Panoro Minerals Announces Filing of Antilla Copper Project Heap Leach & SX/EW Preliminary Economic Assessment Technical Report

2018-06-26 / @nasdaq

 

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 26, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Panoro Minerals Ltd. (TSXV:PML) (Lima:PML) (Frankfurt:PZM) (“Panoro”, the “Company”) is pleased to announce the filing of the Technical Report for the Antilla Copper Project Preliminary Economic Assessment Technical Report (PEA) on SEDAR. The results of the PEA were announced in a May 14, 2018 news release.  The technical report was authored by Moose Mountain Technical Services Ltd., Tetra Tech Inc. and Panoro Minerals Ltd.  The report is available on the Company’s website at www.panoro.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

The Antilla project is a copper-molybdenum porphyry deposit, located 140 km south west of the city of Cuzco in the Apurimac region in Southern Peru.  The PEA results are highlighted as follows:

Highlights

 Pre-Tax Estimates:
  
  • NPV (7.5%) of US$ 519.8 million;
  • IRR of 34.7%; and
  • Payback of 2.6 years.
 After-tax Estimates:
  
  • NVP (7.5%) of US$ 305.4 million;
  • IRR of 25.9%; and
  • Payback of 3.0 years.
 
Conventional open pit mine focused on supergene copper sulphides;
 • Heap Leach and Solvent Extraction Electrowinning (SX/EW) process;
 • Design throughput of 20,000 tonnes per day with an operational mine life of 17 years;
 • Low waste to process feed ratio of 1.38:1;
 • Average annual payable copper of 46.3 million pounds, as Cathodes;
 • 
Average direct cash costs (C1) of US$1.51 per pound of payable copper;
 • Initial Project capital costs of US$250.4 million, including contingencies; and
 • 
Good potential for discovery of additional supergene mineralization adjacent to the current mineral resource area.

About Panoro

Panoro Minerals is a uniquely positioned Peru focused copper exploration and development company.  The Company is advancing its flagship project, Cotabambas Copper-Gold-Silver Project and its Antilla Copper-Molybdenum Project, both located in the strategically important area of southern Peru. The Company is well financed to expand, enhance and advance its projects in the region where infrastructure such as railway, roads, ports, water supply, power generation and transmission are readily available and expanding quickly.  The region boasts the recent investment of over US$15 billion into the construction or expansion of four large open pit copper mines.

Since 2007, the Company has completed over 80,000 meters of exploration drilling at these two key projects leading to substantial increases in the mineral resource base for each, as summarized in the table below.

Summary of Cotabambas and Antilla Project Resources

ProjectResource
Classification
Million
Tonnes
Cu (%)Au (g/t)Ag (g/t)Mo (%)
Cotabambas Cu/Au/AgIndicated117.10.420.232.740.001
Inferred605.30.310.172.330.002
@ 0.20% CuEq cutoff, effective October 2013, Tetratech
Antilla Cu/MoIndicated291.80.34--0.01
Inferred90.50.26--0.007
@ 0.175% CuEq cutoff, effective May 2016, Tetratech

Preliminary Economic Assessments (PEA) have been completed for both the Cotabambas and Antilla Projects, the key results are summarized below.

Summary of Cotabambas and Antilla Project PEA Results

Key Project Parameters Cotabambas Cu/Au/Ag Project1Antilla Cu
 Project2
Process Feed, life of minemillion tonnes483.1118.7
Process Feed, dailyTonnes80,00020,000
Strip Ratio, life of mine 1.25 : 11.38: 1
Before
Tax1
NPV7.5%million USD1,053520
IRR%20.434.7
Paybackyears3.22.6
After
Tax1
NPV7.5%million USD684305
IRR%16.725.9
Paybackyears3.63.0
Annual Average Payable
Metals
Cuthousand tonnes70.521.0
Authousand ounces95.1-
Agthousand ounces1,018.4-
Mothousand tonnes--
Initial Capital Costmillion USD1,530250
  1. Project economics estimated at commodity prices of; Cu = US$3.00/lb, Au = US$1,250/oz, Ag = US$18.50/oz, Mo = US$12/lb
  2. Project economics estimated at long term commodity price of Cu = US$3.05/lb and Short term commodity price of Cu = US$3.20, US$3.15 and US$3.10 for Years 1,2 and 3 of operations, respectively.

The PEAs are considered preliminary in nature and include Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative to have the economic considerations applied that would enable classification as Mineral Reserves. There is no certainty that the conclusions within the updated PEA will be realized. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.

Luis Vela, a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release.

On behalf of the Board of Panoro Minerals Ltd.

Luquman Shaheen. PEng, PE, MBA
President & CEO

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Panoro Minerals Ltd.
Luquman Shaheen, President & CEO
Phone: 604.684.4246  Fax: 604.684.4200
Email: info@panoro.com
Web: www.panoro.com
Renmark Financial Communications Inc.
Laura Welsh
Tel.: (416) 644-2020 or (416) 939-3989
blwelsh@renmarkfinancial.com
www.renmarkfinancial.com

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS:   Information and statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and involve risks and uncertainties.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation:

  • risks relating to metal price fluctuations;
  • risks relating to estimates of mineral resources, production, capital and operating costs, decommissioning or reclamation expenses, proving to be inaccurate;
  • the inherent operational risks associated with mining and mineral exploration, development, mine construction and operating activities, many of which are beyond Panoro’s control;
  • risks relating to Panoro’s ability to enforce Panoro’s legal rights under permits or licenses or risk that Panoro’s will become subject to litigation or arbitration that has an adverse outcome;
  • risks relating to Panoro’s projects being in Peru, including political, economic and regulatory instability;
  • risks relating to the uncertainty of applications to obtain, extend or renew licenses and permits;
  • risks relating to potential challenges to Panoro’s right to explore and/or develop its projects;
  • risks relating to mineral resource estimates being based on interpretations and assumptions which may result in less mineral production under actual circumstances;
  • risks relating to Panoro’s operations being subject to environmental and remediation requirements, which may increase the cost of doing business and restrict Panoro’s operations;
  • risks relating to being adversely affected by environmental, safety and regulatory risks, including increased regulatory burdens or delays and changes of law;
  • risks relating to inadequate insurance or inability to obtain insurance;
  • risks relating to the fact that Panoro’s properties are not yet in commercial production;
  • risks relating to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and tax rates; and
  • risks relating to Panoro’s ability to raise funding to continue its exploration, development and mining activities.

This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect the forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release.  Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward‑looking information.  The forward‑looking information contained in this news release is based on beliefs, expectations and opinions as of the date of this news release.  For the reasons set forth above, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.  Panoro does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and statements included herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Neither the 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.

Primary Logo

Share to Youtube Share to Facebook Facebook Share to Linkedin Share to Twitter Twitter Share to Tiktok