Heron Resources Limited (“Heron”, “Company”, ASX:HRR and
TSX:HER) is pleased to announce the results of its Feasibility
Study (FS) for its 100% owned and fully permitted high-grade
Woodlawn Zinc-Copper Project in New South Wales, Australia. The
A$11 million study prepared under the guidance of SRK Consulting
(Australasia) Pty Ltd (SRK) supports the viability of the Starter
Case to deliver quality zinc, copper and lead concentrates to
market over a significant Reserves-based mine life. This study
underpins the Board’s decision to advance an accelerated program to
secure project finance and bring the Woodlawn Project into
production in 2018.
Feasibility Study
Highlights:
- Initial Mineral Reserves:
- Underground Polymetallic 1.8 Mt @ 16% ZnEq (8.1%
Zn, 1.2% Cu, 2.9% Pb, 0.56g/t Au, 57g/t Ag)
- Underground
Copper 1.0 Mt
@ 9% ZnEq (0.6% Zn, 2.4% Cu, 0.1% Pb, 0.23g/t Au,
14g/t Ag)
- Reclaimed
Tailings
9.5 Mt @ 6% ZnEq (2.2% Zn, 0.5% Cu, 1.3% Pb, 0.31g/t
Au, 31g/t Ag)
- “Starter Case” 9.3-year mine life based upon the combined
underground and tailings Mineral Reserves
- Inferred Mineral Resources defined in both the underground and
tailings projects demonstrate excellent potential to extend mine
life to more than 11 years
- Campaign processing rate of up to 1.0Mtpa from underground
mining, and up to 1.5Mtpa from reclaiming tailings, processed
through a common flotation facility
- Steady-state (2020-2023) annual production target of 40kt Zn,
10kt Cu, 12kt Pb, 900koz Ag and 4koz Au contained within zinc,
copper, and lead concentrates
- Starter Case financials[1]:
- Post tax net present value at a 8% discount (NPV)
A$207M
- Post tax internal rate of return (IRR)
32%
- Payback
2.3 years
- Peak cash requirement
A$163M
- Direct cash operating cost, net of by-product credits
(C1)
-US$0.06/lb payable zinc
- Significant leverage to the price outlook for zinc, which
comprises approximately 48% of total payable metal value
- First production targeted early 2018 to meet projected
favourable zinc market conditions
- Project is on granted Special Mining Lease SML20 – fully
‘permitted’, and ‘mine ready’
- Utilising existing local and regional infrastructure to achieve
significant reductions in development costs
- Close proximity to large service and employment centres
(Sydney, Wollongong, Canberra, Goulburn)
- Strong local community and regulator support
For further information, refer to Heron’s
release of the 29 June 2016 titled “Heron Resources delivers robust
Feasibility Study for Woodlawn Project” located on the Company’s
web site and SEDAR www.sedar.com (TSX:HER).
The complete NI 43-101 Technical Report in
support of the FS study will be published on Heron’s web site and
SEDAR within 45 days of this news release. While summarised
here, this Technical Report will contain expanded information with
respect to key assumptions, parameters and risks associated with
the results of the FS.
Please refer to page 10 for important
Cautionary and Forward Looking Statements that are to be read in
conjunction with this release.
Heron Resources Managing Director and CEO, Mr. Wayne
Taylor, said:
“The study presents a very compelling case for the
development of the Woodlawn Project and confirms Heron’s position
as one of the most advanced Australian near term zinc producers.
The resource and embedded low operating and competitive
development costs due to existing site infrastructure all combine
to make Woodlawn a clear choice amongst its
peers. From the outset it has been our aim to
deliver a Reserve base that allows us to bring the project online
quickly to take advantage of the significant opportunity that
exists due to favourable zinc market fundamentals. The resulting
economics place us in an ideal position to secure funding and
target first production in 2018 with significant project upside
still to be quantified. I would like to
recognise the tireless efforts of our employees and consultants who
have helped deliver this study on time and under budget. It has
been an enormous task which has been met with hard work and
enthusiasm and is a credit to the individuals
involved.” |
The Woodlawn deposit is a high-grade,
Volcanogenic Massive-Sulphide (VMS) deposit situated in New South
Wales, Australia, approximately 50km northeast of Canberra, and
250km southwest of Sydney.
