Production NEWS
K92 Mining produces 19,170 oz AuEq in Q3
2019-10-08 06:51 ET - News Release
Mr. John Lewins reports
K92 MINING ANNOUNCES THIRD QUARTER RESULTS FROM THE KAINANTU GOLD MINE WITH GOLD EQUIVALENT PRODUCTION 14% ABOVE BUDGET
K92 Mining Inc.'s production in the third quarter exceeded budget by 14 per cent, with 19,170 ounces gold equivalent produced for the quarter at its Kainantu gold mine in Papua New Guinea.
During Q3, K92 produced 18,636 oz of gold, 209,287 pounds of copper and 5,284 oz of silver or 19,170 AuEq oz (based on a gold price of US$1,300/oz; silver price of US$16.50/oz; copper price of US$2.90/lb). Production for the first three quarters of 2019 is a record of 56,741 oz of gold or 58,610 AuEq oz, compared to production of 47,237 for the entire year in 2018. Recoveries for the first three quarters of 2019 averaged 93.7% for gold and 92.8% copper.
Mining operations in Q3 continued to focus on Kora North and comprised cut and fill stope mining from the K1 vein at the 1,185 and 1,205 mRL level as well as development tonnes from the K1 vein on the 1,170 mRL level.
The blend of primarily K1 material provided an average head grade to the process plant for Q3 of 19.2 g/t Au and 0.32% Cu. The gold head grade was above and the copper grade below the anticipated long-term average grades. The above average gold grades are the result of a combination of lower dilution being achieved in the stope and development mining combined with a higher proportion of K1 treated during the quarter, while the below budget copper grades are the result of treating a higher proportion of K1.
Importantly, the above budget production was achieved despite a number of interruptions to underground mine operations due to upgrading of underground infrastructure and mining of three bypasses in the main incline associated with the expansion project. Some interruption in plant operations was also experienced during the quarter due to installation and commissioning of the gravity circuit.
Financial details and a potential update of the annual production guidance for 2019 will be available in the Company's upcoming Q3 Financial Report.
Table 1 {&#A A ; –} Q3 & YTD 2019 and 2018 Annual Production Data 2018 TotalQ1 2019Q2 2019Q3 20192019 YTD Tonnes Processed T 79,487 26,846 37,913 32,094 96,854 Feed Grade Au g/t 19.1 23.6 16.7 19.2 19.5 Feed Grade Cu % 0.38 % 0.48% 0.34% 0.32 % 0.37 % Recovery (%) Au % 93.7 % 93.7% 93.2% 94.1 % 93.7 % Recovery (%) Cu % 92.9 % 93.9% 92.5% 92.1 % 92.8 % Metal in Conc Prod Au Oz 45,810 19,125 18,980 18,636 56,741 Metal in Conc Prod Cu T 277.27 119.78 118.73 94.94 333.45 Metal in Conc Prod Ag Oz 10,069 5,564 6,894 5,284 17,742 Gold Equivalent Production*Oz 47,237 19,788 19,652 19,170 58,610
John Lewins, K92 Chief Executive Officer and Director, stated, "The production results for the third quarter reflect the robustness of the Kora North deposit and the ability of the team at Kainantu to deliver on operational performance, while also focusing on major capital and infrastructure projects for the expansion. The plant treated 32,094 tonnes at a head grade of 19.2 g/t Au, resulting in production of 19,170 oz AuEq, which was 14% above budget. The mine has now produced 58,610 oz AuEq in the first three quarters of 2019, surpassing the 47,237 oz AuEq for the entire 2018, and is well on target to meet our increased guidance of 72,000 to 80,000 oz AuEq for 2019.
The Company continued to work on the expansion of the Kora/Kora North Resource, with the two surface and three underground rigs operating on the mine lease and 30 holes completed during the quarter.
I am also extremely pleased to report that there were no lost time injuries during the quarter, extending our period without a lost time injury to 40 months."
During Q1 the Company announced the commencement of the expansion of the Kainantu Gold Mine in Papua New Guinea, with a goal of doubling current capacity to 400,000 tonnes per annum and increasing annual production to an average of 120,000 ounces of gold equivalent (oz AuEq).
