,000 i ounces per year as the Snow Lake operations have achieved steady levels after the successful refurbishment and optimization of the New Britannia mill, the completion of the Stall mill recovery improvement program and the improvement in the quality of ore production and operating efficiencies at the Lalor mine. The production guidance anticipates Lalor operating at 4,500 tonnes per day and an increase in New Britannia mill throughput to 1,800 tonnes per day starting in 2024 given the mill has been consistently operating above its 1,500 tonnes per day nameplate capacity. Zinc production is expected to decline over the next three years as the Lalor mine continues to prioritize higher grade gold and copper zones.
British Columbia's three-year production guidance reflects sequentially higher annual copper production as a result of the implementation of several improvement initiatives as part of the company's stabilization plan. The Copper Mountain production guidance ranges in 2024 and 2025 are wider than typical ranges and coincide with the operation ramp up activities over the stabilization period. Copper production at the Copper Mountain mine is expected to increase by 32% i in 2026 compared to 2024, reflecting operational improvements consistent with the NI 43-101 technical report for Copper Mountain issued in December 2023.
3-Year Production Outlook Contained Metal in Concentrate and Doré 1 | 2024 Guidance | 2025 Guidance | 2026 Guidance | |
Peru | ||||
Copper | tonnes | 98,000 - 120,000 | 94,000 - 115,000 | 80,000 - 100,000 |
Gold | ounces | 76,000 - 93,000 | 70,000 - 90,000 | 15,000 - 25,000 |
Silver | ounces | 2,500,000 - 3,000,000 | 2,700,000 - 3,300,000 | 1,500,000 - 1,900,000 |
Molybdenum | tonnes | 1,250 - 1,500 | 1,200 - 1,600 | 1,500 - 1,900 |
Manitoba | ||||
Gold | ounces | 170,000 - 200,000 | 170,000 - 200,000 | 170,000 - 200,000 |
Zinc | tonnes | 27,000 - 35,000 | 25,000 - 33,000 | 18,000 - 24,000 |
Copper | tonnes | 9,000 - 12,000 | 8,000 - 12,000 | 10,000 - 14,000 |
Silver | ounces | 750,000 - 1,000,000 | 800,000 - 1,100,000 | 800,000 - 1,100,000 |
British Columbia 2 | ||||
Copper | tonnes | 30,000 - 44,000 | 30,000 - 45,000 | 44,000 - 54,000 |
Gold | ounces | 17,000 - 26,000 | 24,000 - 36,000 | 24,000 - 29,000 |
Silver | ounces | 300,000 - 455,000 | 290,000 - 400,000 | 450,000 - 550,000 |
Total | ||||
Copper | tonnes | 137,000 - 176,000 | 132,000 - 172,000 | 134,000 - 168,000 |
Gold | ounces | 263,000 - 319,000 | 264,000 - 326,000 | 209,000 - 254,000 |
Zinc | tonnes | 27,000 - 35,000 | 25,000 - 33,000 | 18,000 - 24,000 |
Silver | ounces | 3,550,000 - 4,455,000 | 3,790,000 - 4,800,000 | 2,750,000 - 3,550,000 |
Molybdenum | tonnes | 1,250 - 1,500 | 1,200 - 1,600 | 1,500 - 1,900 |
1 Metal reported in concentrate and doré is prior to smelting and refining losses or deductions associated with smelter terms. 2 Represents 100% of the production from the Copper Mountain mine. Hudbay holds a 75% interest in the Copper Mountain mine. |
Copper World Project
The 100% owned Copper World project is located in Pima County, Arizona, approximately 50 kilometres southeast of Tucson. The Copper World project includes seven deposits discovered in 2021, together with the East deposit (formerly known as the Rosemont deposit). The new deposits were defined after the completion of an expanded drill program following a successful initial drill program in 2020. A new resource model was completed for the preliminary economic assessment(" PEA") of Copper World in 2022, which contemplated a two-phased mine plan with Phase I as a standalone operation requiring state and local permits only and Phase II expanding onto federal lands requiring federal permits.
In September 2023, Hudbay released its enhanced pre-feasibility study ("PFS") for Copper World reflecting the results of further technical work on Phase I of the project. Phase I has a mine life of 20 years, which is four years longer than the Phase I mine life that was presented in the PEA, largely due to an increase in the capacity for tailings and waste deposition as a result of optimizing the site layout. Phase II is expected to involve an expansion on to federal lands with a significantly longer mine life and enhanced project economics. Phase II would be subject to the federal permitting process and was not included in the PFS results.
The first key state permit required for Copper World, the Mined Land Reclamation Plan, was initially approved by the Arizona State Mine Inspector in October 2021 and was subsequently amended to reflect a larger private land project footprint. This approval was challenged in state court, but the challenge was dismissed in May 2023. In late 2022, Hudbay submitted the applications for an Aquifer Protection Permit and an Air Quality Permit to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Hudbay expects to receive these two outstanding state permits in 2024.
Based on the PFS, Phase I contemplates average annual copper production of 85,000 tonnes over a 20-year mine life, at average cash costs and sustaining cash costs of $1.47 and $1.81 per pound of copper ii i , respectively. A variable cut-off grade strategy allows for higher mill head grades in the first ten years, which increases annual production to approximately 92,000 tonnes of copper at average cash costs and sustaining cash costs of $1.53 and $1.95 per pound of copper ii i , respectively.
