Aura Minerals Announces Updated San Andres Mine NI 43-101 Showing
an Increase in Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource Estimates
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 27, 2014) - Aura Minerals
Inc. (the "Company") (TSX:ORA) announces updated NI 43-101
compliant Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates for its
wholly-owned San Andres Mine located in the Department of Copan,
Honduras.
Highlights
- a 44% increase in total Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves to
1,129 thousand ounces ('koz") of contained gold at a cut-off of
0.28 grams per tonne ("g/t") for oxide material and 0.37 g/t for
mixed material
- a 1.7% increase in Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources to
1,660 koz of contained gold at a cut-off of 0.23 g/t for oxide
material and 0.30 g/t for mixed material
- planned tonnage increase going forward to approximately 7 Mt of
processed material per year
- current and anticipated reduction in operating costs.
Mineral Reserves as at December 31, 2013
Reserve Category |
|
Tonnes (000) |
|
Gold Grade (g/t) |
|
Contained Gold Ounces (000) |
Proven |
|
14,714 |
|
0.50 |
|
237 |
Probable |
|
53,388 |
|
0.52 |
|
892 |
Proven and Probable |
|
68,102 |
|
0.52 |
|
1,129 |
- The mineral reserve estimates are based on an optimized pit,
which has been made operational, using $1,300/oz gold.
- The cut-off grade used was 0.28 g/t for oxide material and 0.37
g/t for mixed material.
- Contained metal figures may not add due to rounding.
- Surface topography as of December 31, 2013.
The 1,129 koz of contained gold in total Proven and Probable
Mineral Reserves represents a 44% increase - before taking account
of depletion from mining activities in the 2012 and 2013 years - as
compared to the previously reported total Proven and Probable
Mineral Reserves as of December 31, 2011 of 45.7 million tonnes
("Mt") grading 0.53 g/t gold which contained 784 koz of gold.
Mineral Resources as at December 31, 2013
Resource Category |
|
Tonnes (000) |
|
Gold Grade (g/t) |
|
Contained Gold Ounces (000) |
Measured |
|
16,238 |
|
0.48 |
|
252 |
Indicated |
|
88,603 |
|
0.49 |
|
1,407 |
Measured & Indicated |
|
104,841 |
|
0.49 |
|
1,660 |
Inferred |
|
4,348 |
|
0.49 |
|
69 |
- The Mineral Resource estimate is based on an optimized shell
using $1,600/oz gold.
- The cut-off grade used was 0.23 g/t for oxide material and 0.30
g/t for mixed material.
- Contained metal figures may not add due to rounding.
- Surface topography as of December 31, 2013, and a 200m river
offset restriction have been imposed.
- Mineral Resources are inclusive of Mineral Reserves.
- The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by
environmental, permitting, legal, marketing, or other relevant
issues.
- The Mineral Resources in this news release were estimated using
the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM)
Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves, Definitions and
Guidelines prepared by the CIM Standing Committee on Reserve
Definitions and adopted by the CIM Council.
The 1,660 koz of gold in total Measured and Indicated Mineral
Resources as of December 31, 2013 represents a 1.7% increase -
before taking account of depletion from mining activities in the
2012 and 2013 years - as compared to the Company's previously
reported Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources, as of December
31, 2011, of 98.9 Mt grading 0.51 g/t gold which contained 1,631
koz of gold.
Additional Highlights
In updating the Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates,
the Company reinterpreted its geological models, updated the
geological database and updated the mine design parameters. During
the course of 2012 and 2013 resource delineation drilling,
geological mapping and data quality programmes of the Cerro Cortez,
Cerro Cemetery, Twin Hills and East Ledge areas have significantly
improved the size and confidence in the oxidation horizons,
mineralization controls and data density for the Mineral Resource
model estimation. Two key changes to the previous Mineral Resource
model estimation were to the geological models and the inclusion of
production blast hole samples into the Mineral Resource. The use of
the production blast holes has been supported by a detailed
reconciliation of the resource models and significantly helps with
short range local variability. Appropriate validations were
undertaken to ensure that the block model adequately represents the
informing composite data.
The updated Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates
included infill and step-out drilling of an additional 273 holes
consisting of 23,963 metres of drilling, changes in operating cost
estimates and updated metal prices originally included in the San
Andres technical report dated March 28, 2012 (effective as of
December 31, 2011).