The Woodlawn mine previously operated between
1978 and 1998 and reported production of 13.8Mt @ 9.1% Zn, 1.6% Cu,
3.6% Pb, 0.5g/t Au and 74g/t Ag.
The Woodlawn Project consists of two production
sources, comprising underground and tailings ore, which will be
processed through a single-sulphide flotation plant. The
Woodlawn Project benefits from an existing granted mining lease
(SML20) and major statutory project approvals. The mineral
rights and production are 100%-owned by Heron.
The Woodlawn mining lease, SML 20, and
surrounding larger exploration license, EL 7257 (179 sq km),
contain the previously producing Currawang Mine located 9 km to the
north-west of Woodlawn, and the Cowley Hills Mine located 2 km to
the north. A further 503 square kilometres are held by Heron
under exploration licenses within the district covering the highly
prospective Woodlawn felsic volcanics, the host of the VMS
mineralisation.
Mineral Resources
Underground Mineral Resource
An updated underground Mineral Resource (Table
1) has been estimated in accordance with the JORC Code (2012) and
the NI 43-101 guidelines which incorporates the results of recent
drilling programs and an extensive review of historic data.
The Mineral Resource has been reported undiluted to a lower cut-off
grade of 7% ZnEq, a value that approximates the estimated lower
cut-off grade for the mining and processing methods considered by
the FS study.
Table 1: Woodlawn Underground Mineral
Resource Estimate 2016
Reported at a 7% ZnEq lower cut-off
grade |
|
|
Type |
Resource Category |
Quantity (Mt) |
ZnEq(%) |
Zn(%) |
Cu(%) |
Pb(%) |
Au(g/t) |
Ag(g/t) |
Polymetallic |
Measured |
0.4 |
23 |
13 |
1.3 |
4.4 |
0.21 |
72 |
Polymetallic |
Indicated |
2.2 |
21 |
10 |
1.5 |
3.9 |
0.78 |
80 |
Polymetallic |
Inferred |
2.0 |
17 |
7.3 |
1.5 |
2.9 |
0.75 |
56 |
Copper |
Indicated |
1.5 |
10 |
0.8 |
2.8 |
0.2 |
0.23 |
15 |
Copper |
Inferred |
0.5 |
10 |
0.8 |
2.8 |
0.2 |
0.09 |
14 |
All Total |
Mea+Ind |
4.1 |
18 |
7.2 |
2.0 |
2.6 |
0.52 |
55 |
All Total |
Inferred |
2.5 |
15 |
5.9 |
1.8 |
2.3 |
0.61 |
47 |
Notes: 1) Please refer to the end of this
release for Qualified Persons statements; 2) ZnEq% refers to a
calculated Zn equivalent grade the formula for which is stated in
Appendix 1; Polymetallic Type refers to polymetallic massive
sulphide mineralisation with high-grade Zn and Pb; Copper Type
refers to Cu dominated massive and stringer sulphide
mineralisation; Values are rounded to two significant numbers and
some rounding related discrepancies may occur in the totals; the
Mineral Resource is reported in accordance with the guidelines set
out in the JORC Code (2012) and NI 43-101 Codes; further details of
the Mineral Resources estimation are provided in the release of the
29 June 2016 titled “Heron Resources delivers robust Feasibility
Study for Woodlawn Project” located on the Company’s web site and
SEDAR.
RECLAIMED tailings Mineral Resource
The reclaimed tailings Mineral Resource
estimate, Table 2 below, is restated here as part of this FS. It
has been previously disclosed to the market via the ASX/TSX release
titled “Heron confirms 10Mt (M+I) of High Grade Tailings at 6.2%
ZnEq within Revised JORC 2012 Mineral Resource Estimate” and dated
20 October 2015. It is summarised here as a combined total
for the three tailings dams, namely Tailings Dam North (TDN),
Tailings Dam South (TDS) and Tailings Dam West (TDW), shown in
Figure 4. The tailings consist of fine grained sulphides and
some silicate minerals derived from the processing of the Woodlawn
open-pit and underground mineralisation from the late 1970’s
through to 1998.
