Sabre Gold Mines Corp. (TSX: SGLD; OTCQB: SGLDF)
(the “Company” or “Sabre Gold”) is pleased to announce the results
of a Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) for the Company’s 100%
owned, road-accessible Brewery Creek Gold Project located in Yukon
Territory, Canada.
All amounts shown are in United States dollars
and metric units of measurement unless otherwise Stated.
PEA Highlights:
-
After-tax NPV at 5% of $112 million at an Internal Rate of Return
(“IRR”) of 27.6% at $1,700 per ounce gold increasing to $157
million at an IRR of 35.7% at $1,900 per ounce gold;
-
After-tax average annual cash flow of $36 million at $1,700 per
ounce gold increasing to $44 million at $1,900 per ounce gold
-
Average Annual Production of 60,000 ounces per year for a total
473,000 ounces gold over an initial 8 year mine life;
-
Total cash cost of $850 per ounce and all-in sustaining cost
(“AISC”) US$966 per ounce gold;
-
Pre-production capital costs of $105 million with life of mine
sustaining costs of $18 million;
-
Payback period of 2.6 years at $1,700 per ounce gold;
-
Excellent expansion potential to extend mine life and annual
production with three open prospective resource areas and several
targets within a 182 square kilometers project boundary; and,
-
Lower technical and execution risk as a past brownfields producer
with existing infrastructure and road access from previous mining
operation.
Giulio T. Bonifacio, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Sabre Gold, stated: “The PEA and initial
results confirms our plans to resume production at Brewery Creek
with what will be low re-start capital with attractive economics
which we believe will be further enhanced in 2022. Sabre Gold
intends to continue the expansion of gold resources at Brewery
Creek and focus on several key opportunities to enhance value,
discussed in detail below. The PEA is advanced in several
categories as the predecessor company was initially targeting
completion of a feasibility study. Sabre Gold intends to move to a
feasibility level study upon completion of the advancement of key
opportunities, those of which will not impact our targeted
permitting timeline. Our permitting efforts will also now focus on
expanding the previously permitted area for purposes of allowing
for increases to our annual production profile.” The PEA was
prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 (“NI
43-101”) and evaluated the economics of resuming mining at Brewery
Creek through open pit mining and heap leaching mined material for
gold recovery to doré. The PEA study was prepared by Kappes,
Cassiday & Associates of Reno, Nevada in cooperation with Tetra
Tech Inc. of Golden, CO, Gustavson and Associates of Lakewood, CO
and Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions, of Vancouver,
British Columbia.
PEA Summary - Assumptions and Results |
Description |
Units |
Pre-Tax |
Post-Tax |
Net Present Value (NPV 5%) |
US$ M |
$160 |
$112 |
Internal Rate of Return (IRR) |
% |
|
33.5 |
|
27.6 |
Payback Period (undiscounted) |
Years |
|
|
2.6 |
LOM Average Annual Cash Flow |
US$ M |
|
44 |
|
36 |
LOM Cumulative Cash Flow (undiscounted) |
US$ M |
|
237 |
|
170 |
LOM Average Cash Operating costs |
US$ per ounce |
$850 |
LOM Average AISC* |
US$ per ounce |
$966 |
Pre-Production Capital Costs |
US$ M |
$105 |
Sustaining Capital Costs (LOM) |
US$ M |
$18 |
Gold Price |
US$ per ounce |
$1,700 |
Mine Life |
Years |
|
8 |
Average Head Grade (diluted) |
g/t Au |
|
1.05 |
Average Recovery |
% |
|
75.4 |
Average Annual Mining Rate |
Tonnes per day |
|
9,000 |
Average Annual Gold Production |
Ounces per year |
|
60,000 |
Total LOM Recovered Gold |
Ounces |
|
473,180 |
* AISC - All-In-Sustaining-Cost
Mineral Resource Estimate
Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral
Resource estimates have been produced for the eleven named deposits
by Gustavson Associates. The results of the estimation result in
Brewery Creek Project containing Measured and Indicated Mineral
Resources totaling 34.5 million tonnes at 1.03 g/t, containing 1.14
million ounces of gold. Inferred resources total 35.9 million
tonnes at 0.88 g/t containing 1.02 million ounces of gold.
