Lahontan Gold Corp. (TSXV:LG)(OTCQB:LGCXF)(the “Firm” or “Lahontan“) is happy to announce outcomes from a optimistic Preliminary Financial Evaluation(” PEA”) on its flagship Santa Fe Mine gold-silver undertaking situated in Nevada’s prolific Walker Lane Development. The PEA was ready by Kappes, Cassiday & Associates (“KCA”) of Reno, Nevada with mine planning and manufacturing scheduling contributions from RESPEC Firm LLC (“Respec”), Reno, Nevada and mineral useful resource estimation by Fairness Exploration Consultants Ltd. (“Fairness”), of Vancouver, British Columbia, in accordance with Canadian Nationwide Instrument 43-101, Requirements of Disclosure for Mineral Initiatives (“NI 43-101”).
PEA Highlights:
- Pre-tax Internet Current Worth at a 5% low cost charge (“NPV5”) of US$265.1 M with a 41.0% IRRwith an After-tax NPV5 of US$200.0 M with a 34.2% IRR using a $2,705/oz gold value and a $32.60/oz silver value (“spot metallic costs”) (see spot metallic value to base case metallic value comparability in Desk 1).
- Complete Life-of-Mine (“LOM”) Pre-tax internet money circulation of US$373.3 M and After-tax internet money circulation of US$288.9 M over a nine-year undertaking life utilizing spot metallic costs.
- Complete projected LOM income of US$930.8 M over a nine-year undertaking life utilizing spot metallic costs.
- LOM strip ratio of just one.54 (waste to mineralized materials ratio).
- Estimated pre-production capital prices of US$135.1 M together with a 20% contingency, with a payback of two.9 years utilizing spot metallic costs.
Kimberly Ann, Lahontan Gold Corp Government Chair, CEO, President, and Founder commented: “Lahontan may be very excited concerning the outcomes of the PEA: a low-capex, extremely worthwhile mining undertaking with a fast payback definitely bodes properly for the way forward for Lahontan and all stakeholders. There’s appreciable potential to increase gold and silver assets, subsequently that is simply step one in restarting mining operations at Santa Fe. With mine allowing properly under-way, concentrating on a 2026 mine ground-breaking, the potential for the Firm to understand the financial outcomes outlined within the PEA may be very actual, particularly given present traits in gold and silver costs. Continued optimization of the mine plan, useful resource enlargement drilling, and refining the metallurgical circulation sheet are deliberate for 2025, in parallel with our allowing actions.”
The PEA is preliminary in nature, consists of Inferred Mineral Assets which are thought-about too speculative geologically to have the financial concerns utilized to them that will allow them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves, and there’s no certainty that the PEA might be realized. Mineral Assets that aren’t Mineral Reserves would not have demonstrated financial viability. The Firm has not outlined any Mineral Reserves on the Santa Fe Mine undertaking.
Financial Sensitivities
Sensitivity of the undertaking economics to metals costs is proven in Desk 1, exhibiting the bottom case metallic costs used for the PEA, in addition to a low case, a excessive case and the spot case.
Desk 1: Santa Fe Undertaking 2024 PEA Economics
|
Low Case |
Base Case |
Excessive Case |
Spot Case (1) |
|
|
Gold Value (US$/oz) |
1,800 |
2,025 |
2,200 |
2,705 |
|
Silver Value (US$/oz) |
21.50 |
24.20 |
26.3 |
32.60 |
|
Internet Income (US$) |
618.6 M |
696.2 M |
756.5 M |
930.8 M |
|
Pre-Tax NCF(2) (US$) |
65.0 M |
141.6 M |
201.2 M |
373.3 M |
|
Pre-Tax NPV5(3) (US$) |
21.7 M |
82.2 M |
129.2 M |
265.1 M |
|
Pre-Tax IRR(4) |
8.5% |
17.4% |
23.9% |
41.0% |
|
After-Tax NCF(2) (US$) |
47.8 M |
107.7 M |
154.1 M |
288.9 M |
|
After-Tax NPV5(3) (US$) |
8.7 M |
56.5 M |
93.3 M |
200.0 M |
|
After-Tax IRR(4) |
6.4% |
14.0% |
19.5% |
34.2% |
|
Payback Interval(5) (years) |
5.1 |
4.2 |
3.8 |
2.9 |
(1) As of December 10, 2024
(2) NCF means internet money circulation
(3) NPV5 refers to internet current worth at 5% low cost charge
(4) IRR means inside charge of return
(5) Pre-production capital, excluding sustaining capital
Capital Prices
Capital prices for the undertaking are summarized in Desk 2. Capital prices related to the mining operation have been estimated by RESPEC and based mostly on mining by contractor. Pre-stripping prices have been based mostly on the working prices mentioned beneath. Capital prices related to processing akin to crushing, heap leaching and metallic restoration, together with assist and infrastructure prices related to laboratory, water and energy distribution and normal web site providers have been estimated by KCA. Reclamation and closure prices of $12.5 M have been estimated by KCA.