At a copper price of $3.75 per pound, the after-tax net present value ("NPV") of Phase I using an 8% discount rate is $1.1 billion and the internal rate of return ("IRR") is 19%. The valuation metrics are leveraged to higher copper prices and at a price of $4.25 per pound, the after-tax NPV (8%) of Phase I increases to $1.7 billion, and the IRR increases to 25.5%.
Copper World is one of the highest-grade open pit copper projects in the Americas i v with proven and probable mineral reserves of 385 million tonnes at 0.54% copper. There remains approximately 60% of the total copper contained in measured and indicated mineral resources (exclusive of mineral reserves), providing significant potential for Phase II expansion and mine life extension. In addition, the inferred mineral resource estimates are at a comparable copper grade and also provide significant upside potential.
Current mineral reserves and resources (exclusive of reserves) for the Copper World project as of January 1, 2024 are summarized below.
Copper World Project Mineral Reserve and Resource Estimates 1 ,2,3,4,5 ,6 | Tonnes | Cu Grade (%) | Soluble Cu Grade (%) | Mo Grade (g/t) | Au Grade (g/t) | Ag Grade (g/t) |
Reserves | ||||||
Proven | 319,400,000 | 0.54 | 0.11 | 110 | 0.03 | 5.7 |
Probable | 65,700,000 | 0.52 | 0.14 | 96 | 0.02 | 4.3 |
Total Proven and Probable Reserves | 385,100,000 | 0.54 | 0.12 | 108 | 0.02 | 5.4 |
Resources – Flotation | ||||||
Measured | 424,000,000 | 0.39 | 0.04 | 150 | 0.02 | 4.1 |
Indicated | 191,000,000 | 0.36 | 0.06 | 125 | 0.02 | 3.5 |
Total Measured and Indicated (Flotation) | 615,000,000 | 0.38 | 0.05 | 142 | 0.02 | 3.9 |
Inferred | 192,000,000 | 0.35 | 0.07 | 117 | 0.01 | 3.1 |
Resources – Leach | ||||||
Measured | 159,000,000 | 0.28 | 0.20 | - | - | - |
Indicated | 70,000,000 | 0.26 | 0.20 | - | - | - |
Total Measured and Indicated (Leach) | 229,000,000 | 0.27 | 0.20 | - | - | - |
Inferred | 83,000,000 | 0.26 | 0.19 | - | - | - |
Total Measured and Indicated | 844,000,000 | 0.35 | 0.09 | 104 | 0.01 | 2.9 |
Total Inferred | 275,000,000 | 0.32 | 0.11 | 82 | 0.01 | 2.2 |
Note: totals may not add up correctly due to rounding.
1 Mineral resource estimates are exclusive of mineral reserves. CIM definitions were followed for the estimation of mineral resources. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.
2 Long term metal prices of $4.00 per pound copper, $12.00 per pound molybdenum, $1,700 per ounce gold and $23.00 per ounce silver were used to confirm the economic viability of the mineral reserve estimates.
3 Mineral reserve estimates are limited to the portion of the measured and indicated resource estimates scheduled for milling and included in the financial model of the Copper World PFS.
3 Mineral resources are constrained within a computer-generated pit using the Lerchs-Grossman algorithm.
4 Mineral resource estimates were reported using a 0.1% copper cut-off grade and an oxidation ratio lower than 50% for flotation material and a 0.1% soluble copper cut-off grade and an oxidation ratio higher than 50% for leach material.
5 Long-term metals prices of $3.75 per pound copper, $12.00 per pound molybdenum, $1,650 per ounce gold and $22.00 per ounce silver were used to estimate mineral resources.
6 Estimate of the mineral reserve does not account for marginal amounts of historical small-scale operations in the area that occurred between 1870 and 1970 and is estimated to have extracted approximately 200,000 tonnes, which is within rounding approximations of the current reserve estimates.
Mason Project
The Mason project is a 100% owned greenfield copper deposit located in the historic Yerington District of Nevada and is one of the largest undeveloped copper porphyry deposits in North America. The Mason project's measured and indicated mineral resources are comparable in size to Constancia. Hudbay views the Mason project as a long-term future development asset as part of the company's pipeline of high-quality copper growth opportunities. Since acquiring Mason, Hudbay has consolidated a prospective package of patented and unpatented mining claims contiguous to the Mason project and has advanced a number of technical studies, including a revised resource model and the completion of a PEA on Mason.
The Mason PEA was completed in April 2021 and contemplates a 27-year mine life with average annual copper production of approximately 140,000 tonnes over the first ten years of full production. At a copper price of $3.50 per pound, the after-tax net present value using a 10% discount rate is $1,191 million and the internal rate of return is 18%. For information regarding the limitations of a PEA, please refer to the Qualified Person and NI 43-101 statement at the end of this news release.
Since 2021, the company completed a geophysical program and additional drilling at Mason, while continuing to focus on local stakeholder engagement. For the first time since Hudbay acquired the Mason project, Hudbay initiated a drill program in September 2023 to test satellite deposits which confirmed the occurrence of high-grade skarn mineralization near the historical mines potentially amenable to open pit mining but of limited spatial extent. Hudbay is currently compiling and analyzing the results from the 2023 drilling. Additional metallurgical studies are underway with the objective of further enhancing the project economics.
