Fresnillo plc (“
Fresnillo”) and MAG Silver Corp.
(“
MAG Silver”) today provide a commissioning
update on the Juanicipio Project (56% / 44% Fresnillo and MAG
Silver, respectively).
The Juanicipio Project team delivered the
Project for plant commissioning on schedule despite the recent
changes to labour contracting legislation and having successfully
mitigated most COVID-19 related issues over the past two years, a
testament to the dedication of the operational and development
teams on the ground.However, the ‘Comisión Federal de Electricidad’
(“CFE”), the state-owned electrical company, has
just notified Fresnillo, the Juanicipio Project operator, that
approval to complete the tie-in to the national power grid cannot
yet be granted and the mill commissioning timeline will therefore
be extended by approximately six months. This is directly related
to knock-on effects of the pandemic on the CFE’s operations,
predominantly related to a lack of CFE staff which limits its
ability to oversee three key tasks to: review the existing
installation; supervise physical connection to the active power
grid; and approve required blackout prevention devices.As operator,
Fresnillo will continue to engage closely with the CFE and ‘El
Centro Nacional de Control de Energía’ (“CENACE”)
to do all that it can to expedite these necessary approvals.
Although there remains uncertainty regarding the timing for
connecting the Juanicipio Project to the power grid, the current
estimate, which continues to be subject to potential COVID-19
related realities, is that full load commissioning activities will
be approved sometime after the first week of May 2022.Stoping and
mineralized mine development at Juanicipio will continue. In order
to minimize any potential adverse effect, Fresnillo will make
available any unused plant capacity at its Minera Fresnillo and
Minera Saucito operations to process mineralized material produced
at Juanicipio during this period, and if possible matching
commissioning and ramp up tonnages that were previously expected.
The effect on cashflow generation from Juanicipio therefore will
also be mitigated while CFE approvals are pending.“As an industry,
we continue to manage the ongoing impact of the pandemic and while
frustrating for all concerned, we recognize this situation is
beyond the control of all parties,” said Octavio Alvidrez, Chief
Executive of Fresnillo plc. “The health and safety of our people
and all our partners remains our priority. We thank the CFE for
their engagement and will continue to work closely with them to
accelerate grid connection as quickly as we can. Meanwhile, we will
continue to process mineralized development material by using any
excess capacity available at the Minera Fresnillo and Minera
Saucito plants, minimizing any impact on future cashflow
generation.”“We are very fortunate to be able to process
mineralized material from Juanicipio through the excess capacity
available at the Minera Fresnillo and Minera Saucito plants, which
should minimize the economic impact of the electrical connection
timing,” said George Paspalas, President and CEO of MAG Silver.
“The Juanicipio Project team has managed through stringent COVID-19
protocols to make the process plant effectively ready for start-up.
However, approvals for the electrical connection for the Project
have been affected by governmental COVID-19 restrictions that have
severely limited the CFE in carrying out their reviews and final
sign-off. We look forward to the CFE resuming normal activities, so
we can flip the switch on our plant!”
About Fresnillo plc
Fresnillo plc is the world's largest primary
silver producer and Mexico's largest gold producer, listed on the
London and Mexican Stock Exchanges under the symbol FRES.
Fresnillo plc has seven operating mines, all of
them in Mexico - Fresnillo, Saucito, Ciénega (including the San
Ramón satellite mine, Las Casas Rosario & Cluster Cebollitas),
Herradura, Soledad-Dipolos1, Noche Buena and San Julián (Veins and
Disseminated Ore Body), three development projects - the Pyrites
Plant at Fresnillo, the optimisation of the beneficiation plant
also at Fresnillo and Juanicipio, and three advanced exploration
projects – Rodeo, Orisyvo and Guanajuato, as well as a number of
other long term exploration prospects.
Fresnillo plc has mining concessions and
exploration projects in Mexico, Peru and Chile.
Fresnillo plc has a strong and long tradition of
exploring, mining, a proven track record of mine development,
reserve replacement, and production costs in the lowest quartile of
the cost curve for silver.
Fresnillo plc's goal is to maintain the Group's
position as the world's largest primary silver company and Mexico’s
largest gold producer.