A Lerchs-Grossmann optimization pit shell
constrained the resource using a $2,000/oz gold price and the
cutoff grade used is based on a gold price of $1,500/oz and is an
internal cutoff grade. The process cost used for the pit shell and
cutoff grade includes project general and administrative expenses
as well as an average haulage cost to transport process material to
the leach pad. Only leachable Measured, Indicated and Inferred
Resources are being considered in the PEA.
During the work for the PEA, Gustavson reviewed
the classification utilized to classify material as Measured,
Indicated and Inferred and updated the classification to more
appropriately distribute the material into the classification
categories, based on an average drill spacing instead of a closest
point analysis. This technique utilizes a cell declustering
algorithm to quantify drill spacing taking into account geologic
anisotropy.
Total Mineral Resources |
Classification |
Tonnes (‘000) |
Grade(g/t) |
Contained (oz Au) |
Measured – LeachableIndicated - Leachable |
9,31013,670 |
1.181.11 |
353,000487,000 |
Total Leachable M & I |
22,980 |
1.14 |
840,000 |
Inferred - Leachable |
16,200 |
0.94 |
489,000 |
Measured – SulphideIndicated – Sulphide |
3,9507,540 |
0.770.85 |
98,000206,000 |
Total Sulphide M&I |
11,490 |
0.82 |
304,000 |
Inferred - Sulphide |
19,700 |
0.83 |
527,000 |
The Mineral Resource Estimate was divided into
two categories, leachable and non-leachable resources. Leachable
resources are materials that are amenable to cyanide leach
processing and can recover gold economically. Leachable material
was modeled by using CN soluble gold values to determine potential
recoverable gold.
The PEA is targeting only leachable resources
from the Measured, Indicated and Inferred categories to develop the
mine plan and resulting cash flow estimates. Leachable versus
non-leachable resources are determined by using the estimated total
gold grades and estimated recoveries in the resource model. While
the resource tables use cyanide soluble gold for categorization the
gold production, gold grades and cutoff grades are shown as in-situ
for easy comparison.
Leachable Mineral Resources by Pit being
evaluated |
Classification by Pit |
Tonnes (‘000) |
Grade (g/t) |
Contained (oz Au) |
Measured - LeachableKegLuckyBohemia-SchoonerEast
& West Big Rock |
3,2306272,5002,950 |
1.141.591.350.99 |
1193210894 |
Indicated - LeachableKegLuckyBohemia-SchoonerEast
& West Big Rock |
4,1601,0701,3101,630 |
1.131.761.310.94 |
151615549 |
Total Leachable M & I |
17,477 |
1.18 |
669 |
Inferred - LeachableKegLuckyBohemia-SchoonerEast
& West Big Rock |
3,0207676181,030 |
1.051.521.450.80 |
102382926 |
Total Leachable Inferred |
5,435 |
1.11 |
195 |
Note: The Keg area includes the previously mined pits of Golden,
Kokanee, portions of Canadian and UpperFosters and the unmined
Lower Fosters deposit. Resources estimates in Table 2 are prior to
final pit optimizationand design used to develop diluted
potentially minable material.
The Mineral Resource Estimate was prepared by
Gustavson Associates, LLC (Gustavson). The resource estimate was
conducted in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101
Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101), June
30,2011, and Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum
(CIM) “Best Practices and Reporting Guidelines for Mineral
Resources and Mineral Reserves”, May 10, 2014.