Current mineral resource estimates for Mason as of January 1, 2024 are summarized below.
Mason Project Mineral Resource Estimates 1 ,2,3,4,5 | Tonnes | Cu Grade (%) | Mo Grade (g/t) | Au (g/t) | Ag Grade (g/t) | |
Measured | 1,417,000,000 | 0.29 | 59 | 0.031 | 0.66 | |
Indicated | 801,000,000 | 0.30 | 80 | 0.025 | 0.57 | |
Total Measured and Indicated | 2,219,000,000 | 0.29 | 67 | 0.029 | 0.63 | |
Inferred | 237,000,000 | 0.24 | 78 | 0.033 | 0.73 |
Note: totals may not add up correctly due to rounding.
1 Mineral resource estimates that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.
2 Mineral resource estimates do not include factors for mining recovery or dilution.
3 Metal prices of $3.10 per pound copper, $11.00 per pound molybdenum, $1,500 per ounce gold, and $18.00 per ounce silver were used to estimate mineral resources.
4 Mineral resources are estimated using a minimum NSR cut-off of $6.25 per tonne.
5 Mineral resources are based on resource pit designs containing measured, indicated, and inferred mineral resources.
Llaguen Project
The Llaguen project is a 100% owned copper-molybdenum porphyry deposit located near the city of Trujillo, the third largest city in Peru. Llaguen is at moderate altitude and in close proximity to existing infrastructure, water and power supply, including the port of Salaverry located 62 kilometres away and the Trujillo Nueva electric power substation located 40 kilometres away. Hudbay completed a 28-hole confirmatory drill program in 2021 and 2022 which confirmed and extended the footprint of the known mineralization and highlighted the existence of a high-grade zone in the center of the deposit.
After completing an initial mineral resource estimate in November 2022, Hudbay initiated preliminary technical studies, including metallurgical test work as well as geotechnical and hydrogeological studies, which are expected to be incorporated into a preliminary economic assessment for the Llaguen project. Additional exploration drilling is warranted on the Llaguen property to test the areas of the deposit that remain open and the several untested geophysical targets in the area to fully define the regional extent of the mineralization. The current mineral resource is also surrounded by a large halo of low grade hypogene copper mineralization, not currently included in the mineral resource estimate, but for which metallurgical test work could assess the potential for economic sulfide heap leaching via commercially available technologies.
Current mineral resource estimates for Llaguen as of January 1, 2024 are summarized below.
Llaguen Mineral Resource Estimates 1 ,2,3,4,5,6 | Metric Tonnes | Cu (%) | Mo (g/t) | Au (g/t) | Ag (g/t) | CuEq (%) |
Indicated Global (>= 0.14% Cu) | 271,000,000 | 0.33 | 218 | 0.033 | 2.04 | 0.42 |
Including Indicated High-grade (>= 0.30% Cu) | 113,000,000 | 0.49 | 261 | 0.046 | 2.73 | 0.60 |
Inferred Global (>= 0.14% Cu) | 83,000,000 | 0.24 | 127 | 0.024 | 1.47 | 0.30 |
Including Inferred High-grade (>= 0.30% Cu) | 16,000,000 | 0.45 | 141 | 0.038 | 2.60 | 0.52 |
Note: totals may not add up correctly due to rounding.
1 CIM definitions were followed for the estimation of mineral resources. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.
2 Mineral resources are reported within an economic envelope defined by a pit shell optimization algorithm. This pit shell is defined by a revenue factor of 0.33 assuming operating costs adjusted from Hudbay's Constancia open pit operation.
3 Long-term metal prices of $3.60 per pound copper, $11.00 per pound molybdenum, $1,650 per ounce gold and $22.00 per ounce silver were used for the estimation of mineral resources.
4 Metal recovery estimates assume that this mineralization would be processed at a combination of facilities, including copper and molybdenum flotation.
5 Copper-equivalent ("CuEq") grade is calculated assuming 85% copper recovery, 80% molybdenum recovery, 60% gold recovery and 60% silver recovery.
6 Specific gravity measurements were estimated by industry standard laboratory measurements.
Flin Flon Opportunities
Unlocking Value Through Tailings Reprocessing
Hudbay is advancing studies to evaluate the opportunity to reprocess Flin Flon tailings where more than 100 million tonnes of tailings have been deposited for over 90 years from the mill and the zinc plant. Please refer to Figure 5 for an aerial view of the tailings facility. The studies are evaluating the potential to use the existing Flin Flon concentrator, which is currently on care and maintenance after the closure of the 777 mine in 2022, with flow sheet modifications to reprocess tailings to recover critical minerals and precious metals while creating environmental and social benefits for the region. The company is completing metallurgical test work and an early economic study to evaluate the tailings reprocessing opportunity.
- Zinc plant tailings – Hudbay operated a hydrometallurgical zinc facility where high grade critical minerals and precious metals were deposited for more than 25 years. Hudbay is currently completing a confirmatory drill program over this facility.
- Mill tailings – Initial confirmatory drilling completed in 2022 indicated higher zinc, copper and silver grades than predicted from historical mill records while confirming the historical gold grade. In 2023, Hudbay advanced metallurgical test work and evaluated metallurgical technologies, including the signing of a test work co-operation agreement with Cobalt Blue Holdings ("COB") examining the use of COB technology to treat Flin Flon mill tailings. Initial results from preliminary roasting test work were encouraging in converting more than 90% of pyrite into pyrrhotite and low-carbon sulphur, and the project has been advanced to the next stage of testing.
