Sabina Gold & Silver Announces Financial Results for the Year Ended December 31, 2021
24 March 2022 - 12:07PM
Sabina Gold & Silver Corp. (“Sabina”) or (the “Company”) (SBB –
TSX) reports the financial results for the year ended December 31,
2021.
“2021 was a year of continued de-risking at the
Back River Project,” said Bruce McLeod, the
Company’s President & CEO. “We were able to complete
approximately 40% of the project’s civil works in preparation for a
construction decision. Ongoing work completed at the Goose Site
included advancement of the all-weather road network, significant
progress of the plant, fuel storage and camp laydown areas and
advancement on the underground exploration ramp. Additionally,
significant commitments for equipment and supply purchases
continued to be made. All of this work, along with completion of
detailed engineering with costs well identified, a lump sum bid on
plant construction, and Project financing under our belt, puts us
in a position to be truly shovel ready. Camps continue to operate
and we look forward to announcing the first results of our drilling
and reporting on our progress in the coming months.”
2021 Highlights:
- The Company ended the year with cash and cash equivalents of
$25.6 million.
- Subsequent to year end, on February
8, 2022, the Company announced the completion of a construction
financing package totaling approximately US$520 million in
aggregate (the “Financing”). The Financing will fund construction
and development of the Goose Mine at Sabina’s 100% owned Back River
Project.The Financing is comprised of:
- US$225 million senior secured debt facility with Orion Mine
Finance (“Orion”);
- US$75 million gold prepay facility with Orion;
- US$125 million gold stream arrangement with Wheaton Precious
Metals Corp. (“Wheaton”); and
- US$95 million private placement of Sabina common shares with
both Orion and Wheaton to be subscribed over three tranches.Zhaojin
International Mining Co. Ltd (“Zhaojin”) elected to participate to
maintain its 9.9% as per their shareholder agreement and subscribed
for an approximate US$10 million private placement of Sabina common
shares to close over two tranches.The last tranche of the equity
financings referred to above will close pursuant to shareholder
approval on May 25, 2022.
- Subsequent to year end, on March
21, 2022, the Company announced an agreement with a syndicate of
underwriters led by BMO Capital Markets for a bought deal financing
of 71,000,000 common shares at a price of $1.55 per common share
for gross proceeds of approximately $110 million (the “Offering”).
The Company has granted the Underwriters an option, exercisable at
the offering price for a period of 30 days following the closing of
the Offering, to purchase up to an additional 15% of Common Shares
issued to cover over-allotments, if any. The Offering is expected
to close on or about March 30, 2022 and is subject to Sabina
receiving all necessary regulatory approvals.
- Completed equity financings for total gross proceeds of $54.0
million, including:
- Bought deal prospectus financing of
18,000,000 common shares at a price of $1.95 per common share for
gross proceeds of $35.1 million. The Company completed a concurrent
private placement financing of 2,117,640 common shares at $1.95 per
share with Zhaojin for proceeds of $4.1 million.
- Private placement financing of
7,200,821 flow-through common shares at a price of $1.87 per
flow-through common share for gross proceeds of $13.5 million. The
Company completed a concurrent private placement financing of
892,903 common shares at $1.50 per share with Zhaojin or gross
proceeds of $1.3 million.
- The Company also engaged in the following activities in 2021:
- Completed an updated mineral
resource estimate for the Project. Resources now total 6.32 million
ounces (33,452,000 tonnes at 5.88 g/t) in the Measured and
Indicated (“M&I”) categories and an additional 2.86 million
ounces (13,794,000 tonnes at 6.44 g/t) in the Inferred category.
The Company increased the mineral reserve estimate in all
categories on the Goose Project from 2.5 million ounces to 3.5
million ounces.
- Announced the results of its
updated feasibility study (“UFS”), increasing total gold production
by 1.0 million ounces. The UFS indicates the Project generates a
post-tax internal rate of return (“IRR”) of 27.7% and net present
value (5%), (“NPV5%”) of C$1.1B (US$860M) with a rapid pay back of
2.3 years using a gold price of US$1,600/oz and an exchange rate of
1.31 $C/$US.
- Acquired a variety of mobile
equipment through equipment financing loans with two suppliers,
which included the phase 1 open pit mining fleet and certain
underground equipment required to develop the underground
exploration ramp.
- Advanced underground development of
the exploration ramp, following the successful collaring of the 5
meter x 5 meter portal in Q2 2021. The ramp is driving toward the
Umwelt underground to provide an underground platform from which to
further explore and expand the Umwelt deposit.
- Completed detailed engineering and
received issued-for-construction drawings for the process plant, as
well as completed detailed engineering on the Goose fuel farm
design.
- Received multiple sealifts from
Sabina’s eastern shipping corridor (via carrier Nunavut Eastern
Arctic Shipping Inc.) and western shipping corridor (via carrier
Marine Transportation Services) at the Port Facility, with all
cargo offloaded safely to the laydown area. These shipments
included critical path procurement items that were acquired in
2021. Additionally, the Company received its first shipment of bulk
diesel, with 2 million litres transferred without incident from the
shoreline pad up to the new 10 million litre bulk storage tank at
the Port Facility.
- Completed a spring drill program of
4,482 meters over 18 holes, targeting an equal mix of early-stage
exploration areas and the Hook zone.
