Condor Significantly De-Risks La India Project: Purchases 85% of the Land Within the Permitted Mine Site Infrastructure and Advances Engineering Studies

LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / August 13, 2020 / Condor Gold (AIM:CNR)(TSX:COG) is pleased to announce that it has made significant progress meeting the terms of the Company’s Environmental Permit for the development and exploitation of gold from the La India open pit, the associated mine site infrastructure and the construction and operation of a processing plant with capacity of up to 2,800 tonnes per day (“tpd”) for a new gold mine at its La India Project. Condor has 1.12M oz gold open pit Mineral Resources (8,583Kt at 3.3g/t gold for 903,000 oz gold in the Indicated category and 1,901Kt at 3.6g/t gold for 220,000 oz gold in the Inferred category) permitted for extraction inclusive of a Mineral Reserve of 6.9Mt at 3.0g/t gold for 675,000 oz gold. As further explained below, key elements in advancing the Project, namely acquiring the land and completing engineering studies are now well advanced.

Highlights:

• Acquired 85% of the land within the permitted La India open pit mine site infrastructure, including the key areas of the location of the processing plant, tailings storage facility, open pit, waste dump area, explosive magazine.
• Tailings Storage Facility and 2 water retention ponds are being fully designed by Tierra Group Inc. 40% of the engineering designs are completed.
• The design of the site wide water balance including a surface water management plan is underway and has been awarded to SRK Consulting (UK) Ltd.
• Preliminary designs for the layout of the mine site infrastructure including, in some detail, the designs for the location of the processing plant have been completed.
• Mine and waste dump schedules for a number of mining scenarios have been completed
• The power studies have been progressed and several meetings held with the Ministry of Energy and Mines

Mark Child, Chairman and CEO commented:

“Condor has made excellent progress advancing the La India Project to a construction decision and has acquired 85% of the land within the permitted La India open pit mine site infrastructure, including the location of the processing plant, tailings storage facility, open pit, waste dump area, explosive magazine, office and accommodation blocks and other key component areas required for the mine. This significantly de-risks the Project. Solid progress has also been made with the engineering studies: 40% of the engineering studies for the tailings storage facility and water retention ponds have been completed. The site wide water balance and surface water management system are underway. Preliminary designs for the layout of the mine site infrastructure including, in some detail, the designs for the location of the processing plant have been completed. Mine and waste dump schedules for a number of mining scenarios have been completed. The power studies have been progressed. It remains our intention to buy the remainder of the land this year and commence site preparation, while significantly advancing the engineering studies and placing a deposit on a processing plant”.

The Company has been focused on de-risking the La India Project by advancing and completing several technical and engineering studies, some of which are a condition of the Environmental Permit and purchasing the land for the associate mine site infrastructure. The following progress has been made:

• Under the terms of the Environment Permit, the Company has to purchase or have legal agreements in place for the land required for the mine site infrastructure. Offers have been made to all land owners. The Company has now purchased 85% of the land in and around the permitted La India open pit mine site area thereby getting close to completing one of the main conditions of the Environmental Permit and significantly de-risking the Project. The Company has purchased 64 plots of land totalling 659 hectares in and around the permitted La India open pit mine site infrastructure, of which 479 hectares has been purchased this year, at the time of writing. In addition, the Company can also demonstrate physical possession for approximately 18 years on the land covering the Mestiza open pit, has purchased the majority of this land and has claimed ownership over 303 hectares in this area. The Company has ownership of 96 hectares of land in the area of the America open pit.
• The Tailings Storage Facility and 2 water retention ponds are being fully designed and engineered with drawings one step short of “issued for construction”. Tierra Group Inc, Denver, Colorado has completed site visits and is conducting the engineering studies. Good progress has been made, with 40% of the work completed.
• The design of the site wide water balance (SWWB), including a surface water management plan, has been awarded to SRK Consulting (UK) Limited (“SRK”). SRK’s work includes the area of La India, America and Mestiza open pits. The ultimate objective of the exercise is to produce engineering plans for the installation of the physical components of a management system, including the piping, pumping and structural requirements that will satisfy Nicaraguan authorities and at the same time meet the design standards for a feasibility study. The SWWB will include consideration of the pit dewatering contributions i.e. subsurface hydrology. SRK’s remit includes an emphasis on training and capacity building for the local Condor team to ensure full ownership and facilitate implementation and sustainability of the SWWB.
• Preliminary designs for the layout of the mine site infrastructure including, in some detail, the designs for the location of the processing plant have been completed.
• Mine and waste dump schedules for a number of mining scenarios have been completed to a level that can be submitted to MARENA, once the capacity of the processing plant is finalised.
• The processing plant designs will be finalised following the purchase of a second hand or new processing plant.
• The power studies have been progressed as far as possible but final designs are only possible once the processing plant size has been finalised and the power requirement known. Several meetings have been held with the Ministry of Energy and Mines. A new electricity sub-station is being built closer to Mina La India.
• MARENA has written to the Company confirming that the final designs for the domestic wastewater treatment system for the offices and accommodation blocks at Mina La India comply with MARENA’s technical and environmental requirements and the final designs are approved.