Desk 2: Undertaking Capital Prices
|
Pre-Manufacturing (US$ M) |
LOM Sustaining (US$ M) |
|
|
Mining |
2.5 |
0.8 |
|
Processing, Help & Infrastructure |
116.0 |
17.0 |
|
Proprietor’s Prices |
5.3 |
0.0 |
|
Preliminary Fills |
0.5 |
0.0 |
|
Working Capital(1) |
10.7 |
0.0 |
|
TOTAL(2) |
135.1 |
17.8 |
- Working capital is credited in Yr 9
- Values are rounded and should not sum completely
Working Prices
Working prices for the undertaking are summarized in Desk 3. Mining working prices have been estimated by RESPEC and based mostly on estimated anticipated gear hours and personnel necessities at a 25% markup for contractor charges. The off-road red-dye diesel gasoline value on this estimate was assumed to be $0.74/L. All different working prices have been estimated by KCA and based mostly on first rules on sure parts the place doable, akin to reagent and energy consumption, together with benchmarking with comparable operations for different parts, akin to labor, upkeep and discretionary bills
Desk 3: Undertaking Working Prices
|
LOM Complete (US$ M) |
Per Tonne Processed ($/t) |
|
|
Mining |
204.2 |
7.36 |
|
Processing |
138.7 |
5.00 |
|
Help & Infrastructure |
17.3 |
0.62 |
|
G&A |
35.8 |
1.29 |
|
TOTAL(1) |
402.5 |
14.28 |
(1) Values are rounded and should not sum completely
Mine Manufacturing Schedule
The PEA mine manufacturing schedule consists of mining of leach materials and waste for the Santa Fe, Calvada, Slab, and York deposits. Leach materials was assumed to be despatched to a centralized crushing plant after which stacked on a leach pad and the waste materials was despatched to designed waste rock storage amenities (WRSF) or used as partial backfill into the Calvada pit.
As a result of the Santa Fe Mine is a brown-field undertaking, minimal pre-stripping is required to develop enough stockpiles to feed the crusher. The mine manufacturing schedule requires 2 months of preproduction which begins within the Santa Fe deposit. The Calvada deposit is began in 12 months 2 and mined concurrently with Santa Fe. Calvada mining is adopted by mining of Slab and York deposits.
The method schedule was developed with a ramp up of manufacturing from 12 months 1 by 12 months 3 to a full 4.56 million tonnes per 12 months. Desk 4 reveals the method manufacturing schedule.
Desk 4: Projected Manufacturing Abstract
|
Yr |
Tonnes Processed (kt) |
Gold Grade (g/t) |
Silver Grade (g/t) |
Gold Produced (koz) |
Silver Produced (koz) |
Gold Equal Produced(1) (koz) |
|
1 |
3,468 |
0.47 |
4.1 |
30.3 |
88.1 |
31.4 |
|
2 |
4,517 |
0.58 |
4.6 |
51.4 |
168.9 |
53.4 |
|
3 |
4,563 |
0.66 |
3.7 |
60.2 |
155.7 |
62.0 |
|
4 |
4,563 |
0.70 |
3.0 |
60.5 |
124.2 |
62.0 |
|
5 |
4,563 |
0.73 |
2.5 |
62.0 |
93.5 |
63.1 |
|
6 |
4,563 |
0.61 |
2.2 |
49.9 |
56.9 |
50.5 |
|
7 |
1,497 |
0.58 |
2.1 |
20.1 |
23.1 |
20.4 |
|
8(2) |
0 |
2.3 |
4.2 |
2.3 |
||
|
TOTAL(3) |
27,731 |
0.63 |
3.3 |
336.7 |
714.7 |
345.2 |
- Equal gold calculation is predicated on base case metallic costs
- Residual leaching manufacturing solely
- Values are rounded and should not sum completely
Desk 5 reveals the important thing manufacturing parameters for the mine and processing models used within the technology of the manufacturing and money circulation profiles.
