Gran Colombia Reports First Quarter 2020 Gold Production and Update On April Production Expectations
April 14 2020 - 6:00AM
Gran Colombia Gold Corp. (TSX: GCM; OTCQX: TPRFF) announced today
that it produced a total of 19,072 ounces of gold in March bringing
the total for the first quarter of 2020 to 56,247 ounces compared
with 60,601 ounces in the first quarter of 2019.
Lombardo Paredes, Chief Executive Officer of
Gran Colombia, commenting on the Company’s latest production
results, said, “While we are pleased with our first quarter 2020
production, it came in slightly lower than expected due to the
impact of the national quarantine in Colombia on Segovia’s
production in the final week of March. We continue to operate at
both Segovia and Marmato in April but at reduced production rates
compared to normal as the national quarantine has limited the
number of available workers in both operations. In the second half
of April, we expect to see an increase in the number of workers at
both operations compared to the first half of the month, but we are
continuing to proceed with caution, ensuring all safety measures
remain in effect and limiting discretionary capital and operating
expenditures. At March 31, 2020, Gran Colombia’s cash position
stood at US$81.6 million and Caldas Gold had a cash position of
US$14.0 million. Both companies remain well financed to weather the
challenges during the COVID-19 situation and to advance progress on
their core business objectives.”
The Segovia Operations processed an average of
1,287 tonnes per day (“tpd”) in March 2020 with an average head
grade of 14.7 g/t resulting in gold production of 16,933 ounces.
This brought Segovia’s total production for the first quarter of
2020 to 50,346 ounces compared with 54,386 ounces in the first
quarter of 2019. In the first quarter of 2020, the Segovia
Operations processed an average of 1,284 tpd, up from 1,112 tpd in
the first quarter last year, at an average head grade of 14.9 g/t.
Segovia’s first quarter 2019 production had benefitted from
material sourced from some very high grade stopes at the
Providencia mine which had had boosted Segovia’s head grade in the
first quarter of 2019 to 18.8 g/t while Segovia’s average head
grade for all of 2019 was 16.4 g/t. As previously announced, in
response to COVID-19, the Colombian government implemented a
national quarantine which went into effect on March 25, 2020.
Although operations at Segovia have continued, the quarantine has
placed limitations on the number of available workers, including
the contract miners at the El Silencio and Providencia mines. Over
the final week of March, the Company used its stockpile to
complement the feed to the Maria Dama processing plant in lieu of
higher grade material from the contract miners. In April, the
Company anticipates that Segovia’s gold production will range
between 60% and 75% of normal expectations due to the continuing
restrictions affecting the availability of workers during the
month. During the slowdown, the Company is taking the opportunity
to complete some important maintenance and revamping its
infrastructure, including the crushing section of the Maria Dama
plant, a primary apique at El Silencio and installing new brakes on
the hoisting equipment at Providencia. Gran Colombia’s drilling
program at Segovia is proceeding with three of the six rigs in
operation focusing on the high priority targets at El Silencio and
Sandra K.
At the Marmato Operations owned by Caldas Gold
Corp. (TSX-V: CGC), the plant processed an average of 973 tpd in
March at an average grade of 2.5 g/t resulting in gold production
of 2,139 ounces. This brought Marmato’s total gold production for
the first quarter of 2020 to 5,901 ounces compared with 6,215
ounces in the first quarter of 2019. The previously announced
temporary explosives shortage at the beginning of the year had
limited material available for processing to an average of 696 tpd
in January 2020, about 30% below normal. This contributed to the
lower production in the first quarter of 2020 compared with the
first quarter last year as total material processed averaged 930
tpd in the first quarter of 2020 compared with an average of 1,015
tpd in the first quarter last year. Mill recovery improved to an
average of 88.6% in the first quarter of 2020 compared with 86.6%
in the first quarter last year. Mine optimization activities
continued to make progress in March. Similar to Segovia, operations
at Marmato have continued in April during the COVID-19 quarantine
but with a lower complement of workers due to the travel
restrictions between the outside communities where workers live and
Marmato. As such, Caldas Gold anticipates that April’s gold
production will range between 50% and 65% of normal expectations.
During the slowdown, Caldas Gold is taking the opportunity to
finish the optimization of the Knelson concentrator and the new
flotation cell at the processing plant which will improve its mill
recovery. With the completion of the Phase 2 drilling program in
2019 to upgrade the inferred resources in the Deeps Zone, as
announced on February 3, 2020, the work on the prefeasibility study
is proceeding as planned at this time.
About Gran Colombia Gold
Corp.
Gran Colombia is a Canadian-based mid-tier gold
producer with its primary focus in Colombia where it is currently
the largest underground gold and silver producer with several mines
in operation at its high-grade Segovia Operations. Gran Colombia
owns approximately 74% of Caldas Gold Corp., a Canadian mining
company currently advancing a prefeasibility study for a major
expansion and modernization of its underground mining operations at
its Marmato Project in Colombia. Gran Colombia’s project pipeline
includes its Zancudo Project in Colombia together with an
approximately 21% equity interest in Gold X Mining Corp. (TSXV:
GLDX) (Guyana – Toroparu) and an approximately 20% equity interest
in Western Atlas Resources Inc. (“Western Atlas”) (TSX-V: WA)
(Nunavut – Meadowbank).
Additional information on Gran Colombia can be
found on its website at www.grancolombiagold.com and by reviewing
its profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking
Information:
This news release contains "forward-looking
information", which may include, but is not limited to, statements
with respect to production guidance and anticipated business plans
or strategies. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements
can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects",
"is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts",
"intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or variations (including
negative 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
statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors which may cause the actual results, performance or
achievements of Gran Colombia to be materially different from any
future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by
the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those anticipated in these
forward-looking statements are described under the caption "Risk
Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form dated as of March
30, 2020 which is available for view on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date
of this press release and Gran Colombia disclaims, other than as
required by law, any obligation to update any forward-looking
statements whether as a result of new information, results, future
events, circumstances, or if management's estimates or opinions
should change, or otherwise. There can be no assurance that
forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual
results and future events could differ materially from those
anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader is
cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements.
For Further Information,
Contact:Mike DaviesChief Financial Officer(416)
360-4653investorrelations@grancolombiagold.com
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