B2Gold Announces Positive Feasibility Study Results for the Gramalote Project
https://www.b2gold.com/news-me…lote-Project/default.aspx
Feasibility Study Highlights
- Meaningful gold production profile with favorable metallurgical characteristics
- Open pit gold mine with an initial life of mine of 11 years, with mill processing over 13 years (“Life of Project”)
- Average grade processed of 1.23 grams per tonne (“g/t”) gold over the first five years, benefitting from the processing of the higher-grade core at the Gramalote Project; Life of Project average grade processed of 0.96 g/t gold
- Life of Project gold production of approximately 2.3 million ounces with an average gold recovery of 95.7% from conventional milling, flotation and cyanide leach of the flotation concentrate
- Average annual gold production of approximately 227,000 ounces per year for the first five years of production
- Average annual gold production of approximately 177,000 ounces per year over the Life of Project
- All-in sustaining costs (“AISC”) of $985 per gold ounce over the Life of Project
- Annual processing rate of 6.0 million tonnes per annum (“Mtpa”)
- Strong project economics
- Life of Project after-tax free cash flow of $1.67 billion at a $2,500 per ounce gold price (“$2,500 Gold Price”)
- Life of Project after-tax free cash flow of $2.81 billion at the spot gold price of approximately $3,300 per ounce (“Spot Gold Price”)
- Assuming a discount rate of 5.0% and $2,500 Gold Price, net present value (“NPV”) after-tax of $941 million, generating an after-tax internal rate of return (“IRR”) of 22.4%, with a project payback on pre-production capital of 3.4 years
- Assuming a discount rate of 5.0% and Spot Gold Price, NPV after-tax of $1,716 million, generating an IRR of 33.5%, with a project payback on pre-production capital of 2.4 years
- Estimated construction capital cost of $740 million (includes approximately $73 million for mining equipment and $81 million for contingency)
- Life of Project after-tax free cash flow of $1.67 billion at a $2,500 per ounce gold price (“$2,500 Gold Price”)
- Robust amount of drilling and engineering studies have been completed on Gramalote, which significantly de-risks future project development
- Over 270,000 meters of drilling completed, providing B2Gold with a robust mineral resource model
- Gramalote has a long history of studies and technical reports which supported the existing mining permit that is currently in place
- Specific mining, processing, infrastructure, environmental, and social studies have been completed. Extensive metallurgical test work has demonstrated high gold recoveries (approximately 96%) at a coarse grind size for the selected processing flow sheet.
- Gramalote benefits from strong local community and government support
- Mine plan and environmental permits are currently in place for a larger-scale project; these permits will require modification to reflect the new medium-scale project contemplated in the FS
- B2Gold anticipates the permit modification time frame should be approximately 12 to 18 months