The La India open pit hosts 8,377Kt at a grade of 3.1 g/t gold (837,000 oz contained gold) in the Indicated Mineral Resource category and 883Kt at grade of 2.4 g/t gold (68,000 oz contained gold) in the Inferred Mineral Resource category. La India open pit has a robust, economically viable Pre-Feasibility Study (“PFS”) with Mineral Reserves of 6.9 million tonnes (“Mt”) at 3.0 g/t for 675,000 oz gold. The Company also has Environmental Permits for 2 high grade feeder pits from which ore will be fed to a centralised processing plant and within the La India open pit permit. The America open pit hosts 114 thousand tonnes (“Kt”) at a grade of 8.1 g/t gold (30,000 oz contained gold) in the Indicated Mineral Resource category and 677Kt at a grade of 3.1 g/t gold (67,000 oz contained gold) in the Inferred Mineral Resource category. The Mestiza open pit hosts 92Kt at a grade of 12.1 g/t gold (36,000 oz contained gold) in the Indicated Mineral Resource category and 341Kt at a grade of 7.7 g/t gold (85,000 oz contained gold) in the Inferred Mineral Resource category. Following the permitting of the La India, America and Mestiza open pits Condor has 1.12M oz gold open pit Mineral Resources (8,583Kt at 3.3g/t gold for 903,000 oz gold in the Indicated category and 1,901Kt at 3.6g/t gold for 220,000 oz gold in the Inferrd category) permitted for extraction inclusive of a Mineral Reserve of 6.9Mt at 3.0g/t gold for 675,000 oz gold. The total permitted mill fully diluted mill feed combining La India, Mestiza and America open pits is 8,829Kt at 3.09g/t gold for 847,000 oz gold. Assuming a 92% metallurgical recovery, gold production is estimated to be 779,000 oz gold.

– Ends –

For further information please visit www.condorgold.com or contact:

About Condor Gold plc:

Condor Gold plc was admitted to AIM in May 2006 and dual listed on the TSX in January 2018. The Company is a gold exploration and development company with a focus on Nicaragua.

In August 2018, the Company announced that the Ministry of the Environment in Nicaragua had granted the Company the Environmental Permit (“EP”) for the development, construction and operation of a processing plant with capacity to process up to 2,800 tonnes per day at its wholly-owned La India gold project (“La India Project”). The EP is considered to be the master permit for mining operations in Nicaragua. Condor Gold published a PFS on the La India Project in December 2014, as summarised in the Technical Report. The PFS details an open pit gold Mineral Reserve in the Probable category of 6.9 Mt at 3.0 g/t gold for 675,000 oz gold, producing 80,000 oz gold per annum for seven years. La India Project contains a Mineral Resource of 9,850Kt at 3.6 g/t gold for 1,140Koz gold in the Indicated category and 8,479Kt at 4.3g/t gold for 1,179Koz gold in the Inferred category. The Indicated Mineral Resource is inclusive of the Mineral Reserve. A gold price of $1,500/oz and a cut-off grade of 0.5g/t and 2.0g/t gold were assumed for open pit and underground resources respectively. A cut-off grade of 1.5g/t gold was furthermore applied within a part of the Inferred Resource. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that any part of the Mineral Resources will be converted to Mineral Reserves.

