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Technical Report

1st May 2014 07:00

RNS Number : 0005G
Amara Mining PLC
01 May 2014
 



01 May 2014 AIM:AMA

 

 

 

Amara Mining plc

("Amara" or the "Company")

 

ALTERNATIVE SCENARIOS FOR YAOURE GOLD PROJECT AND

SUBMISSION OF NI 43-101 COMPLIANT TECHNICAL REPORT

 

Amara Mining plc, the AIM-listed West African focused gold mining company, is pleased to announce the results of alternative throughput scenarios for its 6.3 million ounce Yaoure Gold Project ("Yaoure") in Côte d'Ivoire, as part of the Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA"). This follows the news release regarding the results of the PEA for Yaoure, which was based upon an 8 million tonne per annum ("Mtpa") headline scenario with a US$950 per ounce open pit design, dated 12 March 2014.

 

This latest work highlights that the 6.5Mtpa scenario generates strong economic returns alongside the 8Mtpa scenario, underlining the flexibility of the project.

 

Highlights of 6.5Mtpa Scenario

 

· Post-tax IRR of 33% at a gold price of US$1,250 per ounce

· Post-tax Net Present Value ("NPV") of US$613 million at a gold price of US$1,250 per ounce and a discount rate of 8%

· Strong returns at lower gold prices with post-tax IRR of 25% and NPV of US$388 million at US$1,100 per ounce

· Average annual production remains strong at 279,000 ounces over a 10 year initial life of mine ("LOM")

· 6.5Mtpa scenario is based on an US$800 per ounce pit design with an average head grade of 1.53g/t, a 10% increase on the 8Mtpa scenario

· LOM average total cash costs (including royalties and refining) of US$594 per ounce, a 9% decrease on the 8Mtpa scenario

· All-in sustaining cash costs of US$624 per ounce, a 10% decrease on the 8Mtpa scenario

· Plant and infrastructure capital cost of US$244 million, with a contingency of US$37 million and an additional US$75 million for an owner-operated mining fleet - a 13% decrease on the total pre-production capital cost of the 8Mtpa scenario

· Rapid total payback period of 2.6 years

· Amara is fully funded to deliver a Pre-Feasibility Study ("PFS") for Yaoure in Q1 2015, following the successful placing and open offer in March 2014, which raised US$30.5 million, with in-fill drilling now underway

 

John McGloin, Executive Chairman of Amara, commented:

 

"The headline results of the PEA exceeded our expectations and the results of the 6.5Mtpa scenario demonstrate the project's flexibility to a number of development options and give an indication of the potential to mine selectively higher grades at lower gold prices. Yaoure is one of the strongest growth projects in West Africa and with an IRR of 25% at a gold price of US$1,100 per ounce, it is one of the few that remains robust in a lower gold price environment. Although the 6.5Mtpa scenario delivers a reduced production profile, this scenario would still see Yaoure developed as one of the largest gold mines in Africa, ranking 12th based on the current production of its peers[i]. We will continue the optimisation work to ensure that the project is developed to deliver the best returns possible for all stakeholders.

 

"Following the successful capital raising, Yaoure is fully-funded through to the delivery of a PFS. The in-fill drilling campaign at Yaoure commenced in early April 2014 and I look forward to delivering exploration results in Q2 and Q3 2014, culminating in the completion of two Mineral Resource updates in H2 2014. These are expected to expand the current 6.3 million ounce resource base at Yaoure and upgrade the majority of the Inferred resources to the Indicated category, adding further confidence to the deposit."

 

Filing of NI 43-101 Technical Report

 

Amara is also pleased to announce that a National Instrument 43-101 compliant technical report entitled 'Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Yaoure Gold Project, Côte d'Ivoire, Amara Mining plc', dated 25 April 2014, has been submitted for publication on SEDAR. This follows the news release regarding the results of the PEA for Yaoure dated 12 March 2014. A copy of the technical report may be obtained on Amara's website at http://www.amaramining.com/Investor-Relations/NI43-101-Reportsand will be available at www.sedar.com shortly. A copy of the news release may also be obtained via SEDAR and on Amara's website.

