African Gold Group, Inc. (TSX-V: AGG) (“
AGG” or
the “
Company”) is pleased to provide a National
Instrument 43-101: Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects
(“
NI 43-101”) compliant updated mineral resource
and reserve estimate and results of the definitive feasibility
study (“
DFS”) for the Company`s Kobada Gold
Project (the “
Kobada Gold Project”) located in
southern Mali.
Highlights include:
- Average annual production
of 100,000 ounces of gold per annum for the first 5 years of
operation.
- Total gold production of
728,654 ounces over 9.4 years life of mine, based on current
reserves.
- Average total operating
cash costs US$704/oz for the Life of Mine (“LOM”).
- LOM All-In Sustaining Cost
(“AISC”) of US$782/oz.
- Pre-tax NPV5% of US$283.9
million with an IRR of 45.5% and a post-tax NPV5% of $226 million
with an IRR of 41.1% at US$1,530/oz gold.
- Kobada Gold Project capital
expenditure of US$125 million (plus a contingency of US$11
million).
- Total project capital
expenditure payback of 3.82 years from start of production, based
on a US$1,530 per ounce gold price.
- Total project net cash
flows after tax and capital expenditure of US$327
million.
- A separate standalone 11 MW
Hybrid Solar/Thermal Power Plant to supply power to the Kobada Gold
Project will be funded by an independent power producer with power
purchased at a very competitive kWh rate and significantly reduced
greenhouse gas emissions.
- Total proven and probable
mineral reserve has increased to 754,800 ounces of gold, a 48%
increase from the mineral reserve estimate in the 2016 feasibility
study of the Company with respect to the Kobada Gold Project (the
“2016 Feasibility Study”).
- Pit constrained mineral
resource estimate in the inferred category increased to 1,138,810
ounces of gold with an average grade of 1.33 g/t Au, representing
an 11.2% increase in resource and 37% increase in average
grade.
- High measured and indicated
resource to reserve conversion rate of 84%.
- Updated 2020 mineral
reserve estimate represents, an increase of 48% in ounces and 114%
in tonnes compared with the 2016 Feasibility Study.
- Further potential remains
to significantly increase the resource and reserve along strike and
depth at the Kobada Gold Project.
"We are very excited to deliver this DFS update,
which shows a marked improvement over the 2016 Feasibility Study.
We are pleased to announce significantly improved project economics
on the back of a large jump in mineral reserves, based on a solid
foundation of additional drilling, an updated resource model and a
comprehensive test work program,” comments Danny Callow, Chief
Executive Officer of AGG. "We have worked tirelessly, despite the
impact of COVID-19 to deliver this study on time and 20% below
budget. Our flagship Kobada Gold Project has been increased to a
100,000 oz per annum operation. Based on the limited exploration
drilling on only 4 km of the 30 km of identified structural shear
zones on the property, we believe there is significant potential to
improve the resources and reserves further with limited additional
exploration. We have an advanced process plant design, we are fully
permitted, and we are ready for the next phase of construction."The
study has been prepared with input from a number of independent
consultants:
Minxcon Group (South Africa) |
Mineral resources |
DRA Met-Chem (Canada) |
Mining, mineral reserves |
Maelgwyn Mineral Services (South Africa) |
Metallurgical test work |
ABS-Africa (South Africa) |
Environmental and social |
Epoch Resources (South Africa) |
Tailings facilities |
SENET (South Africa) |
Processing plant and infrastructure |
SENET and CRESCO |
Economic valuation and report compilation |
Kobada Gold Project Overview
The Kobada Gold Project is located in southern
Mali, approximately 125 km in a straight-line south-southwest of
the capital city Bamako, and is situated adjacent to the Niger
River and the international border with Guinea.
The Kobada Gold Project is based on one mining
exploitation permit of 136 km2 and one exploration permit of 80 km2
which are wholly owned by AGG Mali SARL, the local Malian Company,
100% owned subsidiary of African Gold Group.
AGG completed 116,870 metres of diamond, reverse
circulation, air core and auger drilling between 2005 and 2012. In
2015, AGG completed a further 1,398 metres of diamond core drilling
over 136 diamond drill holes. The current AGG exploration
re-commenced in August 2019 and an additional 11,428 metres of
diamond core have been drilled.
Gold mineralization is present in the laterite,
saprolite, and quartz veins that comprise the project, and in the
sulphidic hard rock underneath. There are also placer style
deposits in the region.
