TORONTO, May 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Tanzanian Royalty
Exploration Corporation (hereinafter, the "Company") (TSX: TNX)
(NYSE MKT: TRX) is pleased to announce that it has filed on SEDAR
today, a feasibility study ("MFS" or "Study") for the Buckreef
Project which positively establishes that 1.064 Million ounces of
gold reserves are available to be mined over a 15-year initial life
of mine through conventional open pit mining methods.
"Today is a great day in the history of the Company as this
Study assigns a net positive value of USD$243 million at the Buckreef Project, using a
5% discount rate and a gold price of US$1,250 per ounce. We are completely delighted
with results of this independent feasibility study. We have
steadfastly pursued our goals at Buckreef and this study clearly
indicates the value of the Buckreef Project which we expected was
present. We anticipate even more mineral reserves to become
known after implementing the planned close spaced grade control
drilling program" said Executive Chairman, James E. Sinclair.
The completion of the MFS was led by an independent consulting
team from MaSS Resources Ltd of Tanzania and is dated effective as of
April 27, 2017. The MFS was prepared
in accordance with National Instrument 43-101. Additional technical
support was provided by the Company's internal technical team
incorporating and updating the previously published Preliminary
Economic Assessment study results by Venymn of South Africa.
Other historical conducted over the years on this historic deposit
were also included for continuity. The Buckreef Project is in the
Geita District in Lake Victoria Greenstone Belt in central
Tanzania, East Africa.
"Our initial capital costs are estimated at a modest
$32 million dollars (USD). That
amount includes the first year's pre-stripping program. The mining
and processing components are simple, straight forward operations
utilizing common earthmoving methods and equipment. Our plant
design makes use of standard Gravity / CIL plant technology used
worldwide." said Acting Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Duval. "Shareholders will be
extremely pleased with the results of our MFS. We encourage
shareholders to take time to review the Study in its entirety,
particularly to gain a thorough understanding of the project
design, and to note the discussion on the potential for future
underground development of Buckreef. The MFS validates
everything we have known about our Buckreef Project, and is now
officially defined in this Study," Mr. Duval concluded.
The highlights of the MFS include:
- 1.064 million ounces of open pittable gold reserves to be mined
over the life of the project.
- Conventional open pit mining methods selected in pit
designs.
- Over an initial 15-yr Life of Mine, a total of 17.49Mt of ore
with a strip ratio of 8.12:1 (waste to ore) will be mined.
- Overall recoveries from the flotation and cyanide leach
circuits are expected to be 89% and 93% for primary ore and
saprolite ore, respectively.
- Over the life of the mine an average of 53,534 oz Au per annum
will be produced as doré.
- Pre-existing stockpile (ROMPAD) ore totaling 119,726t grading
1.86g/t to be used for process plant commissioning.
- Discussion of future underground development potential.
- Life of Mine capital cost outlay estimated at $ 59.6 million (USD) and sustaining capital,
excluding closure costs.
- Cash operating costs of $ 696/oz
(USD).
- Generation of a positive NPV of $243
million (USD) at a 5% discount rate and an IRR of 53.7%
For further information, including the key assumptions,
parameters and methods use to estimate the mineral reserves on the
Buckreef Project, please see the MFS in its entirety under the
Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
The MFS is an in-depth independent Study, which addresses the
continued refinement of pit-optimized mining reserves, mine
production schedule, process plant ore feed schedule and financial
projections and analysis based on comprehensive cost estimations
for process plant (design, fabrication, construction and operation)
and mining (equipment purchase and mine production) among other
things for the Buckreef Project.
"We are very pleased and excited that our expectations of our
Buckreef Project have been validated and confirmed by the
MFS. Our corporate team, together with our consultants worked
tirelessly. The dedication of all of us throughout this
process is the foundation of our impending success with the
Buckreef Project." stated Mr. Duval.
Executive Chairman Sinclair concluded, "It is a credit to our
shareholders who remained loyal during the most difficult of times,
who will ultimately be rewarded by our success at the Buckreef
Project. We are very happy for our outstanding MFS which
shows 1.064 million ounces of gold reserves minable at our Buckreef
Project. We are also incredibly grateful for the continued
support of our valued shareholders throughout this process."
The Company's Qualified Person, Mr. Peter Zizhou, has reviewed and approved the
contents of this news release. Mr. Zizhou is the COO of Tanzam2000,
a subsidiary of Tanzanian Royalty Exploration Corporation Limited.
He has a Master of Science (Exploration Geology) degree from the
University of Zimbabwe (2000) and
is a registered scientist with SACNASP (Reg. No.400028/08).
