Esperanza Silver Corporation: Cerro Jumil Preliminary Economic Assessment Very Positive
September 08 2009 - 7:30AM
Marketwired
Esperanza Silver Corp. (EPZ) (TSX VENTURE: EPZ)(PINK SHEETS: ESPZF)
is pleased to announce the results of a recently completed
Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) of its 100%-owned Cerro Jumil
project in the State of Morelos, Mexico. The base case pre-tax net
present value is US$46.7 million with a five percent discount rate
and the internal rate of return is estimated at 19.5% using $800
gold.
The study was completed by Vector Engineering Inc. with Mine
Development Associates and Lyntek Inc. providing design and cost
estimates for the mine and process areas respectively. The
Technical Report can be found on Esperanza's website
(www.esperanzasilver.com/cerrojumil_techreport.php).
The preliminary economic assessment is based on gold resources
previously reported by the company (News Release Oct. 1, 2008:
www.esperanzasilver.com/release.php?R_ID=142). New drilling is
planned for the fourth quarter of this year to increase the
resource base.
The project's sensitivity to gold price is:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Cerro Jumil
Preliminary Economic Assessment
Project Sensitivity to Gold Price
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Case
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Gold Price (US$/ounce) $800 $900 $950
--------------------------------------------------------------------
NPV (5%, US$ Millions) $46.7 $76.7 $91.7
--------------------------------------------------------------------
IRR 19.5% 28.4% 32.8%
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The base case assumptions are:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Cerro Jumil
Preliminary Economic Assessment
Summary Results - Base Case
(US Dollars)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Costs:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Pre-production Capital $48.7 M
--------------------------------------------------------------
Pre-stripping $9.2 M
--------------------------------------------------------------
Contingency $7.5 M
--------------------------------------------------------------
Working Capital $6.8 M
--------------------------------------------------------------
Total $72.2 M
----- -------
--------------------------------------------------------------
Average Cost/Tonne Ore Mined $6.84
--------------------------------------------------------------
Cash Cost/Ounce Au Produced $418
--------------------------------------------------------------
Operational Features:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Gold Price $800 per ounce
--------------------------------------------------------------
Avg. Annual Gold Production 52,000 ounces
--------------------------------------------------------------
Life of Mine (current resources) 7.6 years
--------------------------------------------------------------
Annual Mining/Stacking Rate 2.8 M tones per year
--------------------------------------------------------------
Overall Gold Recovery 68%
--------------------------------------------------------------
Strip Ratio 2.6 : 1
--------------------------------------------------------------
Royalty Rate (NSR) 3%
--------------------------------------------------------------
This assessment is preliminary in nature and includes inferred
resources in addition to measured and indicated resources.
Inferred resources are considered too geologically speculative
to have economic considerations applied to them so as to
categorize them as a proven or probable reserve. There is no
certainty that the PEA results will be realized.
--------------------------------------------------------------
The PEA base case envisions the Cerro Jumil project as a
conventional open-pit/heap-leach gold operation, using well-proven
technology. The base case incorporates the use of company-owned
mining equipment for all open-pit mining operations. The process
design calls for two-stage crushing of run-of-mine ore to a nominal
size of less than two inches. Crushed ore is stacked on leach pads
in 6-metre lifts and irrigated with solution to dissolve the gold.
The solution is collected and gold is recovered in a series of
carbon columns. Precious metals (the ore contains a nominal amount
of silver) are then stripped from the carbon and recovered by
electrowinning. The resultant sludge is smelted to produce a dore
which is shipped offsite for final refining.
Three other development scenarios were also considered as part
of the PEA. These include (i) owner mining with no crushing, (ii)
contract mining with crushing and (iii) contract mining with no
crushing. These alternatives had less favorable outcomes, but will
be subject to future evaluation as new metallurgical and cost data
is collected.
A further objective of the PEA was to provide detailed
recommendations to collect other data necessary for a final
feasibility study. A budget of US$4.8 million was recommended for
additional drilling, geotechnical investigations, and continued
metallurgical test work among other programs. Metallurgical testing
is on-going and Esperanza is preparing for a new drilling campaign
to start by the fourth quarter of 2009.
Bill Pincus, Esperanza's President, said, "We're extremely
pleased that this assessment has yielded such positive results and
are anxious to take Cerro Jumil to the next level of its
development; currently we have the funding to do so. Shortly we
will begin a new drill program which includes substantial in-fill
plus exploration drilling. We anticipate converting certain
material now characterized as waste into resources. This would have
a positive affect on the project's gold production levels, mine
life and returns."
About Esperanza
Esperanza is a gold and silver company focused on advancing the
development of its two principal properties: the 100%-owned Cerro
Jumil gold project in Morelos State, Mexico and the San Luis gold
and silver joint venture in Peru. It also actively generates and
investigates other exploration prospects in Peru and Mexico.
QUALIFIED PERSON: Richard Kehmeier, CPG, MSc is an Independent
Qualified Person in accordance with National Instrument 43-101
Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian
Securities Administrators and principal author of the Cerro Jumil
Project Preliminary Economic Assessment. He has verified the data
disclosed in this news release.
SAFE HARBOR: Some statements in this release are forward-looking
in nature. The United States Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for certain forward-looking
statements. Such statements include statements as to the potential
of the Cerro Jumil property, the ability to finance further
exploration, permit drilling and other exploration work, and the
availability of drill rigs. The forward-looking statements involve
risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially, including those relating to
exploration and bringing properties into production. Please refer
to a discussion of some of these and other risk factors in
Esperanza's Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission. The forward-looking statements contained in this
document constitute managements' current estimates as of the date
of this release with respect to the matters covered herein.
Esperanza expects that these forward-looking statements will change
as new information is received and that actual results will vary,
possibly in material ways. Forward-looking statements are based on
the beliefs, expectations and opinions of management on the date
the statements are made, and the company does not assume any
obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or
management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change. For
these reasons, investors should not place undue reliance on
forward-looking statements.
RESOURCES: The terms "measured resource", "indicated resource"
and "inferred resource" used in this news release are Canadian
geological and mining terms as defined in accordance with National
Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of
the Canadian Securities Administrators 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 as may be amended from time to time by the CIM.
Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have
demonstrated economic viability. We advise U.S. investors that
while such terms are recognized and permitted under Canadian
regulations, the SEC does not recognize them. U.S. investors are
cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the mineral
deposits in the measured, indicated, and inferred categories will
be converted into reserves.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry
Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the
adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Contacts: Esperanza Silver Corp. Bill Pincus President and CEO
Toll free: (866) 890 5509 info@esperanzasilver.com
www.esperanzasilver.com
Esperanza Resources Corp. (TSXV:EPZ)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2024 to Jul 2024
Esperanza Resources Corp. (TSXV:EPZ)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jul 2023 to Jul 2024