Kaminak Gold Corporation Announces Positive Feasibility Study, prepared and led by JDS
After-Tax NPV 5% of C$455 million and IRR of 37 %; Average Life of Mine Annual Gold Production of 184,000 Ounces and All-In Sustaining Costs of US$550/oz Au
January 6, 2016
Vancouver, B.C. – Kaminak Gold Corporation (“Kaminak” or the “Company”) (KAM: TSX-V) is pleased to announce the results of a Feasibility Study prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) for the Company’s 100% owned Coffee Gold Project (the “Coffee Project”) located 130 km south of Dawson City in Yukon Territory, Canada. The Feasibility Study indicates that the Coffee Project represents a robust, rapid pay-back, high margin, ten year open pit mining and heap leach project that works in the current gold price environment. As such, Kaminak intends to move forward into mine permitting to support mine construction, which is planned for mid-2018. The Company is well financed ($28 million as of September 30, 2015) to undertake an aggressive work-plan in 2016 to meet these objectives.
At a gold price of US$1,150/oz and an exchange rate of C$1.00 to US$0.78, the Coffee Project base case estimate (the “Base Case”) generates an after-tax net present value (NPV) at a 5% discount rate of C$455 million and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 37%. The proposed mine will operate over an initial ten year mine-life with average annual gold production in excess of 200,000 ounces for the first five years (excluding the initial 3 month ramp-up period), and average annual life-of-mine gold production of 184,000 ounces. Initial capital expenditure to fund construction and commissioning is estimated at C$317 million, with a life-of-mine capital cost of C$478 million (including C$60 million in closure costs). The all-in sustaining cash costs (as defined per World Gold Council guidelines, less corporate G&A) is estimated to be US$550 per ounce of gold produced. The project is expected to have a significant impact on Yukon’s GDP, generating over $2 billion of gross revenue and contributing 480 permanent, high paying jobs.
Coffee Project Feasibility Study Overview
The Feasibility Study was initiated in July 2014 after the release of the Preliminary Economic Assessment in June 2014 and commenced with infill drilling, geotechnical investigations and other fieldwork to support the study. The Feasibility Study was prepared and led by JDS Energy and Mining Inc. (JDS), an established Yukon mine builder, in collaboration with a broad range of industry leading consultants.
Highlights (all currencies are reported in Canadian dollars unless otherwise specified):
A pre-tax NPV5% and IRR of $762 million and 50% respectively;
An after-tax NPV5% and IRR of $455 million and 37% respectively;
A mine life of ten years with peak annual gold production of 228,000 ounces in project Year 4 and average, steady state, annual gold production of 193,000 ounces (Years 1-9);
2,157,000 ounces of gold mined at head grade of 1.45 g/t Au (Probable Mineral Reserve of 46.4 Mt at 1.45 g/t Au, containing 2.157 Moz Au.);
1,862,000 ounces of gold produced after average metallurgical gold recoveries of 86.3%;
Total cash cost estimated at US$482 /oz Au (including royalties, refining and transport) and an all-in sustaining cost (as defined by the World Gold Council less Corporate G&A) estimated at US$550/oz Au, generating an operating margin of US$600/oz or 52%;
Initial and sustaining capital costs, including contingency, for a 100% owner-operated mine are estimated at $317 million and $161 million (including $60 million in closure costs) respectively; and
A payback of 1.5 years pre-tax and 2.0 years after-tax after the commencement of first commercial gold production;
The full press release can be found here:
http://www.kaminak.com/news_releases/index.php?&content_id=648