Trigon Temp orarily Pauses Kombat Mine Operations to Address Setback
Trigon Temp orarily Pauses Kombat Mine
Operations to Address Setback
TORONTO — January 31, 2025 — Trigon Metals Inc. (TSX-V: TM; OTCQB: PNTZF) (“Trigon” or the
“Company”) announces a proactive operational adjustment at its Kombat Mine in Namibia to
address unplanned maintenance requirements for its dewatering systems. The Company has
temporarily suspended its operations for an anticipated period of six to nine months due to the
failure of both of its two main submersible dewatering pumps. Please refer to news release dated
January 16, 2025 for additional details.
The submersible pumps are crucial to the Company's operations at the Kombat Mine, and the
unexpected breakdowns have left Trigon with no immediate solution for full restoration of its
systems. Both pumps have been hoisted out of the shafts and sent to a third party engineering
firm for independent verification of the root causes for the failures.
Unfortunately, due to water levels returning to their normal levels of 60 metres below service at
Shaft 1 and 120 metres at Shaft 3 , mining operations will be paused until dewatering activities
have recommenced. The Company anticipates that dewatering will restart in Q3 of 2025 , once
the pumps have been repaired and the risk of reoccurrence has successfully been mitigated.
Strategic Operational Update
The Company is implementing a comprehensive recovery plan including advanced repairs and
upgrades to critical equipment, to ensure long-term operational resilience and efficiency. Trigon
has initiated a phased recovery strategy following the identification of maintenance needs in two
key submersible pumps at the Kombat Mine. Both pumps have been safely retrieved and are
undergoing rigorous analysis by a leading third -party engineeri ng firm to optimize their
performance and durability . While dewatering activities will pause during this period, the
Company has a clear pathway to resume operations in Q3/Q4 2025, with enhanced systems
designed to mitigate future risks.
Temporary Workforce Adjustment and Employee Support
As a result of this operational setback, the Company also announce s the retrenchment of the
majority of its onsite employees. To align with this short-term operational adjustment, Trigon will
implement a temporary workforce reduction at the mine site. This decision, while necessary
under the current circumstances, is one of great regret, as the Company values its team and
recognizes the impact this will have on its employees and their families.
The Company deeply values its employees and is committed to supporting all affected team
members through this transition. This includes generous severance packages, extended
healthcare benefits, and dedicated job placement assistance in collaboration with local partners.
Trigon remains optimistic about rehiring and re-engaging its workforce once operations resume.
Jed Richardson, CEO and Executive Chairman of Trigon Metals , commented, “While this
temporary pause is not the outcome we envisioned, it is a critical step to strengthen Kombat’s
infrastructure for sustained success. Our team is already advancing solutions to modernize our
systems, ensuring we return to operations with greater reliability and efficiency. We extend our
deepest gratitude to our employees and contractors, whose dedication has been instrumental in
our progress to date, and to our stakeholders for their unwavering trust. Trigon is committed to
emerging from this phase as a more resilient company, poised to deliver value for years to come.”
Knowledge Katti, Namibian Businessman and local partner of Trigon Metals , commented, "We
acknowledge the valid concerns of the Kombat community and all Trigon Mining employees
during this challenging period. While this temporary pause is a setback, it is also an opportunity
to strengthen our foundation for the future. Our commitment to Kombat remains unwavering —
we are dedicated to ensuring that operations resume more sustainable than before. We will
continue working to support our workforce and the broader community through this transition.
Together, we will come back stronger."
The Company also reassures its stakeholders that it is exploring all viable options to restore
operations as quickly as possible and minimize disruption to services. Trigon is actively engaging
with technical experts and partners to accelerate repairs and explore innovative dewatering
solutions. The Company reaffirms its confidence in the Kombat Mine’s long-term potential and is
prioritizing investments in equipment upgrades and process improvements. Regular updates on
recovery milestones will be shared with stakeholders, including progress toward the Q3 2025
restart target.
Qualified Person
The technical information presented in this press release has been reviewed and approved for
disclosure by Fanie Müller, P.Eng, VP Operations of Trigon, who is a Qualified Person as defined
by NI 43-101.
Trigon Metals Inc.
Trigon is a publicly-traded Canadian exploration and development company with its core business
focused on copper and silver holdings in mine -friendly African jurisdictions. Currently, the
company has operations in Namibia and Morocco. In Namibia, the Comp any holds a 100%
interest in the Kalahari Copperbelt Project and an 80% interest in five mining licences in the Otavi
Mountainlands where the Company operates the Kombat Mine. In Morocco, the Company is the
holder of the Silver Hill and Addana projects, hi ghly prospective copper and silver exploration
projects.
Cautionary Notes
This news release may contain forward -looking statements. These statements include
statements regarding the operations at the Kombat mine, the Company’s ability to restart the
operations at the Kombat mine, the impact of the flooding at the Kombat mine, the financial
viability of Trigon, the timing for the repair or replacement of equipment, the Company’s ability
to complete a sale of the Kombat mine, the Company’s strategies and the Company’s abilities to
execute such strategies, the economic viability of the Kombat Mine, the Company’s expectations
for the Kombat Mine, and the Company’s future plans and objecti ves. These statements are
based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual
results could differ materially because of factors discussed in the management discussion and
analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statements or other reports and
filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. We do not
assume any obligation to update any forward -looking statements, except as required by
applicable laws.
Neither 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.
For further information, contact:
Tom Panoulias, VP Corporate Development
+1 647 276 6002 X 1127
Website: www.trigonmetals.com