Based on the preliminary economic assessment ("PEA") published in January 2019, the major results from the decision to expand production include:
Total Capital Expenditure for 2019 is projected to be US$30 million, comprising US$12 million in expansion capital, US$8 million in sustaining capital and US$10 million in capital development; Production is projected to be 68-75,000 oz AuEq in 2019 and 115-125,000 oz AuEq in 2020; Cash Costs are expected to be between US$580 and US$620 per oz AuEq, and All in Sustaining Costs ("AISC") are expected to be US$780 to US$820 per oz AuEq in 2019, dropping to Cash Costs below US$500 per oz AuEq and AISC below US$700 per oz AuEq in 2020; Employment is expected to increase from the current 650 to 750 by the end of 2019, and to 800 by the end of 2020, with over 96% of all positions in-site being filled by PNG Nationals; Based on the results of the PEA:
? Total production over the next 13 years would be 1.33 million oz gold and 130 million lbs copper;
? Total Revenue for the period would be over US$2 billion;
? Royalty payments for the period would be US$50 million;
? Tax paid to PNG Government for the period, from payroll and corporate tax, would total US$300 million;
? Total sustaining capital of US$202 million would be required over the 13-year period; and
? Net Cashflow would be US$1.03 billion, the Net Present Value ("NPV5") would be US$710 million pre-tax, or US$559 million after tax, and the Internal Rate of Return ("IRR") would be in excess of 350%.
The PEA is preliminary in nature and 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 PEA will be realized. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The Company's decision to expand production is not based on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating the economic and technical viability of the expansion. As a result, there is increased uncertainty of the economic and technical risks of failure associated with the decision.
K92 engaged H and S Consultants Pty Ltd to complete a Mineral Resource Estimate for the Kora North Deposit (Table 1). This resource together with the previously reported Kora Mineral Resource Estimate dated March 2017 (Table 2) provide the resource base for the updated PEA.
K92 engaged Mincore Pty Ltd ("Mincore") to complete the PEA for the expansion of the existing processing plant to double its capacity to approximately 400,000 tonnes per annum. The study found that the current crushing, milling and concentrate handling circuits have sufficient capacity to treat the Kora mine material at a rate of 400,000 tpa, subject to upgrading the crushing and flotation circuits and plant services. The estimated total cost of such expansion and upgrading would be US$3.7 million, including EPC and commissioning with a contingency of 10%.
The technical report containing the PEA, titled, "Independent Technical Report, Mineral Resources Estimate Update and Preliminary Economic Assessment of Kora North and Kora Gold Deposits, Kainantu Project, Papua New Guinea" with an effective date of September 30, 2018 (the "Technical Report") was prepared by Anthony Woodward BSc (Hons.), M.Sc., MAIG, Simon Tear BSc (Hons), EurGeol, PGeo IGI, EurGeol, Christopher Desoe BE (Min)(Hons), FAusIMM, RPEQ, MMICA, Lisa J. Park, BEng (Chem), GAICD, FAusIMM. Refer to the Company's news release dated January 8, 2018 for a summary of the results of the PEA. The PEA can be found under the Company's profile on SEDAR.
The Company engaged Australian Mine and Development Pty Ltd ("AMDAD") to undertake the PEA mine plan for Kora and Kora North, which involved:
applying financial and processing parameters to determine cut-off grades for stope design; generating three-dimensional stope shapes and mining inventory using the CAE Mineable Shape Optimiser (MSO) program; creating a conceptual development layout to suit the MSO inventory; producing a project cash-flow model; and producing a simple mining schedule as input to the cash-flow model.
The key results from the PEA for the combined Kora North and Kora deposits are as follows:
Could have a 13-year operating life and treat 4.9 million tonnes @ 9.0 g/t Au, 20 g/t Ag & 1.3% Cu (11.0 g/t Au Eq*); Could achieve an estimated pre-tax NPV of US$710 million (US$559 million after-tax) using current metal prices, exchange rate and a 5% discount rate; Initial capital cost estimated to be US$13.6 million, including US$3.7 million for the plant upgrade identified in the Mincore Scoping Study; The additional combined development and sustaining capital cost is estimated at US$202 million spent over the life of mine; Operating cost per tonne estimated to be US$163/tonne for the first five years and US$153/tonne thereafter; Cash cost estimated to be US$429/oz Au Eq (inclusive of a 2.5% Net Smelter Royalty) and AISC of US$615/oz Au Eq; Production of an estimated 135,000 Au oz and 2,100 Cu tonnes over a 5-year period from 2019 through to 2023, with average production of 90,000 Au oz and 6,500 Cu tonnes for the balance of the life of mine; and Current metal prices used were: Au - US$1,300/oz; Ag {&#A A ; –} US$15/oz; Cu {&#A A ; –} US$2.90/lb.
*AuEq {&#A A ; –} calculated on above Current Metal Prices.
The Kora North resource estimate was defined after just twelve months of underground exploration drilling.