Mine Planning
DRA/Met-Chem (a company of DRA Americas) undertook the mine
planning process, based on the measured and indicated mineral
resources delineated to date at the Kobada Gold Project.
Pit optimizations were undertaken using the following
parameters:
Gold price |
US$1,450/oz (base case) |
Mining Costs |
US$ 2.5/t to US$3.0/t |
Processing Costs |
US$ 9.9/t to US$12.3/t |
Mining dilution |
5% at zero grade |
Mining recovery |
95% |
Pit slopes |
40° overall slope angle |
Metallurgical recovery |
Laterite Oxide ore |
96.5% |
Saprolite Oxide ore |
96.5% |
Transitional ore |
90.5% |
The Kobada Gold Project deposit is planned to be
mined with a standard open-pit mining method using articulated
trucks and a hydraulic loader (hydraulic shovel or excavator).
Approximately 90% of the raw material to be mined is contained in
the saprolite and laterite ores, and the vast majority will be free
digging.
The final pit design for the Kobada Gold Project
deposit has a main pit (Central Pit) of approximately 2.6 km long,
with a maximum width of 500 m and a maximum depth of 185 m. North
and South of the central area are some smaller satellite pits, as
shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Kobada Final Pit
Design is available
at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5c3d38bd-98af-4e31-9969-6443408e9b0e
The open pit mining operation will last
approximately five and half years, during which the lower-grade
material will be stockpiled on a pad close to the primary crusher
location.
The mine plan targets higher grade ore zone at
the early phase of the project to feed into the process plant in
order to produce 100,000 oz per annum for the first 5 years, and
thereafter lower production output as the grade drops and
stockpiles are treated.
Over the life of the project, 27.13 Mt of ore
will be mined and delivered to the processing facility, and a total
of 72.35 Mt of material will be mined and placed on the waste
dumps, representing a life of mine stripping ratio of 2.67:1.
The mining operations will be undertaken by a
specialized contractor selected by AGG. This contractor will be
responsible for the management and maintenance of its own mining
fleet and operators, while AGG will oversee the mine planning and
geological grade control aspects of the operation.
Mineral Reserve
This updated mineral reserve and resource
estimate at Kobada Gold Project, as summarized in Table 1 and Table
2, was prepared in accordance with the Canadian Institute of
Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum “CIM” (2014) Definition Standards
incorporated by reference in NI 43-101, and is the result of 11,428
meters (67 drill holes) of drilling completed by the Company
between H2 2019 and H1 2020 in addition to the historical drilling
completed in previous years.
Table
1: Kobada`s Mineral Reserve
Estimate
Reserve Classification |
Tonnage 1(Mt) |
Grade(g/t) |
Contained Gold(kg) |
Contained Gold(oz) |
Proven 2 |
11.04 |
0.95 |
10,460 |
336,300 |
Probable 2 |
16.09 |
0.81 |
13,017 |
418,500 |
Proven and Probable 2,3,4 |
27.13 |
0.87 |
23,476 |
754,800 |
Notes:
- Numbers may not add due to rounding
- Mineral reserves were estimated using a gold price of US$1,450
per ounce of gold
- The Cut-off Grade used to estimate the Mineral Reserves was
0.37 g/t, with a dilution of 5%
- Only Laterite, Oxide and Transition material from the Measured
and Indicated Resource Categories were considered for the Reserve
Estimate
|
Mineral Resource
Table
2: Kobada`s Mineral Resource
Estimate
Resource Classification |
Tonnage(Mt) |
Grade(g/t) |
Contained Gold(kg) |
Contained Gold(oz) |
Measured |
24.63 |
0.79 |
18,379 |
590,910 |
Indicated |
22.02 |
0.95 |
18,673 |
600,350 |
Measured & Indicated |
46.66 |
0.86 |
37,052 |
1,191,270 |
Inferred |
31.54 |
1.33 |
35,421 |
1,138,810 |
Notes:
- Pit constrained mineral resources
were estimated at a cut-off grade of 0.35 g/t Au
- Mineral resources were estimated
using long-term gold price of US$1,600 per ounce of gold
- Geological losses applied to
mineral resource classification of 5% Measured, 10% Indicated and
15% Inferred
- A recovery of 95% for gold was
used
- Only resources within the resource
pit are declared
- The Mineral resource is inclusive
of mineral reserves
- Numbers may not add due to
rounding
|
“We are very happy to present a much-improved
resource and reserve statement,” says Dr. Andreas Rompel, Vice
President Exploration of the Company. “Whilst most of the drilling
was focused on infill drilling and improving the confidence level
and the quality of the resource model, some holes drilled to the
north of the 4 km main shear zone showed huge promise for future
exploration. After two drilling phases we were in a fantastic
position to upgrade large parts of the inferred resource in the
oxides to the indicated category and subsequently convert these
into additional reserves. This gives us confidence for future
exploration to significantly extend the life of the mine at the
Kobada Gold Project. These new figures submitted here represent a
substantial improvement to the previous feasibility study from 2016
and will allow us to finalise the pending feasibility study
shortly.”
