Robex Reports a Feasibility Study for Kiniero With Significantly Improved Economics vs PFS

June 15, 2023

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QUBEC CITY, June 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Robex Resources Inc. (Robex or the Company) (TSXV: RBX) is pleased to announce the results of the feasibility study (the FS, Feasibility Study or the Study) for the Kiniero Gold Project (the Kiniero Gold Project, or the Project) in Conakry, Guinea. The FS was prepared in accordance with Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101).

The independent NI 43-101 technical report supporting the Kiniero Gold Project Feasibility Study will be published on SEDAR at www.sedar.com within the next 45 days.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Improved economics: 26% increase in pre-tax Net Present Value 5% (NPV5%) to US$251m and Internal Return Rate (IRR) of 42% at a base case gold price of US$1,650/oz while post-tax NPV5% stands at US$ 170m and IRR at 31%;
  • Increased Life of Mine (LoM): Mineral Reserves increased by 165koz or 21% to 968koz from the Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS), increasing LoM to 9.5-years (46% up compared to PFS);
  • Lower costs: LoM All-In Sustaining Costs (AISC) below initial target of US$ 1,000/oz, at US$ 980/oz, improving from PFS (US$ 1,035/oz);
  • Lower strip ratio: LoM Strip Ratio of 2.8:1, from 4.4:1 in the PFS; and
  • Significant potential beyond Mineral Reserve life in FS: Indicated Mineral Resources (inclusive of Mineral Reserves) at 1,481koz @ 1.07g/t, along with Inferred Mineral Resources of 1,090koz@ 1.19g/t effective November 12, 2022;

Table 1: Significant improvement from PFS results

Based on a US$ 1,650/oz gold priceUnitsPFSFS
Variation
Probable Mineral Reserves
(incl. legacy stockpiles)
koz803968+21%
LoMYear6.59.5+46%
Average annual production LoMkoz11090-18%
Initial capital from 01/01/23US$m144160**+11%
LoM AISCUS$/oz1,035980-5%
Pre-tax NPV5%*US$m199251+26%
Pre-tax IRR, %%49%42%-7pts
After-tax NPV5%US$m115170+48%
After-tax IRR, %%32%31%-1pts

*NPV in the PFS calculated as of 01/01/2023 while the NPV in FS calculated as of 01/07/2023
**Including initial capex expected to be paid from January 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023

Update on Construction Activities

Construction of the project started in Q4 2022, with US$ 27m expected to be spent by June 30, 2023 of the initial capital costs of US$160m (or 17% of total):

  • Contractors mobilized on site and detailed engineering is ongoing;
  • In line with the previously disclosed mandate with Taurus Mining Finance Fund No. 2, L.P. (Taurus), we are currently discussing the terms of the Project Finance Facility and providing information needed for due diligence. Please see the press releases dated January 24, 2023 and March 21, 2023 available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com for further details;
  • Resource expansion program ongoing, the last drill hole in the geological database supporting the FS dates from August, 17, 2022 with 24,443m of drilling completed since then; and
  • Exploration is underway at our Mankan target in the north portion of the property for the first time since the project was owned by SEMAFO.

Aurlien Bonneviot, CEO of Robex commented: The completion of the FS for the Kiniero Gold Project is a major milestone in our journey towards project development, as the FS optimizations and updated Mineral Resource Estimate result in a stronger project with enhanced economics.

Since the announcement of the Kiniero acquisition on 20 April 2022, we have improved the asset to reach a now-projected 9.5-year LoM. Kiniero is now expected to average above 100koz per annum over the first 7 years and we will continue to drill to hopefully increase the average grade, the production capacity and the LoM.

This FS incorporates the actual pricing and tenders we have been collecting for the construction, giving us confidence in the upfront capex estimates. The majority of the parameters are at the detailed design stage, the construction crew has mobilized on site, and we are on track for the first gold poured in mid-2024.

While the FS includes a 21% increase in Mineral Reserves, this represents only a fraction of the total Mineral Resource, and we are targeting additional conversions of Mineral Resources to Mineral Reserves in the coming years. With more than 1moz of Inferred Mineral Resources within 10 km of the processing plant, we see potential for significant LoM extensions and rapid growth at the asset in a short timeframe.

With these excellent results, Robex will focus its efforts on the previously announced debt package with Taurus Mining Finance Fund No. 2, L.P..1

1 Forward-looking statement. See the Forward-Looking Information and Forward-Looking Statements section of this press release

Feasibility Study Highlights

The ore mined from the Kiniero deposit is expected to be processed through a standard 3.0mt capacity Carbon-in Leach/Gravity (CIL) plant. The mine is expected to be an open pit using conventional mining methods.