Table 2: Woodlawn Reclaimed Tailings
Mineral Resource Estimate 2015
Reported with no cut-off grade
applied |
|
|
Type |
Resource Category |
Quantity (Mt) |
ZnEq(%) |
Zn(%) |
Cu(%) |
Pb(%) |
Au(g/t) |
Ag(g/t) |
All Dams |
Measured |
6.6 |
6.1 |
2.3 |
0.49 |
1.3 |
0.30 |
32 |
All Dams |
Indicated |
3.2 |
6.3 |
2.2 |
0.56 |
1.4 |
0.33 |
33 |
All Dams |
Meas + Ind |
9.8 |
6.2 |
2.3 |
0.51 |
1.3 |
0.31 |
32 |
All Dams |
Inferred |
1.1 |
5.8 |
2.3 |
0.47 |
1.2 |
0.25 |
27 |
Notes: 1) The Mineral Resource estimate,
originally published on Heron’s website and SEDAR under the
NI43-101 guidelines, is entitled Woodlawn Retreatment Project
Mineral Resources Technical Report (NI43-101) with an effective
date of 30th November 2015 and authored by Mr Robin Rankin (MAusIMM
CP Geology) of independent consulting firm GeoRes Geological
Resources. Heron confirms that it is not aware of any new
information or data that materially affects the information
included in this report and that the form and context in which the
Mr Rankin’s findings are presented have not been materially
modified 2) ZnEq(%) refers to a calculated Zn equivalent grade the
formula for which is stated in Appendix 1; 3) some rounded
related discrepancies may occur in the totals.
Ore Reserves
Underground Mineral reserves
Based on the underground Mineral Resources block
model, independent consultant SRK have developed a detailed mine
plan to access and mine the resource blocks that meet the required
resource classification (Measured or Indicated) and other
parameters for inclusion in Reserves. The Mineral Reserves
calculation is based upon the Resource block model, and
incorporates stope designs, cut-off grades, geotechnical
parameters, mine recovery and dilution (planned &
unplanned). The Mineral Reserve is the basis of the ‘Starter
Case’ for the financial modelling.
Table 3: Woodlawn Underground Mineral
Reserve Estimate 2016
Type |
Reserve Category |
Quantity (Mt) |
ZnEq(%) |
Zn(%) |
Cu(%) |
Pb(%) |
Au(g/t) |
Ag(g/t) |
Polymetallic |
Proven |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Polymetallic |
Probable |
1.8 |
16 |
8.1 |
1.2 |
2.9 |
0.56 |
57 |
Copper |
Proven |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copper |
Probable |
0.96 |
8.8 |
0.61 |
2.4 |
0.13 |
0.23 |
14 |
Total |
Probable |
2.8 |
14 |
5.5 |
1.6 |
1.9 |
0.45 |
42 |
Notes: 1) Please refer to the end of this release for Qualified
Persons statements; 2) Reported at cut-off grades determined by
economic and metallurgical factors; 3) Reported in compliance
with the JORC Code (2012) and the NI43-101 guidelines.
Further details for the estimate are provided in the release of the
29 June 2016 titled “Heron Resources delivers robust Feasibility
Study for Woodlawn Project” located on the Company’s web site and
SEDAR; 4) Some discrepancies in totals may occur due to rounding of
numbers; 5) ZnEq(%) refers to a calculated Zn equivalent grade the
formula for which is stated in Appendix 1. |
RECLAIMED tailings Mineral reserves
Mineral Reserves have been calculated for all
three tailings storage dams; TDS, TDW and TDN. The conversion of
Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources to Mineral Reserves has
involved the inclusion of the following mining parameters; the loss
of 400mm of retreatment tailings from the sides and base of all
dams (recovery factor); and the addition of 200mm of zero grade
material across the base of the dams as a dilution factor during
recovery of the reclaimed tailings.
Table 4: Woodlawn Tailings Mineral
Reserve Estimate 2016
Reported with no cut-off grade
applied
|
Quantity (Mt) |
ZnEq (%) |
Zn (%) |
Cu (%) |
Pb (%) |
Au (g/t) |
Ag (g/t) |
Proven |
6.4 |
6.0 |
2.2 |
0.5 |
1.3 |
0.29 |
31 |
Probable |
3.2 |
6.0 |
2.1 |
0.5 |
1.3 |
0.33 |
32 |
Total (Proven + Probable) |
9.5 |
6.0 |
2.2 |
0.5 |
1.3 |
0.31 |
31 |
Notes: 1) Combined tailings estimate for the North, South and
West Tailings Dams; 2) Reported in accordance to the JORC Code
(2012) and the NI43-101 guidelines. Please refer to the end
of this release for Qualified Persons statements; 3) ZnEq% refers
to a calculated Zn equivalent grade the formula for which is stated
in Appendix 1. 4) Reported at cut-off grades determined by
economic and metallurgical factors; Further details for the
estimate are provided in the release of the 29 June 2016 titled
“Heron Resources delivers robust Feasibility Study for Woodlawn
Project” located on the Company’s web site and SEDAR; 5) Some
discrepancies in totals may occur due to rounding of numbers. |
Mining
Underground
The deposit will be accessed via a box-cut
located to the west of the existing open-pit, this allows early
access to shallow underground material.