2019 – 2020 Drilling
Program
The diamond drilling program at the Kobada Gold
Project commenced in November 2019 and, the Company has drilled
over 11,428 meters (67 drill holes). The 2019-2020 drilling program
has been separated into two phases. Phase 1 was designed to confirm
and upgrade the confidence level in the 2016 Feasibility Study. A
total of 5,600 meters was drilled in 34 holes as presented in
Figure 2. The core drilling was designed to infill specific areas
across the main shear zone and validate the 2016 Feasibility
Study.
Phase 1 drilling program did indeed confirm the
expected resources and additional ounces of gold were identified
along the 4 km strike length of the main shear zone. Gold
mineralization was confirmed, with more oxide resources upgraded
from the inferred to the indicated and measured categories.
A variety of alternation zones were tested
throughout the Phase 1 program to delineate the thickness and
mineralization of the laterite, saprolite, transition and sulphide
zones of the ore body.
Phase 2 aimed at finding additional resources
along the northern extension of the shear zone at the Kobada Gold
Project. The Company was successful in testing the depth extension
of the oxides, the transition zone and the sulphide zone, found
additional resources in an area which was so far untested and
proved gold mineralisation being continuous down-dip along the
shear zone into the sulphides.
Figure 2: Phase 1 drill hole locations is
available
at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d2594a19-ba10-404c-85f2-edc5094bdd44
Exploration Upside and 2020
Guidance
With only a limited amount of additional
drilling, the Company expects to convert further ounces from the
inferred oxide resource category to the indicated category. With a
resource to reserve conversion of 84%, and a total of 574,850 oz of
oxide resource in the inferred category, it is expected that the
overall reserve could increase significantly. The plan is to
undertake this drilling during the second half of 2020.
The drill results of Phase 1 and 2 indicate that
the deposit remains open at depth and along strike, with a
significant extension being delineated to the north of the main
mineralised shear zone.
While only 4 km of the main shear zone at the
Kobada project were considered for the DFS, a further 26 km of
shear zones have been identified on the concessions with high-grade
satellite deposits at the Gosso target and Faraba. These targets
represent an attractive potential for the future sources of
production.
The Company is confident that with limited
drilling and a high resource to reserve conversion rate, the
inferred oxide resources can be converted into additional reserves.
This will be a priority during 2020 and will result in mine life
being extended. Additional exploration on the highly prospective
northern main shear zone and the Gosso target is expected to
further increase the probability of additional resources, and this
will be a target during 2020-2021.
The mineral resource and mineral reserves
statements in this press release will be published in the DFS,
which will be filed within 45 days in accordance with NI 43-101
requirements.
Processing
In the 2016 Feasibility Study, test work was
conducted to support a process flowsheet based on recovering gold
through gravity means only, and other recovery options were not
assessed.
As part of the DFS study, a detailed
metallurgical testwork programme on representative composite
samples across the mineralized zones was carried out in two
phases.
Phase 1 of the metallurgical testwork involved
investigating the optimum treatment route by assessing all possible
gold recovery methods. Phase 2 involved optimizing the processing
flowsheet to obtain the parameters to enable design of the gold
processing facility for optimum gold recovery. Variability testwork
was conducted to establish the degree of variability within the ore
zones with respect to their metallurgical response using the
optimum conditions determined in Phase 2.
The test work was completed by Maelgywn Mineral
Services (“MMS”) in South Africa, who was retained
by SENET, the Company’s project manager for the DFS. Results from
the metallurgical testwork were used for the flowsheet development
and design of the gold processing plant for the Kobada Gold
Project. Outcomes from the testwork indicated that:
- The ore is easy to treat with expected recoveries in
the order of 96% for both saprolite and laterite ore
types.
- The ore is extremely soft (low hardness and abrasion),
which will result in low power requirement and low wear on liners
and mill media.
