CORRECTING and REPLACING - Amarillo Reports 2017 Fourth Quarter and Annual Results and Provides Corporate Update

 

TORONTO, April 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a release issued under the same headline earlier today by Amarillo Gold Corporation (TSX.V:AGC), we are advised by the company the wrong version of the release was distributed. The completed corrected text follows. 

Amarillo Reports 2017 Fourth Quarter and Annual Results and Provides Corporate Update

Amarillo Gold Corporation (“Amarillo” or the “Company”) (TSX.V:AGC) today announces its financial results for the fourth quarter (“Q4”) and year ended December 31, 2017. This press release should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements and Management’s Discussion & Analysis (“MD&A”) for the year ended December 31, 2017, available on the Company’s website at www.amarillogold.com and under the Company’s name on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. All monetary amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars unless otherwise specified.

Mike Mutchler, CEO, remarked; “2017 was a year of reorganization for Amarillo.  The changes at the management and board levels have better positioned the Company to execute on the Mara Rosa project development.  2018 will see an update to the Mara Rosa Pre-Feasibility Study to incorporate the findings from a Whittle Consulting Optimization Study, and a 10K meter exploration drilling program to expand the Mara Rosa Ore Reserve prior to launching a Feasibility Study in early 2019.  This year will also see expanded exploration activities at the prospective Campos Verde and Amaralina properties near Mara Rosa, and at the Matilde, Butia, Caneleira and Zeca Souza exploration properties at the Lavras do Sul Project.  With the completion of our recent financing, we are well positioned to execute on all of these activities.  I would like to thank our shareholders, dedicated employees and local communities and government in Brazil for their continuing support, as we look forward to a very exciting year for the Company.”

2017 HIGHLIGHTS AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

• Completed a corporate management reorganization
• Completed an Updated Pre-Feasibility Study at Mara Rosa, Brazil¹
  • Post-tax net present value using 5% discount rate of US$178M @ $1,200 per ounce gold
  • Post-tax internal rate of return (IRR) of 35.2%
  • Post-tax project payback of 2.2 years;
  • Average Life of Mine production 112,000 ounces per year over 8 years.
  
  ¹ NI 43-101 report entitled “2017 Updated Pre-Feasibility Study Posse Mine Project – Mara Rosa GO” prepared by SRK Consulting dated April 2017. The qualified persons of the  report are Gregory Keith Whitehouse and Rubens Jose de Mendonca. Both individuals are independent of the Company.           

• Engaged Whittle Consulting for an Optimization Study on the Mara Rosa Gold Project.
• Extended the maturity date of its gold-linked credit facility from July 31, 2019 to June 30, 2022.
• Closed a private placement for $5.2M.
• Initiated a drilling program for Mara Rosa with the intent to extend the mine life to over 10 years.

The Company underwent board and management changes during the year and subsequent to the year end. The Board was enhanced through the addition of Rowland Uloth as the Executive Chairman, and Stephen Stow and Colin Sutherland as Independent Directors. Mike Mutchler joined the Company in January 2018 as President & CEO and Hemdat Sawh joined as CFO in November 2017. This team has the necessary background and experience to execute the development of the Mara Rosa Project and realize the potential of Lavras do Sul with increased exploration in 2018 and beyond.

In January 2018 the Company initiated a Whittle Consulting Optimization Study. We expect to incorporate the study findings into a Pre-Feasibility Study update early in Q3 2018.

On April 12, 2018 the Company closed a non-brokered private placement (the “Private Placement”) through the issuance of 18,427,780 units (“Units”) at a subscription price of $0.28 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of $5,159,778. Each Unit is comprised of one common share (each, a “Common Share”) and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each, a “Warrant”). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional Common Share at an exercise price of $0.38 for a period of 24 months following the date of issue, subject to customary adjustment provisions. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Private Placement for advancing the Company’s mineral exploration and development projects, and for general corporate purposes.

The Company plans additional exploration drilling at Mara Rosa starting in May 2018 followed by an updated mineral resource which will be produced prior to launching a Feasibility Study (“FS”) in early 2019.  Following the FS and Basic Engineering (“BE”) in early 2019, Amarillo will make an application for the Installation Permit – (LI or Licença de Instalação) and expects to begin construction of the Mara Rosa Gold Mine in 2020.