The mine plan for the underground has been
developed by SRK with a summary of the applied mining methods
presented in Table 5. The mine design plans for stopes to be
filled with cemented paste fill.
Table 5: Mining Methods
Mining Method |
Area / Location for implementation |
Underhand
Transverse Open Stoping |
Stope width greater than 15m. Sub level spacing is 20m as
recommended by Beck Engineering. These stopes are typically 10 -
20m along strike. Double lift (40m tall) transverse stopes have
been designed in the thicker parts of Kate Lens |
Underhand
Longitudinal Open Stoping |
Stope width less than 15m. Sub level spacing is 20m as recommended
by Beck Engineering. These stopes are typically 10 - 20m along
strike. |
Drift and Fill Uppers |
Remnant areas of the A Lens, B Lens, D Lens, G Lens, H Lens and J
Lens. The stopes are typically 10 - 20m along strike and between 3
and 20m wide. |
Ore and waste will be transferred to loading
bays with LHD loaders and then loaded onto trucks (40t capacity) to
be hauled to the surface via the decline. The ore will be conveyed
overland to the processing plant run-of-mine (ROM) pad located
1.2km to the east via a 2.1km haul road south of the open pit.
Reclaimed tailings
Previous detailed mining studies undertaken on
the tailings reclaim process concluded that there is no shortage of
potential working faces around the dams and production rates of up
to 2.0Mtpa are considered readily achievable. Economic
considerations led to a determination that a mining rate of 1.5Mtpa
provided an attractive basis for the tailings retreatment project.
Mining of the tailings ore will be undertaken using automated
monitor-based hydraulic mining, which uses a high pressure water
cannon to agitate the ore into a slurry.
A single production monitor (water cannon) is to
be employed to achieve the required shift output. The tailings
mining schedule incorporates the mining of tailings in the
following sequence: TDS, TDW, and TDN.
Processing
Metallurgical Test Work
This FS metallurgical test work program was
undertaken by Australian Mineral Metallurgical Laboratories Pty Ltd
(AMML) with input from independent consultant GR Engineering
Services Ltd (GRES) and was focused on the underground massive
sulphides scheduled as plant feed from Woodlawn.
The overall results from this work have
demonstrated better than historical operational performance and
reflect the advancements made in the field of sulphide flotation,
and in-particular fine grinding technology. The test work
demonstrated the ability to produce three readily saleable
concentrates.
Process Design
GRES have updated the previous PEA to deliver a
plant that has been designed to treat ore on a campaign basis with
capacity for up to 1.0Mtpa for underground ore or 1.5Mtpa for
reclaimed tailings ore. The design allows initial operations to
treat 100% reclaimed tailings ore, whilst at the same time the
development of the initial mine decline will be undertaken to
provide access for mining of the high margin underground ore. The
contribution from underground peaks at an annualised 800kt during
the middle years of the current Reserves-based mine life.
For underground ore, a two-stage crushing
circuit has been incorporated into the plant design, together with
a primary ball mill. For reclaimed tailings ore, a fine grind mill
is planned that reduces the particle size down to 30μm, a size
which previous and current test work confirms maximises recovery
performance from the ore. For the underground ore, the initial
float (copper concentrate) is undertaken at a 75μm grind size, with
a regrind of copper tails to 30μm being employed to maximise the
subsequent recoveries from the lead and zinc flotation stages.
A differential flotation circuit for copper,
lead and zinc will be utilised with concentrate regrind stages in
the copper, lead and zinc circuits to produce cleaner concentrates.
Concentrates from the copper, lead and zinc flotation circuits will
be thickened and subsequently filtered for road transport.
Final flotation tailings will be de-slimed and
used in the paste fill plant which will generate a cemented paste
that will be reticulated underground and used to backfill completed
stopes from both proposed and historic mining. The slime tailings
component (approximately 50% of tailings produced) will be
deposited initially into a new tailings storage facility TSF4, and
later into the existing TDS.