Mineral Resources are not mineral reserves and
do not demonstrate economic viability. The quantity and grade of
inferred resources reported herein are uncertain in nature and
exploration completed to date is insufficient to define these
Mineral Resources as indicated or measured. There is no certainty
that all or any part of the Mineral Resource will be converted to
mineral reserves. Mineral Resources are not mineral reserves and
may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal,
socio-economic, marketing, political, or other factors. Quantity
and grade are estimates and are rounded to reflect the fact that
the resource estimate is an approximation. Gustavson knows of no
environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-economic,
marketing, political, or other factors that could materially affect
the mineral resource. The effective date of this Mineral Resources
Report is May 31, 2020.
Mining
The Brewery Creek project was evaluated by Tetra
Tech for owner operated mining in the PEA as open pit truck and
shovel operation. Mining was considered on the leachable (oxide)
portions of nine deposits aligned in a more-or-less east-west trend
along 8 kilometers in what is known locally as the “reserve trend”.
The deposits are West Big Rock, East Big Rock, Upper & Lower
Fosters, Kokanee, Golden, Lucky, Bohemian and Schooner. The mine
schedule calls for mining and processing over 18.7 million tonnes
of heap leach feed and 79.6 million tonnes of waste for a strip
ratio of 4.03:1. The current life of mine is 7.9 years.
The base case assumes mining and crushing for
275 days per year at an average rate of 9,000 tonnes per day. All
heap leach feed material will be crushed to 80% passing 19 mm and
conveyor stacked onto existing leach pad which will be off loaded
with a 2-meter cushion of old material remaining on the pad to
protect the liner. The off-loaded material will be used as back
fill to reclaim old pits and or stacked on new storage facilities.
The last three original designed cells will be built in year 3.
Pit Area |
Sources of LOM Mill Feed (kt) |
Gold Grade (g/tonne) |
Keg |
7,173 |
1.00 |
Lucky |
2,250 |
1.38 |
Bohemia-Schooner |
4,300 |
1.23 |
East & West Big Rocks |
4,933 |
0.80 |
Total from Pits |
18,656 |
1.05 |
Infrastructure
Existing infrastructure includes the existing
main access road, two-man camps with a combined capacity for
approximately 100 personnel, existing 7 cell leach pad plus
foundations for 3 un-built cells, existing haul road network which
requires only minor refurbishment, three process solution ponds
which require cleaning and new liners, and the former truck shop, a
steel structure with the truck bays removed which is currently used
as offices and warehousing.
Summary of Economic Results
Gold Price Sensitivity |
Gold Price |
NPV 5% After Tax |
NPV 5% Pre-Tax |
Avg. Annual After tax CF |
US$/oz |
US$M |
IRR% |
US$M |
IRR% |
US$M |
$1450 |
53.4 |
16.2 |
73.0 |
19.1 |
27.2 |
$1500 |
65.4 |
18.6 |
90.4 |
22.1 |
29.1 |
$1600 |
88.7 |
23.2 |
125.2 |
28.0 |
32.7 |
$1700 |
111.6 |
27.6 |
160.0 |
33.5 |
36.3 |
$1800 |
134.3 |
31.7 |
194.7 |
38.9 |
39.9 |
$1900 |
156.8 |
35.7 |
229.5 |
44.2 |
43.5 |
$2000 |
179.3 |
39.6 |
264.2 |
49.2 |
47.1 |
PEA Capital Cost Summary |
Description |
Pre-Production |
Sustaining Capital |
Life of Mine |
|
US$000s |
US$000s |
US$000s |
Pre-strip, off load heap |
$18,105 |
|
$18,105 |
Mine equipment (net of lease) |
|
4,499 |
$4,601 |
|
9,100 |
Site Infrastructure |
|
29,207 |
|
11,182 |
|
40,389 |
Site Infrastructure Haul Roads |
|
1,810 |
|
|
1,810 |
Process Plant |
|
29,649 |
|
|
29,649 |
Indirects |
|
2,655 |
|
|
2,655 |
Owners, EPCM |
|
8,487 |
|
|
8,487 |
Contingency |
|
10,974 |
|
2,236 |
|
13,210 |
Subtotal |
$105,386 |
