NR increased reserves 2.2m oz and mine life to 9 years...lets see the gold
posted on
Dec 01, 2009 07:43PM
NASDAQ : GORO / Low operating costs and producing high returns on capital.
DENVER, CO--(Marketwire - December 1, 2009) - Gold Resource Corporation (GRC) (OTCBB: GORO) (FRANKFURT: GIH) is pleased to announce results from an internal analysis of step-out drilling at its Arista deposit. The Arista deposit's vein system is part of GRC's 100% owned El Aguila Project in Oaxaca, Mexico. Estimates of in-place mineralized material at the Arista deposit, based on the Company's modeling of the Arista and Baja veins, equals 2,962,000 tonnes grading 6.50 g/t gold (Au), 506 g/t silver (Ag), 0.60% copper (Cu), 2.24% Lead (Pb), 6.75% zinc (Zn) over a nominal 3.6 meters true width. Total metal values yield a 23.02 g/t gold equivalent (AuEq*) (0.74 oz/t AuEq*) using the metal prices given in the Mineralized Material Estimate table below. This AuEq* per tonne value multiplied by the estimated 2,962,000 tonnes equates to an estimated 2,192,000 AuEq* ounces. This Mineralized Material Estimate does not meet the United States SEC definitions of Proven and Probable Reserves. GRC targets production at its El Aguila Project in 2009.
El Aguila Project's Arista Vein System Internal Mineralized Material Estimate Updated: Dec. 1, 2009 Specific Gravity: 2.6 Mineralized Envelope Limit Projected: 50 meters Mineralized True Material Width Gold Au Silver Ag Copper Cu Lead Zinc Meter g/t g/t % Pb % Zn % Tonnes ----- --------- ----------- ---------- ------ ------ --------- La Arista Vein System 3.64 6.50 506 0.60 2.24 6.75 2,962,000 ----- --------- ----------- ---------- ------ ------ --------- Metal Values Used in $ 1.00 $ 0.95 AuEq* $ 950 /oz $ 17.00 /oz $ 2.70 /lb /lb /lb ----- --------- ----------- ---------- ------ ------ --------- Internal Estimate: Not SEC Proven & Probable Reserves; see Risk Factors in Company's 10K
The Arista deposit's estimated 2,192,000 AuEq* ounces is an internal estimate of in-place metal values using a simple polygonal method of calculation, uncut assay values and with a 0.30 oz/t AuEq* cutoff grade* (see Longitudinal Sections of Baja and Arista veins below). The Arista vein system remains open laterally as well as with depth. The Aguila Project's open pit deposit, from which the first 12 months of production is targeted, and the El Aire vein system deposit add an additional 200,000 gold equivalent ounces, resulting in a total internal estimate for the Aguila Project of approximately 2,392,000 AuEq* ounces.
Gold Resource Corporation's president William W. Reid stated, "We made our production decision in 2007 with just a mineralized material estimate of 300,000 AuEq ounces. We could do that because we followed our financial performance criteria of being able to pay back the project capital in one year or less. By October of 2008 we announced our mineralized material estimate of 1.6 million AuEq ounces (metal prices used at that time were different from those used in the present calculation). This allowed for an expanded production profile with mine life of 4.7 years. We are pleased that drilling over the past year, with only one drill, has allowed that estimate to now increase to approximately 2.4 million AuEq* ounces and an estimated 9 year mine life. Based on our increased understanding of this exciting, high-grade geologic system, which we believe we have only just begun to test with drilling, we have no hesitation increasing our near term mineralized material target to 3.5 million gold equivalent ounces."
Mr. Reid continued, "Our first year production target of 70,000 ounces of gold comes from the El Aguila open pit's gold and silver deposit which contains no base metals. Our second year through year nine production targets come from our Arista deposit's polymetallic veins with a breakdown of values of approximately 68% precious metals (gold and silver) and 32% base metals (copper, lead and zinc). We are fortunate that these base metal revenues, when used as byproduct credits, are anticipated to pay for the project's total cash operating costs so we are targeting our gold and silver cash costs to be 'zero' from the second year of operations. Production targets are 110,000 oz/AuEq** in the second year with a target of 180,000 to 200,000 oz/AuEq** in the third through ninth year."
The estimated mineralized material number is an in-place number without regard to recoveries, mining dilution or mining economics. These internal estimates are dependent on many assumptions that may differ from actuality when mined. This mineralized material estimate is not equivalent to U.S. SEC Proven and Probable Reserves and should not be considered as such. The geologic interpretation and modeling by the Company has suggested two veins but may actually be several en echelon veins or could be interpreted differently by different modelers.