ABOUT TANZANIAN ROYALTY EXPLORATION CORPORATION:
Tanzanian Royalty Exploration Corporation is a mineral resource
company, which engages in the acquisition, exploration and
extraction of gold and other natural resources in the United
Republic of Tanzania, Africa. The Company, after successfully
exploring for Gold has identified three development projects,
Buckreef, Kigosi, and Itetemia. In early 2016 in conjunction with
our first gold pour, the Company was deemed a commercial gold
producer by the Tanzanian Government. The Company is presently
focused on its Buckreef Gold Project located in North central
Tanzania.
James E. Sinclair
Executive Chairman
The Toronto Stock Exchange and NYSE Amex Equities have not
reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking
Statements
Certain of the statements made herein may contain
forward-looking statements or information within the meaning of the
United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and
applicable Canadian securities laws. Often, but not always,
forward-looking statements and forward-looking information can be
identified using words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected",
"budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends",
"anticipates", or "believes" or the negatives thereof or variations
of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions,
events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be
taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements or
information herein include, but are not limited to the mineable
ounces of gold on the Buckreef Project; the life of mine at
the Buckreef Project, estimated capital costs, anticipated grades
and recoveries, results of future exploration work, expected net
present value, future operating costs, plant and pit construction
and design parameters, as well as other anticipated outcomes set
forth in the MFS.
Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information by
their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual
results, performance or achievements of the Company to be
materially different from any future results, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements or information. We have made certain assumptions
about the forward-looking statements and information and even
though our management believes that the assumptions made and the
expectations represented by such statements or information are
reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking
statement or information will prove to be accurate.
Furthermore, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or
other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove
incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described
in forward-looking statements or information. These risks,
uncertainties and other factors include, among others, the
following: gold price volatility; discrepancies between
actual and estimated production, mineral reserves and resources and
metallurgical recoveries; mining operational and development risk;
litigation risks; regulatory restrictions, including environmental
regulatory restrictions and liability; risks of sovereign
investment; currency fluctuations; speculative nature of gold
exploration; global economic climate; dilution; share price
volatility; competition; loss of key employees; additional funding
requirements; and defective title to mineral claims or property, as
well as those factors discussed in the sections entitled
"Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's
Annual Information Form 20-F dated November 25, 2016.
There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or
information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future
events could differ materially from those anticipated in such
statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance
on the forward-looking statements or information contained
herein. Except as required by law, we do not expect to update
forward-looking statements and information continually as
conditions change and you are referred to the full discussion of
the Company's business contained in the Company's reports filed
with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and the U.S.
Cautionary Note Regarding Mineral Reserves and Mineral
Resources
The terms "Mineral Reserve", "Proven Mineral Reserve" and
"Probable Mineral Reserve" used in this release are Canadian mining
terms as defined in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 –
Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects under the guidelines
set out in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and
Petroleum (the "CIM") Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral
Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council on August 20, 2000 as may be amended from time to
time by the CIM. These definitions differ from the
definitions in the United States
Securities Exchange Commission ("SEC") Guide 7. In
the United States, a mineral
reserve is defined as a part of a mineral deposit which could be
economically and legally extracted or produced at the time the
mineral reserve determination is made.
The terms "Mineral Resource", "Measured Mineral Resource",
"Indicated Mineral Resource", "Inferred Mineral Resource" used in
this release are Canadian mining terms as defined in accordance
with National Instruction 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for
Mineral Projects under the guidelines set out in the CIM Standards.
Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have
demonstrated economic viability.
For a detailed discussion of Buckreef resource and reserve
estimates and related matters see the Company's reports, including
the Annual Information Form and Form 20-F dated November 25, 2016 and technical reports filed
under the Company's name at our website at:
www.TanzanianRoyaltyExploration.com.
Cautionary Note to US Investors Concerning Estimates of
Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resources
Note to U.S. Investors. While the terms "mineral
resource", "measured mineral resource," "indicated mineral
resource", and "inferred mineral resource" are recognized and
required by Canadian regulations, they are not defined terms under
standards in the United States and
normally are not permitted to be used in reports and registration
statements filed with the SEC. As such, information contained
in this report concerning descriptions of mineralization and
resources under Canadian standards may not be comparable to similar
information made public by U.S companies in SEC filings. With
respect to "indicated mineral resource" and "inferred mineral
resource" there is a great amount of uncertainty as to their
existence and a great uncertainty as to their economic and legal
feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an
"indicated mineral resource" or "inferred mineral resource" will
ever be upgraded to a higher category. Investors are
cautioned not to assume that any part or all mineral deposits in
these categories will ever be converted into reserves.
There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or
information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future
events could differ materially from those anticipated in such
statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance
on the forward-looking statements or information contained
herein. Except as required by law, we do not expect to update
forward-looking statements and information continually as
conditions change and you are referred to the full discussion of
the Company's business contained in the Company's reports filed
with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and the U.S.
SOURCE Tanzanian Royalty Exploration Corporation