i-80 Completes PEA for Granite Creek, Nevada US$244.9 M NPV (5%) & 34.2% After-Tax IRR All currencies expressed as
i-80 Completes PEA for Granite Creek, Nevada
US$244.9 M
NPV (5%) & 34.2% After-Tax IRR
All currencies expressed as
United States
dollars unless otherwise stated
RENO, Nev.
,
Nov. 9, 2021
/CNW/ -
i-80 GOLD CORP.
(TSX: IAU) (OTCQX: IAUCF)
("i-80", or the
"Company")
is very pleased to announce the results of a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for
the Company's Granite Creek Project located in
Humboldt County, Nevada
. The technical report has also
been filed with Canadian Securities regulators and can be found at
www.i80gold.com
and under the
Company's profile at
www.sedar.com
.
Highlights of the Granite Creek PEA (Base Case @
US$1,650
/oz Au) include:
After-Tax NPV@5% of
US$244.9 Million
After-Tax IRR of 34.2%
Initial Capital of
US$69.9 Million
All-in Sustaining Cost (per oz Au produced) of
US$963.40
Life of Mine Gold Production of 1,245,900 ounces
"The Granite Creek PEA confirms the substantial economic opportunity that can be realized through the
development of both open pit and underground mines on the Property", stated
Matthew Gili
, President and
Chief Operating Officer of i-80. "This study contemplates constructing heap leach and CIL facilities on the
property for the open pit and trucking refractory material for third party processing. The recent acquisition
of the Lone Tree site will allow for the optimization of these facilities as we progress to a Feasibility Study,
potentially leading to changes in the ultimate processing plans versus what is presented in the study".
Granite Creek is one of four projects being advanced within i-80's portfolio and the Company has made
significant progress advancing the project since it was acquired in April of 2021. A major surface and
underground drill program (~20,000 metres) is underway and the Company is completing additional
underground development and commencing test mining in advance of making a production decision for the
underground mine.
Granite Creek Preliminary Economic Assessment
Global Resource Engineering Ltd. (GRE) was retained by i-80 Gold Corp. (i-80) to complete Preliminary
Economic Assessment (PEA) Technical Report on the Granite Creek Mine Project ("Granite Creek Mine"
or "the Property" or "the Project"). Granite Creek is located within the Getchell Trend immediately south of
the Turquoise Ridge and Twin Creeks mining operations of
Nevada Gold Mines
(see Figure 1).
Figure 1 – Granite Creek Property Location
Figure 1 – Granite Creek Property Location (CNW Group/i-80 Gold Corp)
The project economics shown in the PEA are favorable, providing positive NPV values at varying gold
prices, capital costs, and operating costs. For the open pit at Granite Creek, the study envisions the
construction of a heap leach facility and a CIL plant on-site. For the fully permitted underground
operation, trucking of mined material is assumed to processed at an off-site, third-party processing
facility. Future economic work will consider processing at the Lone Tree facility that was recently
acquired from
Nevada Gold Mines
and located 43 miles (by road) to the south.
Based on the current resource estimates for the Property, the study envisions a mine-life of nine years,
producing 1,245,900 ounces of gold with life-of-mine all-in sustaining costs of
US$963.40
per ounce of
gold. This generates NPV@5% of
US$244.9 million
and After-Tax IRR of 34.2%.
Mineral Resource Estimate
Updated mineral resource estimates were completed on the property for the purposes of this PEA
incorporating the current drill hole database, previously mined out volumes, and backfilled volumes. Table
1 shows the pit-constrained open pit Mineral Resource at a gold grade cutoff of 0.35 grams/tonne (gpt),
and Table 2 shows the underground Mineral Resource at a gold grade cutoff of 5.0 gpt. The ongoing drill
program is targeting the continued expansion of resources at Granite Creek.
Table 1 – Granite Creek Mine Project Open Pit Mineral Resource
Class
Zone
Total Process Material (1000s Tonnes)
Total Contained Au (1000s t. oz)
Au Grade (ppm)
Measured
Pit B
2,584
119
1.44
Pit A
281
15
1.61
CX
9,447
436
1.44
MAG
8,546
418
1.52
Total
20,857
988
1.47
Indicated
Pit B
272
12
1.34
Pit A
504
14
0.89
CX
2,393
107
1.39
MAG
4,279
171
1.24
Total
7,448
304
1.27
Measured + Indicated
Pit B
2,856
131
1.43
Pit A
785
29
1.14
CX
11,840
543
1.43
MAG
12,824
588
1.43
Total
28,306
1,291
1.42
Inferred
Pit B
23
1
0.74
Pit A
120
2
0.62
CX
1,100
46
1.29
MAG
288
13
1.42
Total
1,531
62
1.26
1) The effective date of the Mineral Resources Estimate is May 4, 2021.