- Reducing environmental footprint – The tailings reprocessing opportunity is expected to reduce acid-generating properties of the tailings, which would improve the environmental impacts through higher quality water in the tailings facility and reduce the need for long-term water treatment.
Marubeni Flin Flon Exploration Partnership
In March 2024, Hudbay entered into an option agreement (the "Marubeni Option Agreement") with Marubeni Corporation ("Marubeni"), pursuant to which Hudbay has granted Marubeni's wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary an option to acquire a 20% interest in three projects located within trucking distance of Hudbay's processing facilities in the Flin Flon area. Pursuant to the Marubeni Option Agreement, Marubeni must fund a minimum of C$12 million in exploration expenditures over a period of approximately five years in order to exercise its option. All three properties hold past producing mines that generated meaningful production with attractive grades of both base metals and precious metals. The properties remain highly prospective with potential for further discovery based on the attractive geological setting, limited historical deep drilling and promising geochemical and geophysical targets.
Upon successful completion of Marubeni's earn-in obligations and the exercise of the option, a joint venture will be formed to hold the selected projects with Hudbay, acting as operator, holding an 80% interest and Marubeni indirectly holding the remaining 20% interest.
Qualified Person and NI 43-101
The technical and scientific information in this news release related to the company's material mineral projects has been approved by Olivier Tavchandjian, P. Geo, Senior Vice President, Exploration and Technical Services. Mr. Tavchandjian is a qualified person pursuant to NI 43‑101 (as defined below). Additional details on the company's material mineral projects, including a year-over-year reconciliation of reserves and resources for all of our material projects except for Copper Mountain, is included in Hudbay's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2023 (the "AIF"), which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
The Mason PEA is preliminary in nature, includes inferred resources that are considered too speculative to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves and there is no certainty the preliminary economic assessments will be realized.
Note to United States Investors
This news release has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of United States securities laws. Canadian reporting requirements for disclosure of mineral properties are governed by the Canadian Securities Administrators' National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101").
For this reason, information contained in this news release containing descriptions of the company's mineral deposits may not be comparable to similar information made public by United States companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements under the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. For further information on the differences between the disclosure requirements for mineral properties under the United States federal securities laws and NI 43-101, please refer to the company's AIF, a copy of which has been filed under Hudbay's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and the company's Form 40-F, a copy of which will be filed under Hudbay's profile on EDGAR at www.edgar.com.
Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. All information contained in this news release, other than statements of current and historical fact, is forward-looking information. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "budget", "guidance", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "strategy", "target", "intends", "objective", "goal", "understands", "anticipates" and "believes" (and variations of these or similar words) and statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" "occur" or "be achieved" or "will be taken" (and variations of these or similar expressions). All of the forward-looking information in this news release is qualified by this cautionary note.
Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the company's production, cost and capital and exploration expenditure guidance, expectations regarding reductions in discretionary spending and capital expenditures, the ability of the company to stabilize and optimize the Copper Mountain mine operation and achieve operating synergies, the fleet production ramp up plan and the accelerated stripping strategies at the Copper Mountain site, the ability of the company to complete business integration activities at the Copper Mountain mine, the estimated timelines and pre-requisites for sanctioning the Copper World project and the pursuit of a potential minority joint venture partner, expectations regarding the permitting requirements for the Copper World project (including expected timing for receipt of such applicable permits), the expected benefits of Manitoba growth initiatives, including the advancement of the development and exploration drift at the 1901 deposit; the anticipated use of proceeds from the flow-through financing completed during the fourth quarter of 2023, the company's future deleveraging strategies and the company's ability to deleverage and repay debt as needed, expectations regarding the company's cash balance and liquidity, the company's ability to increase the mining rate at Lalor, the anticipated benefits from completing the Stall recovery improvement program, expectations regarding the ability to conduct exploration work and execute on exploration programs on its properties and to advance related drill plans, including the advancement of the exploration program at Maria Reyna and Caballito, the ability to continue mining higher-grade ore in the Pampacancha pit and the company's expectations resulting therefrom, expectations regarding the ability for the company to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the company's evaluation and assessment of opportunities to reprocess tailings using various metallurgical technologies, expectations regarding the prospective nature of the Maria Reyna and Caballito properties, the anticipated impact of brownfield and greenfield growth projects on the company's performance, anticipated expansion opportunities and extension of mine life in Snow Lake and the ability for Hudbay to find a new anchor deposit near the company's Snow Lake operations, anticipated future drill programs and exploration activities and any results expected therefrom, anticipated mine plans, anticipated metals prices and the anticipated sensitivity of the company's financial performance to metals prices, events that may affect its operations and development projects, anticipated cash flows from operations and related liquidity requirements, the anticipated effect of external factors on revenue, such as commodity prices, estimation of mineral reserves and resources, mine life projections, reclamation costs, economic outlook, government regulation of mining operations, and business and acquisition strategies. Forward-looking information is not, and cannot be, a guarantee of future results or events. Forward-looking information is based on, among other things, opinions, assumptions, estimates and analyses that, while considered reasonable by the company at the date the forward-looking information is provided, inherently are subject to significant risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors that may cause actual results and events to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information.
