Stock Symbol: SGF: TSX
SASKATOON, SK, June 25, 2014 /CNW/ - George H. Read, P. Geo., Senior Vice President Exploration and
Development of Shore Gold Inc. ("Shore" or the "Company") is pleased to
announce that the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency ("CEAA" or
the "Agency") has released the final Comprehensive Study Report
("CSR"), for public comment. CEAA is the lead agency for the Federal
government and Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment ("Ministry") is the
lead agency on behalf of the Province, which are jointly conducting the
environmental assessment of the proposed Star - Orion South Diamond
Project ("Project"), a diamond mining and processing facility to be
developed within the Fort à la Corne Provincial Forest in Saskatchewan.
The CSR contains CEAA's conclusions about the potential environmental
effects of the Project, based on information presented in Shore's
Revised Environmental Impact Statement ("REIS") and supplemental
information submitted to the Agency in September 2012, April, June,
August, December 2013, April and May 2014. Within the CSR, CEAA
concludes that the Project is not likely to cause significant adverse
environmental effects when the implementation of proposed mitigation
measures is taken into account. The CSR will be used to inform the
Minister of Environment's environmental assessment decision for the
Project.
The Agency invites the public to comment on information contained in the
CSR, including the Agency's determination of significance of potential
environmental effects of the Project. The preparation of the CSR and
public comment period are steps in the Federal Comprehensive Study type
environmental assessment process for the Project. The Minister of
Environment will take into consideration the CSR and all comments
received and will issue an environmental assessment decision statement,
stating if the Project is likely to cause significant adverse
environmental effects, and if those effects are justified, considering
the potential benefits of the Project. The CSR is available in print at
locations in Prince Albert and Melfort, Saskatchewan, as well as
on-line. The Agency announcement of the public review of the CSR, and a
link to the CSR, are available on the Major Projects Management Office
("MPMO") website at:
https://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/050/documents-eng.cfm?evaluation=46277&type=5.
Senior Vice President Exploration and Development, George Read, states:
"The CSR outlines the Agency's conclusions that the Project is not
likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects. We have made
significant progress to reach this advanced stage of the assessment
process and look forward to the Minister's decision."
The Executive Summary of the Revised EIS can be viewed on the company's
website: www.shoregold.com.
The Star-Orion South Diamond Project is located in central Saskatchewan
some 60 kilometres east of the city of Prince Albert. The Project is in
close proximity to established infrastructure, including paved highways
and the electrical power grid, which provide significant advantages for
future mine development. The NI 43-101 compliant Technical Report on
the Feasibility Study and Updated Mineral Reserve for the Star-Orion
South Diamond Project dated July 14, 2011 provided an updated Mineral
Reserve Estimate for the Star and Orion South kimberlite deposits:
Probable Mineral Reserves of 279 million tonnes containing 34.4 million
carats of diamonds at a weighted average price of US$242 per carat,
that can be profitably mined over 20 years. In addition to the Mineral
Reserve Estimate, the Star and Orion South Kimberlites have been
estimated to include Inferred Resources containing 15.7 million carats.
The Project includes a four-year construction period followed by the
excavation of two open-pit mines and processing of approximately
45,000 tonnes of kimberlite rock per day over a projected 20-year
period. Shore's plans for decommissioning include progressive
reclamation activities beginning within five years from the start of
construction and will continue beyond the operations phase of the
Project.
In March 2014 an estimate was made of the Target for Further Exploration
("TFFE", formerly known as "Potential Mineral Deposit") for five
partially evaluated kimberlites and the portions of the Star and Orion
South Kimberlites, which fall outside the Indicated and Inferred
Resources previously estimated (see SGF News Release July 14, 2011).
The TFFE for these seven Fort à la Corne Kimberlites is estimated to
include between 983 million and 1.17 billion tonnes of kimberlite
containing between 52 and 90 million carats of diamonds. The TFFE is
conceptual in nature and is not a Mineral Resource and it is uncertain
whether further exploration work will result in the TFFE being
delineated as a Mineral Resource.
Shore is a Canadian based corporation engaged in the acquisition,
exploration and development of mineral properties. Shares of the
Company trade on the TSX Exchange under the trading symbol "SGF".
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined by
certain securities laws, including the "safe harbour" provisions of
Canadian securities legislation and the United States Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking information
is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as
"anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "forecast",
"target", "project", "guidance", "may", "will", "should", "could",
"estimate", "predict" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or
language suggesting an outlook. In particular, statements regarding
Shore's future operations, future exploration and development
activities or other development plans constitute forward-looking
statements. By their nature, statements referring to mineral reserves,
mineral resources or TFFE constitute forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not
limited to TFFE; the range of quantity, range of grade and range of
carats for the TFFE; mineral resource estimate for the Star and Orion
South kimberlite deposits; inferred resources for the Star and Orion
South kimberlite deposits; range of tons of kimberlites not included in
the TFFE; the aim of Shore to undertake additional microdiamond studies
and the potential upgrading of inferred to indicated resources.
These forward-looking statements are based on Shore's current beliefs as
well as assumptions made by and information currently available to it
and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and
specific.
Risks exist that forward-looking statements will not be achieved due to
a number of factors including, but not limited to, developments in
world diamond markets, changes in diamond prices, risks relating to
fluctuations in the Canadian dollar and other currencies relative to
the US dollar, changes in exploration, development or mining plans due
to exploration results and changing budget priorities of Shore or its
joint venture partners, the effects of competition in the markets in
which Shore operates, the impact of changes in the laws and regulations
regulating mining exploration, development, closure, judicial or
regulatory judgments and legal proceedings, operational and
infrastructure risks and the additional risks described in Shore's most
recently filed Annual Information Form, annual and interim MD&A.
Shore's anticipation of and success in managing the foregoing risks
could cause actual results to differ materially from what is
anticipated in such forward-looking statements.
Although management considers the assumptions contained in
forward-looking statements to be reasonable based on information
currently available to it, those assumptions may prove to be incorrect.
When making decisions with respect to Shore, investors and others
should not place undue reliance on these statements and should
carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and
potential events. Unless required by applicable securities law, Shore
does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that is made
herein.
SOURCE Shore Gold Inc.
