Lupaka Gold Eliminates Invicta Gold Project Royalty
Lupaka Gold Eliminates Invicta Gold Project Royalty
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 23, 2017) - Lupaka Gold Corp (TSXV: LPK) (FSE: LQP) ("Lupaka Gold"
or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has successfully negotiated an early payout of a production royalty
on its Invicta property. The royalty was held by Franco-Nevada Corporation and included quarterly payments totalling
US$800,000 which were to commence upon the start of commercial production and continue for 16 quarters.
Payout and filing of the royalty termination documents has resulted in elimination of all existing charges against the Invicta mining
concessions. Simultaneously, the Company filed mortgage documents related to the US$7 Million PLI Huarura Holdings LP
financing ("PLI Financing Agreement") announced by the Company's on May 16, 2017. Notification of acceptance of the filing of
this mortgage in favour of PLI is a prerequisite condition to the Company's receipt of the third and final tranche of the PLI
financing.
"Completion and filing of the various documents related to moving forward with the Invicta project has been progressing relatively
quickly and smoothly recently and we look forward to starting work on site within a few weeks." stated Gordon Ellis, CEO. "With
the anticipated near term start of production the elimination of the Invicta royalty reduces related future cash flow drain during
operations."
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the
TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this news release.
About Lupaka Gold
Lupaka Gold is a Peru-focused gold explorer and developer with geographic diversification and balance through its interest in
asset-based resource projects spread across three regions of Peru.
Invicta Gold Project
- the Company's 100%-owned Invicta Gold Project is a well-developed, poly-metallic gold-copper
underground deposit located approximately 120 kilometres by road north of Lima.
Management expects to commence
production in 2017 by using third-party mining contractors and utilizing the adit and workings completed by previous owners.
Extraction of mineralized rock would be focused on accessing Invicta's Measured and Indicated resource estimates, which are
comprised of:
Measured - 131,000 tonnes grading 6.65 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold equivalent for 28,000 contained ounces ("ozs") of gold,
from: 18,000 ozs Au grading at 4.29 g/t, 133,000 ozs Ag grading at 31.71 g/t, 2,119k lbs Cu grading at 0.73%, 1,110k lbs Pb
grading at 0.39% and 1,105k lbs of Zn grading at 0.38%.
Indicated - 8,513,000 tonnes grading 3.43 g/t gold equivalent for 939,000 contained ozs of gold, from:
573,000 ozs Au grading
at 2.09 g/t, 4,285,000 ozs Ag grading at 15.65 g/t, 79,048k lbs Cu grading at 0.42%, 45,171k lbs Pb grading at 0.24% and
53,482k lbs of Zn grading at 0.21%.
An Inferred resource estimate of 2,534,000 tonnes grading 2.90 g/t gold equivalent for 236,000 contained ozs of gold has also
been established.
The resources are stated at a 1.30 g/t gold equivalent cut-off.
Metal prices assumed for the gold equivalent calculation are
US$1,500/oz for gold, US$32.50/oz for silver, US$3.90/lb for copper, US$1.05/lb for lead and US$1.00/lb for zinc.
The gold
equivalent calculation assumes 100% metallurgical recovery, and does not account for any smelting, transportation or refining
charges. See further disclosure regarding the calculated gold equivalent cut-off grade, as below.
Invicta's approved EIA allows for mine production of 1,000 tpd, although the current mining plan is limited to 400 tpd.
Cautionary Note Regarding the Invicta Production Decision
The decision to commence production at the Invicta Gold Project and the Company's plans for a mining operation as referenced
herein (the "
Production Decision and Plans
") were based on economic models prepared by the Company in conjunction with
management's knowledge of the property and the existing estimate of measured, indicated and inferred mineral resources on
the property.
The Production Decision and Plans were not based on a preliminary economic assessment, a pre-feasibility study
or a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability.
Accordingly, there is increased
uncertainty and economic and technical risks of failure associated with the Production Decision and Plans, in particular the risk
that mineral grades will be lower than expected, the risk that construction or ongoing mining operations are more difficult or more
expensive than expected, the risk that the Company will not be able to transport or sell the mineralized rock it produces to local
custom toll mills on the terms it expects, or at all; production and economic variables may vary considerably, due to the absence
of a detailed economic and technical analysis according to and in accordance with NI 43-101.
Josnitoro Gold Project
— the Company holds an option to earn a 65% interest on this project from Hochschild Mining PLC.
The project is located approximately 600 kilometres by road southeast of Lima in the Department of Apurimac, southern Peru,
within which lies the Las Bambas mine (MMG Limited) and the Constancia mine (HudBay Minerals). Historical work on the
disseminated gold zones includes over 170 shallow drill holes and extensive surface trenching, as well as artisanal mining.
Crucero Gold Project
— the Company holds a 100% interest in the Crucero Gold Project located in southern Peru.
Crucero
has an Indicated mineral resource estimate of 1,003,041 ozs Au contained in 30,919,873 tonnes at 1.02 g/t gold (capped) and
an Inferred mineral resource estimate of 1,027,806 ozs Au contained in 31,201,648 tonnes at 1.03 g/t gold (capped).