The material factors or assumptions that Hudbay has identified and were applied in drawing conclusions or making forecasts or projections set out in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to:
- the ability to achieve production, cost and capital guidance;
- the ability to achieve discretionary spending reductions without impacting operations;
- no significant interruptions to the company's operations due to social or political unrest in the regions Hudbay operates, including the navigation of the complex environment in Peru;
- no interruptions to the company's plans for advancing the Copper World project, including with respect to timely receipt of applicable permits;
- the ability for Hudbay to successfully complete the integration and optimization of the Copper Mountain operations, achieve operating synergies and develop and maintain good relations with key stakeholders;
- the ability to execute on the company's exploration plans, including but not limited to (a) the potential ramp up of exploration in respect of the Maria Reyna and Caballito properties and (b) the ongoing Manitoba exploration strategies with respect to extending the mine life at the Snow Lake operations and deferring reclamation activities;
- the ability to advance drill plans;
- the success of mining, processing, exploration and development activities;
- the scheduled maintenance and availability of Hudbay's processing facilities;
- the accuracy of geological, mining and metallurgical estimates;
- anticipated metals prices and the costs of production;
- the supply and demand for metals Hudbay produces;
- the supply and availability of all forms of energy and fuels at reasonable prices;
- no significant unanticipated operational or technical difficulties;
- the execution of the company's business and growth strategies, including the success of its strategic investments and initiatives;
- the ability to achieve the company's objectives and targets with respect to its environmental and climate change initiatives;
- the availability of additional financing;
- the ability to deleverage and repay debt as needed;
- the ability to complete projects on time and on budget and other events that may affect the company's ability to develop its projects;
- the timing and receipt of various regulatory and governmental approvals;
- the availability of personnel for the company's exploration, development and operational projects and ongoing employee relations;
- maintaining good relations with the employees at the company's operations;
- maintaining good relations with the labour unions that represent certain of the company's employees in Manitoba and Peru;
- maintaining good relations with the communities in which the company operates, including the neighbouring Indigenous communities and local governments;
- no significant unanticipated challenges with stakeholders at the company's various projects;
- no significant unanticipated events or changes relating to regulatory, environmental, health and safety matters;
- no contests over title to the company's properties, including as a result of rights or claimed rights of Indigenous peoples or challenges to the validity of the company's unpatented mining claims;
- the timing and possible outcome of pending litigation and no significant unanticipated litigation;
- certain tax matters, including, but not limited to current tax laws and regulations, changes in taxation policies and the refund of certain value added taxes from the Canadian and Peruvian governments; and
- no significant and continuing adverse changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets (including commodity prices and foreign exchange rates).
The risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information may include, but are not limited to, risks related to the ongoing business integration of Copper Mountain and the process for designing, implementing and maintaining effective internal controls for Copper Mountain, the failure to effectively complete the integration and optimization of the Copper Mountain operations or to achieve anticipated operating synergies, political and social risks in the regions Hudbay operates, including the navigation of the complex political and social environment in Peru, risks generally associated with the mining industry and the current geopolitical environment, including future commodity prices, currency and interest rate fluctuations, energy and consumable prices, supply chain constraints and general cost escalation in the current inflationary environment, risks related to the renegotiation of collective bargaining agreements with the labour unions representing certain of the company's employees in Manitoba and Peru, uncertainties related to the development and operation of the company's projects, the risk of an indicator of impairment or impairment reversal relating to a material mineral property, risks related to the Copper World project, including in relation to permitting, project delivery and financing risks, risks related to the Lalor mine plan, including the ability to convert inferred mineral resource estimates to higher confidence categories, dependence on key personnel and employee and union relations, risks related to political or social instability, unrest or change, risks in respect of Indigenous and community relations, rights and title claims, operational risks and hazards, including the cost of maintaining and upgrading the company's tailings management facilities and any unanticipated environmental, industrial and geological events and developments and the inability to insure against all risks, failure of plant, equipment, processes, transportation and other infrastructure to operate as anticipated, compliance with government and environmental regulations, including permitting requirements and anti-bribery legislation, depletion of the company's reserves, volatile financial markets and interest rates that may affect the company's ability to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms, the failure to obtain required approvals or clearances from government authorities on a timely basis, uncertainties related to the geology, continuity, grade and estimates of mineral reserves and resources, and the potential for variations in grade and recovery rates, uncertain costs of reclamation activities, the company's ability to comply with its pension and other post-retirement obligations, the company's ability to abide by the covenants in its debt instruments and other material contracts, tax refunds, hedging transactions, as well as the risks discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the company's most recent Annual Information Form and under the heading "Financial Risk Management" in the company's management's discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Should one or more risk, uncertainty, contingency or other factor materialize or should any factor or assumption prove incorrect, actual results could vary materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Hudbay does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information after the date of this news release or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.
About Hudbay
Hudbay (TSX, NYSE: HBM) is a copper-focused mining company with three long-life operations and a world-class pipeline of copper growth projects in tier-one mining-friendly jurisdictions of Canada, Peru and the United States.