- Low deleterious elements resulting in low reagent use,
and lower operating cost.
- Low oxygen demand which will not require oxygen
sparging in the leach tanks.
- Low reagent consumption.
The proposed process plant design is based on a
proven and established gravity/carbon-in-leach
(“CIL”) technology, which consists of crushing,
milling, and gravity recovery of free gold, followed by
leaching/adsorption of gravity tailings, elution and gold smelting,
and tailings disposal. Services to the process plant will include
reagent mixing, storage and distribution, water, and air
services.
The plant will treat 3 Mtpa of saprolite ore or
a blend of saprolite and laterite ore in a 90/10 split,
respectively, to produce 100,000 oz of gold per annum. The process
plant was designed on the following principles:
- Simplified, compact process plant, minimising the
requirement of expensive and long lead front-end process
equipment.
- Easy to upgrade in the future.
- Simple to operate and cost effective, in terms of
capital and operating costs.
- The flexibility to exceed 100,000 oz per year of output
based upon input feed grade and tonnage.
- Highly flexible process able to treat varying ore
grades and ore types with no significant increase in reagent
consumption.
Power
Due to the relatively poor electricity
infrastructure in the region, tying into the national power grid is
not a feasible solution. SENET undertook studies to investigate the
potential for a standalone 11MW Power plant for the DFS.
An in-depth study found that the development of
a hybrid solar PV, battery energy storage system
(“BESS”) and thermal power plant funded by an
Independent Power Producer (the “IPP”) to be the
best option. This will reduce the CAPEX required, lowering the
initial investment as the equipment is owned by the IPP and in
addition lowers the operational risk with a very competitive power
purchase rate.
The inclusion of the hybrid solar PV along with
the thermal power plant will not only save on energy cost but will
also significantly reduce the mine’s environmental footprint in the
region. The BESS will provide additional redundancy to the thermal
plant and the system will be fully integrated with the mining
operations to ensure de-risked mining revenue generation.
This option will not only compliment AGG’s
environmental strategy, but also presents an opportunity to reduce
costs over the life of the Kobada Gold Project with improved
reliability, cost-effectiveness, and redundancy to the total power
requirements.
Highlights of the hybrid power system
include;
- Significant annual power savings over a conventional
thermal power system of more than 22% and an annual saving of over
$5 million on cost of power,
- Reduction of;
- over 5 million litres of HFO,
- over 14 million kg of carbon dioxide
emissions,
- over 8,000 kg of carbon monoxide
emissions,
- over 720 kg of unburned hydrocarbons,
- over 34,000 kg of sulfur dioxide,
- nearly 62,000 kg of nitrogen oxides.
Water
Raw water supply shall be achieved by a
combination of raw water abstraction from the Niger River, and
supplementary water supply from the eight open pit outer perimeter
dewatering boreholes.
The water from these supplies shall be stored in
a newly constructed 20,000 m3 raw water buffer dam located mid-way
between the process plant and the Niger River. The process plant
shall feature additional water storage facilities in terms of a
3,500 m3 raw water pond, a 10,600 m3 process water pond and a 4,500
m3 stormwater pond, respectively. Process water will be supplied by
pumping supernatant water back from the TSF (as defined below).
Tailings Management
Epoch Resources (Pty) Ltd undertook the study
design associated with the Tailings Storage Facility
(“TSF”). The TSF is a HDPE lined, full containment
valley type arrangement, with a life of mine
(“LOM”) tailings storage requirement of 25.9 Mt at
a deposition rate of 3 million dry tonnes/annum. The TSF
infrastructure includes a slurry distribution pipeline, catchment
paddocks, toe drain system, underdrainage system, curtain drain
system, blanket drain system, solution collection pipeline,
collection sumps and manholes, seepage cut-off trench, storm water
diversion trenches, emergency spillway, access roads and perimeter
fence-line. A floating barge decants supernatant tailings slurry
water and storm water from the TSF back to the plant.
The TSF is to be constructed in phases over the
LOM, utilizing open pit overburden material, in three downstream
lifts following the construction of the initial starter embankment.
The construction of Phase 1 has been split into Phase 1A in the
first year of construction and Phase 1B in the second year of
construction.
The full containment TSF design was adopted to
take cognisance of the imminent Global Tailings Standards and
International Commission on Large Dams Tailings Dams Safety, both
currently in draft status, which refer to robust TSF designs and
potentially liquefiable tailings.
