Galane Gold Ltd. (“Galane Gold” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: GG;
OTCQB: GGGOF) is pleased to announce the release of its financial
results for the year ended December 31, 2018. All amounts are in
United States dollars unless otherwise indicated.
A copy of the audited consolidated financial
statements for the year ended December 31, 2018 prepared in
accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards and the
corresponding Management’s Discussion and Analysis will be
available under the Company’s profile on www.sedar.com.
2018 Highlights
- For the third consecutive year, the Company has increased its
production and cash balance, and reduced its operating cash cost(1)
compared to the previous year.
- Produced 35,527 ounces of gold at the Mupane property at a head
grade of 1.97 g/t (2017 – 29,354 ounces at a head grade of 1.75 g/t
and 2016 – 26,783 ounces at a head grade of 1.29 g/t).
- Production at Tau in 2018 was 400,078 tonnes at a head grade of
3.03 grams per tonne (“g/t”) (2017 – 365,425 tonnes at a head grade
of 2.71 g/t and 2016 – 206,591 tonnes at a head grade of 3.05
g/t).
- Operating cash cost(1) of $928 per ounce for the year (2017 -
$933 and 2016 - $965).
- Cash balance of $4.2 million (2017 - $2.6 million and 2016 -
$0.8 million).
Galane Gold CEO, Nick Brodie commented: “As I
stated in the 2017 year end press release, I expected the results
in 2018 to be an improvement on the previous two years and they
have been. We have once again seen an increase in ounces produced
at Tau, an increase in the Company’s cash balance and a reduction
in operating cash costs per ounce. 2019 is expected to be a
consolidation of the hard work done over the last three years with
a modest contraction in production as we progress deeper into the
Tau mineralized-body. With production now started at Galaxy and
operations ramping up, we expect to show year-over-year production
increases for the next several years.”
Outlook(2)
Mupane
Property
The Company completed an updated three year mine
plan for the Mupane Property in 2018 which provides the guide for
the Company’s short term goals and long term strategy(3).
The Company intends to utilize the following
resources during 2019:
- Tau – It is estimated that the Company will process
approximately 408,000 tonnes at an average grade of 2.27 g/t. The
Company intends to continue exploration to further expand the
potential resource as reported in the press release of October 5,
2017, and May 1, 2018(4).
- Low Grade Stockpiles – It is estimated that the Company will
process approximately 231,000 tonnes of low grade stockpile at an
average grade of 0.77 g/t, which is located at the run-of-mine pad
at the processing plant.
- Monarch slimes dump – It is estimated that the Company will
process approximately 243,000 tonnes of tailings and slimes at an
average grade of 0.86 g/t, which is located at the Monarch mine,
approximately 53 kilometres from the Mupane processing plant.
The Mupane Property mine plan is subject to
change according to the prevailing gold price(3). The Company will
adopt the appropriate plan for the prevailing gold price
environment(3).
Galaxy Property
With the re-commencement of the Galaxy project
underway following the completion of the secured loan facility with
Barak Fund SPC Limited (the “Barak Facility”) in October 2018, the
first drawdown of funds from the Barak Facility in February 2019,
and mining of its first ore and production of its first concentrate
in April 2019, the Company is targeting to produce 12,500 tonnes of
concentrate in 2019, containing approximately 9,000 ounces of
payable gold. To achieve this outcome the Company will be
processing approximately 170,000 tonnes of material from various
sources including the Princeton underground and historic tailings
facilities.
The Company is targeting an increase in capacity
of the Galaxy processing plant to 30,000 tonnes per month(5) and
annual production to over 25,000 ounces of gold at a cash cost per
ounce of less than US$800(1)(6). During the implementation of the
first phase, the Company expects to complete a study on the second
expansion phase with the objective of increasing the capacity at
the Galaxy processing plant to 60,000 tonnes per month and
decreasing the cash cost per ounce with increased economies of
scale.
Information of a technical and scientific nature
that forms the basis of the disclosure in the press release has
been prepared and approved by Kevin Crossling Pr. Sci. Nat.,
MAusIMM. and Business Development Manager for Galane Gold, and a
“qualified person” as defined by National Instrument 43-101 –
Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Project (“NI 43-101”). Mr.
Crossling has verified the technical and scientific data disclosed
herein and has conducted appropriate verification on the underlying
data.
About Galane Gold
Galane Gold is an un-hedged gold producer and
explorer with mining operations and exploration tenements in
Botswana and South Africa. Galane Gold is a public company and its
shares are quoted on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “GG”
and the OTCQB under the symbol “GGGOF”. Galane Gold’s management
team is comprised of senior mining professionals with extensive
experience in managing mining and processing operations and
large-scale exploration programmes. Galane Gold is committed to
operating at world-class standards and is focused on the safety of
its employees, respecting the environment, and contributing to the
communities in which it operates.