Disclaimer

Neither the contents of the Company’s website nor the contents of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Company’s website (or any other website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.

Qualified Persons

The Mineral Resource Estimate has been completed by Ben Parsons, a Principal Consultant (Resource Geology) with SRK Consulting (U.S.), Inc, who is a Member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, MAusIMM(CP). Ben Parsons has some nineteen years’ experience in the exploration, definition and mining of precious and base metal Mineral Resources. Ben Parsons is a full-time employee of SRK Consulting (U.S.), Inc, an independent consultancy, and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration, and to the type of activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a “qualified person” as defined under National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”) of the Canadian Securities Administrators and as required by the June 2009 Edition of the AIM Note for Mining and Oil & Gas Companies. Ben Parsons consents to the inclusion in the announcement of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears and confirms that this information is accurate and not false or misleading.

The mining dilution studies reported for the Mestiza and America deposits have been performed under the supervision of Dr Tim Lucks, Principal Consultant (Geology & Project Management), of SRK Consulting (UK) Limited, who is a Member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, MAusIMM(CP). Tim Lucks is an independent “qualified person” as such term is defined in NI 43-101. Tim Lucks consents to the inclusion in the announcement that material that relates to the America and Mestiza dilution studies, in the form and context in which it appears and confirms that this information is accurate and not false or misleading

The technical and scientific information in this press release has been reviewed, verified and approved by Gerald D. Crawford, P.E., who is a “qualified person” as defined by NI 43-101 and is the Chief Technical Officer of Condor Gold plc.

Technical Information

Certain disclosure contained in this news release of a scientific or technical nature has been summarised or extracted from the technical report entitled “Technical Report on the La India Gold Project, Nicaragua, December 2014“, dated November 13, 2017 with an effective date of December 21, 2014 (the “Technical Report“), prepared in accordance with NI 43-101. The Technical Report was prepared by or under the supervision of Tim Lucks, Principal Consultant (Geology & Project Management), Gabor Bacsfalusi, Principal Consultant (Mining), Benjamin Parsons, Principal Consultant (Resource Geology), each of SRK Consulting (UK) Limited, and Neil Lincoln of Lycopodium Minerals Canada Ltd., each of whom is an independent “qualified person” as defined by NI 43-101.

Forward Looking Statements

All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are ‘forward-looking information’ with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements with respect to: the ongoing mining dilution and pit optimisation studies, and the incorporation of same into any mining production schedule, future development and production plans at La India Project. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as: “seek”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “continue”, “strategies”, “estimate”, “expect”, “project”, “predict”, “potential”, “targeting”, “intends”, “believe”, “potential”, “could”, “might”, “will” and similar expressions. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management at the date the statements are made including, among others, assumptions regarding: future commodity prices and royalty regimes; availability of skilled labour; timing and amount of capital expenditures; future currency exchange and interest rates; the impact of increasing competition; general conditions in economic and financial markets; availability of drilling and related equipment; effects of regulation by governmental agencies; the receipt of required permits; royalty rates; future tax rates; future operating costs; availability of future sources of funding; ability to obtain financing and assumptions underlying estimates related to adjusted funds from operations. Many assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of the Company and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct.

Such forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, which may cause the actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including, risks related to: mineral exploration, development and operating risks; estimation of mineralisation, resources and reserves; environmental, health and safety regulations of the resource industry; competitive conditions; operational risks; liquidity and financing risks; funding risk; exploration costs; uninsurable risks; conflicts of interest; risks of operating in Nicaragua; government policy changes; ownership risks; permitting and licencing risks; artisanal miners and community relations; difficulty in enforcement of judgments; market conditions; stress in the global economy; current global financial condition; exchange rate and currency risks; commodity prices; reliance on key personnel; dilution risk; payment of dividends; as well as those factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s annual information form for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 dated March 31, 2020, available under the Company’s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required by law.