Accessibility and Transport/Logistics
SENET and Bolloré Logistics have undertaken
surveys with detailed analysis of access routes to the Kobada
project site for plant and equipment as well as ongoing production
materials and consumables.
Based on the international routes and climate
conditions, as well as size of cargo to be transported, either of
the two major routes (i.e. from Abidjan or Dakar) will be used for
the project to gain access to Bamako and the Kobada site. These
routes are via:
- International ports to Abidjan
(Côte D’Ivoire) by sea, and Abidjan to site by road freight (for
containers).
- International ports to Dakar
(Senegal) by sea, and Dakar to site by road freight (for abnormal
loads/break bulk).
Alternatively, international airports to Bamako
Airport (Mali) via commercial airlines (for airfreight).
From Bamako, transportation of materials and
consumables to the site will be via the existing roads that link
Bamako to Kobada village and the AGG camp comprising two distinct
access routes.
The preferred access route to the Kobada site is
accessible in approximately 3 – 4 hour’s drive in a south-west
direction from Bamako. After crossing the Niger by barge there is
approximately 8 km of untarred roads.
An alternate access route from Bamako to the
Kobada mine site is via the RN7 (Bamako–Sikasso) for 80 km to the
Sélingué road junction, thereafter an additional 60 km of paved
road to Sélingué. Thereafter there is 52 km of laterite road to
site. The construction of a new low-level bridge across the Fié
River was addressed in the study and included in the capital
expenditure.
Refining
There is no gold refining capability in Mali and
thus doré produced at Kobada is to be refined outside the country,
either in South Africa, Europe, or Dubai. Initial discussions have
been held with refineries and although no agreements have been
entered into, it is anticipated that the doré will be treated at
the Rand Refinery in South Africa.
Environmental and Social Aspects
Africa and Business Consulting Mali
(“ABCOM”), together with ABS Africa (Pty) Ltd and
Insuco Limited, have been appointed to undertake an Environmental
and Social Impact Assessment (“ESIA”) for the
Kobada Gold Mine Project. The present phase of the environmental
assessment work comprises detailed characterization of the
environmental baseline, quantification of impacts and development
of management, monitoring and closure and rehabilitation plans.
Baseline studies were undertaken during October and November 2019
with a follow-up wet season biodiversity survey scheduled for Q3
2020.
A socio-economic baseline assessment has been
completed for the project, but due to the COVID-19 travel
restrictions the community consultation and impact assessment is
currently on hold and will be completed as soon as the lockdown is
lifted. However, initial consultations before the lockdown
indicated positive support for the project.
Key ImpactsKey environmental
and social impacts identified to date as part the ESIA process, are
summarized as follows:
- Employment opportunities during the
construction and operational phase. This will translate into an
improved standard of living for those hired and their
families.
- National, regional, and local
businesses and contractors will benefit both directly and
indirectly from Kobada Gold Project-related construction and
operational activities due to the purchase of goods and
services.
- Project development has the
potential to provide increased availability and opportunity for a
wide range of skills development and job training, particularly for
women and local youth.
- During all the phases of the Kobada
Gold Project, payment of dividends, tax on taxable income,
royalties and surface rent will contribute to the fiscus.
In order to achieve the appropriate
environmental management standards and ensure that the findings of
the environmental studies are implemented through practical
measures, the recommendations from the ESIA have been used to
compile an Environmental and Social Management Plan
(“ESMP”). The role of the ESMP is to assist AGG in
reducing potential impacts and risks and achieving its
environmental objectives as well as fulfilling its commitment to
the environment. The ESMP will be used to ensure compliance with
environmental specifications, monitoring and management
measures.
AGG will develop a series of Environmental
Action Plans, in order to manage anticipated impacts, as per the
requirements of the IFC’s Sustainability Framework.
Capital Costs
The tables below summarize the estimated capital
costs for the Kobada Gold Project as estimated by the independent
consultants. These costs were in almost all cases built up from
quotations and proposals from equipment and service providers.
The Feasibility Study costs currently utilize a
contractor owned and operated mining fleet. The contractor mining
option given the lower initial capital cost was found to be the
preferred option for the project.
The TSF will be developed in three distinct
phases corresponding to “lifts” of the full containment dam wall.
This has allowed for the costs to be allocated to the initial
capital expenditure budget for the first phase and for sustaining
capital for phases two and three.
All financial analysis for the Life of Mine
includes the total design, construction and commissioning,
production, and closure.