$18,019 |
$123,405 |
Working Capital |
|
11,181 |
|
(11,181) |
|
- |
GST (recovery) |
|
5,269 |
|
(5,269) |
|
- |
Reclamation |
|
- |
|
13,992 |
|
13,992 |
Total Capital |
$121,836 |
$15,561 |
$137,397 |
PEA Operating Costs Summary |
Mining per tonne moved |
|
1.96 |
Strip ratio |
4:1 |
Unit Operating Costs (per tonne leached) |
US$/tonne |
Mining |
$ |
11.31 |
Processing |
|
7.62 |
General & Administrative |
|
2.52 |
Total Operating Costs |
$ |
21.45 |
Total Cash Costs per ounce gold sold |
$850/oz |
All-in-Sustaining Costs per ounce gold sold |
$966/oz |
Metallurgy
The process plant flow sheet was developed by
Kappes, Cassidy Associates of Reno, Nevada and is designed to crush
and stack heap leach feed approximately 275 days per year and to
recover gold from the heap leach solutions 365 days per year. The
flow sheet used a daily feed rate of 9,000 tonnes per day or an
annual feed rate of approximately 2.48 million tonnes.
Historically, preg-robbing material had hampered
gold recoveries on the former heap leach pad. Since 2011, Sabre
Gold has routinely assayed for preg-robbing material and the data
reveals that the preg-robbing material is confined to sedimentary
rocks which were abundant host rocks in the Pacific and Blue pits
during the previous mining operation. The pits being targeted for
mining in the PEA have gold hosted in intrusive rocks which are
largely void of preg-robbing characteristics and contain only minor
amounts of sedimentary rocks. There is a strong visual difference
between the sedimentary and intrusive rocks at Brewery providing
easy visual ore control during mining if sediments are
encountered.
Material will be delivered to the crushing area
and reduced to a nominal 80% passing 19 mm after tertiary crushing
with modular crushing units. The crushed material will be stacked
on the leach pad by a conveyor stacking system and leached with a
low concentration cyanide solution. Gold recovery from the leach
solutions is accomplished through an ADR plant.
Estimates for gold recovery and consumption
rates of reagents is based on metallurgical testing conducted by
McClelland Laboratories and SGS. Testing was conducted on fresh
drill core samples in 2013, 2016 and 2020. In total 47 column leach
tests plus other testing was conducted on the nine deposits
included in the PEA and two deposits not included in the PEA.
Compacted permeability test work indicate that cement agglomeration
is not required for heap heights up to 60 meters.
Heap Leach Feed Source |
Au |
NaCN |
Lime |
Schooner |
76 |
0.40 |
2.5 |
Fosters |
82 |
0.21 |
2.0 |
Bohemian |
82 |
0.26 |
3.0 |
Golden |
75 |
0.21 |
1.7 |
Kokanee |
65 |
0.23 |
1.4 |
West Big Rock |
87 |
0.30 |
3.9 |
East Big Rock |
81 |
0.35 |
3.4 |
Lucky |
58 |
0.23 |
1.4 |
Note: The Keg Pit area consists of Fosters, Golden and Kokanee
deposits
Key Opportunities to Enhance
Value
The PEA outlined several opportunities to
enhance the economic potential of Brewery Creek including the
following:
-
Exploration drilling to expand the leachable mineral resource with
several prospective targets identified
-
In-fill drill the areas of inferred resource in the deposits
analyzed in this PEA to upgrade them to Measured and Indicated
levels of confidence for future conversion to reserves
-
Conduct trade off study for contract mining versus owner mining to
potentially reduce up front capital and enhance LOM economics.
-
New leach pad locations should be investigated to accommodate
material from additional deposits as they are brought into minable
status.
-
Further evaluation of the potential of the sulphide material at
depth in all the deposits. Preliminary metallurgical testing has
shown good recoveries of gold can be obtained by a flotation
process.
