Pinecrest Resources Ltd. (“Pinecrest” or the “Company”) (TSX-V:
PCR) announces that the Company is evaluating options to build
value for its shareholders on the Company’s 100% owned Enchi Gold
Project (“Enchi or “the Project”) in Ghana, West
Africa. As part of this review, given the recent rise
in the gold price to US$1,500/oz and changes to both capital and
operating costs since completion of the Preliminary Economic
Assessment (the “PEA” or the “Study”) in 2016, the Company is
evaluating the metal price sensitivity analysis completed by WSP
Canada Inc. (“WSP”) in the PEA completed on the Enchi Project
dated January 27, 2016. Enchi is comprised of eight
licenses covering a 50 kilometres (km) strike length of the Bibiani
Shear zone, a regional scale structure that hosts a number of major
gold mines and deposits including Kinross Gold Corporation’s
(“Kinross”) Chirano Mine located 70 km north-east of the Project
and the Bibiani Gold Deposit located 90 km north-east of the
Project. The preliminary economic assessment is preliminary
in nature, that it includes inferred mineral resources that are
considered too speculative geologically to have the economic
considerations applied to them that would enable them to be
categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the
preliminary economic assessment will be realized.
Financial Model Sensitivity
Analysis
The financial models in the PEA prepared by WSP
were completed using a base case gold price of US$1,300 per
ounce. The PEA included metal price sensitivities detailed in
the table below (See Table 22.9, Page 171 of the PEA); all inputs
to the financial models remain unchanged. All amounts are in
US$ unless otherwise specified. (see the full Technical Report and
Update of the Preliminary Economic Assessment on The Enchi Gold
Project, issued January 27, 2016) available on Sedar under
Pinecrest Resources or on www.pinecrestresources.com.
Table 1 Financial Model Sensitivity
Analysis
Description |
Units |
Pre-Tax Gold Price Scenarios (US$/oz) |
$1,170 |
|
$1,300 |
|
$1,430 |
|
$1,560 |
|
Owner Operated |
|
|
|
|
|
NPV (5% discount) |
US$ M |
$49,899 |
|
$101,882 |
|
$153,865 |
|
$205,848 |
|
IRR |
% |
|
20% |
|
|
34% |
|
|
47% |
|
|
59% |
|
Payback |
Year |
|
3.8 |
|
|
2.8 |
|
|
2.5 |
|
|
2.3 |
|
Cumulative Cash Flow |
US$ M |
$80,028 |
|
$145,126 |
|
$210,225 |
|
$275,323 |
|
Description |
Units |
Post-Tax Gold Price Scenarios (US$/oz) |
$1,170 |
|
$1,300 |
|
$1,430 |
|
$1,560 |
|
Owner Operated |
|
|
|
|
|
NPV (5% discount) |
US$ M |
$28,236 |
|
$62,399 |
|
$95,961 |
|
$129,750 |
|
IRR |
% |
|
15% |
|
|
25% |
|
|
34% |
|
|
43% |
|
Payback |
Year |
|
4.6 |
|
|
3.4 |
|
|
2.9 |
|
|
2.6 |
|
Cumulative Cash Flow |
US$ M |
$50,501 |
|
$92,502 |
|
$135,130 |
|
$177,444 |
|
Sensitivity on Total Capital Costs and
Contingencies (pre-tax)
Description |
Unit |
|
Net Present Value (US$ 000's) |
% Variation |
% |
30% |
15% |
0% |
-15% |
-30% |
Total Capital Costs with Contingencies |
US$ 000's |
107,204 |
95,597 |
83,989 |
76,633 |
60,774 |
Discount Rate (%) |
0% |
75,171 |
86,779 |
98,387 |
105,742 |
121,602 |
5% |
52,139 |
62,776 |
73,413 |
81,674 |
94,687 |
10% |
34,952 |
44,967 |
54,982 |
63,633 |
75,012 |
IRR |
% |
27% |
35% |
44% |
57% |
74% |
Payback period |
years |
2.80 |
2.56 |
2.32 |
2.08 |
1.89 |
Sensitivity on Operating Costs
(pre-tax)
Description |
Unit |
|
Net Present Value (US$ 000's) |
% Variation |
% |
30% |
15% |
0% |
-15% |
-30% |
Total Operating Costs |
US$ 000's |
606,465 |
537,201 |
467,937 |
398,673 |
329,409 |
Discount Rate (%) |
0% |
(40,235) |
29,076 |
98,387 |
167,697 |
237,008 |
5% |
(35,783) |
18,815 |
73,413 |
128,011 |
182,609 |
10% |
(33,142) |
10,920 |
54,982 |
99,044 |
143,106 |
IRR |
% |
N/A |
20% |
44% |
62% |
77% |
Payback period |
years |
N/A |
2.61 |
2.32 |
2.14 |
2.01 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ryan King, Chief Executive Officer stated, “We
have continued to evaluate options for the Enchi Gold Project which
hosts wide-spread Ashanti-style gold mineralization.