2) The Qualified Persons for the estimate are Terre Lane QP-MMSA and Hamid Samari QP-MMSA of GRE.
3) Mineral resources are not Mineral Reserves and are not demonstrably economically recoverable.
4) Mineral resources are reported at a 0.35 g/t cutoff, an assumed gold price of 1,800 $/tr. oz, using variable recovery, a slope angle of 41 degrees, 6% royalty, heap leach processing cost
$9.92 per tonne (includes admin), CIL processing cost of $17.63 per tonne (includes admin).
Table 2 – Granite Creek Mine Project Underground Mineral Resource
Resource Class
Tonnage
(1000s of tonnes)
Gold Grade
(g/t)
Gold Oz
(1000s t. oz)
Measured
483
10.07
156
Indicated
525
10.70
181
M&I
1,008
10.40
337
Inferred
741
13.41
319
1) Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves, and as such, do not have demonstrated economic viability.
2) Cut-off is 5 gpt based on Mining Cost of $100/ton, Process Cost of $106/ton, recovery of 92%, and a gold price of $1600/t. oz.
3) Effective Date is May 4, 2021.
4) Figures are rounded and may show apparent errors in subtotals.
Mining Methods
Mine plans for the resource areas were designed and planned using conventional open pit mining method
for the low grade, widely distributed gold. The open pit areas are suitable for phased designs.
Mechanized over-hand cut and fill underground mining method was selected for the narrow, high-grade
deposits. This method was chosen for its ability to mine narrow vein deposits while minimizing dilution and
reducing labor cost. The underground area utilizes the previous mine development and includes new
development to replace the current access which will be destroyed when the CX pit is mined.
Sensitivity Analysis
GRE evaluated the after-tax NPV@5% sensitivity to changes in gold price, capital costs, and operating
costs. The results indicate that the after-tax NPV@5% is most sensitive to gold price, moderately
sensitive to operating cost, and least sensitive to capital cost.
Figure 2 - NPV@5% Sensitivity to Varying Gold Price, Capital Costs, and Operating Costs
Figure 2 - NPV@5% Sensitivity to Varying Gold Price, Capital Costs, and Operating Costs (CNW Group/i-
80 Gold Corp)
Conclusions and Next Steps
GRE concluded that the project economics shown in the PEA are favorable, providing positive NPV values
at varying gold prices, capital costs, and operating costs.
The current underground trial mining program is aimed at gaining a better understanding of the optimal
mining cycle required for the project and to advance development of the underground workings to provide
for more working faces to mine from in a commercial production scenario. The ongoing drill campaign is
designed to delineate and expand the underground deposits and to better understand the metallurgy and
geotechnical characteristics of the open pit opportunity. The Company has initiated preliminary permitting
studies required for open pit mining. Expansion drilling is stepping out at depth and along strike where the
deposit remains open and results from this program will be released throughout the balance of 2021 and
well into 2022 with the target of completing a Feasibility Study in the future.
About i-80 Gold Corp.
i-80 Gold Corp. is a well-financed Nevada-focused mining company with a goal of achieving mid-tier gold
producer status. The Company is one of the largest holders of gold and silver resources in the
State of
Nevada
with plans to advance multiple projects to production.
Global Mineral Resources
Tonnes
Au Grade
Ag Grade
Au Ounces
Ag Ounces
(kt)
(Au g/t)
(Ag g/t
(Koz)
(Koz)
Measured
Granite Creek - Open Pit
20,857
1.47
988
Granite Creek - Underground
483
10.07
156
Lone Tree - Open Pit
McCoy-Cove - Underground
Ruby Hill - Open Pit
Ruby Hill - Underground
Indicated
Granite Creek - Open Pit
7,448
1.27
304
Granite Creek - Underground
525
10.70
181
Lone Tree - Open Pit
7,223
1.77
410
McCoy-Cove - Underground
1,007
10.90
29.1
351
943
Ruby Hill - Open Pit
224,400
0.54
14.3
3,874
103,335
Ruby Hill - Underground
1,200
5.22
0.6
202
22
Measured & Indicated
263,144
0.76
12.33
6,465
104,300
Inferred
Granite Creek - Open Pit
1,531
1.26
62
Granite Creek - Underground
741
13.41
319
Lone Tree - Open Pit
50,734
1.69
2,764
McCoy-Cove - Underground
3,867
10.90
20.6
1,353
2,565
Ruby Hill - Open Pit
162,700
0.39
14.0
2,062
73,472
Ruby Hill - Underground
8,210
6.02
1.7
1,588
439
Inferred
227,783
1.11
10.4
8,148
76,476
Notes:
1
.