Hudbay's operating portfolio includes the Constancia mine in Cusco (Peru), the Snow Lake operations in Manitoba (Canada) and the Copper Mountain mine in British Columbia (Canada). Copper is the primary metal produced by the company, which is complemented by meaningful gold production. Hudbay's growth pipeline includes the Copper World project in Arizona (United States), the Mason project in Nevada (United States), the Llaguen project in La Libertad (Peru) and several expansion and exploration opportunities near its existing operations.
The value Hudbay creates and the impact it has is embodied in its purpose statement: "We care about our people, our communities and our planet. Hudbay provides the metals the world needs. We work sustainably, transform lives and create better futures for communities." Hudbay's mission is to create sustainable value and strong returns by leveraging its core strengths in community relations, focused exploration, mine development and efficient operations.
For further information, please contact:
Candace Brûlé
Vice President, Investor Relations
(416) 814-4387
investor.relations@hudbay.com
Figure 1: Hudbay's Satellite Properties Near Constancia in Peru
The highly prospective Maria Reyna property and the past producing Caballito property are located within trucking distance of the Constancia processing infrastructure and have the potential to host satellite mineral deposits. Surface mapping and geochemical sampling confirm that both Caballito and Maria Reyna host sulfide and oxide rich copper mineralization in skarns, hydrothermal breccias and large porphyry intrusive bodies.
Figure 2: Hudbay Expanded Land Package in Snow Lake
Hudbay increased its land package in Snow Lake by 250% in 2023 and has since launched the largest geophysics and drilling exploration program in the company's history in Snow Lake. The 2024 program includes surface electromagnetic surveys using modern technology to target depths up to 1,000 metres. A majority of the newly acquired claims have been untested by modern deep geophysics, which was the discovery method for the Lalor deposit.
Figure 3: Lalor 2024 Winter Drill Program
A winter 2024 surface drill program is currently underway at Lalor focused on completing follow-up drilling from the first step-out drill program in 2023. The drill rigs continue to test the down-plunge extensions of Lalor and the Lalor Northwest target.
Figure 4: 1901 Development and Exploration Drift
The 1901 deposit is located within 1,000 metres of the existing underground ramp at the Lalor mine in Snow Lake. The deposit consists of a series of zinc and gold-rich lenses that were defined by drilling and pre-feasibility studies conducted over the 2019 to 2021 period. In early 2024, Hudbay commenced the development of an underground drift to access to the 1901 deposit for exploration and future mine development.
Figure 5: Aerial View of Flin Flon Tailings Facility
Hudbay advancing early economic studies on the potential for tailings reprocessing in Flin Flon where more than 100 million tonnes of material were deposited over 90 years until completion of mining activities in 2022.
________________________
i Calculated using the mid-point of the guidance range. All production estimates reflect the Copper Mountain mine on a 100% basis, with Hudbay owning a 75% interest in the mine.
ii Sourced from Wood Mackenzie, Global Copper Investment Horizon Outlook report, 2023 actual production for Canadian based mining companies.
ii i Cash costs and sustaining cash costs are non-IFRS financial performance measures with no standardized definition under IFRS. For further details on why Hudbay believes cash costs are a useful performance indicator, please refer to the company's most recent management's discussion and analysis for the period ended December 31, 2023.
i v Sourced from S&P Global, August 2023 and based on greenfield, open pit porphyry projects with reserves located in the Americas with average life-of-mine annual copper production of more than 65,000 tonnes.
Figures accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4a19a571-4c43-4552-aaa9-a0a953e0099c
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9c47b8f8-4156-478f-ac78-2a3c171bc37b
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/129bdfcf-1971-4723-a15c-2064dc7ab948
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/77f2bbc2-2e14-4fb7-baaf-2665b07b4aad
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dbc1e9c7-ca34-4863-be45-cf7b55f7fded
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4cec0ecb-03d3-4a6c-8674-12a548c346b7
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/47c26aee-ec65-4c13-9583-7384b388d0eb
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Trilogy Metals Announces Date of Annual Shareholders Meeting and Provides Update on Ambler Access Road
Trilogy Metals Inc. (TSX: TMQ) (NYSE American: TMQ) ("Trilogy Metals" or "the Company") will hold the Company's 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Shareholders ("AGM") on Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at 10:00 am Pacific Time at the office of the Company, Suite 1150, 609 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia .
All current directors will stand for re-election at the AGM. Other items of business include the approval of unallocated entitlements under the Company's 2012 Equity Incentive Plan. Pursuant to Toronto Stock Exchange rules, all unallocated options, rights and entitlements require shareholder approval every three years following institution of the plan.
The Company is also asking shareholders to approve the adoption of a new 2024 Non-Employee Directors Fixed Deferred Share Unit Plan ("Fixed DSU Plan"). Prior to 2022, the directors were only allowed to elect to take up to 50% of their annual retainers in deferred share units ("DSUs") and the remainder of their fees was paid out in cash. Since 2022, due to cash preservation efforts, the Company's non-executive directors have been taking 100% of their directors' fees in DSUs, for which they will receive common shares of the Company upon their retirement from the Board of Directors. This effort has saved cash outflows for the Company but, as a result, more DSUs have been issued. The Company's existing DSU Plan has a limited number of units available for future grants to directors and, to continue with cash-saving efforts, the Company proposed to set aside 1,200,000 common shares for grants to non-executive directors in a new Fixed DSU Plan. To reduce further dilution for the shareholders of the Company, the Board of Directors has approved the termination of the Ambler Metals Equity Plan, which has 1,181,519 common shares available for future grants, upon shareholder approval of the new Fixed DSU Plan. The Company's largest shareholder Electrum Strategic Opportunities Fund L.P. is in favor of the proposal.