- Executed a summer field exploration
program at the George site, located 50km north of the Goose site,
with field work consisting of mapping and rock sampling for
evaluation and modeling of drill targets outside of the current
George resource areas.
- For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company reported a
net loss of $8.0 million or $0.02 per share.
For the Year End 2021 financial statements and
Management’s Discussion and Analysis, please see the Company
website at www.sabinagoldsilver.com or on SEDAR.
SABINA GOLD & SILVER
CORP
Sabina Gold & Silver Corp. is an emerging
gold mining that 100% owns the district scale, advanced, high grade
Back River Gold District in Nunavut, Canada.
Sabina recently filed an Updated Feasibility
Study (the “UFS”) on its first mine on the
district, the Goose Mine, which presents a project that will
produce ~223,000 ounces of gold a year (first five years average of
287,000 ounces a year with peak production of 312,000 ounces in
year three) for ~15 years with a rapid payback of 2.3 years, with a
post-tax IRR of ~28% and NPV5% of C$1.1B. See “National Instrument
(NI) 43-101 Technical Report – 2021 Updated Feasibility Study for
the Goose Project at the Back River Gold District, Nunavut, Canada”
dated March 3, 2021.
Since the UFS, completion of detailed
geotechnical test work on the tailings samples and the
inclusion of a high-capacity tailings thickener, the tailings
storage capacity of the Echo open pit has increased sufficiently to
enable the decision to construct the mill at a 4,000 tpd capacity
at the outset. This, in addition to optimized equipment
selection and detailed engineering has reduced the cost of the
expansion from C$17m to C$10m when compared to the UFS.
The Project received its final major
authorization on June 25, 2020 and is now in receipt of all major
permits and authorizations for construction and operations.
The Company is also very committed to its Inuit
stakeholders, with Inuit employment and opportunities a focus. The
Company has signed a 20-year renewable land use agreement with the
Kitikmeot Inuit Association and has committed to various
sustainability initiatives under the agreement.
In February 2022, the Company announced it had
completed a comprehensive project financing package for US$520
million comprised of:
- A US$225 million senior secured debt facility with Orion Mine
Finance;
- A US$75 million gold prepay facility with Orion Mine
Finance;
- A US$125 million gold stream arrangement with Wheaton Precious
Metals; and
- A US$95 million private placement of Sabina Common shares
subscribed to by both Orion and Wheaton Precious Metals.
In addition to Back River, Sabina also owns a
significant silver royalty on Glencore’s Hackett River Project. The
silver royalty on Hackett River’s silver production is comprised of
22.5% of the first 190 million ounces produced and 12.5% of all
silver produced thereafter.
For further information please contact: |
|
Nicole Hoeller, Vice-President,
Communications: 1 888 648-4218 |
|
|
nhoeller@sabinagoldsilver.com |
Forward Looking Information
This news release contains “forward-looking
information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws (the
“forward-looking statements”), including, but not
limited to, statements related to the expected use of proceeds of
the Offering and the projections and assumptions of the results of
the UFS. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date
of this news release. Readers are cautioned not to place undue
reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no
assurance that the future circumstances, outcomes or results
anticipated in or implied by such forward-looking statements will
occur or that plans, intentions or expectations upon which the
forward-looking statements are based will occur. While we have
based these forward-looking statements on our expectations about
future events as at the date that such statements were prepared,
the statements are not a guarantee that such future events will
occur and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and
other factors which could cause events or outcomes to differ
materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements. Such factors and assumptions include, among others, the
uncertainty of production, development plans and costs estimates
for the Back River Gold Project; discrepancies between actual and
estimated mineral reserves and mineral resources, between actual
and estimated development and operating costs; the interpretation
of drill, metallurgical testing and other exploration results; the
ability of the Company to retain its key management employees and
skilled and experienced personnel; exploration, development and
mining risks and the inherently dangerous nature of the mining
industry, and the risk of inadequate insurance or inability to
obtain insurance to cover these risks and other risks and
uncertainties; property and mineral title risks including defective
title to mineral claims or property; the effects of general
economic conditions, commodity prices, changing foreign exchange
rates and actions by government and regulatory authorities; and
misjudgments in the course of preparing forward-looking statements.
In addition, there are known and unknown risk factors which could
cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ
materially from any future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Known risk
factors include risks associated with exploration and project
development; the need for additional financing; the calculation of
mineral resources and reserves; operational risks associated with
mining and mineral processing; fluctuations in metal prices; title
matters; government regulation; obtaining and renewing necessary
licenses and permits; environmental liability and insurance;
reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest
among certain of our officers or directors; the absence of
dividends; currency fluctuations; labour disputes; competition;
dilution; the volatility of the our common share price and volume;
future sales of shares by existing shareholders; and other risks
and uncertainties, including those relating to the Back River
Project and general risks associated with the mineral exploration
and development industry described in our Annual Information Form,
financial statements and MD&A for the fiscal period ended
December 31, 2020 filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators
and available at www.sedar.com. Although we have attempted to
identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events
or results to differ materially from those described in
forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause
actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or
intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements
will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events
could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on
forward-looking statements. We are under no obligation to update or
alter any forward-looking statements except as required under
applicable securities laws.
Bruce McLeod, President & CEO 1800-555
Burrard Street, Two Bentall Centre Vancouver, BC V7X 1M9 Tel 604
998-4175 Fax 604 998-1051
http://www.sabinagoldsilver.com
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