Table
3: Total Initial Project Capital
Costs
Description |
Capital Cost |
Contingency |
Total Capital Cost |
US$ |
US$ |
US$ |
Initial Capital |
Mining Pre-Production and Establishment |
25,473,951 |
2,547,395 |
28,021,346 |
Plant and Infrastructure |
72,291,850 |
5,505,832 |
77,797,682 |
TSF Phase 1 |
19,134,389 |
1,913,439 |
21,047,828 |
Pre-Production Costs |
8,390,148 |
839,015 |
9,229,163 |
Total Initial CAPEX |
125,290,338 |
10,805,681 |
136,096,019 |
Table
4: Total Sustaining
Project Capital Costs
Description |
Capital Cost |
Contingency |
Total Capital Cost |
US$ |
US$ |
US$ |
Sustaining Capital |
Mining |
7,001,057 |
0 |
7,001,057 |
TSF Phases 2 and 3 |
31,773,642 |
0 |
31,773,642 |
Mine Wide -Resettlement |
1,449,706 |
1,409,270 |
2,858,976 |
Mine Wide-Rehab and Closure |
10,336,847 |
494,104 |
10,830,951 |
Mine Wide Post Closure Costs |
4,569,702 |
68,611 |
4,638,313 |
Total Sustaining Capital |
55,130,954 |
1,971,985 |
57,102,939 |
Operating Cash Costs
The following operating cash costs were estimated
and incorporated into the financial analysis:
Table
5: Total Operating Cash Costs
LOM
|
LOM |
|
US$/t processed |
US$/oz |
Mining |
8.15 |
303.52 |
Processing |
7.08 |
143.74 |
G & A |
2.24 |
83.29 |
Refining & Transport |
0.20 |
7.59 |
Royalties |
1.23 |
45.86 |
Total |
18.91 |
704.01 |
Financial Analysis
The Kobada Gold Project financial analysis was
prepared using the discounted cash flow model. In preparing this
model there have been several assumptions and material factors that
have been employed which are presented in Table 6.
Table 6: Financial
Model Assumptions
Description |
Unit |
Assumption |
Revenue |
|
|
Gold Price |
US$/oz |
1,530 |
Refining Losses |
% |
0.08% |
Discount Rate |
% |
5.0% |
Fuel Prices |
|
|
Diesel Price |
US$/L |
0.557 |
HFO Price |
US$/L |
0.428 |
Fiscal |
|
|
Government Royalty |
% |
3% |
Government Free Carry Equity |
% |
10% |
Tax Holiday |
Years |
3 |
Tax Rate (after tax holiday) |
% of profits |
30% |
Tax Rate if there is loss |
% of annual turnover |
1% |
Dividend Tax |
% |
10% |
Depreciation |
% |
10% over 10 years |
Conversion Factors |
|
|
Grams to Ounces |
g/troy oz |
32.1505 |
Diesel SG |
t/m3 |
0.85 |
HFO SG |
t/m3 |
0.97 |
Other Charges |
|
|
Bullion Transport & Refining Costs |
US$/oz |
7.59 |
Exchange Rates |
ZAR/US$ |
17.00 |
US$/€ |
0.92 |
US$/£ |
0.80 |
US$/A$ |
1.55 |
US$/C$ |
1.35 |
CFA/€ |
655.72 |
CFA/US$ |
604.66 |
The findings of the model are summarized
in Table 7.
Table
7: Summary of Financial
Findings
DESCRIPTION |
|
PRE-TAX |
AFTER TAX |
LOM Tonnage Ore Processed |
t (000) |
27,134 |
27,134 |
LOM Feed Grade Processed |
g/t |
0.873 |
0.873 |
Production Period |
years |
9.4 |
9.4 |
LOM Gold Recovery |
% |
95.7% |
95.7% |
LOM Gold Production |
oz (000) |
728.7 |
728.7 |
LOM Payable Gold After Refining Losses |
oz (000) |
728.1 |
728.1 |
Gold Price |
US$/oz |
1,530 |
1,530 |
Revenue |
US$ million |
1,114 |
1,114 |
Total Initial Capital Cost (including contingency) |
US$ million |
136.1 |
136.1 |
LOM Operating Costs |
US$/oz |
704 |
704 |
AISC |
US$/oz |
782 |
782 |
NPV |
US$ million |
284 |
226 |
IRR |
% |
45.5% |
41.1% |
Discount Rate |
% |
5% |
5% |
Discounted Payback Period |
Years |
3.82 |
3.82 |
Project Net Cash |
US$ million |
407.8 |
325.7 |
The following tables detail the NPV and IRR
sensitivities of the project to gold price, CAPEX, OPEX, recovery
and feed grade. Before these the Sensitivity analysis percentages
are shown.
