ICG Closes Acquisition of Sigma-Lamaque Milling Facility and Mine...
posted on
Oct 09, 2014 03:07PM
Integra Gold is a Canadian company focused on production planning for its high-grade Lamaque South project in one of Canada's premier gold producing districts, the "Valley of Gold," Val-d'Or, Québec
VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - October 09, 2014) - Integra Gold Corp. (TSX VENTURE: ICG) (ICGQF) ("Integra" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has completed the required conditions and closed the acquisition of the Sigma-Lamaque Milling Facility and Mines (the "Property"), adjacent to Integra's Lamaque South Project in Val-d'Or, Québec (the "Transaction"). The 2,200 tonnes per day ("tpd") milling complex included as part of the Property is 500 meters and 2 km, respectively, from Integra's high-grade Parallel and Triangle Zones.
The Property was owned by Century Mining Corporation ("Century"), and Samson Bélair / Deloitte & Touche Inc. was appointed receiver (the "Receiver") to the assets of Century pursuant to a receivership order of the Québec Superior Court (the "Court") dated May 29, 2012. The Property was acquired from the Receiver, acting in such capacity. The aggregate purchase price is approximately $8 million, comprised of approximately $1.8 million in cash and 25 million common shares valued at $6.25 million. Integra paid $500,000 of the cash consideration to a third party for the crusher and related assets located on the Property.
The assets to be acquired by Integra include a permitted 2,200 tpd milling complex and tailings facility adjacent to Lamaque South, as well as permitted underground infrastructure including three portals, mechanical shop, office, dry, equipment, and all mining concessions and mineral claims on the past-producing Property.
Concurrent with the Transaction the Company also announces the closing of a separate agreement with a third party construction materials and mining service company (the "Waste Rock Company"), in which the Waste Rock Company has paid Integra $1,025,000 in cash in exchange for access and ownership over the waste rock on the Property as well as a portion of certain mining concessions. The Waste Rock Company will also assume all of the environmental reclamation obligations associated with their waste rock property, significantly reducing the overall obligation to Integra.
"Current market conditions have created excellent opportunities for well positioned companies such as Integra, and our acquisition of the Sigma Mine Complex adjacent to our existing resource base, is a fine example of this. The Lamaque South Project has the advantage of being located in close proximity to substantial key mining infrastructure, via our newly acquired Sigma Mine Project, all situated in one of the top mining jurisdictions in the world," commented Company President and CEO, Stephen de Jong. "The PEA study completed on the project in April 2014 is now being updated to reflect the impact of these infrastructural advantages on operating costs, capital costs, gold recoveries and the overall timeline forecasted to gold production. We anticipate disclosing the results of this study in the next four to six weeks."
Additional Details of the Transaction
The Integra Shares issued pursuant to the Transaction were issued at effective deemed price per share of $0.25, and will be subject to a four month hold period expiring February 8, 2015. The Integra Shares are also subject to a lock-up agreement covering an 18 month period, to be released as to one-third of the Integra Shares every six months being April 8, 2015, October 8, 2015 and April 8, 2016. Further details regarding the lock-up agreement are set forth in the news release of the Company dated September 3, 2014. The Receiver now holds an approximate 11.87% interest in the Company.
Transaction Highlights
Waste Rock Agreement Summary
Integra and the Waste Rock Company have entered into an agreement whereby the Waste Rock Company is granted exclusive rights to waste rock on a portion of the mining concessions at the Property. The Waste Rock Company will assume all applicable reclamation and other environmental obligations in respect of their portion of the Property. Integra has granted to the Waste Rock Company preferential rights to waste rock on the rest of the Property and to waste rock on the adjacent Lamaque South Project. The Waste Rock Company has agreed to pay Integra $1,025,000 and has granted Integra preferential right to minerals contained on their portion of the Property.
Property Overview
The Property is comprised of the former Sigma (Placer Dome) and Lamaque (Teck Cominco) underground mines. Each of these two mines have, over 60 years of operating history, collectively produced over 9 million ounces of gold. The Sigma and Lamaque mines were consolidated under Placer Dome in 1993. Following Placer Dome's ownership there have been various owners with the most recent being Century since 2004. The Property has been on a care and maintenance program since 2012.
The Property is adjacent and directly north of Lamaque South. The mill has been well maintained and on an extensive care and maintenance program since its closing in May 2012. The mill has an operating capacity of 1,200 to 2,200 tpd with processing flowsheet using gravity concentration, cyanidation and carbon in pulp gold recovery, the process recognized as optimal for processing Lamaque South mineralization. Metallurgical gold recoveries from the mill have consistently been reported by prior operators in excess of 95% processing the same type of mineralization as that encountered at Lamaque South.