 

Overview of PEA and Latest Work

 

Amara conducted a number of different bulk tonnage scenarios for Yaoure as part of the PEA to test the project's viability, assuming variable mining rates, pit designs, plant sizes and processing methods. The previously announced results of the 8Mtpa plant tank leach process demonstrated compelling economic returns. Further optimisation work on the pit design demonstrated that a smaller pit, constrained at an US$800 per ounce gold price, results in an effective gold grade cut-off of 0.59g/t, which drives a 23% shorter mine life and 10% higher average grade. Combined with a 6.5Mtpa plant, this pit design delivers a stronger post-tax IRR of 33%, using a gold price of US$1,250 per ounce and a robust NPV of US$613 million using a discount rate of 8%. In addition, the smaller scenario is more resilient at lower gold prices with a post-tax IRR of 25% at a US$1,100 per ounce gold price, a 9% increase on the 8Mtpa scenario.

 

Production remains robust at 279,000 ounces over an initial 10 year LOM. Operating and capital costs are reduced as a result of the smaller plant and open pit, with a 9% decrease in LOM average total cash costs to US$594 per ounce and an 11% decrease in the Plant and Infrastructure Capital Cost to US$244 million. The Total Pre-Production Capital Cost decreased by 13%, which includes an additional US$75 million for an owner-operated mining fleet, which has the potential to be deferred through leasing or excluded if contractor mining is utilised, and US$37 million contingency. The 6.5Mtpa scenario has a rapid payback period of 2.6 years. This stronger performance is driven by the higher grade and lower strip ratio of the smaller pit, which brings forward net cash flows and significantly reduces the replacement capital requirements that occur in the larger plant scenarios.

 

Amara also evaluated a 5Mtpa plant using a US$800 per ounce pit design and a 6.5Mpta plant using a US$950 per ounce pit design. Both these scenarios generated robust returns, although the economics for these alternatives were not as compelling as for the previously reported 8Mtpa scenario and the 6.5Mtpa scenario outlined above. The results of all four scenarios are summarised in the table below:

 

Comparison of Alternative Scenarios for Yaoure Gold Project1

SIZE OF PROCESSING PLANT AND OPEN PIT

5Mtpa

6.5Mtpa

6.5Mtpa

8Mtpa

Change (%) between 8Mtpa and 6.5Mtpa (US$800)

US$800/oz Pit Design

US$800/oz Pit Design

US$950/oz Pit Design

US$950/oz Pit Design

Mining

Annual Production

Mt

5.0

6.5

6.5

8.0

(19%)

Mine Life

Years

13

10

15

12

(17%)

Ore Mined

Mt

63.9

63.9

94.6

94.6

(32%)

Average Head Grade

g/t

1.53

1.53

1.39

1.39

10%

Waste Mined

Mt

314

314

492

492

(36%)

Total Material

Mt

378

378

587

587

(36%)

Strip Ratio

w:o

4.9

4.9

5.2

5.2

(6%)

Processing

Contained gold

Moz

3.1

3.1

4.2

4.2

(26%)

Recovery rate

%

95

95

95

95

0%

Gold Produced

Moz

3.0

3.0

4.0

4.0

(25%)

Annual Average Output

Koz

216

279

265

325

(14%)

Pre-Production Capital

Plant & Infrastructure Cost

US$m

265

282

282

317

(11%)

Total Pre-Production Capital Cost

US$m

331

357

362

408

(13%)

Results at US$1,250/oz

NPV at 8% discount

US$m

464

613

554

688

(11%)

IRR

%

25

33

26

32

3%

Capital efficiency

Ratio2

1.40:1

1.72:1

1.53

1.69:1

2%

Payback

Years

3.4

2.6

3.2

2.4

8%

Notes

1. See Appendix A for assumptions used for PEA (US$1,250 gold price used in each scenario outlined above)

2. NPV:Total Pre-Production Capital Cost

 

The strong returns from the 5Mtpa scenario highlight the potential for a staged development strategy. As the continuity of the higher grade mineralisation is further defined through the on-going 2014 in-fill drilling programme, Amara expects to be able to utilise a selective mining approach, rather than the current bulk mining approach, to further enhance smaller-scale initial development options as well as the returns from the large-scale development options identified to date.

 

A small scale, heap leach scenario was also investigated for processing Yaoure's oxide resources, utilising the 1.6Mtpa Kalsaka/Sega processing plant. This option highlights the potential to commence production on a reduced scale, pending the availability of capital, but while the potential returns on capital are high, the project generates a significantly lower NPV, is less robust at lower gold prices and does not deliver full value from Yaoure for either the Government of Côte d'Ivoire or Amara's shareholders. The PFS, which is expected to be completed in Q1 2015, will focus on the large scale development opportunities rather than short term heap leach.