Process Design Criteria based on metallurgical
test work is summarised in the table below:
Table 6: Process Design
Criteria
Ore Type |
Concentrate Grade (%) |
Metallurgical Recovery (%) |
Zinc |
Copper |
Lead |
Zinc |
Copper |
Lead |
Underground |
55 |
27 |
45 |
88 |
60 |
70 |
Tailings |
55 |
20 |
36 |
76 |
39 |
42 |
Infrastructure & Personnel
Power - The Woodlawn mine site is supplied via
Essential Energy’s 66kV Woodlawn Zone Substation. Power will be
reticulated around the site at 11kV with stepdown to 1000V for the
underground operations and 415V/240V for surface installations.
Water - Infrastructure exists for site water
management purposes and includes major storage capacity in TDS and
two evaporation dams (ED1 and ED2). Heron has access to a water
access license and would be used for make-up purposes. Detailed
water balance modelling shows that there is adequate water
available for operational requirements.
Access - Access to the site is gained from the
sealed Collector Road located approximately 350m north of the
proposed plant site. This road to the east is heavy haulage rated
(25/26m B-Double) and provides access to a road network linking all
major regional centres including Sydney, Canberra, Wollongong and
Goulburn.
Personnel - The majority of operational labour
will be sourced from surrounding population centres with in excess
of 430,000 people residing within a 55km radius of the Woodlawn
site. Total site personnel numbers are expected to reach
approximately 250 during construction and 157 at full production,
comprising 30 Management/ Supervisory/Technical staff, 40
Operational staff and 87 Mining Contractors.
Marketing
Port & Export
Port Kembla (211km) and Port Botany (239km) are
the likely concentrate export points. Port Kembla can handle bulk
concentrates (zinc and copper). Zinc concentrates will be shipped
in 10kt lots and copper concentrates in 5kt lots. Lead sulphide
concentrates will be containerised onsite for shipment out of Port
Botany for shipment in 2.5kt lots.
Concentrates
The concentrates produced at Woodlawn are
expected to have the following typical major element levels:
|
|
Zinc Concentrates |
45% - 57% Zn, 80g/t – 130g/t Ag |
Copper Concentrates |
20% - 27% Cu, 120g/t – 490g/t Ag, 1g/t – 3g/t Au |
Lead Concentrates |
35% - 45% Pb, 5% - 9% Cu, 500g/t – 800g/t Ag, 2g/t – 10g/t Au |
An Expression of Interest for the off-take of
Woodlawn concentrates was undertaken in April 2016 and received
strong interest with commercial parameters referenced to standard
industry terms.
Project Development and Production Schedule
The Woodlawn Project development schedule has
been developed by GRES with a construction duration of 15 months
from commencement until completion of wet commissioning.
The ore production processing schedule is driven
by a campaign (or separate) treatment of underground ore and
reclaimed tailings ore with underground ore to be stockpiled on the
ROM pad until a minimum quantity of 42kt is reached at which time
the treatment of this ore will commence. When insufficient
underground ore is available (during stockpile build) the reclaimed
tailings ore will be treated.
Financial Analysis
CAPEX
Capital costs have been estimated to a +/-15%
accuracy. Upfront capital costs of A$144M are estimated, with total
capital costs to Peak Cash Draw estimated at A$163M including
contingency.
Area |
A$M |
Underground |
4.0 |
Process Plant |
100.9 |
Infrastructure |
2.7 |
Construction, Engineering, Other |
24.6 |
TSF4 |
6.0 |
Owners |
6.0 |
TOTAL |
144.2 |
OPEX
Operating costs have been estimated by GRES for
the plant component and by SRK for the mining component, with
additional costs estimated by Heron.
Major components include:
Area |
A$/t Ore Feed to Mill (post ramp-up) |
Mining |
58.90 underground average 1.68 reclaimed tailings
(post ramp up)15.02 average |
Processing |
21.34 for underground ore (post ramp-up)17.33 for
reclaimed tailings ore (post ramp-up)18.90
average |
Fixed and Closure |
2.87 |
Off-Site (Logistics, TC/RCs, Royalties) |
30.97 |
TOTAL |
67.76 |
Financial Results
The Woodlawn project economics have been
assessed using the discounted cash flow method, based on a
quarterly schedule of tonnes mined and processed from both the
underground ore and the reclaimed tailings ore. Capital and
operating costs are applied to mining, processing and overheads.