Shareholders as of the record date of March 27, 2024 will be eligible to vote at the AGM. The Company's 2024 Management Information Circular (also called a proxy statement), which contains information about all director nominees and other items of business was filed today and is now available to the public. As always, we encourage you to vote your shares prior to the AGM.
No presentations or updates on the Company's activities will be provided at the AGM. The Company's most recent investor presentation can be found on our website at www.trilogymetals.com . Any investor who would like further information on the items of business at the AGM or the Company's activities is welcome to contact us directly.
Proxy Statement Filed with Regulators
Additional information about the AGM can be found in the Company's 2024 Management Information Circular (or proxy statement), which has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and the Canadian securities regulatory authorities. The 2024 Management Information Circular is available on the Company's website at https://trilogymetals.com/investors/proxy-circular and on the Company's profile on SEDAR + at www.sedarplus.ca and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov .
The Company, its directors and certain of its executive officers are participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Company's shareholders in connection with the AGM. The Company has filed its 2024 Management Information Circular with the SEC and Canadian securities regulatory authorities in connection with any such solicitation of proxies from the Company's shareholders. SHAREHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO READ SUCH PROXY STATEMENT AND ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC AND CANADIAN SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITIES CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
Ambler Access Project
On March 18, 2024 the United States Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") filed its 11 th status report with the Courts stating that it posted the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement ("SEIS") on its ePlanning website on October 13, 2023 and published notice of availability of the Draft SEIS in the Federal Register on October 20, 2023 . The public comment period ended on December 22, 2023 . The BLM conducted several public meetings concerning the Draft SEIS, and conducted associated ANILCA Section 810 hearings on subsistence use in communities affected by the project. The BLM had previously reported that it anticipated publishing a Final SEIS in the first quarter of calendar year 2024, but now anticipates publishing a Final SEIS in the second quarter of calendar year 2024. The BLM continues to anticipate publishing a Record of Decision within the second quarter of calendar year 2024.
The Ambler Access Project ("AAP") is a proposed 211-mile, industrial-use-only road from the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects ("UKMP") to the Dalton Highway that will enable the advancement of exploration and development at the Ambler Mining District, home to some of the world's richest known copper-dominant polymetallic deposits.
About Trilogy Metals
Trilogy Metals Inc. is a metal exploration and development company holding a 50 percent interest in Ambler Metals LLC, which has a 100 percent interest in the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects in northwestern Alaska . On December 19, 2019 , South32, a globally diversified mining and metals company, exercised its option to form a 50/50 joint venture with Trilogy. The UKMP is located within the Ambler Mining District which is one of the richest and most-prospective known copper-dominant districts in the world. It hosts world-class polymetallic volcanogenic massive sulphide ("VMS") deposits that contain copper, zinc, lead, gold and silver, and carbonate replacement deposits which have been found to host high-grade copper and cobalt mineralization. Exploration efforts have been focused on two deposits in the Ambler Mining District – the Arctic VMS deposit and the Bornite carbonate replacement deposit. Both deposits are located within a land package that spans approximately 190,929 hectares. Ambler Metals has an agreement with NANA Regional Corporation, Inc., an Alaska Native Corporation that provides a framework for the exploration and potential development of the Ambler Mining District in cooperation with local communities. Trilogy's vision is to develop the Ambler Mining District into a premier North American copper producer while protecting and respecting subsistence livelihoods.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including, without limitation, the date and time of the AGM, items of business at the AGM, the Company's plans to provide further updates and the timing thereof, the anticipated timing of publishing the final SEIS and publishing of a Record of Decision, the benefits of the AAP, shareholder approval of the proposals brought forward at the AGM, Toronto Stock Exchange final approval of the Fixed DSU Plan and the Company's expectations and plans with regards to the development of the Ambler Mining District are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include the uncertainties involving our assumptions with respect to the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), whether the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority will build the APP, the results of the SEIS and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2023 filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and in other Company reports and documents filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities from time to time. The Company's forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.
View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trilogy-metals-announces-date-of-annual-shareholders-meeting-and-provides-update-on-ambler-access-road-302101802.html
SOURCE Trilogy Metals Inc.
View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2024/28/c9284.html
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TNC Announces Institutional Placement
True North Copper Limited (ASX:TNC) (True North, TNC or the Company) is pleased to advise that it has signed binding documentation with Millinium Capital Managers Limited as trustee for MP Materials and Mining Group Fund for a placement of A$5 million comprising the issue of 41,666,667 fully paid ordinary shares in the Company (Shares) at an issue price of A$0.12 per Share (Placement).
The issue price of $0.12 per Share represents a 66.67% premium to the last closing price of $0.072 prior to the Placement, demonstrating strong investor confidence in the Company’s future prospects and growth potential.
The Shares will be issued under existing placement capacity pursuant to Listing Rule 7.1A and will be subject to voluntary escrow for a period of 12 months from the date of issue.