Figure 3: Sensitivity on NPV is available
at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/712ceffd-1ae3-4b28-bf21-4c308d7baf57
Table 8:
Key project metric sensitivity to gold price
Average Gold Price (US$/oz) |
|
|
1,301 |
|
1,377 |
|
1,530 |
|
1,683 |
|
1,760 |
|
NPV @ 5% (After Tax) |
US$M |
124 |
|
158 |
|
226 |
|
294 |
|
329 |
|
IRR |
% |
25% |
|
31% |
|
41% |
|
51% |
|
56% |
|
Cash Flow Payback |
Years |
5.17 |
|
4.63 |
|
3.82 |
|
3.38 |
|
3.21 |
|
Maximum Funding |
US$M |
138.20 |
|
138.02 |
|
137.61 |
|
137.21 |
|
137.01 |
|
Table 9: Gold price
and discount rate sensitivity analysis
NPV @ 5% (After Tax) |
Discount Rate |
US$M |
|
0% |
|
5% |
|
10% |
|
Ave Gold Price US$/oz |
1,301 |
195 |
|
124 |
|
75 |
|
1,377 |
239 |
|
158 |
|
102 |
|
1,530 |
327 |
|
226 |
|
156 |
|
1,683 |
416 |
|
294 |
|
211 |
|
1,760 |
460 |
|
329 |
|
238 |
|
Table
10: Gold price and head grade sensitivity
analysis
NPV @ 5% (After Tax) |
Average Gold Price (US$/oz) |
US$M |
|
1,301 |
1,377 |
1,530 |
1,683 |
1,760 |
Average Head Grade g/t |
0.742 |
35 |
64 |
124 |
181 |
210 |
0.786 |
64 |
95 |
158 |
218 |
249 |
0.873 |
122 |
156 |
226 |
293 |
327 |
0.960 |
180 |
217 |
294 |
368 |
406 |
1.004 |
209 |
248 |
328 |
405 |
445 |
Table
11: Gold price and operating costs
sensitivity analysis
NPV @ 5% (After Tax) |
Average Gold Price (US$/oz) |
US$M |
|
1,301 |
1,377 |
1,530 |
1,683 |
1,760 |
Change in OPEX |
-15 |
% |
169 |
203 |
273 |
340 |
389 |
-10 |
% |
153 |
187 |
257 |
324 |
373 |
0 |
% |
122 |
156 |
226 |
293 |
340 |
10 |
% |
91 |
125 |
195 |
262 |
308 |
15 |
% |
75 |
109 |
179 |
246 |
292 |
Table
12: Gold price and capital costs
sensitivity analysis55
NPV @ 5% (After Tax) |
Average Gold Price (US$/oz) |
US$M |
|
1,301 |
1,377 |
1,530 |
1,683 |
1,760 |
Change in CAPEX |
-15 |
% |
139 |
173 |
243 |
310 |
344 |
-10 |
% |
133 |
167 |
237 |
304 |
339 |
0 |
% |
122 |
156 |
226 |
293 |
327 |
10 |
% |
111 |
145 |
215 |
282 |
316 |
15 |
% |
106 |
139 |
209 |
276 |
311 |
Table 13: Gold price and percentage
recovery sensitivity analysis
NPV @ 5% (After Tax) |
Average Gold Price (US$/oz) |
US$M |
|
1,301 |
1,377 |
1,530 |
1,683 |
1,760 |
Recovery % |
80.7 |
% |
35 |
64 |
124 |
181 |
210 |
85.7 |
% |
64 |
95 |
158 |
218 |
249 |
95.7 |
% |
122 |
156 |
226 |
293 |
327 |
96.7 |
% |
128 |
162 |
233 |
300 |
335 |
98.7 |
% |
140 |
175 |
247 |
315 |
351 |
Project Opportunities
The DFS has been completed based upon drilling
of only 4 km of the main shear zone. Several other geologically
similar shear zone structures have been identified on the
concession and these are yet to be drilled. There exists a
significant opportunity to increase the size of the measured and
indicated resource through targeted limited infill drilling in the
inferred resources which would be an opportunity to increase mine
life.
