TIDMCNR
RNS Number : 1312H
Condor Gold PLC
22 November 2022
Condor Gold plc
7/8 Innovation Place
Douglas Drive
Godalming
Surrey
GU7 1JX
Tel: +44 (0) 207 493 2784
22 November 2022
Condor Gold Plc
("Condor" or the "Company")
Condor Gold Provides a Strategy Update and Appoints Advisor to
Sell the Assets
Condor Gold (AIM: CNR; TSX: COG) announces that following a
robust and economically attractive Bankable Feasibility Study also
known as a Feasibility Study on the La India open pit it has
appointed Hannam and Partners to seek a buyer for the assets of the
Company. On 26 October 2022, a Feasibility Study Technical Report
was filed on SEDAR titled Condor Gold Technical Report on the La
India Gold Project, Nicaragua, 2022 dated October 25, 2022 (2022
FS) and is also available on the Company's website
www.condorgold.com
Mark Child, Chief Executive of Condor Gold, commented:
"Condor Gold has de-risked the La India Gold Project to a near
construction-ready status with an 18 month construction period from
receipt of project financing. The Board has reviewed the Company's
options including going through a financing and construction phase
as a single asset, single jurisdiction company with no existing
gold production and has concluded it is in the best interests of
the Company and all stakeholders to sell the assets of the Company
to a gold producer with mine building expertise, thus ensuring a
new mine at La India, a significant investment in the local area
and a regeneration of the local communities.
The Company's strategy has been successfully executed,
de-risking the assets so that a mine can be developed in 2 stages
using the new SAG Mill that has already been purchased. The Company
owns approximately 1,000 hectares of land over the area of the mine
site infrastructure and has the key permits to construct and
operate the mine. The delivery of a robust and economically
attractive Feasibility Study on the single La India open pit
demonstrates an average of 81,524 oz gold per annum for the initial
6 years for a relatively low total upfront capital cost of US$106
Million. Two additional permitted high grade feeder pits can be
added during the early years of production thus increasing early
production to over 100,000 oz gold p.a. with a stage 2 expansion to
150,000 oz gold p.a. as detailed in the October 2021 PEA."
Background
The Company's principal asset is La India Project, Nicaragua,
which comprises of a large, highly prospective land package of 588
sq km comprising of 12 contigious and adjacent concessions. La
India Project hosts a high grade Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE")
of 9,672 kt at 3.5g/t gold for 1,088,000 oz gold in the indicated
mineral resource category and 8,642 kt at 4.3 g/t gold for
1,190,000 oz gold in the inferred mineral resource category. The
open pit MRE is 8,693 kt at 3.2 g/t gold for 893,000 oz gold in the
indicated mineral resource category and 3,026 kt at 3.0 g/t gold
for 291,000 oz gold in the inferred mineral resource category.
Total underground MRE is 979 kt at 6.2 g/t gold for 194,000 oz gold
in the indicated mineral resource category and 5,615 kt at 5.0 g/t
gold for 898,000 oz gold in the inferred mineral resource
category.
Other assets include approximately 1,000 hectares of land
purchased for the mine site infrastructure for circa US$4.2M and a
new SAG Mill package purchased for US$6.5M.
The 2022 FS was completed on La India vein set open pit only,
which has a MRE of 8,487 kt at 3.0g/t gold in for 827,000 oz gold
in the indicated mineral resource category and 893 Kt at 2.4 g/t
gold for 69,000 oz gold in the inferred mineral resource
category.
The 2022 FS produced a Probable Mineral Reserve of 7.3Mt at
2.56g/t gold for 602,000 oz gold. Production averages 81,545 oz
gold per annum for the first 6 years of an 8.4 year mine life. Low
initial capital requirement of US$105.5 million (including
contingency and EPCM contract) and low average Life of Mine All-in
Sustaining Cash costs (AISC) at US$1,039 per oz gold
On 25 October 2021, the Company announced the results of a
Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) and filed on SEDAR a
technical report entitled "Condor Gold Technical Report on the La
India Gold Project, Nicaragua, 2021" detailing average annual
production of 150,000 oz of gold over the initial 9 years of
production from open pit and underground Mineral Resources and
provides an indication of a production target. Outside the main La
India open pit Mineral Reserve, there are additional open pit
Mineral Resources on four deposits (America, Mestiza, Central
Breccia and Cacao) which represent an aggregate 206 Kt at 9.9 g/t
gold for 66,000 oz in the indicated Mineral Resource category and
2.1Mt at 3.3 g/t gold for 223,000 oz gold in the inferred Mineral
Resource category. In addition, there is an aggregate underground
Mineral Resource (La India, America, Mestiza, Central Breccia San
Lucas, Cristalito-Tatescame, and Cacao) of 979Kt at 6.2 g/t for
194,000 oz gold in the indicated Mineral Resource category and
5.6Mt at 5.0 g/t gold for 898,000 oz gold in the inferred Mineral
Resource category.