The processed material has recovery factors applied, together with
flotation splits to the three concentrates which make up the
project production. Shipping and logistics, product payability,
treatment and refining costs, state royalties and taxes are
adjusted for to derive a Net Present Value (NPV) for the
project.
|
Starter Case3 |
Post-tax NPV8 |
A$207M |
Post-tax IRR |
|
32 |
% |
Plant & Infrastructure Capital |
A$144M / US$105M |
Funding to Peak Cash Draw |
A$163M / US$119M |
Payback Period |
2.3 years from commissioning |
Post-tax Cash Flow2 |
A$402M |
C1 Cash Cost1 |
US$(0.06)/lb Zn |
C3 Total Cost1 |
US$0.34/lb Zn |
Plant Feed Rate |
1.5Mtpa when feeding Reclaimed Tailings Ore1.0Mtpa when
feeding Underground Ore |
Total Underground Ore Feed |
2.79Mt |
Total Reclaimed Tailings Ore Feed |
9.24Mt |
Total UG+RT Feed |
12.03Mt |
Started Case Mine life |
9.3 years |
PEA Equivalent Mine Life |
11.5 years |
- C1 is defined as direct cash operating costs produced, net of
by-product credits, divided by the amount of payable zinc produced.
Direct cash operating costs include all mining and processing
costs, mine site overheads and realisation costs (including
transport costs, treatment and refining costs and smelter recovery
deductions) through to refined metal, net of revenue credits from
sale of by-products. C3 includes C1 costs, plus a depreciation
charge and royalties. C1 and C3 are presented in this table based
on Zn as primary product with all other saleable commodities
treated as by-product credits
- Net increase in cash after tax and after paying back
capital.
- Results are based on substantially Mineral Reserves only, at an
8% post tax real discount rate (approximately. 10% post-tax
nominal), with AUD/USD FX 0.71, and with flat real commodity prices
of US$1.01/lb Zn, US$3.00/lb Cu, US$0.91/lb Pb, US$17.80/oz Ag and
US$1,200/oz Au. Other assumptions detailed in release of the 29
June 2016 titled “Heron Resources delivers robust Feasibility Study
for Woodlawn Project” located on the Company’s web site and
SEDAR.
- Capital and Peak Cash Draw are converted using a USD:AUD 0.73
exchange rate.
The project is highly leveraged to commodity
prices. In particular, zinc makes up around 48% of expected total
payable metal value for the project. Hence the project provides
excellent exposure to what is anticipated to be a market where
demand will exceed supply, with positive potential implications for
the future price of zinc.
Whilst the Starter Case presents a strongly
positive economic outcome for the project, there is potential for
the project to deliver significantly greater tonnages from
underground based on both expansion of the current Reserve through
further conversion of existing Mineral Resources, and on the
broader exploration potential of the Woodlawn mineralised
system. The project is highly leveraged to such
conversion.
Sensitivities
The NPV is most sensitive to the commodity price
/ FX environment and to mine life extensions on the revenue side,
and to grade (which in turn is driven by dilution considerations)
and metallurgical recoveries on the cost side.
Approvals
On 4 July 2013, project approval was provided to
the Woodlawn Project under Section 75J of the Environmental
Planning and Assessment Act 1979 by the Department of Planning and
Environment. On 28 April 2016, a modification to this approval was
granted by the Department of Planning and Environment covering the
relocation of the underground portal from the eastern side of the
open pit to the western side. The completion of the FS mine plan
will require a final Planning Approval update covering the revised
underground mine plan. This is expected to be completed in the
second half of 2016.
The mining lease, SML20, is held in the name of
Tarago Operations Pty Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of Heron
Resources. SML20 has been recently renewed for 15 years (to 16
November 2029). The Company is required to lodge a security bond of
A$3.577 million prior to commencement of any on-ground
activity.
Opportunities to Enhance the FS Outcomes
mine LIFE EXPANSION
The underground Mineral Reserves presented as
part of the FS are considered to be a ‘starter case’ with the aim
of the FS being to justify the development of the project. Beyond
the defined Mineral Reserves there are many open positions within
the mine environment that are expected to provide mineralisation
extensions that will result in further optimisation and additions
to the current mine schedule to extend the life of the underground
mine. These additions are likely to come both from upgrading
Inferred Mineral Resources to Reserves and from drilling new lens
positions. SRK have provided a mining schedule including
Inferred material (equivalent to the PEA) which shows excellent
consistency with previously published PEA.