 

Mine Plan and Processing

 

Amara plans to develop and mine Yaoure as a single open pit, comprising the CMA and Yaoure Central deposits. As a result of the smaller open pit design utilised for the 6.5Mtpa scenario, the average head grade mined increases by 10% to 1.53g/t and the resulting strip ratio decreases by 6% to 4.9:1, which is relatively low due to the shallow dipping nature of the mineralised zones. It is expected to be further improved through the on-going in-fill drilling programme targeting 'information gaps' within the resource area.

Whole ore processing via tank leach followed by carbon-in-pulp was selected as the basis for the PEA as being the most cost effective processing method, with an estimated design recovery rate of 95%, based on the gold recovery achieved in the test work of 96.2%.

 

Capital Costs

 

The 6.5Mtpa scenario delivers an 11% decrease in the Plant and Infrastructure Capital Cost to US$244 million and a 13% decrease in the Total Pre-Production Capital Cost to US$357 million compared to the 8Mtpa scenario. The Total Pre-Production Capital Cost includes US$75 million for the mining fleet, which could be deferred by contracting or leasing, and US$37 million contingency. The 6.5Mtpa scenario has a total payback period of 2.6 years and a strong capital efficiency ratio (NPV: Total Pre-Production Capital Cost) of 1.72:1 (1.69:1 for the 8Mtpa scenario).

 

AMEC plc, which is an independent consultant responsible for the mineral processing and recovery methods upon which the PEA is based, assesses its capital estimate for the plant and infrastructure to be accurate to ± 35%. A breakdown is set out in the table below:

 

Capital Costs (US$m)

6.5Mtpa US$800/oz

Pit Design

8Mtpa US$950/oz

Pit Design

Change between 8Mtpa and 6.5Mtpa (%)

Process plant

124.0

142.8

(13%)

Plant infrastructure including Tailings Management Facility ("TMF")

32.5

35.3

(8%)

Other infrastructure

26.6

27.4

(3%)

Miscellaneous

18.0

20.0

(10%)

EPCM and Indirects

43.2

48.9

(12%)

Plant and Infrastructure Capital Cost

244.3

274.4

(11%)

Plant and Infrastructure Contingency

37.4

42.0

(11%)

Plant and Infrastructure Capital Cost including Contingency

281.7

316.4

(11%)

Mining fleet

75.0

91.8

(18%)

Total Pre-Production Capital Cost

356.7

408.2

(13%)

 

The Total Sustaining and Closure Capital over the LOM includes the mine closure costs and the development of the TMF. The reduction in the mine life means that the mining fleet does not have to be replaced resulting in a 78% reduction in sustaining capital for mining. A breakdown is set out in the table below:

 

Sustaining and Deferred Capital Costs

6.5Mtpa US$800/oz Pit Design

8Mtpa US$950/oz

Pit Design

Change between 8Mtpa and 6.5Mtpa (%)

Mining

13.9

64.6

(78%)

Process and Infrastructure excluding TMF

27.8

31.5

(12%)

TMF

29.1

31.3

(7%)

Closure costs

18.4

18.4

0%

Total Sustaining and Closure Capital

89.2

145.8

(39%)

 

While the size of the processing plant in the 6.5Mtpa scenario is reduced by 19% on the 8Mtpa scenario, the estimate for the Total Pre-Production Capital Cost is only reduced by 13%. This demonstrates that while scale is important, its impact on Yaoure's capital requirement is relatively limited. However Amara believes there are a number of other avenues it can pursue in order to further reduce the capital and operating costs of the project, and these are listed in the optimisation opportunities section below.

 

Operating Costs

 

The 6.5Mtpa scenario delivers a 9% decrease in LOM average total cash costs, including royalties and refining, to US$594 per ounce compared to the 8Mtpa scenario. All-in sustaining cash costs decrease by 10% to US$624 per ounce.

 

The operating costs are compelling due to the advantages offered by Yaoure's location, including low cost power, abundant water, a high quality road network and good local accommodation.