Table 2 - Kora North Mineral Resource Estimate Global Mineral Resources Kora North Gold-Copper Mine - October 2018 Category Tonnes Gold Silver Copper AuEq Mt g/t Mozs g/t Mozs % Mlbs g/t Mozs Measured 0.15 18.7 0.09 8.9 0.04 0.5 1.6 19.6 0.09 Indicated 0.69 11.6 0.26 14.1 0.31 0.8 11.8 12.9 0.29 Total M & I 0.85 12.9 0.35 13.1 0.36 0.7 13.3 14.1 0.39 Inferred Total 1.92 10.7 0.66 13.3 0.82 0.7 29.5 11.9 0.74 M in table is millions.
The Mineral Resources estimate was prepared and verified by Simon Tear (PGEO), consultant to the Company and a director of independent consultancy of H & S Consultants Pty. Ltd., Sydney, Australia (October 2018).
Key Assumptions and Parameters of Kora and Kora North Resource Estimate
Mineralization comprises two parallel, steeply west dipping, N-S striking quartz-sulphide vein systems, K1 & K2, within an encompassing dilatant structural zone hosted by phyllite. An additional structure, the Kora Link, has also been defined and provides a possible link between the two main vein systems.
Underground drilling consists of diamond core for a range of core sizes depending on length of hole and expected ground conditions. Sampling is sawn half core under geological control and generally ranges between 0.5m and 1m. Underground face sampling is completed for every fired round and is to industry standard.
QAQC data indicated no significant issues with the accuracy of the on-site analysis.
Core recovery of the mineral zone was initially 90%, this has improved to >95%. There is no relationship between core recovery and gold grade. Geological logging is consistent and is based on a full set of logging codes covering lithology, alteration and mineralization.
The geological interpretation of the vein systems is represented as 3D wireframe solids snapped to a combination of diamond drillhole data and underground face sampling. Definition of the wireframes is based on identified gold mineralisation in drillcore nominally at a 0.2g/t Au cut off in conjunction with geological control/sense and current mining widths.
Gold Equivalent (AuEq) g/t was calculated using the formula Au g/t +(Cu% x 1.53) + Ag g/t x 0.0127. (No account of metal recoveries through the plant have been used in calculating the metal equivalent grade. However, production is currently achieving 93% metal recovery for both gold and copper and gold is currently providing 95% and copper 5% of the total revenue of the mine).
Gold price US$1,300/oz; Silver US$16.5/oz; Copper US$2.90/lb.
The mineral resource estimate for the Kora deposit is based on the technical report prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 {&#A A ; –} Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), and titled, "Mineral Resource Update and Preliminary Economic Assessment of Irumafimpa and Kora Gold Deposits, Kainantu Project, Papua New Guinea," with an effective date of March 2, 2017. This provides additional information on the geology of the deposits, drilling and sampling procedures, lab analysis, and quality assurance/quality control for the project, and additional details on the resource estimates. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.
Irumafimpa and Kora/Eutompi Resource Estimates Resourceby Deposit and Category Deposit ResourceCategory Tonnes Gold Silver Copper Gold Equiv Mt g/t Moz g/t Moz % Mlb g/t Moz Irumafimpa Indicated 0.56 12.8 0.23 9 0.16 0.28 37 13.4 0.24 Inferred 0.53 10.9 0.19 9 0.16 0.27 74 11.5 0.20 Kora/Eutompi Inferred 4.36 7.3 1.02 35 4.9 2.23 215 11.2 1.57 Total Indicated 0.56 12.8 0.23 9 0.16 0.3 4.0 13.4 0.24 Total Inferred 4.89 7.7 1.21 32 5.06 2.0 218 11.2 1.76 M in table is millions. Reported tonnage and grade figures are rounded from raw estimates to reflect the order of accuracy of the estimate. Minor variations may occur during the addition of rounded numbers. Gold equivalents are calculated as AuEq = Au g/t + Cu%*1.52+ Ag g/t*0.0141.
K92 Mine Geology Manager and Mine Exploration Manager, Mr. Andrew Kohler, PGeo, a Qualified Person under the meaning of Canadian National Instrument 43-101 {&#A A ; –} Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and is responsible for the technical content of this news release. Data verification by Mr. Kohler includes significant time onsite reviewing drill core, face sampling, underground workings and discussing work programs and results with geology and mining personnel.
About K92
K92 Mining Inc. is engaged in the production of gold, copper and silver from the Kora and Kora North deposits of the Kainantu Gold Mine in the Eastern Highlands province of Papua New Guinea, as well as exploration and development of mineral deposits in the immediate vicinity of the mine. The Company declared commercial production from Kainantu in February 2018 and has commenced an expansion of the mine. An updated Preliminary Economic Assessment on the property was published in January 2019. K92 is operated by a team of mining company professionals with extensive international mine-building and operational experience.
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