At Lavras do Sul, additional exploration work consisting of soil sampling, trench sampling and airborne magnetic surveying will be conducted on properties adjacent to the Butia project in an effort to explore for an extension of the Butia deposit.

FINANCIAL RESULTS

Operating Expenses – Three and Twelve Months 2017 and 2016
	Three Months ended December 31					Year ended December 31
	2017		2016			2017		2016
Consulting fees	440,733		459,269			893,376		645,419
General and administrative	75,429		57,030			334,796		237,667
Stock-based compensation	239,510		-			990,573		641,241
Professional fees	77,033		30,091			267,560		170,105
Other expenses	64,558		163,262			216,390		303,338
Subtotal before other items	897,263		709,652			2,702,695		1,998,490
Accretion on gold loans	325,987		375,945			1,288,023		1,119,546
Subtotal of expenses before Fx and FV changes	1,223,250		1,085,597			3,990,718		3,118,036
Foreign exchange loss/(gain)	(844,878	)	(164,626	)		(811,538	)	(131,374	)
Loss/(gain) on FV of derivatives	107,431		(1,276,657	)		1,110,085		557,586
Loss/(income) before taxes	485,803		(355,686	)		4,289,265		3,544,248
Deferred tax	486,165		233,330			486,165		233,330
Net loss/(income)	971,968		(122,356	)		4,775,430		3,777,578
Loss per share	(0.01	)	0.00			(0.06	)	(0.05	)
Total assets	34,186,492		34,246,927			34,186,492		34,246,927
Total non-current liabilities	11,050,397		8,798,174			11,050,397		8,798,174

The Company’s loss is mostly attributable to the items related to the gold-linked loan consisting of accretion, mark to market adjustments for gold price increase and foreign exchange gains due to strengthening of the Canadian dollar to the US dollar from the previous reporting periods. In February 2018, the Company announced that it had amended and extended the maturity date of its existing gold-linked credit facility (the “Facility”) from July 31, 2019 to June 30, 2022.

The technical content of this release has been reviewed and approved by Frank Baker, Project Manager of the Company and a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 -Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

ABOUT AMARILLO

Amarillo is developing a highly economic, open pit gold resource at its Mara Rosa Project in the mining friendly jurisdiction of Goias State in Brazil. An Updated Pre-Feasibility Study (NI 43-101 technical report) for the Mara Rosa Project was filed on SEDAR on May 4, 2017.  In addition, Amarillo has an advanced exploration project with excellent grades at Lavras do Sul, also in Brazil. A Mineral Resource Estimate Study (NI 43-101 technical report) for Lavras do Sul was filed on SEDAR on October 4, 2010.  Both projects have excellent nearby infrastructure. The Mara Rosa Project was awarded the main permit (LP) that gives social and environment permission to mine. This has allowed Amarillo to move forward and work on the installation permit (LI) for the Mara Rosa Project.

For further information, please contact:
Mike Mutchler	or	Karen Mate
President & CEO		External Communications
416-294-0736		416-230-6454
mike.mutchler@amarillogold.com		karen.mate@amarillogold.com
32 Richmond St. East
Suite 201 Toronto, ON
Canada, M5C 1P1
Website: www.amarillogold.com

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.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS:

This news release contains Forward Looking Statements regarding the Company’s current expectations regarding future events, including with respect to the Company’s business, operations and condition, management’s objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions. Various factors may prevent or delay our plans, including but not limited to, the trading price of the Common Shares, certain lenders not advancing funds as required, contractor availability and performance, weather, access, mineral prices, and success and failure of the exploration and development carried out at various stages of the program. Permission from the Government and community is also required to proceed with future mining production. Readers should review the Company’s ongoing quarterly and annual filings, as well as any other additional documentation comprising the Company’s public disclosure record, for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements. Readers should also review the risk factors applicable to junior mining exploration companies generally to better understand the variety of risks that can affect the Company. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any Forward Looking Statements whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as me be required by law.