Desk 5: Key Mining and Processing Manufacturing Parameters
|
LOM |
|
|
Mining |
|
|
Complete Waste Tonnes Mined (Mt) |
42.9 |
|
Complete Processed Tonnes Mined (Mt) |
27.7 |
|
Complete Tonnes Mined (Mt) |
70.6 |
|
Heap Restoration – Gold |
|
|
Santa Fe Oxide |
71% |
|
Santa Fe Transition |
49% |
|
Calvada Oxide |
71% |
|
Calvada Transition |
45% |
|
Slab Oxide |
50% |
|
York Oxide |
60% |
|
York Transition |
45% |
|
Heap Restoration – Silver |
|
|
Santa Fe Oxide |
30% |
|
Santa Fe Transition |
30% |
|
Calvada Oxide |
13% |
|
Calvada Transition |
0% |
|
Slab Oxide |
12% |
|
York Oxide |
0% |
|
York Transition |
0% |
Mining and Processing
The mineralized materials might be mined by customary open-pit mining strategies utilizing a contractor-owned and operated mining fleet consisting of 92-tonne haul vehicles and 11.5-m3 loading models and transported to the crushing circuit for processing.
Mineralized materials from the Santa Fe, Calvada, Slab and York deposits might be processed by typical heap leaching strategies. The nominal processing charge might be 4.6 million tonnes each year or 12,500 tonnes per day. Three-stage crushing of the fabric to 12.7 mm, might be adopted by conveyor stacking on to a multi-lift heap leach pad. Dilute sodium cyanide resolution might be utilized to the heap, with the pregnant gold and silver-bearing resolution effluent from the heap being processed in a carbon adsorption-desorption-recovery (ADR) plant. Gold and silver might be produced within the type of doré bars from the on-site smelting course of.
Mineral Useful resource Estimation
The mineral useful resource estimate (“MRE”) was ready in accordance with the CIM Definition Requirements and Canadian Nationwide Instrument NI-43-101. The efficient date of the MRE ready by Fairness is October 9, 2024. The MRE is proven in Desk 6.
Desk 6: Undertaking-wide Assets, Santa Fe Mine, Mineral County, Nevada
Notes to Desk 6:
- Mineral Assets have an efficient date of October 9, 2024. The Mineral Useful resource Estimate for the Santa Fe Mine was ready by Trevor Rabb, P.Geo., of Fairness Exploration Consultants Ltd., an unbiased Certified Particular person as outlined by NI 43-101.
- Mineral Assets will not be Mineral Reserves and would not have demonstrated financial viability. Inferred Assets are thought-about too speculative geologically to have financial concerns utilized to them that will allow them to be labeled as Mineral Reserves. An Inferred Mineral Useful resource has a decrease stage of confidence than that making use of to an Indicated Mineral Useful resource and should not be transformed to a Mineral Reserve. It’s fairly anticipated that a lot of the Inferred Mineral Assets could possibly be upgraded to Indicated Mineral Assets with continued exploration.
- Assets are reported in accordance with NI43-101 Requirements of Disclosure for Mineral Initiatives (BCSC, 2016) and the CIM Definition Requirements for Mineral Assets and Mineral Reserves (CIM, 2014).
- Mineral Assets have been estimated for gold, silver, and gold equal (Au Eq) utilizing a mix of peculiar kriging and inverse distance cubed inside grade shell domains.
- Mineral assets are reported utilizing a cut-off grade of 0.15 g/t Au Eq for oxide assets and 0.60 g/t Au Eq for non-oxide assets. Au Eq for the aim of cut-off grade and reporting the Mineral Assets is predicated on the next assumptions gold value of US$1,950/oz gold, silver value of US$23.50/oz silver, and oxide gold recoveries starting from 45% to 79%, oxide silver recoveries starting from 10% to 30%, and non-oxide gold and silver recoveries of 71%, mining prices for useful resource and waste of US$2.50/t, processing price (oxide) US$3.49/t, processing price (non-oxide) US$25/t.