1 Operations at Soledad-Dipolos are currently suspended.
For further information, please visit our
website: www.fresnilloplc.com or contact:
Fresnillo
plc London
Office Gabriela
Mayor, Head of Investor RelationsPatrick Chambers |
Tel: +44 (0)20 7399 2470 |
Mexico City Office Ana Belem
Zárate |
Tel: +52 55 52 79 3206 |
Powerscourt |
Tel: +44 (0)20 7549 0997 |
Peter Ogden |
|
About MAG Silver Corp.
MAG Silver Corp. is a Canadian development and
exploration company focused on becoming a top-tier primary silver
mining company by exploring and advancing high-grade, district
scale, silver-dominant projects in the Americas. Its principal
focus and asset is the Juanicipio Project (44%), being developed
with Fresnillo Plc (56%), the operator. The Project is located in
the Fresnillo Silver Trend in Mexico, the world's premier silver
mining camp, where the operator is currently developing an
underground mine and constructing a 4,000 tonnes per day processing
plant. Underground mine production of mineralized development
material commenced in Q3 2020, and an expanded exploration program
is in place targeting multiple highly prospective targets at
Juanicipio. MAG is also executing a multi-phase exploration program
at the Deer Trail 100% earn-in project in Utah.
Fresnillo plc Forward Looking
Statements
Information contained in this announcement may
include 'forward-looking statements'. All statements other than
statements of historical facts included herein, including, without
limitation, those regarding the Fresnillo Group's intentions,
beliefs or current expectations concerning, amongst other things,
the Fresnillo Group's results of operations, financial position,
liquidity, prospects, growth, strategies and the silver and gold
industries are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking
statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to
future events and circumstances. Forward-looking statements are not
guarantees of future performance and the actual results of the
Fresnillo Group's operations, financial position and liquidity, and
the development of the markets and the industry in which the
Fresnillo Group operates, may differ materially from those
described in, or suggested by, the forward-looking statements
contained in this document. In addition, even if the results of
operations, financial position and liquidity, and the development
of the markets and the industry in which the Fresnillo Group
operates are consistent with the forward-looking statements
contained in this document, those results or developments may not
be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. A
number of factors could cause results and developments to differ
materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking
statements including, without limitation, general economic and
business conditions, industry trends, competition, commodity
prices, changes in regulation, currency fluctuations (including the
US dollar and Mexican Peso exchanges rates), the Fresnillo Group's
ability to recover its reserves or develop new reserves, including
its ability to convert its resources into reserves and its mineral
potential into resources or reserves, changes in its business
strategy and political and economic uncertainty.
LEI: 549300JXWH1UV5J0XV81
MAG Silver Corp. Forward Looking
Statements
Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor the NYSE
American has reviewed or accepted responsibility for the accuracy
or adequacy of this press release, which has been prepared by
management.
This release includes certain statements that
may be deemed to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning
of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All
statements in this release, other than statements of historical
facts are forward looking statements, including statements that
address our expectations with respect to the timing and success of
plant pre-commissioning and commissioning activities, processing
rates of development materials, future mineral production, and
events or developments. Forward-looking statements are often, but
not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek",
"anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may",
"will", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intend",
"could", "might", "should", "believe" and similar expressions.
These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ
materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking
statements. Although MAG believes the expectations expressed
in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable
assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future
performance and actual results or developments may differ
materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in
forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, impacts
(both direct and indirect) of COVID-19, timing of receipt of
required permits, changes in applicable laws, changes in
commodities prices, changes in mineral
production performance, exploitation and exploration
successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and
general economic, market or business conditions, political risk,
currency risk and capital cost inflation. In addition,
forward-looking statements are subject to various risks, including
that data is incomplete and considerable additional work will be
required to complete further evaluation, including but not limited
to drilling, engineering and socio-economic studies and
investment. The reader is referred to the MAG Silver’s filings
with the SEC and Canadian securities regulators for disclosure
regarding these and other risk factors. There is no certainty that
any forward-looking statement will come to pass, and investors
should not place undue reliance upon forward-looking
statements.
Please Note: Investors are urged to consider
closely the disclosures in MAG's annual and
quarterly reports and other public filings, accessible through
the Internet at www.sedar.com and
www.sec.gov
LEI: 254900LGL904N7F3EL14
For further information on behalf of MAG Silver Corp.
Contact Michael J. Curlook, VP Investor Relations and Communications
Phone: (604) 630-1399
Toll Free: (866) 630-1399
Website: www.magsilver.com
Email: info@magsilver.com
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