Pinecrest completed a 3,000-metre drill program in 2018 which
intersected additional gold mineralization outside of known
resource zones, providing Pinecrest the opportunity to potentially
expand the scope and size of the Enchi Gold Project. Our
exploration team believes there is incredible opportunity to
explore along this +40 km highly prolific Bibiani shear zone that
has only seen shallow previous drilling used to define the current
resource zones. The gold resources outlined in the PEA are
open at depth and along strike. At Kinross’ Chirano gold mine
located 70 km north of the Enchi Project on the same Bibiani shear
zone, gold mineralization has been intersected to a depth of 800
metres whereas the average depth of drilling on the Enchi Project
extends to a depth of only 175 metres. The entire Project land
package is 568 km2 with numerous high priority drill targets
situated immediately outside of the inferred resource boundary
highlighting excellent growth potential. The Company is evaluating
options to build value at this asset for its shareholders as the
Project demonstrates extensive exploration opportunities along the
prolific Bibiani shear zone.”
The financial models include the following: an
initial capital cost of $84.4 million, including directs costs,
indirect costs and a contingency of $11.8 million (20% of direct
costs). Sustaining capital of $38.6 million including a reclamation
and closure, mining costs, infrastructure costs, EPCM and
contingencies. The financial model was completed on a 100% Project
basis and includes a 5% NSR to the Ghanaian Government and a 2% NSR
to Red Back Mining Ghana Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of
Kinross. The Government of Ghana have the right to a 10% free
carried interest in the Project.
The PEA was based on the 2015 NI 43-101 Inferred
Mineral Resource estimate prepared by WSP and detailed in the
technical report entitled “Technical Report and Preliminary
Economic Assessment on the Enchi Gold Project” dated April 2015
using a 0.5 g/t cut-off grade. (See Table 2 for details). It
is the opinion of the QP that the PEA remains current for purposes
of NI 43-101.
Table 2 Enchi Gold Project - Inferred
Mineral Resource (0.5 g/t Cut-Off)
Cut-offAu (g/t) |
Zone |
Tonnes |
GradeAu (g/t) |
Contained Gold(ounces) |
0.5 |
Boin |
15,872,000 |
0.96 |
489,892 |
0.5 |
Nyamebekyere |
5,350,000 |
0.96 |
165,129 |
0.5 |
Sewum |
16,135,000 |
0.82 |
423,676 |
|
Total |
37,357,000 |
0.90 |
1,078,697 |
|
- CIM definition standards were followed for the resource
estimate.
- The 2015 resource models used ordinary kriging (OK) grade
estimation within a three-dimensional block model with mineralized
zones defined by wireframed solids.
- A base cut-off grade of 0.5 g/t Au was used for reporting
resources with a capping of gold grades at 18 g/t.
- A US$1,300/ounce gold price, open pit with heap leach operation
was used to determine the cut-off grade.
- A density of 2.45 g/cm3 was applied.
- Numbers may not add exactly due to rounding.
- Mineral Resources that are not mineral reserves do not have
economic viability
|
The 2015 Mineral Resource estimate was based on
52,385 metres of diamond and RC drilling in 646 holes as well as
data from 102 surface trenches totalling 13,799 metres. The
drilling was generally spaced at 25 to 50 metre intervals.
Since the completion of the PEA, Pinecrest has
completed 28 RC drill holes totaling 3,406 metres of drilling on
the Enchi. See Pinecrest Resources news release dated March
21, 2018 (Drilling Expands Zones of Oxide Gold Mineralization at
100% owned Enchi Gold Project, Ghana), results included: 38.0
metres grading 1.12 g/t gold, 35.0 metres grading 1.15 g/t gold,
highlighting excellent potential to expand oxide gold zones.
Drill intercept results from the March 21, 2018 news release
were not included in the PEA.
Highlight Drill Results Outside of NI
43-101 Inferred Resources
Sewum Gold Zone
- Highlight drill holes include;
- SWRC060 intersected 31.0 m grading 0.94 g/t gold including 20.0
m grading 1.27 g/t gold,
- SWRC062 intersected 35.0 m grading 0.50 g/t gold and,
- SWRC064 intersected 38.0 m grading 1.12 g/t gold.
- All of these intercepts are
oxidized mineralization expanding previously defined zones of gold
mineralization.
Kojina Hill Gold Target
- The Kojina Hill Gold Target (“Kojina”) is a new gold zone
located outside of the current NI 43-101 inferred resource on the
Enchi Gold Project.
- KJRC010 intersected 9.0 m grading 1.99 g/t gold from surface
and a second zone of 29.0 m grading 0.87 g/t gold confirming
continuity of the mineralized gold zone at depth.