- An optimized open-pit shell was used to constrain the Mineral Useful resource and was generated utilizing Lerchs-Grossman algorithm using the next parameters: gold value of US$1,950/oz gold, silver value of US$23.50/oz silver, and promoting prices of US$29.25/oz gold. Mining prices for useful resource and waste of US$2.50/t, processing price (oxide) US$3.49/t, processing price (non-oxide) US$25/t, G&A value US$1.06/t. Royalties for the Slab, York and Calvada deposits are 1.25%, and most pit slope angles of fifty levels.
- Totals could not sum because of rounding.
Estimation Strategy: Lithology and gold and silver bearing domains have been modelled utilizing Leapfrog 2024. These domains are primarily outlined by logged jasperoid and limestone-breccia lithologies and continuity of gold grades above 0.1 g/t gold. Metallurgical domains for oxide, transition and non-oxide have been modelled based mostly on ratio of cyanide leachable gold assay values to fireside assay gold values along with drillhole logs recording abundance of pyrite and oxidation depth. Transition materials represents roughly 35% of oxide tonnes and comes nearly solely from the Santa Fe deposit. Transition area materials is included within the oxide useful resource. Domains representing lithology, weathering and mineralization fashions have been assigned to a block mannequin with a block measurement of 5 m x 5 m x 6 m. Common bulk densities consultant of the mineralization and lithology fashions have been assigned to the block mannequin and fluctuate from 2.4 t/m3 to 2.6 t/m3.
Grade capping and outlier restrictions have been utilized to gold and silver values and interpolation parameters respectively. High lower values for gold and silver have been evaluated for every area independently previous to compositing to 1.52 m lengths that honor area boundaries. Estimation was accomplished utilizing Micromine Origin with Odd Kriging (OK) and Inverse Distance cubed (ID3) interpolants. Blocks have been labeled in accordance with the 2014 CIM Definition Requirements. The nominal drillhole spacing for Indicated Mineral Assets is 50 m or much less. The nominal drillhole spacing for Inferred Mineral Assets is 100 m or much less.
Prospects for eventual financial extraction have been evaluated by performing pit optimization utilizing Lerchs-Grossman algorithm with the next parameters: gold value of US$1,950/oz gold, silver value of US$23.50/oz silver, promoting prices of US$29.25/oz gold. Mining prices for useful resource and waste of US$2.50/t, processing price (oxide) US$3.49/t, processing price (non-oxide) US$25/t, G&A value US$1.06/t. Royalties for the Slab, York and Calvada deposits are 1.25%. Most pit slope is 50 levels. Processing recoveries vary from 45% to 79% for oxide, silver recoveries vary from 10% to 30% for oxide and non-oxide gold and silver recoveries are 71%.
Extra info concerning the Santa Fe Mine undertaking’s MRE replace is included within the NI 43-101 Technical Report titled Santa Fe Undertaking Technical Report with an efficient date of October 9, 2024, Report Date: November 27, 2024*.
Certified Individuals
The certified individuals are Kenji Umeno, P.Eng. of Kappes, Cassiday & Associates; Thomas Dyer, P.E. of RESPEC; Trevor Rabb, P.Geo. and Darcy Baker, P.Geo. of Fairness Exploration Consultants Ltd. every of whom is an unbiased “Certified Particular person” underneath NI 43-101. A technical report supporting the outcomes disclosed herein might be printed inside 45 days. The efficient date of the technical report might be December 10, 2024.
About Lahontan Gold Corp.
Lahontan Gold Corp. is a Canadian mine improvement and mineral exploration firm that holds, by its US subsidiaries, 4 top-tier gold and silver exploration properties within the Walker Lane of mining pleasant Nevada. Lahontan’s flagship property, the 26.4km2 Santa Fe Mine undertaking, had previous manufacturing of 356,000 ounces of gold and 784,000 ounces of silver between 1988 and 1995 from open pit mines using heap-leach processing (Nevada Division of Minerals, www.ndomdata.com). The Santa Fe Mine has a Canadian Nationwide Instrument 43-101 compliant Indicated Mineral Useful resource of 1,539,000 oz Au Eq(grading 0.99 g/t Au Eq) and an Inferred Mineral Useful resource of 411,000 oz Au Eq (grading 0.76 g/t Au Eq), all pit constrained (Au Eq is inclusive of restoration, please see Santa Fe Undertaking Technical Report*). For extra info, please go to our web site: www.lahontangoldcorp.com
* Please see the Santa Fe Undertaking Technical Report, Authors: Trevor Rabb, P. Geo, Darcy Baker, PhD, P. Geo., and Kenji Umeno, P. Eng., Efficient Date: October 9, 2024, Report Date: November 27, 2024. The Technical Report is accessible on the Firm’s web site and SEDAR+.