Technical Glossary

Mineral Resource

Mineral Resources are sub-divided, in order of increasing geological confidence, into Inferred, Indicated and Measured categories. An Inferred Mineral Resource has a lower level of confidence than that applied to an Indicated Mineral Resource. An Indicated Mineral Resource has a higher level of confidence than an Inferred Mineral Resource but has a lower level of confidence than a Measured Mineral Resource.

A Mineral Resource is a concentration or occurrence of solid material of economic interest in or on the Earth’s crust in such form, grade or quality and quantity that there are reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction.

The location, quantity, grade or quality, continuity and other geological characteristics of a Mineral Resource are known, estimated or interpreted from specific geological evidence and knowledge, including sampling.

Material of economic interest refers to diamonds, natural solid inorganic material, or natural solid fossilized organic material including base and precious metals, coal, and industrial minerals.

The term Mineral Resource covers mineralization and natural material of intrinsic economic interest which has been identified and estimated through exploration and sampling and within which Mineral Reserves may subsequently be defined by the consideration and application of Modifying Factors. The phrase ‘reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction’ implies a judgment by the Qualified Person in respect of the technical and economic factors likely to influence the prospect of economic extraction. The Qualified Person should consider and clearly state the basis for determining that the material has reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction. Assumptions should include estimates of cutoff grade and geological continuity at the selected cut-off, metallurgical recovery, smelter payments, commodity price or product value, mining and processing method and mining, processing and general and administrative costs. The Qualified Person should state if the assessment is based on any direct evidence and testing.

Interpretation of the word ‘eventual’ in this context may vary depending on the commodity or mineral involved. For example, for some coal, iron, potash deposits and other bulk minerals or commodities, it may be reasonable to envisage ‘eventual economic extraction’ as covering time periods in excess of 50 years. However, for many gold deposits, application of the concept would normally be restricted to perhaps 10 to 15 years, and frequently to much shorter periods of time.

Inferred Mineral Resource

An Inferred Mineral Resource is that part of a Mineral Resource for which quantity and grade or quality are estimated on the basis of limited geological evidence and sampling. Geological evidence is sufficient to imply but not verify geological and grade or quality continuity.

An Inferred Mineral Resource has a lower level of confidence than that applying to an Indicated Mineral Resource and must not be converted to a Mineral Reserve. It is reasonably expected that the majority of Inferred Mineral Resources could be upgraded to Indicated Mineral Resources with continued exploration.

An Inferred Mineral Resource is based on limited information and sampling gathered through appropriate sampling techniques from locations such as outcrops, trenches, pits, workings and drill holes. Inferred Mineral Resources must not be included in the economic analysis, production schedules, or estimated mine life in publicly disclosed Pre-Feasibility or Feasibility Studies, or in the Life of Mine plans and cash flow models of developed mines. Inferred Mineral Resources can only be used in economic studies as provided under NI 43-101.

There may be circumstances, where appropriate sampling, testing, and other measurements are sufficient to demonstrate data integrity, geological and grade/quality continuity of a Measured or Indicated Mineral Resource, however, quality assurance and quality control, or other information may not meet all industry norms for the disclosure of an Indicated or Measured Mineral Resource. Under these circumstances, it may be reasonable for the Qualified Person to report an Inferred Mineral Resource if the Qualified Person has taken steps to verify the information meets the requirements of an Inferred Mineral Resource.

Indicated Mineral Resource

An Indicated Mineral Resource is that part of a Mineral Resource for which quantity, grade or quality, densities, shape and physical characteristics are estimated with sufficient confidence to allow the application of Modifying Factors in sufficient detail to support mine planning and evaluation of the economic viability of the deposit.

Geological evidence is derived from adequately detailed and reliable exploration, sampling and testing and is sufficient to assume geological and grade or quality continuity between points of observation.