Negotiations have been ongoing with the surrounding communities
and an agreement reached with the local community to relocate a
cemetery has also enabled San Andres to include additional Mineral
Reserves, which had previously been classified as Mineral
Resources.
In addition to the above, the Company has implemented a small,
but effective capital expansion programme. The crushing system at
San Andres was upgraded to enable increased efficiency, stable
throughput and product quality, and the Company expects to realize
the benefits of this throughout the remainder of 2014 and into the
future. Previous to the upgrade, nominal yearly throughput was
approximately 5 Mt, whereas planned tonnage going forward is 7 Mt
of processed material per year. Due to the higher feed rate, there
is a reduction in operating costs.
Qualified Persons and NI 43-101 Technical Report
The Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates were prepared
by or under the supervision of Bruce Butcher, P. Eng., the
Company's VP Technical Services and Ben Bartlett, FAusimm., the
Company's Manager, Mineral Resources, both Qualified Persons as
that term is defined in NI 43-101. Each of the Qualified Persons
have reviewed and approved the written disclosure contained in this
news release including any sampling, analytical and test data
underlying the information contained in this news release.
The Company will file a NI 43-101 compliant technical report in
respect of the updated Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve
estimate on SEDAR and on the Company's website within 45 days of
this news release.
About Aura Minerals
Aura Minerals is a Canadian mid-tier gold and copper production
company focused on the development and operation of gold and base
metal projects in the Americas. The Company's producing assets
include the copper-gold-silver Aranzazu mine in Mexico, the San
Andres gold mine in Honduras and the Sao Francisco and Sao Vicente
gold mines in Brazil. The Company's core development asset is the
copper-gold-iron Serrote project in Brazil. Recent achievements on
the Serrote project include: completion of basic engineering;
significant progress on land acquisitions and community
resettlement, with approximately 70% of the project area now
acquired; and engineering-only award of long lead equipment.
Detailed negotiations for debt and equity financing of the project
are continuing.
Contact Information
For further information, please visit Aura Minerals' web site at
www.auraminerals.com.
Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains "forward-looking information" and
"forward-looking statements", as defined in applicable securities
laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements") which may
include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the
activities, events or developments that the Company expects or
anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without
limitation, test work and confirming results from work performed to
date, estimation of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves and the
realization of the expected economics of the San Andres Mine.
Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified
by the use of words and phrases such as "plans," "expects," "is
expected," "budget," "scheduled," "estimates," "forecasts,"
"intends," "anticipates," or "believes" or variations (including
negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that
certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "would," "might"
or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved.
Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number
of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by
the Company, are inherently subject to significant business,
economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies.
Forward-looking statements in this news release are based upon,
without limitation, the following estimates and assumptions: the
presence of and continuity of metals at San Andres at modeled
grades; the capacities of various machinery and equipment; the
availability of personnel, machinery and equipment at estimated
prices; exchange rates; metals and minerals sales prices;
appropriate discount rates; tax rates and royalty rates applicable
to the mining operations; cash costs; anticipated mining losses and
dilution; metals recovery rates, reasonable contingency
requirements; political stability in Honduras; future negotiations
with unions; and receipt of regulatory approvals on acceptable
terms.
Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many
of which are beyond the Company's ability to predict or control
could cause actual results to differ materially from those
contained in the forward-looking statements. Specific reference is
made to the most recent Annual Information Form on file with
certain Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities for a
discussion of some of the factors underlying forward-looking
statements, which include, without limitation, gold and copper or
certain other commodity price volatility, changes in debt and
equity markets, the uncertainties involved in interpreting
geological data, increases in costs, environmental compliance and
changes in environmental legislation and regulation, interest rate
and exchange rate fluctuations, general economic conditions and
other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development
industry. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors
is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect the
forward-looking statements.
All forward-looking statements herein are qualified by this
cautionary statement. Accordingly, readers should not place undue
reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no
obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any
forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information
or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. If
the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, no
inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with
respect to those or other forward-looking statements.
Aura Minerals Inc.Joshua PerelmanSr. Financial Analyst(416)
649-1056(416) 649-1044info@auraminerals.comwww.auraminerals.com
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