Boin Gold Zone
- Drilling at the Boin Gold Zone
(“Boin”) successfully intersected mineralization outside of the
defined NI 43-101 Inferred resource areas.
- KBRC137 intersected 35.0 m grading
1.15 g/t gold including; 19.0 m grading 1.67 g/t gold, opening a
new expanded zone of mineralization to the northeast, potentially
open along strike.
- KBRC128 intersected 10.0 m grading
1.46 g/t gold with the drill hole ending in a previously
unrecognized new gold zone.
- KBRC127 intersected 25.0 m grading
0.58 g/t gold.
Boin Northwest Gold Zone
- Boin Northwest Gold Zone (“Boin NW”) is a new gold zone located
outside of the current NI 43-101 inferred resource on the Enchi
Gold Project.
- KBRC126 intersected 18.0 m grading 0.59 g/t gold.
- Boin NW has been traced over a strike length of 300 metres and
is open along strike and down dip.
The PEA was prepared by WSP using an Inferred
Mineral Resource of 1.07 million ounces (oz) of gold (37.3 million
tonnes grading 0.9 gram of gold per tonne (g/t Au), at a cut-off of
0.5 g/t Au). This Study evaluates both owner-operated and contract
mining, open pit, heap leach operation processing of 3.0 million
tonnes per annum (Mtpy). All currency figures are in US Dollars
(US$ or $) and using a base case gold price of $1,300/oz.
Owner Operated Base Case $1,300/oz gold
price
Average Mined Gold Grade (g/t) |
0.91 |
Processing Rate (Mtpy) |
3 |
Mine Life
(years) |
8.7 |
Life-of-Mine (LOM) Strip Ratio |
3.16:1 |
IRR
Pre-Tax (%) |
34 |
NPV
Pre-Tax (5% Discount Rate) (US$ Million) |
102 |
NPV
After-Tax (5% Discount Rate) (US$ Million) |
62 |
IRR
After-Tax (%) |
25 |
Initial
Capital Cost (US$ Million) |
84 |
LOM
Sustaining Capital Cost (US$ Million) |
39 |
Payback
(Pre-Tax)(years) |
2.8 |
Payback
(After-Tax) (years) |
3.4 |
LOM Cash
Costs (US$/oz) |
802 |
Metallurgical Recoveries (oxide/transition/sulphide %) |
75/75/73 |
Total
Recovered Gold (oz) |
538,450 |
Average
Annual Gold Production (oz) |
61,749 |
Peak
Annual Gold Production (oz) |
76,210 |
|
|
Initial Capital Cost
An initial capital expenditure of $84.4 million
is required to construct the project and is detailed in the
following table.
Table 3 Initial Capital Cost (in US$
Million)
Description |
Owner Operated |
Direct Costs |
|
Mining (Owner’s share included) |
18.8 |
Process Plant |
35.6 |
Infrastructure |
4.4 |
Sub-total – Direct Costs |
58.8 |
Indirect Costs |
|
Engineering and Procurement |
4.9 |
Construction Indirect |
5.9 |
Owners Costs |
3.1 |
Sub-total – Indirect Costs |
13.9 |
Total Capital Costs |
72.7 |
Contingency: 20% of direct cost |
11.8 |
Total Capital Costs with Contingency |
84.4 |
Numbers may not add exactly due to rounding
The initial capital cost of $84.4 million,
including directs costs, indirect costs and a contingency of $11.8
million (20% of direct costs). Sustaining capital of $38.6 million
including a reclamation and closure, mining costs, infrastructure
costs, EPCM and contingencies. Capital costs were calculated
during 2015 when work for the PEA was completed. Capital costs and
operating costs may have changed since originally completing the NI
43-101 Technical Report dated June 30, 2015 and the PEA dated
January 27, 2016.
Site Operation Cost
The Project is modelled as a near surface open
pit heap leach mine with heap leach feed material trucked from
three proximal deposits (Boin, Nyamebekyere, Sewum) to a central
crushing and process facility. Open pits have been designed
with bench heights ranging between 10 - 20 metres, interramp slope
angles ranging between 44 and 47 degrees for oxide material and 55
degrees for fresh material. Life of mine operating costs
(including royalties and refining fees) are $15.45/tonne processed
as detailed in the following table.
Table 4 Site Operating Cost
(in US$ Million)
Description |
Operating Cost ($/tonne*) |
Owner Operated |
Mining (including waste and labour) |
9.19 |
Processing |
5.18 |
Environment, Infrastructure |
0.22 |
G & A, including mineral tenure fees |
0.87 |
Operating Costs |
15.45 |
Royalties and refining fees |
2.01 |
Cash Costs (Operating + Royalties and
Refining) |
17.46 |
Sustaining Capital Costs |
1.56 |
Total All-in site costs |
19.02 |
|
|
* Per metric tonne of heap leach feedNumbers may
not add exactly due to rounding |
|
Operating costs have been calculated during 2015
when work on the PEA was completed. Capital costs and
operating costs may have changed since originally completing the NI
43-101 Technical Report dated June 30, 2015.