An Indicated Mineral Resource has a lower level of confidence than that applying to a Measured Mineral Resource and may only be converted to a Probable Mineral Reserve.

Mineralization may be classified as an Indicated Mineral Resource by the Qualified Person when the nature, quality, quantity and distribution of data are such as to allow confident interpretation of the geological framework and to reasonably assume the continuity of mineralization. The Qualified Person must recognize the importance of the Indicated Mineral Resource category to the advancement of the feasibility of the project. An Indicated Mineral Resource estimate is of sufficient quality to support a Pre-Feasibility Study which can serve as the basis for major development decisions.

Mineral Reserve

Mineral Reserves are sub-divided in order of increasing confidence into Probable Mineral Reserves and Proven Mineral Reserves. A Probable Mineral Reserve has a lower level of confidence than a Proven Mineral Reserve.

A Mineral Reserve is the economically mineable part of a Measured and/or Indicated Mineral Resource. It includes diluting materials and allowances for losses, which may occur when the material is mined or extracted and is defined by studies at Pre-Feasibility or Feasibility level as appropriate that include application of Modifying Factors. Such studies demonstrate that, at the time of reporting, extraction could reasonably be justified.

The reference point at which Mineral Reserves are defined, usually the point where the ore is delivered to the processing plant, must be stated. It is important that, in all situations where the reference point is different, such as for a saleable product, a clarifying statement is included to ensure that the reader is fully informed as to what is being reported.

The public disclosure of a Mineral Reserve must be demonstrated by a Pre-Feasibility Study or Feasibility Study.

Mineral Reserves are those parts of Mineral Resources which, after the application of all mining factors, result in an estimated tonnage and grade which, in the opinion of the Qualified Person(s) making the estimates, is the basis of an economically viable project after taking account of all relevant Modifying Factors. Mineral Reserves are inclusive of diluting material that will be mined in conjunction with the Mineral Reserves and delivered to the treatment plant or equivalent facility. The term ‘Mineral Reserve’ need not necessarily signify that extraction facilities are in place or operative or that all governmental approvals have been received. It does signify that there are reasonable expectations of such approvals.

‘Reference point’ refers to the mining or process point at which the Qualified Person prepares a Mineral Reserve. For example, most metal deposits disclose mineral reserves with a “mill feed” reference point. In these cases, reserves are reported as mined ore delivered to the plant and do not include reductions attributed to anticipated plant losses. In contrast, coal reserves have traditionally been reported as tonnes of “clean coal”. In this coal example, reserves are reported as a “saleable product” reference point and include reductions for plant yield (recovery). The Qualified Person must clearly state the ‘reference point’ used in the Mineral Reserve estimate.

Probable Mineral Reserve

A Probable Mineral Reserve is the economically mineable part of an Indicated, and in some circumstances, a Measured Mineral Resource. The confidence in the Modifying Factors applying to a Probable Mineral Reserve is lower than that applying to a Proven Mineral Reserve.

The Qualified Person(s) may elect, to convert Measured Mineral Resources to Probable Mineral Reserves if the confidence in the Modifying Factors is lower than that applied to a Proven Mineral Reserve. Probable Mineral Reserve estimates must be demonstrated to be economic, at the time of reporting, by at least a Pre-Feasibility Study.

Pre-Feasibility Study (Preliminary Feasibility Study)

The CIM Definition Standards requires the completion of a Pre-Feasibility Study as the minimum prerequisite for the conversion of Mineral Resources to Mineral Reserves.

A Pre-Feasibility Study is a comprehensive study of a range of options for the technical and economic viability of a mineral project that has advanced to a stage where a preferred mining method, in the case of underground mining, or the pit configuration, in the case of an open pit, is established and an effective method of mineral processing is determined. It includes a financial analysis based on reasonable assumptions on the Modifying Factors and the evaluation of any other relevant factors which are sufficient for a Qualified Person, acting reasonably, to determine if all or part of the Mineral Resource may be converted to a Mineral Reserve at the time of reporting. A Pre-Feasibility Study is at a lower confidence level than a Feasibility Study.

SOURCE: Condor Gold plc

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