On behalf of the Board of Administrators
Kimberly Ann
Founder, CEO, President, and Director
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Lahontan Gold Corp.
Kimberly Ann
Founder, Chief Government Officer, President, Director
Telephone: 1-530-414-4400
E-mail: Kimberly.ann@lahontangoldcorp.com
Web site: www.lahontangoldcorp.com
Cautionary Observe Relating to Ahead-Wanting Statements:
This information launch accommodates “forward-looking statements” and “forward-looking info” (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) inside the that means of Canadian and United States securities laws, together with the USA Non-public Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, apart from statements of historic reality, are forward-looking statements. Ahead-Wanting statements on this information launch relate to, amongst different issues: the Firm’s strategic plans; the outcomes of the PEA; the financial potential and deserves of the Undertaking; the estimated quantity and grade of mineral assets on the Undertaking; treasured metals costs; the PEA representing a viable improvement possibility for the Santa Fe Mine undertaking (“the Undertaking”); the timing and particulars of the event phases as recognized within the PEA; estimates with respect to LOM, working prices, sustaining capital prices, capex, AISC, money prices, LOM manufacturing, processing plant throughput, NPV and after-tax IRR, payback interval, manufacturing capability and different metrics; the estimated financial returns from the Undertaking; mining strategies and extraction strategies; the exploration potential of the Undertaking and its inclusion in future mining research.
These forward-looking statements replicate the Firm’s present views with respect to future occasions and are essentially based mostly upon a number of assumptions that, whereas thought-about affordable by the Firm, are inherently topic to important operational, enterprise, financial and regulatory uncertainties and contingencies. These assumptions embrace, amongst different issues: situations on the whole financial and monetary markets; tonnage to be mined and processed; grades and recoveries; costs for silver and gold remaining as estimated; foreign money change charges remaining as estimated; reclamation estimates; reliability of the up to date MRE and the assumptions upon which it’s based mostly; future working prices; costs for vitality inputs, labor, supplies, provides and providers (together with transportation); the supply of expert labor and no labor associated disruptions at any of the Firm’s operations; no unplanned delays or interruptions in scheduled manufacturing; efficiency of obtainable laboratory and different associated providers; availability of funds; all crucial permits, licenses and regulatory approvals for operations are obtained in a well timed method; the flexibility to safe and preserve title and possession to properties and the floor rights crucial for operations; and the Firm’s capability to adjust to environmental, well being and security legal guidelines. The foregoing checklist of assumptions is just not exhaustive.
Neither TSX Enterprise Alternate nor its Regulation Providers Supplier (as that time period is outlined in insurance policies of the TSX Enterprise Alternate) accepts accountability for the adequacy or accuracy of this launch. Aside from statements of historic reality, this information launch accommodates sure “forward-looking info” inside the that means of relevant securities regulation. Ahead-looking info is incessantly characterised by phrases akin to “plan”, “count on”, “undertaking”, “intend”, “imagine”, “anticipate”, “estimate” and different comparable phrases, or statements that sure occasions or situations “could” or “will” happen. Ahead-looking statements are based mostly on the opinions and estimates on the date the statements are made and are topic to quite a lot of dangers and uncertainties and different components that would trigger precise occasions or outcomes to vary materially from these anticipated within the forward-looking statements together with, however not restricted to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, together with that of the TSXV. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking info, together with components past the Firm’s management. The Firm undertakes no obligation to replace forward-looking info if circumstances or administration’s estimates or opinions ought to change besides as required by regulation. The reader is cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Extra info figuring out dangers and uncertainties that would have an effect on monetary outcomes is contained within the Firm’s filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings can be found at www.sedar.com