Regional Expansion
With a known endowment of some 21Mt of massive
sulphide mineralisation, Woodlawn is a world recognised VMS
district with considerable potential for significant future
discoveries. There are a number of advanced exploration targets
within 15km from the Woodlawn plant site that provide for further
discovery potential. Cowley Hills on SML20 and Currawang on
EL 7257 are highly regarded for further discovery.
Power Costs – OPEX Reduction
Alternative sources of power supply are
available within immediate proximity of the proposed operations
including the Infigen Windfarm located to the south (23 x 2.1MW
turbines) and Veolia’s 6 x 1MW gas fired generators fuelled by the
bioreactor methane generation. These power supply sources could
provide a lower cost supply of electrical power to site.
Alternative Equipment Supply – CAPEX
Reduction
A number of options for major plant components
are available through the used equipment market. An assessment of
specific items is currently underway with an aim of reducing both
upfront capital costs and potentially the lead time into first
production.
About Heron Resources
Limited:
Heron’s primary focus is the development of its
100% owned, high-grade Woodlawn Zinc-Copper Project located 250km
southwest of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In addition, the
Company holds a significant high quality tenement holding in the
Lachlan Fold Belt of New South Wales and in Western Australia.
Appendix 1:
Zinc Equivalent CalculationsThe ZnEq calculation
used in this report is the same as that used in the PEA to allow a
direct comparison between the two figures. The ZnEq
calculation takes into account, mining costs, milling costs,
recoveries, payability (including transport and refining charges)
and metal prices in generating a Zinc equivalent value for each
block grade for Au, Ag, Cu, Pb and Zn. ZnEq =
Zn%+Cu%*3.12+Pb%*0.81+*Au g/t*0.86+Ag g/t*0.03
Metal prices used in the calculation are: Zn
US$2,300/t, Pb US$ 2,050/t, Cu US$6,600/t, Au US$1,250/oz and Ag
US$18/oz. Metal recoveries are provided in the section on
metallurgy and it is Heron’s view that all the metals within this
formula are expected to be recovered and sold.
The Woodlawn Project Mineral Reserve, mine design,
production schedule and FS results have been produced or reviewed
by SRK Consulting (Australasia) Pty Ltd (SRK) under the direction
of Ms Anne-Marie Ebbels, Principal Consultant (Mining), an
Independent Qualified Person as defined by Canadian National
Instrument 43-101 and a Competent Person as defined in the 2012
edition of the JORC Code: Australasian Code for Reporting of
Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. Ms
Ebbels consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters
based on her information in the form and context that it appears.
The Woodlawn Project plant and metallurgy designs and costings have
been produced or reviewed by GR Engineering Services Limited (GRES)
under the direction of Mr Peter Allen, Manager – Process &
Technical Services, who is a Member of the Australasian Institute
of Mining and Metallurgy and accredited by the AusIMM as a
Chartered Professional (CP) in the metallurgy discipline, and an
Independent Qualified Person as defined by Canadian National
Instrument 43-101. Mr Allen consents to the inclusion in this
report of the matters based on his information in the form and
context that it appears.
The information in this report that relates to
Mineral Resources for the Woodlawn Underground Project has been
reviewed, and verified by Mr Rodney Brown who is a full time
employee of SRK Consulting (Australasia). Mr Brown, who is a
member of the AIG, takes responsibility for the integrity of Data
that have been used to prepare the resource estimates, and for the
Geological Model. Mr Brown has sufficient experience that is
relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under
consideration and to the resource estimation activity that he is
undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012
edition of the JORC Code: Australasian Code for Reporting of
Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves and a
Qualified Person as this term is defined in Canadian National
Instrument 43-101. Mr Brown consents to the inclusion in this
report of the matters based on his information in the form and
context that it appears.
The technical information in this news release
relating to the exploration results and forward program at the
Woodlawn Project is based on information compiled by Mr David von
Perger, who is a Member of the Australian Institute of Mining and
Metallurgy (Chartered Professional – Geology). Mr von Perger is a
full time employee of Heron Resources Limited and has sufficient
experience, which is relevant to the style of mineralization and
type of deposit under consideration and to qualify as a Competent
Person as defined in the 2012 edition of the JORC Code:
Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral
Resources and Ore Reserves and a Qualified Person as this term is
defined in Canadian National Instrument 43-101. Mr von
Perger has reviewed this press release and consents to the
inclusion in this news release of the information in the form and
context in which it appears.