Table 2: Kiniero FS Highlights

UnitsValue
Plant, size and CAPEX
Plant capacityMt3.0
Upfront capital from January 1, 2023US$m160
Mineral Reserves and Resources (incl. legacy stockpiles)
Probable Mineral Reserveskoz968
Indicated Resources (incl. Reserves)koz1,481
Inferred Resourceskoz1,090
Mining Operations
LoM total ore tonnes minedkt81,715
LoM waste tonnes minedkt60,304
LoM ore tonnes mined ex pitkt21,410
Average grade minedg/t Au1.27
LoM strip ratioW:O2.8
Processing Operations
LoM tonnage processedkt27,665
Average grade processedg/t Au1.09 g/t
Average recovery LoM%87.2 %
Production and Costs Summary
LoM productionkoz/Au851
Average first three years of production pakoz/Au105
Average LoM production pakoz/Au90
AISCUS$/oz980


Table 3: Kiniero Project Gold Price Sensitivity (Base Case and RPEEE*) as of July 1, 2023

UnitsUS$ 1,650/oz
(Base Case)
US$ 1,950/oz
(RPEEE gold price)
Pre-tax returns
NPV5%US$m251437
IRR%42 %65 %
Payback periodyear3.42.7
Post-tax returns
NPV5%US$m170301
IRR%31 %48 %
Payback periodyear4.33.2

*Reasonable Prospects for Eventual Economic Extraction (RPEEE) or gold price used for Mineral Resources.

As shown in Figure 1: Gold Production and AISC Summary across the LoM below, the Study demonstrates Kinieros ability to deliver an average of 90koz of gold per year at an AISC of US$ 980/oz over the LoM, as mine plan optimization efforts prioritized a stable, long mine life, rather than peak upfront production. Over the coming years, Robex intends to continue its exploration efforts to continue to extend the LoM and increase annual production.

Figure 1: Gold Production and AISC Summary across the LoM


FEASIBILITY STUDY DETAILS

Overview

The Project is located in eastern Guinea in the Kouroussa Prefecture. It is situated approximately 27km southeast of the town of Kouroussa and at a distance of 546km from Conakry, the capital of Guinea (Figure 2: Regional Locality of the Kiniero Gold Project and Regional Infrastructure of Guinea).

The Kiniero Gold Project is a 470.48km exploitation and exploration land package that consists of the adjoining Kiniero exploitation License Area and Mansounia exploitation License Area. The Kiniero Project is one of the largest gold licences in Guinea.

Figure 2: Regional Locality of the Kiniero Gold Project and Regional Infrastructure of Guinea


Kiniero gold deposits, located in the prolific gold-producing Siguiri Basin, were discovered in the early 1900s and were subsequently explored until 2002 when gold production began under the ownership of Semafo Inc and its subsidiary Semafo Guine SA.

The historical Kiniero gold mine comprised an open pit mining operation that produced 418,000 ounces of gold during its 12-year operational history. The mine was placed on care and maintenance in early 2014.

Robex is now restarting the Kiniero gold mine as a long-life open pit mining operation based on constructing a new 3Mtpa process plant.

Given the strong exploration potential,a combination of near plant brownfields infill and known extension, as well as greenfield large-scale targets, Robexis targeting (i) the discovery of Mineral Resources across the Kiniero exploration permit area over the next few years, and (ii) the conversion of Mineral Resources into Mineral Reserves.

An extensive drilling programme is ongoing on the numerous identified deposits to increase the resource base and extend the LoM at Kiniero predominately through extending the drilling density at depth and along known strike extensions.

Since the beginning of the construction, Robex has been committed to involve village communities in the mine's development, as well as exploring sustainable power energy source to reduce and limit its environmental footprint.

Geology

The property is located within the Kiniero Gold District of the Siguiri Basin, which is situated in north-eastern Guinea, extending into central Mali. Geologically, the Siguiri Basin comprises a portion of the West Africa Birimian Greenstone Belt, including intrusive volcanics (ultramafics to intermediate) and sediments largely deposited through the period 2.13 Ga to 2.07 Ga.

The volcanic and sedimentary lithologies comprise fine-grained sedimentary rocks (shales and siltstones), with some intercalated volcanic rocks. Sandstone-greywacke tectonic corridors have been preferentially altered and locally silicified, supporting extensive brittle fracture networks. These in turn have provided host environments for ascending mineralized hydrothermal fluids.

The deposits located on the property are associated with the Proterozoic Birimian orogeny of West Africa. Most gold mineralization in the West African Craton is shear-zone-hosted and structurally controlled, with lithology having a minor, local influence. The mineralization developed in the Kiniero Gold District conforms to this general style of mineralization.

A total of 47 gold anomalies have been identified on the property, of which five clusters of deposits (Sabali, Mansounia, SGA, Jean, and Balan) have been explored sufficiently to enable the estimation of Mineral Resources.

Figure 3: Location of the main Kiniero deposits and cross sections (A-B, C-D) and Figure 4: Cross sections through the SGA (A-B) and Sabali South (C-D) deposits illustrate the location of the main Kiniero deposits and cross sections through the SGA and Sabali South deposits. The selected cross sections display the 0.3g/t gold grade shell, Pit and RPEEE (Reasonable Prospects for Eventual Economic Extraction) Shells, significant gold intercepts (minimum of 2m @ 0.5g/t), and regolith profiles across each deposit. Section A-B, across SGA, demonstrates the deposit's significant northeast strike and depth extension. Section C-D, across Sabali South, shows the deposit's deep weathering saprolite and saprock profile in the east (beyond 100m in areas).

Figure 3: Location of the main Kiniero deposits and cross sections (A-B, C-D)