The Company, with the assistance of SENET has
advanced the engineering of the project past the level that is
required for a DFS. A large part of the process plant is designed
to a detailed engineering level, including earthworks and civil
engineering drawings issued for construction. Ongoing schedule
optimization may result in reducing the construction schedule and
bringing first gold forward by a number of months.
Development Timetable
Construction of the process plant and associated
infrastructure including Phase 1 of the TSF for the Kobada Gold
Project is expected to take 19 months. First gold will be achieved
where after the process plant will be ramped up to produce
nameplate capacity within the following 2 production months. The
mine is designed with ease of construction and operation as a
priority. The simplified and compact process plant flowsheet
minimizes the requirement for expensive and long lead process
equipment, thereby substantially reducing the construction
time.
“Utilising known technology to develop a robust
plant flowsheet suitable for West African conditions, yet simple
and flexible in design, has allowed us to fast-track the
development of the engineering to a stage where much of the plant
is now at detailed design level. This allows us to shorten the
schedule significantly and save on engineering costs,” says Danny
Callow, Chief Executive Officer of AGG.
The Company also intends to outsource key
specialised components of the plant from the best in class
providers, including a state-of-the-art hybrid, solar PV, thermal
and BESS, fuel storage and supply, and the mining and TSF
contract.
Qualified Person
This DFS was prepared under the supervision of
Nick Dempers, Principal Process Engineer at SENET and a "Qualified
Person," as such term is defined in National Instrument 43-101.
The contents of this press release have been
reviewed and approved by:
- Nicholas Dempers, MSc Eng (Chem), BSc Eng (Chem), BCom (Man),
Pr.Eng (RSA), Reg.No 20150196, FSAIMM (RSA), Principal Process
Engineer of SENET (Pty) Ltd with respect to processing and
infrastructure,
- Uwe Engelmann, BSc (Zoo. & Bot.), BSc Hons (Geol.),
Pr.Sci.Nat. No. 400058/08, MGSSA, a director of Minxcon (Pty) Ltd.
with respect to mineral resources,
- Patrick Perez, MSc (Geology), P.Eng (Association of
Professional Engineers and Geoscientist of Saskatchewan, license
#16131), a manager mining engineer of DRA Americas, a company of
DRA Global with respect to mining and mineral reserves,
- Guy John Wild, BSc Eng., MSc Eng. and P. Eng (#940269), a
Director and Senior Tailings Dam Engineer at Epoch Resources with
respect to the tailings dam,
- Fanie Coetzee, B.Sc Hons (Environmental Management),
Pr.Sci.Nat. No 40044/04, Director of ABS Africa with respect to the
ESIA.
Each of the aforementioned individuals are
independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.
About African Gold Group
African Gold Group is a Canadian listed gold
company on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V: AGG) with expansive
holdings in West Africa`s prolific Birimian Greenstone Belt
including more than 460 km2 across Mali and Burkina Faso with a
focus on the development of the Kobada Gold Project in southern
Mali. For more information regarding African Gold Group visit our
website at www.africangoldgroup.com.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Danny CallowPresident and Chief Executive
Officer
For more information please contact:
Danny Callow President and Chief Executive Officer+(27) 76 411
3803 Danny.Callow@africangoldgroup.com
Scott EldridgeNon-Executive Chairman of the Board(604)
722-5381Scott.Eldridge@africangoldgroup.com
Daniyal Baizak VP Corporate Development (416)
861-2267Daniyal.Baizak@africangoldgroup.com
Cautionary statements This
press release contains “forward‑looking information” within the
meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation.
Forward‑looking information includes, but is not limited to,
statements regarding, the DFS and the summary information extracted
therefrom, the exploration plans of the Company at the Kobada Gold
Project and the development timetable for the Kobada Gold Project.
Generally, forward‑looking information can be identified by the use
of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “expects” or “does
not expect”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”,
“forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or
“believes”, 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 information is subject to known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results,
level of activity, performance or achievements of AGG to be
materially different from those expressed or implied by such
forward‑looking information, including but not limited to: receipt
of necessary approvals; general business, economic, competitive,
political and social uncertainties; future prices of mineral
prices; accidents, labour disputes and shortages and other risks of
the mining industry. Although AGG has attempted to identify
important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those contained in forward-looking information,
there may be other factors that cause results not to be as
anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that
such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and
future events could differ materially from those anticipated in
such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue
reliance on forward‑looking information. AGG does not undertake to
update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with
applicable securities laws.
NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS
REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE
POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR
THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
African Gold (TSXV:AGG)
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