VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 27,
2023 /CNW/ - Aris Mining Corporation (Aris Mining or
the Company) (TSX: ARIS) (NYSE-A: ARMN) announces updated mineral
reserve estimates for its Segovia Operations in Colombia effective September 30, 2023 (the "2023 Mineral Reserve").
This updated mineral reserve estimate follows the updated mineral
resource estimate announced on November 2,
2023 (See News Release from November
2, 2023). Aris Mining is also increasing the capacity of the
Maria Dama processing plant within the Segovia Operations from
2,000 to 3,000 tonnes per day (tpd). As we have an existing
unutilized ball mill on site, the costs for the plant expansion are
estimated at $11.0 million and
completion is expected by early 2025.
Neil Woodyer, CEO of Aris Mining,
commented "We are pleased to announce a 75% increase to the
high-grade mineral reserves at the Segovia Operations to 1.3
million ounces of gold at 11.63 grams per tonne. Based on our
current operating profile, the updated estimate extends the
reserve-only mine life to nearly seven years. Like other operations
with extensive vein systems within a large mining title, we expect
to continue to extend mine life through ongoing exploration
programs.
Based on the increased mineral resource and reserve estimates,
we are implementing a small-scope project to increase the
processing capacity by 50% to 3,000 tpd at the Maria Dama plant by
utilizing a previously purchased ball mill that is already on-site.
This creates the potential to gradually increase annual gold
production from 200,000 to 300,000 ounces, as we fill the extra
capacity by increasing our mining rates. A portion of this extra
capacity will be allocated to our artisanal and small-scale mining
partners, offering processing solutions to them, while mitigating
the environmental impacts of informal mining in Segovia."
Segovia Operations – Maria Dama processing plant
expansion
The capacity of the Maria Dama processing plant is currently
2,000 tpd following an expansion project from 1,500 tpd completed
in 2022. The plant includes crushing, grinding, gravity
concentration, gold flotation and regrind, cyanidation,
Merrill-Crowe precipitation, and smelting of the precipitate and
gravity concentrate to produce gold-silver doré.
The current project to expand to 3,000 tpd includes a previously
purchased ball mill which is already onsite and the re-location and
upgrade of the facilities that receive material from our artisanal
and small-scale mining partners. The costs for construction are
estimated at $11.0 million, with the
construction timeline forecasting completion by early 2025. The
addition of the ball mill to the existing circuit enables both
higher throughput and more effective use of the current facilities,
thereby enhancing the overall gold recovery rate for all processed
materials. The new receiving facility for partner mined material is
designed to increase volumes and efficiency.
Segovia Operations – mineral reserve estimates
Table 1 summarizes the 2023 Mineral Reserve effective
September 30, 2023, a comparison to
the 2022 Mineral Reserve effective December
31, 2022, and several years of previous mineral reserve
estimates.
Table 1 Segovia Operations mineral reserve
estimates
1
Effective
date
|
Proven
|
Probable
|
Proven &
Probable
|
Tonnes
|
Grade Au
|
Oz Au
|
Tonnes
|
Grade Au
|
Oz Au
|
Tonnes
|
Grade Au
|
Oz Au
|
|
(kt)
|
(g/t)
|
(koz)
|
(kt)
|
(g/t)
|
(koz)
|
(kt)
|
(g/t)
|
(koz)
|
2023 Mineral
Reserve
2022 Mineral
Reserve
|
1,515
229
|
12.25
10.92
|
597
81
|
2,017
2,132
|
11.16
9.84
|
723
675
|
3,531
2,361
|
11.63
9.95
|
1,320
755
|
Change 2023 to
2022
Mineral Reserve (koz or %)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
+17 %
|
+565
+75%
|
31-Dec-2021
|
204
|
12.00
|
78.6
|
2,087
|
9.93
|
666.1
|
2,290
|
10.11
|
744.7
|
31-Dec-2020
|
187
|
13.86
|
83
|
2,009
|
8.51
|
550
|
2,196
|
8.96
|
633
|
31-Dec-2019
|
165
|
16.53
|
88
|
1,820
|
9.96
|
583
|
1,985
|
10.50
|
670
|
31-Dec-2018
|
79
|
11.72
|
30
|
1,862
|
10.99
|
658
|
1,941
|
11.02
|
688
|
31-Dec-2017
|
46
|
45.44
|
68
|
1,613
|
11.42
|
592
|
1,660
|
12.37
|
660
|
Notes:
- There are no known
mining, legal, political, metallurgical, infrastructure,
permitting, or other relevant factors that could materially affect
the mineral reserve estimate.
- Totals may not add
due to rounding.
2023 Mineral Reserve
Notes:
- A gold price of
US$1,700 per ounce was used for the 2023 Mineral
Reserve.
- The 2023 Mineral
Reserve utilized a gold cut-off grade of between 3.05 g/t and 3.40
g/t depending on mining area. The cut-off grade values were applied
to vein grades diluted to a minimum mining height that varies
according to the mining area.
- The 2023 Mineral
Reserve was prepared by Aris Mining technical staff under the
supervision of and reviewed by Inivaldo Diaz, CP, Vice President
Technical Services of Aris Mining Colombia.
Previous Reserve
Notes:
- The mineral reserve
estimate used a US$ gold price per ounce of $1,250.5 in 2017,
$1,275 in 2018, $1,350 in 2019, $1,600 in 2020, $1,650 in 2021, and
$1,700 in 2022.
|
The significant increase in the 2023 mineral reserve estimate as
compared to 2022 is primarily the result of the increase in the
measured and indicated mineral resource estimate effective
September 30, 2023, as described in
the news release of November 2,
2023.