These
mineral resource estimates have been constrained by a conceptual pit shell in order to support reasonable prospects of
economic extraction as set out in the CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves and NI 43-101.
About Pandion Mine Finance
Pandion is the general partner of PLI Huarura Holdings LP and is a mining-focused investment firm backed by MKS PAMP
Group and Ospraie Management, LLC that provides flexible financing solutions to developing mining companies.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Gordon L. Ellis, President & C.E.O.
(604) 681-5900
or visit the Company's profile at
www.sedar.com
or its website at
www.lupakagold.com
Qualified Person
The technical information in this document has been reviewed and approved by Julio Castañeda Mondragon, MAIG, the
President of Lupaka Gold Peru S.A.C.
,
a Peruvian subsidiary of the Company, and a Qualified Person as defined by National
Instrument 43-101. Mr. Castañeda has verified the scientific and technical information, including sampling, analytical and test
data underlying the information or opinions contained in this news release.
The Invicta Gold Project resource estimates referred to in this news release are disclosed in the technical report dated April 16,
2012, titled "Technical Report on Resources, Invicta Gold Project, Huaura Province, Peru" (the "Invicta Technical Report"), and
prepared by SRK Consulting (U.S.) Inc., which is available at
www.sedar.com
under Lupaka Gold Corp's profile. The metal
prices used to calculate the gold equivalent cut-off grade in the Invicta Technical Report are based on metal prices at the time.
Investors are cautioned that current metal prices are now lower and as a result, the above-referenced cut-off grade could be
materially affected based on current prices.
Investors are further cautioned that the prices of precious metals can fluctuate in
wide ranges over short periods of time.
The Crucero A-1 mineral resource estimates referred to in this news release are disclosed in the technical report with effective
date January 17, 2013, amended and re-stated October 22, 2013, titled "Technical Report for the Crucero Property, Carabaya
Province, Peru", and prepared by Tetra Tech WEI Inc. and SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. The Technical Report is available at
www.sedar.com
under Lupaka Gold's profile.
Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information
All statements, trend analysis and other information contained in this press release relative to anticipated future events or results
constitute forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including, without
limitation, statements relating to the receipt of and anticipated use of proceeds of the PLI financing, the Company's plans and
intentions for Invicta, the expected benefits from a Company owned processing facility and mineral resource estimates, are
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, estimates and opinions of management at
the date the statements are made that the Company believes are reasonable, including: that the payment of the PLI financing is
consummated on the anticipated terms, that the supplies, equipment, personnel, permits, and local community approvals
required to conduct the Company's planned pre-production and development activities will be available on reasonable terms,
that the Company will be able to comply with the delivery and other obligations in the PLI Financing Agreement, that the
contemplated Company owned processing facility will, if acquired or constructed, achieve the expected benefits, that results of
exploration activities will be consistent with management's expectations and that the Company will not experience any material
accident, labour dispute, or failure of equipment and with respect to the planned mining operations at Invicta; that pre-production
mine development can be completed in the time and for the cost projected; that the Company will be able to obtain funding for
planned production expenses; that mineralization at Invicta will be of the grades and in the locations expected; that the Company
will be able to extract and transport mineralized rock efficiently and sell the mineralized rock at the prices and in the manner and
quantities expected; that permits will be received on the terms and timeline expected and that other regulatory or permitting
issues will not arise; that mining methods can be employed in the manner and at the costs expected and that such methods yield
the results the Company expects them to.
However, forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties
and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different
from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks,
uncertainties and other factors include, among others:
all of the risks described in this news release; failure of the PLI financing
to complete on the proposed terms or at all, including due to the Company's inability to complete the conditions precedent, the
risk that the contemplated Company owned processing facility will not be completed or will not achieve the expected benefits,
the risk that actual results of exploration and development activities will be different than anticipated; that the Company will not be
able to comply with the delivery or other obligations in the PLI Financing Agreement and the risk that PLI will enforce its security
over the Company's assets, including its mineral properties; that cost of labour, equipment or materials will increase more than
expected; that the future price of gold will decline; that the Canadian dollar will strengthen against the U.S. dollar; that mineral
resources are not as estimated; unexpected variations in mineral resources, grade or recovery rates; risks related to shipping
mineralized rock; the risk that local mills cannot or will not buy or process mineralized rock from the planned production for the
prices expected or at all; risk of accidents, labour disputes and other risks generally associated with mineral exploration;
unanticipated delays in obtaining or failure to obtain community, governmental or regulatory approvals or financing; and all of the
risks generally associated with the development of mining facilities and the operation of a producing mine, as well as the risks
described in the Company's annual information form, which is available on SEDAR at
www.sedar.com
.
Although the Company
has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those
described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to not be as
anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as
actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers are cautioned not to
place undue reliance on forward-looking information due to the inherent uncertainty thereof.
Lupaka Gold does not undertake any
obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors should not place
undue reliance on forward-looking statements.