Cautionary Notes & Forward Looking
Information:
Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves
do not have demonstrated economic viability. The estimate of
Mineral Resources may be materially affected by environmental
permitting, legal, marketing, or other relevant issues. The Mineral
Resources disclosed in this release are estimated using the
Canadian Institute of Mining Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM), CIM
Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves Definitions and
Guidelines proposed by the CIM Standing Committee on Resource
Definitions adopted by the CIM Council.
Certain statements contained in this Report
constitute forward-looking information, future oriented financial
information, or financial outlooks (collectively, “forward-looking
information”). Forward-looking information is considered here to be
within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and has the same
meaning as forward looking statements under Australian securities
laws.
Forward-looking information often relates to
statements concerning Heron’s future outlook and anticipated events
or results and, in some cases, can be identified by terminology
such as “may”, “will”, “could”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”,
“anticipate”, “believe”, “intend”, “estimate”, “projects”,
“predict”, “potential”, “continue” or other similar expressions
concerning matters that are not historical facts. Statements
of historical fact are not considered forward looking
information.
Such forward-looking information and statements
are based on a number of material factors and assumptions,
including, but not limited in any manner to, those disclosed in
results; the ability to explore; communications with local
stakeholders and community and governmental relations; status of
negotiations of joint ventures; weather conditions; Mineral
Reserves; Mineral Resources; the development approach; availability
and receipt of required approvals, titles, licenses and permits;
sufficient working capital to develop and operate the mines and
implement development plans; access to adequate services and
supplies; foreign currency exchange rates; interest rates; access
to capital markets and associated cost of funds; availability of a
qualified work force; ability to negotiate, finalise and execute
relevant agreements; lack of social opposition to the mines or
facilities; lack of legal challenges with respect to the Woodlawn
property; the timing and amount of future production and ability to
meet production, cost and capital expenditure targets; timing and
ability to produce studies and analysis; capital and operating
expenditures; execution of the amended credit facility; ability to
draw under the credit facility and satisfy conditions precedent
including execution of security and construction documents;
economic conditions; availability of sufficient financing; the
ultimate ability to mine, process and sell mineral products on
economically favourable terms, any and all other timing,
exploration, development, operational, financial, budgetary,
economic, legal, social, regulatory and political factors that may
influence future events or conditions, as well as those factors
discussed in the section entitled Risk Factors in Heron’s annual
information form, which is available under Heron’s issuer profile
on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. While we consider these factors and
assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently
available to us, they may prove to be incorrect and undue reliance
on forward-looking information and statements should not be made.
Forward-looking information and statements are only predictions
based on Heron’s current expectations and projections about future
events. Actual results may vary from such forward-looking
information for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to,
risks and uncertainties disclosed above and further in Heron’s
filings at www.sedar.com.
Forecast financial information provided in this
announcement is based on the Production Target disclosed herein.
The Company has concluded that it has a reasonable basis for
providing the forward-looking statements included in this
announcement. The detailed reasons for this conclusion are
outlined throughout this announcement and in particular in Appendix
1 headed “Disclosure of Additional Assumptions”. However, the
Company cautions that there is no certainty that the forecast
financial information derived from the Production Targets will be
realised.
Other than as required by law, Heron assumes no
obligation to update any forward-looking information to reflect,
among other things, new information or future events.
[1] Results reported using Mineral Reserves as estimated for the
FS at an 8% post-tax real discount rate (approximately. 10%
post-tax nominal), with AUD/USD FX 0.71, and with flat real
commodity prices of US$1.01/lb Zn, US$3.00/lb Cu, US$0.91/lb Pb,
US$17.80/oz Ag and US$1,200/oz Au. Other assumptions are detailed
later in this release.
For further information, please visit www.heronresources.com.au or contact:
Australia:
Mr Wayne Taylor Jon Snowball
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer FTI Consulting
Tel: +61 (2) 9119 8111 or +61 (8) 6500 9200 61 (2) 8298 6100
Email: heron@heronresources.com.au jon.snowball@fticonsulting.com
Canada:
Tel: +1 647 862 1157 (Toronto)
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