- Ends -
For further information please visit www.condorgold.com or
contact:
Condor Gold plc Mark Child, CEO
+44 (0) 20 7493 2784
Beaumont Cornish Limited Roland Cornish and James Biddle
+44 (0) 20 7628 3396
SP Angel Corporate Finance Ewan Leggat
LLP +44 (0) 20 3470 0470
H&P Advisory Limited Andrew Chubb and Nilesh Patel
+44 207 907 8500
Adelaide Capital (Investor Deborah Honig
Relations) +1-647-203-8793
About Condor Gold plc:
Condor Gold plc was admitted to AIM in May 2006 and dual listed
on the TSX in January 2018. The Company is a gold exploration and
development company with a focus on Nicaragua.
The 2020 FS was filed on SEDAR on 26 October 2022 and replaces
the previously reported Preliminary Economic Assessment titled
Condor Gold Technical Report on the La India Gold Project,
Nicaragua, 2021 dated October 2021 ("2021 PEA") as presented in the
Technical Report filed on SEDAR in October 2021 as the current
technical report for the La India project.
The 2021 PEA considered the expanded Project inclusive of the
exploitation of the Mineral Resources associated to the La India,
Mestiza, America and Central Breccia deposits. The strategic study
covers two scenarios: Scenario A, in which the mining is undertaken
from four open pits, termed La India, America, Mestiza and Central
Breccia Zone ("CBZ"), which targets a plant feed rate of 1.225
million tonnes per annum ("Mtpa"); and Scenario B, where the mining
is extended to include three underground operations at La India,
America and Mestiza, in which the processing rate is increased to
1.4 Mtpa. The 2021 PEA Scenario B presented a post-tax, post
upfront capital expenditure NPV of US$418 million, with an IRR of
54% and 12 month pay-back period, assuming a US$1,700 per oz gold
price, with average annual production of 150,000 oz gold per annum
for the initial 9 years of gold production. The open pit mine
schedules were optimised from designed pits, bringing higher grade
gold forward resulting in average annual production of 157,000 oz
gold in the first 2 years from open pit material and underground
mining funded out of cashflow. The 2021 PEA Scenario A presented a
post-tax, post upfront capital expenditure NPV of US$302 million,
with an IRR of 58% and 12 month pay-back period, assuming a
US$1,700 per oz gold price, with average annual production of
approximately 120,000 oz gold per annum for the initial 6 years of
gold production. The Mineral Resource estimate and associated
Preliminary Economic Assessment contained in the 2021 PEA are
considered a historical estimate within the meaning of NI 43-101, a
qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify such
historical estimate as current, and the Company is not treating the
historical Mineral Resource estimate and associated studies as
current, and the reader is cautioned not to rely upon this data as
such. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have
demonstrated economic viability. The Company believes that the
historical Mineral Resource estimate and Preliminary Economic
assessment is relevant to the continuing development of the La
India Project.
In August 2018, the Company announced that the Ministry of the
Environment in Nicaragua had granted the Environmental Permit
("EP") for the development, construction and operation of a
processing plant with capacity to process up to 2,800 tonnes per
day at its wholly-owned La India gold Project ("La India Project").
The EP is considered the master permit for mining operations in
Nicaragua. Condor has purchased a new SAG Mill, which has mainly
arrived in Nicaragua. Site clearance and preparation is at an
advanced stage.