To view a map and recent photos of the mill and adjacent infrastructure please click the following links:
http://integragold.com/i/pdf/IntegraConsolidated-Property-Poster-Map.pdf
http://integragold.com/s/sigma-lamaque-acquisition.asp
The Property has many key permits in place. Integra commissioned Golder Associates Ltd. ("Golder") to provide a study on the current condition of the tailings facility as well as future expansion potential. The tailings pond currently has two to three years of capacity which can be increased to accommodate future capacity requirements by raising existing dykes. This raise can be completed by utilizing tailings and waste material already on site. The tailings facility has been maintained and monitored by a full time environmental manager throughout the care and maintenance period and is considered to be in good standing with the MERN. The tailings are non-acid generating.
Property Mineral Resource Estimate
As disclosed in the technical report commissioned by Century entitled "Technical Review of the Mining Plan/Operations and Audit of the Resource and Reserve Estimates for the Lamaque Mine Project, City of Val-D'Or, Bourlamaque Township, Abitibi County, Québec, Canada NTS Map 32C/04" dated August 2, 2011 (the "Technical Report") completed by Micon International Ltd. ("Micon") and filed on the SEDAR profile of Century, mining concessions on the Property contain 586,000 oz of Measured and Indicated gold resources at 4.96 g/t and 1,853,000 oz of Inferred gold resources at 6.29 g/t.
Table 1. Mineral Resource Estimate for the Property as of June 20, 2011
Resource Classification | Tonnes | Gold Grade (g/t) |
Gold Ounces (Au) |
Measured | 1,151,000 | 5.46 | 202,000 |
Indicated | 2,523,000 | 4.73 | 384,000 |
M&I | 3,674,000 | 4.96 | 586,000 |
Inferred | 9,159,000 | 6.29 | 1,853,000 |
Notes: As disclosed in the Technical Report dated August 2, 2011; effective date June 20, 2011. The estimate of the mineral resources presented for the Property were audited by William J. Lewis, B.Sc., P.Geo. and Dibya Kanti Mukhopadhyay, MAusIMM (CP), of Micon, who are independent of Century. The cut-off grade is 1 g/t gold for substantially all of the reported resources. See the Technical Report for additional information with respect to the Property.
Integra has not independently verified this mineral resource estimate although, to the best of its knowledge, information and belief, there is no new material scientific and technical information that would make disclosure of the mineral resources inaccurate or misleading. Integra intends to commission Micon in 2014, the independent authors of the 2011 Technical Report for the Property, to update the report incorporating any mining completed since the last disclosure and changes in assumptions.
Cairn Merchant Partners LP acted as financial advisor to Integra on the Transaction and Deloitte Corporate Finance Inc., acted as financial advisor to the Receiver.
Qualified Person
Integra's Lamaque South project is under the direct supervision of Hervé Thiboutot, Eng. and Senior Vice-President of the company, and Francois Chabot, Eng., Operations and Engineering Manager of the Company, both Qualified Person ("QP") as defined by National Instrument 43-101. The Company's QPs have approved the scientific and technical content of this release, and have reviewed the Technical Report.
About Integra
Integra's Lamaque South project is located in the heart of the Val-d'Or gold camp in the Province of Québec, Canada, approximately 550 km northwest of Montréal. Québec is rated one of the best mining jurisdictions in the world. Infrastructure, human resources and mining expertise are readily available.
The Company's primary objective is to continue to prove up additional resources while advancing the existing resource towards production. The project is divided into three main clusters of mineralization, the North, South and West Cluster. The North Cluster consists of the Parallel, Fortune, No. 5 Plug, and No. 3 Mine Zones and is located approximately 1 km northwest from the South Cluster, which includes the No. 4 Plug, Triangle and Triangle South Zones. The Sixteen Zone and No. 6 Vein form the West Cluster.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Stephen de Jong
CEO & President
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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 news release.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or the securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or the benefit of, any person in the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from such registration requirements.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements: Certain disclosure in this release, including the closing of the Transaction and the agreement with the Waste Rock Company, the approval of MERN of a revised reclamation plan and the cost of the associated reclamation obligation, the potential synergies and integration of the mill and processing facilities with Lamaque South, the ability to access Lamaque South mineralization through existing underground portals, the operational capacity of the mill, the completion of an integrated development plan and the estimates of the mineral resource inventory on the Sigma property constitute forward-looking statements. In making the forward-looking statements in this release, the Company has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company, including that the Company is able to obtain any government or other regulatory approvals, the Company is able to procure sufficient financial resources, that the Company is able to procure required personnel, equipment and supplies in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis and that relevant third party studies and reports prepared for the Company are consistent with management's expectations. Although the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking statements in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Such risk factors include, among others, those matters identified in its most recently filed MD&A and other continuous disclosure filings. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.