 

Category

Unit

6.5Mtpa US$800/oz Pit Design

8Mtpa US$950/oz

Pit Design

Change between 8Mtpa and 6.5Mtpa (%)

Mining1

t mined

2.41

2.42

(0.4%)

Processing1

t processed

10.13

9.90

2%

Other General and Administration

t processed

0.722

0.583

24%4

Notes1. Mining and processing costs include a portion of associated G&A representing US$1.16/tonne

2. US$1.03/t including freight and refining

3. US$0.85/t including freight and refining

4. 21% including freight and refining

 

Category (US$/oz produced)

6.5Mtpa US$800/oz Pit Design

8Mtpa US$950/oz

Pit Design

Change between 8Mtpa and 6.5Mtpa (%)

Mining

305

352

(13%)

Processing

217

232

(6%)

General and Administration

15

14

(7%)

Operating Cash Cost

537

598

(10%)

Freight and refining

7

7

0%

Royalties (and community fund)

50

50

0%

Total Cash Cost

594

655

(9%)

Sustaining Capex

30

36

(17%)

All-In Sustaining Cost

624

691

(10%)

 

Economic Sensitivity Analysis

 

The 6.5Mtpa scenario is more resilient to lower gold prices than the 8Mtpa scenario, with a post-tax IRR of 25% at a gold price of US$1,100 per ounce, a 9% increase. The post-tax NPV of the smaller scenario remains robust at US$388 million. The economic analysis uses an average gold price of US$1,250 per ounce over the 10 year life.

 

 

6.5Mtpa scenario discount rate and gold price sensitivity

 

US$1,100

US$1,200

US$1,250

US$1,300

US$1,400

US$1,500

Post-tax NPV (US$m)

5% discount

535

713

802

891

1,056

1,234

8% discount

388

538

613

687

826

975

10% discount

310

444

511

578

702

835

Post-tax IRR (%)

25

30

33

36

40

45

 

8Mtpa scenario discount rate and gold price sensitivity

 

US$1,100

US$1,200

US$1,250

US$1,300

US$1,400

US$1,500

Post-tax NPV (US$m)

5% discount

579

807

921

1,035

1,246

1,473

8% discount

406

594

688

782

957

1,144

10% discount

316

483

566

650

805

971

Post-tax IRR (%)

23

29

32

35

40

45

 

Optimisation Opportunities

 

A number of opportunities for optimisation were generated by the PEA and it is expected that they will further improve the project economics by improving average head grades and reducing the overall strip ratio. They also have the potential to decrease the upfront capital requirement. These include selective mining of the CMA zone, staged development, process selection, equipment optimisation and project layout. Further details of these opportunities are included in the results of the Yaoure PEA announcement, dated 12 March 2014.

 

Mineral Resource Updates and Pre-Feasibility Study

 

In March 2014 Amara announced a placing and open offer which raised US$30.5 million. The net proceeds will allow Amara to conduct an in-fill drilling programme at Yaoure in 2014, deliver a PFS in Q1 2015, and then subsequently upgrade a portion of the Indicated resource to the Measured category in 2015, supporting a Bankable Feasibility Study ("BFS").

 

The 2014 Yaoure in-fill drilling campaign commenced in early April 2014 and is expected to be undertaken in two phases:

 

· Phase I: To target the 'information gaps' within the Mineral Resource area to increase the size of the Inferred resource

· Phase II: To upgrade the Inferred resources to the Indicated category to increase the level of confidence in the resource

 

In addition, geotechnical, hydro-geological and further metallurgical test work will be undertaken alongside further engineering studies and work on the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment to deliver the PFS.

 

As well as increasing the size of the Mineral Resource, the first phase of drilling has the potential to reduce the overall strip ratio of the deposit (currently 4.9:1 in the 6.5Mtpa scenario) by converting waste to ore in the mine plan. Amara expects to release a Mineral Resource update following the completion of this phase in Q3 2014. The second phase of drilling will focus on upgrading the Inferred resources within the US$950 per ounce proposed open pit to the Indicated category by reducing the drill spacing from 100m x 100m to 50m x 50m. Amara expects to release a second Mineral Resource update following the completion of this phase in Q4 2014. This work will enable Amara to deliver a PFS for the project in Q1 2015.

 

In 2015, the Yaoure drilling campaign will focus on further upgrading a portion of the Indicated resources at Yaoure to the Measured category. This will entail reducing the drilling spacing to 25-35m x 25-35m and will further support a BFS for the project in H2 2015.

 

PEA Preparation

 

The PEA has been prepared by Amara with input from GeoSystems International Inc., which reported the Mineral Resource estimate, and AMEC plc, which reviewed the metallurgical work and proposed the engineering design and cost estimates for the process plant and associated infrastructure for the project.

