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ENDEAVOUR REPORTS THAT WET COMMISSIONING IS UNDERWAY AT ITS HOUND?? PROJECT
Construction ahead of schedule with gold pour expected in first half of Q4-2017 & on-budget
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Abidjan, September 25, 2017 - Endeavour Mining Corporation (TSX:EDV)(OTCQX:EDVMF) ("Endeavour") ("the Company") is pleased to announce that excellent progress continues to be made at its Hound?(C) Gold Project in Burkina Faso, as wet commissioning has commenced and the first ore has been introduced to the process plant milling circuit in preparation for production. Construction is progressing ahead of schedule, with over 97% of the total project complete and on-budget, with the first gold pour expected ahead of schedule in the first half of the fourth quarter.
Jeremy Langford, COO, stated: "We are very proud of the progress made in the recent months in spite of the challenges presented by exceptionally heavy rainfall this past wet-season. Construction remains on budget and ahead of schedule as we rapidly approach the first gold pour without a lost time injury. Moreover, we believe that we have significantly de-risked its start-up with three months' worth of ore feed already stockpiled on the ROM and the transition of the experienced Agbaou processing team to Hound?(C).
This confidence has allowed us to continue to aggressively advance Endeavour's high quality project pipeline with a portion of the Hounde construction team already transitioning to the Ity CIL project and the launch of the Kalana updated feasibility study."
Key milestones achieved to date include:
ABOUT THE HOUND?? PROJECT
Once in production, Endeavour's 90%-owned Hound?(C) Project will become the Company's flagship low-cost mine, ranking amongst West Africa's top tier cash generating mines, with an average annual production of 190,000 ounces at an All-In Sustaining Cost ("AISC") of US$709/oz over an initial 10-year mine life based on reserves. In its first four years, the average annual production is expected to be 235,000 ounces at an AISC of US$610/oz.[1]
The project is an open pit mine with a 3.0Mtpa gravity circuit / Carbon-In-Leach plant. The initial capital cost is estimated at $328 million, inclusive of $46 million for the owner-mining fleet. Construction began in April 2016 and is progressing on-budget and ahead of schedule with the first gold pour expected during the first half of the fourth quarter of 2017.
QUALIFIED PERSONS
Jeremy Langford, Endeavour's Chief Operating Officer - Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy - FAusIMM, is a Qualified Person under NI 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release.
ABOUT ENDEAVOUR MINING
Endeavour Mining is a TSX-listed intermediate gold producer, focused on developing a portfolio of high quality mines in the prolific West-African region, where it has established a solid operational and construction track record.
Endeavour is ideally positioned as the major pure West-African multi-operation gold mining company, operating 5 mines across C??te d'Ivoire (Agbaou and Ity), Burkina Faso (Karma), Mali (Tabakoto), and Ghana (Nzema). In 2017, it expects to produce between 500koz and 530koz at an AISC of US$855 to US$900/oz, following the full-year deconsolidation of the discontinued Nzema mine. Endeavour is currently building its Hound?(C) project in Burkina Faso, which is expected to commence production in Q4-2017 and to become its flagship low-cost mine with an average annual production of 190koz at an AISC of US$709/oz over an initial 10-year mine life, based on reserves. The development of the Hound?(C) and Ity CIL projects are expected to lift Endeavour's group production to +900kozpa and decrease its average AISC to circa $800/oz by 2019, while exploration aims to extend all mine lives to +10 years.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Martino De Ciccio VP VP - Strategy & Investor Relations + 44 203 011 2706 mdeciccio@endeavourmining.com | DFH Public Affairs in Toronto John Vincic, Senior Advisor (416) 206-0118 x.224 jvincic@dfhpublicaffairs.com Brunswick Group LLP in London Carole Cable, Partner +44 7974 982 458 ccable@brunswickgroup.com |
Corporate Office: 5 Young St, Kensington, London W8 5EH, UK
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" including but not limited to, statements with respect to Endeavour's plans and operating performance, the estimation of mineral reserves and resources, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of future production, future capital expenditures, and the success of exploration activities. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects", "expected", "budgeted", "forecasts", and "anticipates". Forward-looking statements, while based on management's best estimates and assumptions, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: risks related to the successful integration of acquisitions; risks related to international operations; risks related to general economic conditions and credit availability, actual results of current exploration activities, unanticipated reclamation expenses; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; fluctuations in prices of metals including gold; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, increases in market prices of mining consumables, possible variations in ore reserves, grade or recovery rates; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes, title disputes, claims and limitations on insurance coverage and other risks of the mining industry; delays in the completion of development or construction activities, changes in national and local government regulation of mining operations, tax rules and regulations, and political and economic developments in countries in which Endeavour operates. Although Endeavour has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Please refer to Endeavour's most recent Annual Information Form filed under its profile at www.sedar.com for further information respecting the risks affecting Endeavour and its business. AISC, all-in sustaining costs at the mine level, cash costs, operating EBITDA, all-in sustaining margin, free cash flow, net free cash flow, free cash flow per share, net debt, and adjusted earnings are non-GAAP financial performance measures with no standard meaning under IFRS, further discussed in the section Non-GAAP Measures in the most recently filed Management Discussion and Analysis.
APPENDIX
Image 4 : Mining at the Vindaloo Main Deposit
[1]As announced in Endeavour's April 11, 2016, news release entitled "Endeavour starts construction of its Hound?(C) Project, its next low-cost gold mine" available on the Company's website and on Sedar.
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