MCOY-COVE: Mineral Resources were calculated at a gold price of US$1500/oz, cut-off grade 0.141 opt Au. and is based on the Preliminary Economic Assessment issued by i-80
on April 13, 2021. Practical Mining LLC, under the supervision of Dagny Odell, P.E., Laura Symmes, SME, and Robert Raponi, P. Eng., each being Qualified Persons within the meaning
National Instrument (NI) 43-101, was the lead consultant for the Project PEA.
2
.
GRANITE CREEK: Mineral Resources have an effective date of May 4, 2021 and are based on the mineral resource technical report issued by i-80 on October 29, 2021. The
Qualified Persons for the estimate are Terre Lane QP-MMSA and Hamid Samari QP-MMSA of GRE. Open Pit Mineral resources are reported at a 0.35 g/t cutoff, an assumed gold
price of 1,800 $/tr. oz, using variable recovery, a slope angle of 41 degrees, 6% royalty, heap leach processing cost $9.92 per tonne (includes admin), CIL processing cost of
$17.63 per tonne (includes admin). Underground mineral resources are reported at a cut-off grade of 5 gpt based on Mining Cost of $100/ton, Process Cost of $106/ton, recovery of
92%, and a gold price of $1600/t. oz
3
.
LONE TREE: Mineral Resources were calculated at a gold price of US$1650/oz, cut-off grade of 0.1 g/t Au and are based on the mineral resource technical report issued by i-80 on
October 21, 2021. Mr. Abani Samal, Ph.D., CPG, RM- SME, Fellow-SEG a GeoGlobal, LLC Principal is the Qualified Person responsible for the Mineral Resource estimate.
4
.
RUBY HILL: Mineral Resources were calculated at a gold price of US$1650/oz, cut-off grade 0.1 g/t Au. and are based on the mineral resource technical report issued by i-80 on
October 22, 2021. Mr. Christopher Wright, P. Geo, a Wood Canada Ltd. employee, is the Qualified Person responsible for the Mineral Resource estimate.
5
.
Figures are rounded and may show apparent errors in subtotals.
6
.
Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.
Qualified Person
Global Resource Engineering, Ltd., under the supervision of Terre Lane, MMSA 01407QP, SME
Registered Member 4053005,
Todd Harvey
, PhD, PE, SME Registered Member 4144120,
Rick Moritz
,
MMSA,
Hamid Samari
, PhD, MMSA and Larry Breckenridge, P.E., all Qualified Persons within the
meaning of National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"), are the Qualified Persons responsible for the
Granite Creek Mine Project Preliminary Economic Assessment NI 43-101 Technical Report. A technical
report detailing the mineral resource estimate has been filed with Canadian Securities regulators and can
be found .
Technical Information
Tim George, PE, Manager of Engineering Services, reviewed the technical and scientific information
contained in this press release and is a Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101.
Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including but not limited to,
financing transaction with Orion, completion of refurbishment and development activities at the Lone Tree project, commencement of mining operations at the Lone Tree and Buffalo Mountain
projects or exploration and development activities the Ruby Hill mine. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the
actual results, performance or achievements of the company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or
implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan",
"anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur
or be achieved. These statements reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this release.
Forward-looking statements and information involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be
accurate indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking
statements or information, including, but not limited to: failure to satisfy of the relevant conditions to the completion of the transactions described herein, failure to obtain the relevant
regulatory approvals, material adverse changes, exercise of termination rights by any relevant party, unexpected changes in laws, failure to complete the Orion financing transaction on
satisfactory terms, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the company to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest;
changes in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration, refurbishment, development or mining programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support
continued exploration, studies, development or operations.
Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors Concerning Estimates of Resources: This press release uses the term "inferred resources." "Inferred resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to
their existence, and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of a feasibility study or
prefeasibility study, except in rare cases. Information contained in the press release containing descriptions of any mineral deposits may not be comparable to similar information made public
by U.S. companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements under the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder that disclose mineral
reserves and mineral resources in accordance with Industry Guide 7 or the SEC's new mining disclosure rules in Regulation S-K 1300. SEC Industry Guide 7 does not recognize the
existence of resources. Under Regulation S-K 1300, reserve and resource definitions are substantially similar to the corresponding CIM Definition Standards; however, there are differences
between NI 43-101 and Regulation S-K 1300 and therefore information contained in the press release may not be comparable to similar information made public by public U.S. companies
pursuant to the Regulation S-K 1300 or SEC Industry Guide 7.
1.
Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. See Global mineral resources table at the end of this press release for global mineral
resource estimates and qualifiers.
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For further information:
please contact: Ewan Downie - CEO; Matt Gili - President & COO, Matthew
Gollat - EVP Business & Corporate Development, 1.866.525.6450, [email protected], www.i80gold.com
CO: i-80 Gold Corp
CNW 07:05e 09-NOV-21