Table 5 Life of Mine Production
Schedule
Description |
Units |
Value |
Oxide tonnes processed |
million t |
16.60 |
Transitional tonnes processed |
million t |
5.15 |
Sulphide tonnes processed |
million t |
2.97 |
Tonnes processed |
million t |
24.72 |
Waste mined |
million t |
78.02 |
Gold grade |
g/t |
0.91 |
Average Annual recovered gold |
Troy ounce |
61,749 |
Strip ratio |
w/o |
3.16:1 |
Infrastructure
The Enchi Gold Project is located in southwest
Ghana, in the Aowin district of the Western Region, and is accessed
from Accra on sealed roads via the regional port city of Takoradi
or the mining center of Tarkwa. The district capital, Enchi,
is located 5 km west of the Project. From either of these
centers, access to Enchi (population 9,270) is available by paved
and gravel roads. The Enchi Project currently totals 568 km²
with 50 km covering the Bibiani Shear Zone, a well-known gold belt
in Ghana. The Project is located 70 km southwest of the open
pit and underground Chirano Mine owned and operated by Kinross and
90 km south of the Bibiani Mine (past production of 4 million
ounces). Ghana’s current electrical generation capacity of
2125 megawatt is made up of about 50% hydro and 50% thermal plants.
There is a 33-kilovolt line available near the Enchi property
with a couple of options for connection routes depending on demand
and capacity required, with the utility company ultimately deciding
on the preferred set up.
Metallurgy and Processing
The current Study utilized 75% for the oxide and
transitional gold recoveries and 73% for the sulphide gold
recovery. These recoveries are based on preliminary basic
bottle roll tests on oxide material and assume processing
configurations to be similar to other heap leach facilities in the
region. The initial tests show that cyanide leaching may be a
viable option for the extraction of gold from the oxide domains.
Further work on the metallurgical behavior and physical
constraints associated with heap leaching is still required to
definitively select heap leaching as the best technical process
option.
The PEA is preliminary in nature, and it
includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too
speculative geologically to have the economic considerations
applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral
reserves. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do
not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no
certainty that the PEA will be realized.
Qualified Persons Statement
The PEA was prepared by WSP and authored by Todd
McCracken, P.Geo. (Geology), Ms. Joanne Robinson, P.Eng. (Mining),
Mr. Mireno Dhe Paganon, Eng, (Metallurgical and processing), Mr.
Bruce White, PrEng. (Infrastructures), Mr. Paul Vermaak,
Pr.Sci.Nat, (Environmental and social aspects), and Mr.
Jean-Sebastien Houle, Eng. (financial). All individuals providing
certifications are Independent Qualified Persons as defined by NI
43-101.
Mr. Gregory Smith, P. Geo., Vice President,
Exploration of Pinecrest is a Qualified Person as defined by NI
43-101 and has prepared and approved the technical data and
information in this news release.
About Pinecrest Resources
Ltd.
Pinecrest Resources Ltd. is a British Columbia
corporation that is based in Vancouver, B.C. The Company engages
principally in the acquisition, advancement and development of
precious mineral properties. The Company is presently advancing and
developing its 100% owned Enchi gold project located in South West
Ghana. Major shareholders of the Company include Red Back Mining
Ghana Ltd. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kinross Gold Corporation)
and management.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors
PINECREST RESOURCES LTD.
Signed “Ryan King”
Ryan King,President & CEO, Director
For further information, please contact: Ryan King, President
& CEO, Director rking@pinecrestresources.comTelephone: (604)
628-1012
The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved
nor disapproved the contents of this press release.
Neither the 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.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward
Looking Statements
This news release contains certain
forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve
discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs,
plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or
performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as
“expects” or does not expect”, “is expected”, anticipates” or “does
not anticipate” “plans”, “estimates” or “intends” or stating that
certain actions, events or results “ may”, “could”, “would”,
“might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved) are not
statements of historical fact and may be “forward-looking
statements”. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of
risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results
to materially differ from those reflected in the forward-looking
statements.
Safe Harbor Statement under the United States
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Except for the
statements of historical fact contained herein, the information
presented constitutes “forward-looking statements” within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Such forward-looking statements including but not limited to those
with respect to the price of gold, potential mineralization,
reserve and resource determination, exploration results, and future
plans and objectives of the Company involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual
results, performance or achievement of the Company to be materially
different from any future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. There can
be no assurance that such statements 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 statements.
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