The Segovia Operations' current operating profile within the
mineral reserve zones includes owner mining at a rate of 1,050 tpd
and partner mining at a rate of 350 tpd. The shallowly dipping,
1.2 m wide veins are first mined by
Aris Mining employees using room and pillar and long wall methods
to extract around 70% of the high-grade ore with a minimum mining
height of approximately 1.2 m to
optimize ore recovery and minimize dilution. The remaining pillar
material is then extracted by our contractor and artisanal and
small mining partners and purchased by Aris Mining based on the
prevailing market price of gold and the recoverable gold grade of
the mined material, incentivizing both productivity and higher
grade material. Overall, this mining method achieves total ore
recovery of between 90 and 95%. In addition, approximately 500 tpd
is purchased by Aris Mining from partners operating outside the
Segovia Operations' mining titles.
Aris Mining will file an updated NI 43-101 compliant technical
report in support of the 2023 Mineral Reserve and mineral resource
estimates for the Segovia Operations on or before December 17, 2023.
Technical Disclosure and Qualified Person
The technical information in this news release was reviewed and
approved by Pamela De Mark, P.Geo,
Senior Vice President, Geology and Exploration of Aris Mining, who
is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Ms. De Mark has
verified the sampling, analytical, and test data as well as the
geological interpretation underlying the information or opinions
disclosed in this news release. Ms. De Mark has fully verified the
sampling, analytical, and test data as well as the geological
interpretation underlying the information or opinions disclosed in
this news release by way of analysis of the data and the geological
interpretations while preparing the mineral resource estimate and
reviewing the mineral reserve estimate.
Unless otherwise indicated, the mineral reserve estimates,
scientific disclosure, and technical information included in this
news release are based upon information included in the following
documents and NI 43-101 compliant technical reports:
- for the mineral reserve estimate effective December 31, 2017, the technical report entitled
"NI 43-101 Technical Report, Prefeasibility Study, Segovia Project,
Colombia" dated May 10, 2018 and prepared by SRK Consulting (US),
Inc. (SRK);
- for the mineral reserve estimate effective December 31, 2018, the technical report entitled
"Amended NI 43-101 Technical Report, Prefeasibility Study Update,
Segovia Project, Colombia" dated
July 8, 2019 and prepared by SRK;
- for the mineral reserve estimate effective December 31, 2019, the technical report entitled
"NI 43-101 Technical Report, Prefeasibility Study Update, Segovia
Project, Colombia" dated
May 14, 2020 and effective as of
December 31, 2019 and prepared by
SRK;
- for the mineral reserve estimate effective December 31, 2020, the technical report entitled
"NI 43-101 Technical Report, Prefeasibility Study Update, Segovia
Project, Department of Antioquia, Colombia" dated May 13,
2021 and effective as of December 31,
2020 and prepared by SRK;
- for the mineral reserve estimate effective December 31, 2021, the technical report entitled
"NI 43-101 Technical Report, Prefeasibility Study, Segovia Project,
Antioquia, Colombia" dated
May 6, 2022 and effective as of
December 31, 2021 and prepared by
SRK; and
- for the mineral resource estimate effective December 31, 2022, the mineral reserve estimates
of the Segovia Operations is summarized, derived, or extracted from
the news release of the Company dated March
3, 2023.
All of the documents referenced in this news release are
available for review on the Company's website at
www.aris-mining.com and on the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at
www.sedarplus.ca
About Aris Mining
Aris Mining is a gold producer in the Americas with a
growth-oriented strategy. In Colombia, Aris Mining operates several
high-grade underground mines at its Segovia Operations and the
Marmato Mine, which together produced 235,000 ounces of gold in
2022. Aris Mining is currently advancing construction of the
Marmato Lower Mine Expansion project, which will provide access to
wider porphyry mineralization below the current Upper Mine. Aris
Mining also operates the Soto Norte Project joint venture, where
environmental licensing is advancing to develop a new underground
gold, silver and copper mine. In Guyana, Aris Mining is advancing the Toroparu
Project, a gold/copper project. Aris Mining plans to pursue
acquisitions and other growth opportunities to unlock value
creation from scale and diversification.
Aris Mining promotes the formalization of artisanal and
small-scale mining as this process enables all miners to operate in
a legal, safe and responsible manner that protects them and the
environment.
Additional information on Aris Mining can be found at
www.aris-mining.com, www.sedarplus.ca, and on www.sec.gov.
Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains "forward-looking information" or
forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian and U.S.
securities legislation. All statements included herein, other than
statements of historical fact, including, without limitation,
statements relating to results of the 2023 Mineral Reserve, the
nature of the results of the 2023 Mineral Reserve, the filing of
the technical report in support of the 2023 Mineral Reserves, the
expected life of mine of the Segovia Operations, the expectation to
continue to extend mine life through ongoing exploration,
increasing the capacity of the Maria Dama processing plant and the
details, benefits, costs and timing thereof and the Company's plans
and strategies are forward-looking. When used herein, forward
looking terminology such as "expect", "plan", "anticipate",
"estimate", "may", "will", "should", "intend", "believe", and
similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking
statements. Statements concerning mineral reserve estimates and
mineral resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward
looking information to the extent that they involve estimates of
the mineralization that will be encountered. Forward-looking
statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by the
Company in light of its experience and its perception of historical
trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as
well as other factors that the Company believes are appropriate in
the circumstances. Many factors could cause the Company's actual
results, performance or achievements to differ materially from
those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements,
including those described in the "Risk Factors" section of the
Company's most recent AIF and in the Management's Discussion and
Analysis for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, which are available on the
Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and in its
filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at
www.sec.gov. These factors should be considered carefully, and
readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's
forward-looking statements. The Company has no intention and
undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events
or otherwise.
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SOURCE Aris Mining Corporation