-
Continue expanding and upgrading resources at 3 oxide deposits not
included in the PEA, Classic, Lonestar and Sleeman.
-
The Classic deposit is located approximately 3 km south of the main
Brewery Creek deposit trend. The deposit was originally discovered
in 1991 (Hemlo Gold Mines Inc.-Loki Gold Corporation) through a
southern grid expansion, the Classic Zone was then being classified
as an isolated, arsenic gold anomaly. The deposit is currently
defined by 52 reverse-circulation drillholes and 17 core holes,
totaling 13,478 meters. The currently identified mineralization
lies on the southwest side of the Classic Fault. Predominant rock
units hosting mineralization contain variable percentages of
syenite (alkali) and biotite monzonite (increasing plagioclase).
Mineralization is found to exist within centimeter-scale sheeted
quartz veinlets. Structurally, the Classic Zone is open at depth
and in both directions along strike. Cutting across the eastern
portion is the northwest trending, steeply southwest dipping
Classic fault which is mapped to be post intrusion and post
mineralization.
-
The Lone Star mineralized area is the fault offset portion of the
Classic deposit and lies along the northeast side of the Classic
Fault, southeast of and adjacent to the Classic Zone. Surface
mineralization was first recognized by soil sampling in the 1990’s
but the area remained untested until 2012. Drilling in 2012
consists of 17 core holes and 12 RC holes, totaling 6,147 meters.
The same alkalic suite of intrusions that host Classic also host
Lone Star. The suite contains syenite, biotite monzonite,
monzodiorite, diorite, and gabbro; syenite is the most abundant.
The biotite monzonite intrusions commonly form very well developed,
course-grained skarn halos where adjacent to limestone and carry
copper-gold mineralization. Alteration includes development of a
propylitic mineral assemblage of chlorite, calcite and pyrite, and
local development of sheeted quartz-carbonate-pyrite-arsenopyrite
±chalcopyrite veins. Three styles of mineralization occur at Lone
Star; elevated Au associated with skarns, disseminations in
syenite, and auriferous sheeted quartz veins. The geometry of the
system is poorly understood; it remains open in both strike
directions and at depth.
- The Sleeman deposit is located to
the east of the Brewery Creek Reserve Trend (BCRT). It was
discovered by mapping, soil sampling and trenching, and was first
drilled in 1992. The zone is currently defined by 7
reverse-circulation drillholes and 58 core drillholes, totaling
11,374 meters. Mineralization at Sleeman is associated with an
altered tabular-shaped quartz monzonite intrusion that cuts
siltstone of the Steel formation and graphitic argillite of unknown
affinity. The intrusion strikes 120° azimuth and dips 65°
southwest. It has a known strike length of 500 meters and is open
in both strike directions and at depth. All mineralization is
associated with altered and veined areas. The style of veining and
alteration at Sleeman is similar to the other deposits found within
the BCRT with the exception of the presence of elevated base metal
concentrations, particularly lead and zinc.
First Nations, Community Engagement and
Environment
Community and First Nation engagement has been a
strong component of the Brewery Creek Project dating to the initial
mine operator, Viceroy Resources. In 2016 Golden Predator updated
and modernized the Socio-Economic Agreement with the Tr’ondek
Hwech’in (TH), which addresses environmental responsibilities,
permitting, education and employment as well as preferential
contracting opportunities and wealth sharing. The Brewery Creek
Project lies with the traditional territory of both the Tr’ondek
Hwech’in and the First Nation of Na Cho Nyak Dun (NND). Regardless
of the pre-existing relationship and agreement with TH and the
proximity to Dawson City, Yukon the Company has and will continue
to consult with both First Nations on all permitting and regulatory
matters.
The previous operator and the company have
conducted extensive environmental studies and monitoring programs
that document the property since the early 1990’s. Studies include
water quality, fisheries, wildlife, heritage and vegetation. The
company continues to conduct regular environmental sampling and
monitoring on the property.