 

Qualified Person

 

Ian Jackson is a "Qualified Person" within the definition of National Instrument 43-101 and is responsible for the mineral processing and recovery methods upon which the PEA is based. He has reviewed and approved the relevant technical information relating to the recovery methods in this release. Mr Jackson (CEng, M IMMM) is Senior Process Engineer with AMEC plc.

 

Ciaran Molloy is a "Qualified Person" within the definition of National Instrument 43-101 having practiced for 34 years, and is responsible for the TMF and Heap Leach Pad Civil earthworks designs upon which the PEA is based. He has reviewed and approved the relevant technical information relating to civil design of these facilities. Mr Molloy, BSc (civil engineering), MIMMM, is a Technical Director with AMEC Ashford.

 

Bruce van Brunt is a "Qualified Person" within the definition of National Instrument 43-101 and is responsible for the mining schedule upon which the PEA is based. He has reviewed and approved the relevant technical information relating to the mining schedule in this release. Mr van Brunt (MSc Mining Engineering, Fellow AusIMM) is Amara's General Manager of Technical Services and Business Development.

 

Peter Brown is a "Qualified Person" within the definition of National Instrument 43-101 and has verified the data disclosed in this release with regards to the exploration conducted at Yaoure for Amara, including sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information contained herein, and reviewed and approved the information contained within this announcement. Dr Brown (MIMMM) is the Group Exploration Manager.

 

Mario Rossi is a "Qualified Person" within the definition of National Instrument 43-101 and is responsible for the estimation of the Yaoure Mineral Resource. He has reviewed and approved the relevant technical information relating to the resource estimates in this release. Mr Rossi (Fellow AusIMM, Member CIM, Member SME) is Principal Geostatistician of GeoSystems International, Inc.

 

For more information please contact:

 

Amara Mining plc

John McGloin, Chairman

Peter Spivey, Chief Executive Officer

Pete Gardner, Finance Director

Katharine Sutton, Head of Investor Relations

 

+44 (0)20 7398 1420

Peel Hunt LLP

(Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker)

Matthew Armitt

Ross Allister

 

+44 (0)20 7418 8900

GMP Securities Europe LLP

(Joint Broker)

Richard Greenfield

David Wargo

 

+44 (0)20 7647 2800

Farm Street Communications

(Media Relations)

Simon Robinson

+44 (0)7593 340 107

 

 

About Amara Mining plc

 

Amara is a gold developer-producer with assets in West Africa. The Company generates cash flow through its Kalsaka/Sega gold mine in Burkina Faso. Amara is focused on unlocking the value in its development projects. At Yaoure in Côte d'Ivoire, this will be done by increasing the confidence in the existing Mineral Resource and economics at the project as the Company progresses it through to Pre-Feasibility Study and Bankable Feasibility Study. At Baomahun, this will be done by gaining an improved understanding of the exploration upside potential and underground opportunity. With its experience of bringing new mines into production and a project pipeline spanning four countries, Amara aims to further increase its production profile with highly prospective opportunities across all assets.

 

APPENDIX A

 

Key Assumptions

 

Assumption

Unit

Rate

Gold price

US$/oz

1,250

Discount rate

%

8

Source of power

-

Hydro-electric

Power cost

US$/kWh

0.09

Corporate Tax Rate

%

25

Community Fund

% Revenue

0.5

Royalties

Scale

%

3

%

3.5

%

4

>=US$1,600/oz

%

5

Tax Holiday

Years

5

 

 


[i] The top 12 gold mines in Africa are as follows, ranked in order of 2013 production, with the exception of Yaoure, which is ranked by projected average LOM production:

 

Gold Mine

Country

Owner

2013 Production

Tarkwa

Ghana

Gold Fields

632,200

Driefontein

South Africa

Sibanye Gold

603,600

Loulo

Mali

Randgold Resources

580,364

Ahafo

Ghana

Newmont Mining

570,000

Kloof

South Africa

Sibanye Gold

513,675

Geita

Tanzania

AngloGold Ashanti

460,000

Sukari

Egypt

Centamin plc

356,943

Mponeng

South Africa

AngloGold Ashanti

354,000

Yaoure (8Mtpa scenario)

Côte d'Ivoire

Amara Mining

325,000

Siguiri

Guinea

AngloGold Ashanti

315,000

Beatrix

South Africa

Sibanye Gold

312,550

South Deep

South Africa

Gold Fields

302,100

Yaoure (6.5Mtpa scenario)

Côte d'Ivoire

Amara Mining

279,000

Source: RMG Intierra database

 

This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
 
END
 
 
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