Environmental Permits were granted in April and May 2020 for the
Mestiza and America open pits respectively, both located close to
La India. The Mestiza open pit hosts 92 Kt at a grade of 12.1 g/t
gold (36,000 oz contained gold) in the Indicated Mineral Resource
category and 341 Kt at a grade of 7.7 g/t gold (85,000 oz contained
gold) in the Inferred Mineral Resource category. The America open
pit hosts 114 Kt at a grade of 8.1 g/t gold (30,000 oz) in the
Indicated Mineral Resource category and 677 Kt at a grade of 3.1
g/t gold (67,000 oz) in the Inferred Mineral Resource category.
Following the permitting of the Mestiza and America open pits,
together with the La India open pit Condor has 1.12 M oz gold open
pit Mineral Resources permitted for extraction.
Disclaimer
Neither the contents of the Company's website nor the contents
of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Company's website
(or any other website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this
announcement.
Qualified Persons
The technical and scientific information in this press release
has been reviewed, verified and approved by Andrew Cheatle, P.Geo.,
a director of Condor Gold plc, and Gerald D. Crawford, P.E., the
Chief Technical Officer of Condor Gold plc, each of whom is a
"qualified person" as defined by NI 43-101.
Technical Information
Certain disclosure contained in this news release of a
scientific or technical nature has been reviewed by t he Qualified
Persons responsible for their respective components of the 2022 FS
as defined below:
-- On behalf of SRK: Dr Tim Lucks of SRK Consulting (UK)
Limited, Mr Fernando Rodrigues and Mr Ben Parsons of SRK Consulting
(U.S.) Inc., Mr Parsons assumes responsibility for the Mineral
Resource Estimate, Mr Fernando Rodrigues for the Mineral Reserve
estimate and the open pit mining study and production schedule, and
Dr Lucks for the oversight of the remaining SRK technical
disciplines.
-- On behalf of Hanlon: Mike Rockandel for the Process design
and Project Infrastructure and corresponding operating and capital
costs.
-- On Behalf of Tierra Group: Justin Knudsen P.E. for the
tailings waste management and La Simona water attenuation structure
design.
Forward Looking Statements
All statements in this press release, other than statements of
historical fact, are 'forward-looking information' with respect to
the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws,
including statements with respect to: future development and
production plans, projected capital and operating costs, mine life
and production rates, metal or mineral recovery estimates, Mineral
Resource, Mineral Reserve estimates at the La India Project, the
potential to convert Mineral Resources into Mineral Reserves. the
Company's plans to sell the assets of the Company or seek
alternatives to an asset sale and the construction timeline of the
La India project upon receipt of financing. Forward-looking
information is often, but not always, identified by the use of
words such as: "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue",
"strategies", "estimate", "expect", "project", "predict",
"potential", "targeting", "intends", "believe", "potential",
"could", "might", "will" and similar expressions. Forward-looking
information is not a guarantee of future performance and is based
upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management at the
date the statements are made including, among others, assumptions
regarding: future commodity prices and royalty regimes;
availability of skilled labour; timing and amount of capital
expenditures; future currency exchange and interest rates; the
impact of increasing competition; general conditions in economic
and financial markets; availability of drilling and related
equipment; effects of regulation by governmental agencies; the
receipt of required permits; royalty rates; future tax rates;
future operating costs; availability of future sources of funding;
ability to obtain financing and assumptions underlying estimates
related to adjusted funds from operations. Many assumptions are
based on factors and events that are not within the control of the
Company and there is no assurance they will prove to be
correct.
Such forward-looking information involves known and unknown
risks, which may cause the actual results to be materially
different from any future results expressed or implied by such
forward-looking information, including, risks related to: mineral
exploration, development and operating risks; estimation of
mineralisation and resources; environmental, health and safety
regulations of the resource industry; competitive conditions;
operational risks; liquidity and financing risks; funding risk;
exploration costs; uninsurable risks; conflicts of interest; risks
of operating in Nicaragua; government policy changes; ownership
risks; permitting and licencing risks; artisanal miners and
community relations; difficulty in enforcement of judgments; market
conditions; stress in the global economy; current global financial
condition; exchange rate and currency risks; commodity prices;
reliance on key personnel; dilution risk; payment of dividends; as
well as those factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in
the Company's annual information form for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2021 dated March 29, 2022 and available under the
Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com .
Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors
that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ
materially from those described in forward-looking information,
there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results
not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no
assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual
results and future events could differ materially from those
anticipated in such statements. The Company disclaims any intention
or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information,
whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise
unless required by law.
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