Disclosure
The PEA results are summarized for purposes of
this press release. Further details on the PEA and technical report
will be filed on SEDAR and the Company’s website by January 31,
2022.
The PEA is preliminary in nature and it includes
inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative to
be used in an economic analysis except as allowed for by Canadian
Securities Administrator’s NI 43-101 in PEA studies. There is no
guarantee that the inferred mineral resources can be converted to
Indicated or Measured mineral resources, and as such, there is no
guarantee the project economics described in this report will be
achieved.
Qualified Persons
The technical content of this news release has
been reviewed and validated by Michael Maslowski CPG, a Qualified
Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 that the
information contained in the release is consistent with that
provided by the independent Qualified Persons responsible for the
PEA. Mr. Maslowski is employed by Sabre Gold Mine Corp as Vice
President of Technical Services and Exploration.
Non-IFRS Measures
The Company has included certain non-IFRS
measures in this press release. The Company believes that these
measures provide investors an improved ability to evaluate the
underlying performance of the project. The non-IFRS measures are
intended to provide additional information and should not be
considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of
performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. These measures do not
have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS, and therefore
may not be comparable to other issuers.
About Sabre Gold Mines
Corp.
Sabre Gold is a diversified, multi-asset
near-term gold producer in North America which holds 100-per-cent
ownership of both the fully permitted Copperstone gold mine located
in Arizona, United States, and the Brewery Creek gold mine located
in Yukon, Canada, both of which are former producers. Management
intends to restart production at Copperstone followed by Brewery
Creek in the near term. Sabre Gold also holds other investments and
projects at varying stages of development.
Sabre Gold’s two advanced projects have
approximately 1.5 million ounces gold in the Measured and Indicated
categories, and approximately 1.2 million ounces gold in the
Inferred category. Additionally, both Copperstone and Brewery Creek
have considerable exploration upside with a combined land package
of over 230 square kilometers that will be further drill tested
with high-priority targets currently identified. Sabre Gold is led
by an experienced team of mining professionals with backgrounds in
exploration, mine building and operations.
For further information please visit the Sabre
Gold Mines Corp. website (www.sabre.gold).
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking
Statements
This news release contains forward-looking
information under Canadian securities legislation including
statements regarding drill results, potential mineralization,
potential expansion and upgrade of mineral resources and current
expectations on future exploration and development plans. Forward
looking information includes, but is not limited to, the results of
the Brewery Creek PEA, including statements relating to net present
value, future production, estimates of cash cost, proposed mining
plans and methods, mine life estimates, cash flow forecasts, metal
recoveries, estimates of capital and operating costs, timing for
permitting and environmental assessments, realization of mineral
resource estimates, capital and operating cost estimates, project
and life of mine estimates, ability to obtain permitting by the
time targeted, size and ranking of project upon achieving
production, economic return estimates, the timing and amount of
estimated future production and capital, operating and exploration
expenditures and potential upside and alternatives.
These forward-looking statements also entail
various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those reflected in these forward-looking
statements. Such statements are based on current expectations, are
subject to a number of uncertainties and risks, and actual results
may differ materially from those contained in such statements.
These uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to: the
strength of the Canadian economy; the price of gold; operational,
funding, and liquidity risks; reliance on third parties,
exploration risk, failure to upgrade resources, the degree to which
mineral resource and reserve estimates are reflective of actual
mineral resources and reserves; the degree to which factors which
would make a mineral deposit commercially viable are present, and
the risks and hazards associated with underground operations and
other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development
industry.
Risks and uncertainties about Sabre Gold’s
business are more fully discussed in the Company’s disclosure
materials, including its annual information form and MD&A,
filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and
available at www.sedar.com and readers are urged to read these
materials. Sabre Gold assumes no obligation to update any
forward-looking statement or to update the reasons why actual
results could differ from such statements unless required by
law.
For further information please contact:
Sabre Gold Mines Corp.Giulio BonifacioPresident & Chief
Executive Officergtbonifacio@sabre.gold
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