Cornerstone and Newcrest sign Option and Farm-in Agreement for the Miocene gold-copper Project in Chile

 

OTTAWA, Ontario, Dec. 10, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cornerstone Capital Resources Inc. (“Cornerstone” or “the Company”) (TSXV:CGP) (Frankfurt:GWN) (Berlin:GWN) (OTC:CTNXF) is pleased to announce that Cornerstone and its subsidiary Minera Cornerstone Chile Ltda. have signed an option and farm-in agreement (the “Agreement”) with Newcrest International Pty Limited (“Newcrest”), a subsidiary of Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) for Cornerstone’s Miocene properties in Chile (the “Project”), targeting epithermal gold-silver and porphyry gold-copper deposits along the interpreted northern extension of the Maricunga magmatic belt which hosts several world-class gold deposits.

HIGHLIGHTS (all $ are US$):

• Newcrest has the option to earn up to a 75% interest in the Project in stages, as follows:

• 18-month initial option period: making an up-front payment to Cornerstone of $100,000, and spending a minimum of $1.1 million (committed);
   
• Stage 1 (4 years): paying $500,000 to Cornerstone and spending a further $8 million (with a minimum of $500,000 in each year to maintain the option) to earn a 51% interest in the Project (such interest to be held through shares in a newly incorporated Chilean company);
   
• Stage 2 (2 years): paying $650,000 to Cornerstone and completing a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 on any target area in the Project, to increase its interest in the Project to 65% (Newcrest may extend Stage 2 to 3 years by paying Cornerstone $250,000); and
   
• Stage 3 (2 years): incurring expenditures of $100 million or completing a bankable feasibility study (BFS), whichever occurs first, to increase its interest in the Project to 75% (Newcrest may extend Stage 3 by up to an additional 2 years by paying $500,000 to Cornerstone for each 1 year extension).

• If Newcrest earns a 75% interest, Cornerstone will have the option for 90 days to convert 5% (1/5^th) of its 25% project equity into a 1% net smelter returns (NSR) royalty. Newcrest will have the right to buy down the royalty to 0.5% NSR at fair market value after delivery of the BFS.

• Cornerstone’s carried interest ends at the end of Stage 3 or sooner if Newcrest fails to complete any Stage after completing Stage 1 or if Newcrest elects not to proceed with Stage 2 or 3, following which Cornerstone will be required to contribute or suffer dilution of its participating interest according to a formula. If Newcrest completes Stage 1 and elects not to proceed to Stage 2, it will revert to a 49% non-controlling interest. 

• Cornerstone’s carried interest is not repayable out of project cash flows or otherwise.

• Newcrest will receive a 10% management fee (out of its own funding under the Agreement) during the 18-month initial option period and a 5% fee during Stages 1, 2 and 3.

President and CEO Brooke Macdonald said: "Newcrest is one of the largest gold mining companies in the world, operating mines in Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia, and we are pleased to have entered into this agreement with them. Newcrest is also actively exploring in Ecuador, where Cornerstone has a first mover advantage as a prospect generator in Ecuador since 2005, and several drill-ready properties available for option.”

Figures referred to in this news release can be seen in PDF format by accessing the version of this release on the Company’s website (www.cornerstoneresources.com) or by clicking on the link below:

http://www.cornerstoneresources.com/i/pdf/NR18-31Figures.pdf

About Miocene

The Miocene project is located in the Regions of Atacama and Antofagasta of northern Chile (see Figure 1), and is targeting epithermal gold-silver and porphyry gold-copper deposits along the interpreted northern extension of the Maricunga magmatic belt which hosts several world-class gold deposits. The Miocene claims were selected using a proprietary data base licensed exclusively to Cornerstone, and offer excellent potential for discovery. Significant epithermal mineralization has been discovered on neighboring properties along strike to the west of the Miocene property.

Exploration work to date has consisted largely of geochemistry work (both soil and rock sample work), ground geophysics, prospecting and geological mapping to prepare the property for its first drill program. Chile consistently ranks among the world's top mining jurisdictions.

Five prospective areas defined by geology (alteration minerals), geochemistry (gold and pathfinder elements) and ground magnetics have been identified by previous exploration work within the property limits.

Geology works shows two sub-parallel NW-SE oriented alteration / anomalous regional trends affecting the volcanic units. Alteration minerals (native sulphur, alunite, vuggy and massive silica and some silica-clay in the peripheral parts) and 3D distribution patterns along this trend are typical of high sulphidation epithermal systems. Altered and geochemically anomalous areas up to 9km by 3km in size have never been trenched nor drill tested.

About Cornerstone:

Cornerstone Capital Resources Inc. is a mineral exploration company with a diversified portfolio of projects in Ecuador and Chile, including the Cascabel gold-enriched copper porphyry joint venture in north west Ecuador, in which the Company has a 15% interest¹ financed through to completion of a feasibility study and repayable out of Cornerstone’s share of project earnings or dividends, plus 9.22% of the shares of joint venture partner and project operator SolGold Plc, for a total direct and indirect interest in Cascabel of approximately 23%.

Qualified Person:

Yvan Crepeau, MBA, P.Geo., Cornerstone’s Vice President, Exploration and a qualified person in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, is responsible for supervising the exploration program at the Miocene project for Cornerstone and has reviewed and approved the information contained in this news release.

Further information is available on Cornerstone’s website: www.cornerstoneresources.com and on Twitter. For investor, corporate or media inquiries, please contact:

Investor Relations:
Mario Drolet (Montreal); Email: Mario@mi3.ca;
Tel. (514) 346-3813

Corporate Matters: Sabino Di Paola, CFO (Ottawa); Email: sdipaola@cornerstoneresources.ca;
Tel. (343) 689-0714

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Cautionary Notice:
This news release may contain ‘Forward-Looking Statements’ that involve risks and uncertainties, such as statements of Cornerstone’s plans, objectives, strategies, intentions and expectations.  The words “potential,” “anticipate,” “forecast,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “may,” “project,” “plan,” and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify ‘Forward-Looking Statements.’  Although Cornerstone believes that its expectations reflected in these ‘Forward-Looking Statements’ are reasonable, such statements may involve unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors disclosed in our regulatory filings, viewed on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.  For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets, predicting natural geological phenomena and from numerous other matters of national, regional, and global scale, including those of an environmental, climatic, natural, political, economic, business, competitive, or regulatory nature.  These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our Forward-Looking Statements.  Although Cornerstone believes the facts and information contained in this news release to be as correct and current as possible, Cornerstone does not warrant or make any representation as to the accuracy, validity or completeness of any facts or information contained herein and these statements should not be relied upon as representing its views after the date of this news release.   While Cornerstone anticipates that subsequent events may cause its views to change, it expressly disclaims any obligation to update the Forward-Looking Statements contained herein except where outcomes have varied materially from the original statements.

On Behalf of the Board,
Brooke Macdonald
President and CEO

Neither 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.

_________________________

¹ Subject to JV partner SolGold satisfying certain conditions.