Notes:
(1) |
Total operating cash
cost is a non-GAAP measure. Refer to “Supplemental Information to
Management’s Discussion and Analysis” in the Company’s Management’s
Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2018, for
reconciliation to measures reported in the Company’s financial
statements. |
(2) |
This is
forward-looking information and is based on a number of
assumptions. See “Cautionary Notes”. |
(3) |
The
decisions to update the mine plan are based on internal reporting
by the Company and not based on an independent feasibility study or
pre-feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic
and technical viability. While there is increased uncertainty and
economic and technical risks associated with the Company’s
production decision to proceed without an independent feasibility
study, the Company has been mining underground at the Tau property
for the past three years, it carried out its own internal study
based on its historic mining to support the new mine plan and, as a
result, it believes it has sufficient knowledge to manage the risks
associated with that decision. |
(4) |
Based on
a technical report in respect of the Mupane property entitled
"Independent Technical Report on the Mupane Gold Mine" dated May
10, 2011 (the “Mupane Technical Report”), a copy of which is
available under the Company’s profile on www.sedar.com. The Mupane
Technical Report was prepared by MSA Geoservices (Pty) Ltd. on
behalf of Carlaw Capital III Corp. The potential extension of Tau
has not been incorporated into the existing resource model found in
the Mupane Technical Report. There has yet to be sufficient
exploration on the potential expansion to extrapolate that it
extends beyond the current mined area. |
(5) |
The
Company is not basing its decision to expand the throughput
capacity of the Galaxy mine’s processing plant to 30,000 tonnes per
month on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating
economic and technical viability of production at such levels, and
as a result there is increased uncertainty and there are multiple
technical and economic risks of failure which are associated with
producing at such plant’s throughput capacity. These risks,
among others, include areas that are analyzed in more detail in a
feasibility study, such as applying economic analysis to resources
and reserves, more detailed metallurgy and a number of specialized
studies in areas such as mining and recovery methods, market
analysis, and environmental and community impacts. |
(6) |
Based on
a technical report entitled “A Technical Report on the Galaxy Gold
Mine, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa” which was issued January
4, 2016 with an effective date of September 1, 2015 (the “Galaxy
Technical Report”), a copy of which is available under the
Company’s profile on www.sedar.com. The Galaxy Technical Report was
prepared by Minxcon (Pty) Ltd and approved by Daniel van Heerden, B
Eng (Min.), MCom (Bus. Admin.), Pr. Eng., FSAIMM, AMMSA, a
Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. The Galaxy Technical
Report satisfies the requirements to be a pre-feasibility study.
Cash cost per ounce is a non-GAAP measure. See “Supplemental
Information to Management’s Discussion and Analysis”. |
Cautionary Notes
Certain statements contained in this press
release constitute “forward-looking statements”. All statements
other than statements of historical fact contained in this press
release, including, without limitation, those regarding the
Company’s future financial position and results of operations,
strategy, proposed acquisitions, plans, objectives, goals and
targets, and any statements preceded by, followed by or that
include the words “believe”, “expect”, “aim”, “intend”, “plan”,
“continue”, “will”, “may”, “would”, “anticipate”, “estimate”,
“forecast”, “predict”, “project”, “seek”, “should” or similar
expressions or the negative thereof, are forward-looking
statements. These statements are not historical facts but instead
represent only the Company’s expectations, estimates and
projections regarding future events. These statements are not
guarantees of future performance and involve assumptions, risks and
uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual
results may differ materially from what is expressed, implied or
forecasted in such forward-looking statements.
Additional factors that could cause actual
results, performance or achievements to differ materially include,
but are not limited to: the Company’s dependence on two mineral
projects; gold price volatility; risks associated with the conduct
of the Company’s mining activities in Botswana and South Africa;
regulatory, consent or permitting delays; risks relating to the
Company’s exploration, development and mining activities being
situated in Botswana and South Africa; risks relating to reliance
on the Company’s management team and outside contractors; risks
regarding mineral resources and reserves; the Company’s inability
to obtain insurance to cover all risks, on a commercially
reasonable basis or at all; currency fluctuations; risks regarding
the failure to generate sufficient cash flow from operations; risks
relating to project financing and equity issuances; risks arising
from the Company’s fair value estimates with respect to the
carrying amount of mineral interests; mining tax regimes; risks
arising from holding derivative instruments; the Company’s need to
replace reserves depleted by production; risks and unknowns
inherent in all mining projects, including the inaccuracy of
reserves and resources, metallurgical recoveries and capital and
operating costs of such projects; contests over title to
properties, particularly title to undeveloped properties; laws and
regulations governing the environment, health and safety; operating
or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development
activities; lack of infrastructure; employee relations, labour
unrest or unavailability; health risks in Africa; the Company’s
interactions with surrounding communities and artisanal miners; the
Company’s ability to successfully integrate acquired assets; risks
related to restarting production; the speculative nature of
exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing
quantities or grades of reserves; development of the Company’s
exploration properties into commercially viable mines; stock market
volatility; conflicts of interest among certain directors and
officers; lack of liquidity for shareholders of the Company; risks
related to the market perception of junior gold companies; and
litigation risk. Management provides forward-looking statements
because it believes they provide useful information to investors
when considering their investment objectives and cautions investors
not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.
Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this
press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and
other cautionary statements or factors contained herein, and there
can be no assurance that the actual results or developments will be
realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have
the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. These
forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press
release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise
them to reflect subsequent information, events or circumstances or
otherwise, except as required by law.
Estimates set out above under “Outlook”
in respect of the Tau mineralized-body, low grade stockpiles and
the Galaxy project are preliminary in nature and include inferred
mineral resources. There is no certainty that such estimates will
be realized. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not
have demonstrated economic viability. Inferred mineral resources
are estimated on limited information not sufficient to verify
geological and grade continuity or to allow technical and economic
parameters to be applied. Inferred mineral resources are too
speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to
them to enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. There is
no certainty that mineral resources can be upgraded to mineral
reserves through continued exploration.
Neither the 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 please
contact:Nick BrodieCEO, Galane Gold Ltd.+ 44 7905
089878Nick.Brodie@GalaneGold.comwww.GalaneGold.com
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