Settlement of the placement and the issue of the Shares is expected to occur in tranches within the next 7 business days. The Company intends to apply the funds towards working capital including exploration programs.
MP Materials and Mining Group Fund is a specialist mining investment fund office backed by high net worth and family office investors.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from True North Copper, 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.
Forte Minerals CEO Highlights Strategy for Prospecting, Acquiring Prolific Assets at Low Cost
Forte Minerals’ (CSE:CUAU) ability to discover and acquire exploration properties at a low cost in Peru has been largely accomplished through two strategies: seeking relinquished properties when the market is down, and employing remote sensing technology for discoveries, according to the company’s president and CEO, Patrick Elliott.
"Through low market times, we thrive on property acquisitions, deals, negotiating," he said. "It's usually around a time when other companies are relinquishing properties. A lot of the majors go through these periods whereby exploration gets the first cut. ... So we remain very flexible to be able to pick up these properties for nothing."
Elliott was commenting on the company’s recent acquisition of two properties in Peru — the Alto Ruri gold prospect and the Cerro Quillo gold-copper-molybdenum prospect — for a one-time cash payment of only US$25,000.
“Predominantly, our model is discovering through remote sensing,” Elliott said. “We've made five or six remote sensing discoveries from space using satellite imagery data, and Peru works really well. It's a phenomenal place to deploy this technique, because there's not a whole lot of vegetation cover in the Andes.”
The same model for prospecting exploration properties has been deployed by Forte since it began operations in Peru, given its remoteness. Remote sensing has allowed the company to scope out assets without the logistical challenges associated with having personnel on the ground, he added.
“The challenge is logistics, remoteness and just finding the time and the team to go in and follow up on the hundreds and hundreds of anomalies that we've depicted and highlighted … Maybe in a year we might get to 10 or 12 new ones, but it takes a while to follow up on them,” Elliott said. "So it's a phenomenal way to acquire properties for (essentially) nothing, and for staking. It's also why we spent 15 years doing this model."
Watch the full interview with Patrick Elliott, president and CEO of Forte Minerals, above.
Disclaimer: This interview is sponsored by Forte Minerals’ (CSE:CUAU). This interview provides information which was sourced by the Investing News Network (INN) and approved by Forte Minerals in order to help investors learn more about the company. Forte Minerals is a client of INN. The company’s campaign fees pay for INN to create and update this interview.
INN does not provide investment advice and the information on this profile should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. INN does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company profiled.
The information contained here is for information purposes only and is not to be construed as an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities. Readers should conduct their own research for all information publicly available concerning the company. Prior to making any investment decision, it is recommended that readers consult directly with Forte Minerals and seek advice from a qualified investment advisor.
This interview may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, receipt of property titles, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. The issuer relies upon litigation protection for forward-looking statements. Investing in companies comes with uncertainties as market values can fluctuate.
TNC Operational Update - Cloncurry Copper Project’s Mining Restart
True North Copper Limited (ASX:TNC) (True North, TNC or the Company) is pleased to provide an operational update on the mining restart at its 100% owned Cloncurry Copper Project (CCP).
HIGHLIGHTS
- TNC will commence mining ore at Wallace North in early Q4 FY24 (see Figure 2).
- Mining preparation at Wallace North progressed in March 2024 (as access and mine areas dried after monsoonal rainfall events in February and early March) including the following:
- Mobilisation of mining equipment and support infrastructure to the Wallace North project site (see Figures 4 & 5).
- Preparation of existing access and haulage roads for upcoming mining activities (see Figure 3).
- Completion of short-term mine scheduling by technical service teams.
- Onboarding of skilled mining fleet operators.
- The mining ramp-up will initially build ore stockpiles, with haulage expected to start in mid-May 2024. Oxide ore will be transported by road train to the Cloncurry Operations Hub's heap leach. Sulphide ore will be transported to a nearby concentrator for toll treatment under TNC's toll-milling agreement with Glencore International AG1 (Glencore).
- The CCP currently incorporates the Great Australia Mine Reserve3 (includes Great Australia Mine [GAM], Taipan and Orphan Shear deposits) and the Wallace North Reserve4 totalling 4.7Mt grading 0.80% Cu and 0.13g/t Au containing 37.5kt of copper and 20.0koz of gold (see Figure 1) at a strip ratio of 4.22.
- The CCP restart plan confirms positive project economics including mine revenue of A$367M with free cash flow of A$111M, and a pre-tax NPV10 of A$88M over a 4.6 year mine life, at USD$8,500/t Cu price and USD$1,850/oz Au price (0.7 A$:USD exchange rate)2.
COMMENT
True North Copper’s Managing Director, Marty Costello said:
“This is an exciting and transformative phase for TNC. Thanks to the hard work of our Mining Operations Team we are prepared and ready to deliver on our Cloncurry Copper Project Mining Restart Plan with mining commencing at Wallace North in early Q4 FY24.
CCP project economics confirm a robust mining operation that is low risk and low-cost. Projected mine revenue is A$367M with a free cash flow of A$111M.
Our plans to develop Mt Oxide into our next mine continue as we finalise the Vero mineral resource re-estimation and optimisation study.”
Figure 1. TNC's Cloncurry Copper Project (including current reserves) *see References 3 & 4.
Figure 2. Wallace North copper reserve and pit crest. The Wallace South Gold resource is included for reference.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from True North Copper, 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.
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