2024 Achievements:
- Significantly increased Gold Resource of 6,728,600 ounces Measured and Indicated ("M&I") and 3,277,100 ounces Inferred along all trends and deposits at the Novador project and Val-d'Or East properties, Quebec, Canada, almost doubling from the 2023 Resource Update; a 77% increase in M&I Resources; and a 131% increase in Inferred Resources.
- Positive Updated Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") study for the Novador project with average annual production of 255,000 ounces LOM and averaging ~281,000 ounces per year for first five years, after-tax Net Present Value (5%) of C$910M, and IRR of 24.4% at US$1,750 per ounce1.
- Advancing Permitting – initiated permitting process at both federal and provincial levels and received impact study guidelines from both, bringing the company one step closer in the permitting process for the Novador project.
- Acquisition of McKenzie and Beaufor Properties in Val-d'Or; newly acquired properties contributed over 2 million ounces of gold in the new resource estimate with tremendous upside potential.
- Solid balance sheet – strong position with year-end cash and short-term investments of over $25 million.
Plan for 2025:
- A 50,000-metre infill drill program now underway to support pre-feasibility study, with four drill rigs currently operational and plans to deploy eight rigs for the winter drilling season.
- Pre-Feasibility study expected by the end of 2025.
- Completion of biological and physical environment baseline studies.
- Consultations with First Nations and local stakeholders.
- Resource expansion and new discovery drilling programs on Novador satellite deposits, targeting high-grade mineralization.
- Expanding exploration programs on regional projects at Detour and La Peltrie.
TORONTO, Dec. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Probe Gold Inc. (TSX: PRB) (OTCQB: PROBF) ("Probe" or the "Company") is pleased to provide a recap of 2024, and plans for 2025. The Novador project is one of the top development projects in Canada, located in the mining-friendly jurisdiction of Val-d'Or, Quebec. The Company owns the largest consolidated land package in Val-d'Or, which hosts four brownfields mining sites, the Beliveau, Monique, Beaufor and Bussiere mines, two of which still have active operating permits. Probe's Detour project also provides the potential for new exploration catalysts across its 90 kilometres of under-explored gold potential in another of Quebec's active gold belts.
David Palmer, President and CEO of Probe, states: "2024 was the most successful year we've had for Novador, and the Company, transitioning from a large exploration project to an even larger development project. The year was highlighted first by a large increase in potential production, reaching 255,000 ounces per year in our updated PEA and demonstrating a 50% boost in post-tax NPV to $910 million at US$1,750 per ounce. The PEA also highlighted the scale-ability of the project, providing visibility on Novador as a plus 300,000-ounce producer, and with our new satellite deposits, possibly much more. Our second highlight was our resource, topping the all-important threshold of 10 million ounces of gold, positioning Novador alongside other significant projects, reinforcing its status as one of the largest and most promising undeveloped gold deposits, globally. For Novador we are now in the race to the finish line, putting a priority on permitting, sustainability and social acceptance with our First Nations and community partners, and regulators, as we look towards project approval and construction. At the same time, Novador still has a tremendous amount of exploration upside. Our acquisitions in 2023 and 2024 have provided us with a highway to larger resources and higher-grades and, in tandem with development and permitting work, we will be pushing hard on expansion and exploration at our new McKenzie Break, Beaufor and Croinor properties. 2025 is all about progress. We will remain focused on accelerating our permitting work, completing the pre-feasibility study, and targeting larger, higher-grade resources on our new properties. With our proven success, clear strategy, and strong balance sheet, Novador is on track to becoming a significant Canadian gold producer."
2024 Achievements
Novador Development – Updated PEA, MRE and Permitting Progress
Updated PEA: In February 2024, Probe announced the results of its updated PEA which provided a base case assessment of developing the Novador mineral resource in open pit and underground mining. The economic model supports an operation with low capital cost and high rate of return over a 12.6-year mine life. The project demonstrates robust economics for the conceptual mining and milling plan, with a Net Present Value (after-tax) of C$910 million and an Internal Rate of Return of 24.4% with projected payback after 4.4 years. The project would produce an average of 255,000 ounces of gold per year totaling approximately 3.21 million ounces of gold over the current life of the mine. Based on a price of gold of US$1,750 per ounce ($900 below the current spot price), the average cash cost is estimated to be US$841 per ounce and the average AISC is estimated to be US$1,038 per ounce over the life of the mine (see news release dated February 13, 2024).
Figure 1 – Novador PEA (Feb 2024) summary of project economics
Updated Resource Estimate: In September 2024, Probe announced its fourth updated resource estimate for the Val-d'Or East properties in Quebec, reporting significant growth across all trends and deposits. Total resources increased to 6,728,600 ounces of gold in the M&I category and 3,277,110 ounces in the Inferred category, nearly doubling the 2023 resource update. Key highlights include a 77% increase in M&I resources and a 131% increase in inferred resources. The Novador Development Project now boasts 6,405,000 ounces in M&I and 1,550,200 ounces in inferred resources across the Monique, Pascalis, Courvan, and Beaufor deposits, marking a 60% increase from 2023. Notably, over 82% of the resources are within open-pit constraints, underscoring strong potential for near-surface resource growth and supporting the project's robust development prospects (see news release dated September 5, 2024).
Figure 2 – Total Resource growth at Val d'Or properties since 2016 (M&I in blue, Inferred in gold)
Advanced Permitting: Probe began federal permitting for the Novador Project in 2023 by submitting the Initial Project Description. This year, the company progressed further by submitting a detailed project description and initiating the provincial permitting process with a project notice. With guidelines now in place from both federal and provincial governments, phase one is complete, and the project has entered the impact assessment phase.
Figure 3 – Federal and Provincial Permitting Process
New Property Acquisitions - Unlocking Significant Exploration Potential
In March 2024, Probe announced the acquisition of the Beaufor and McKenzie Break properties, strategically enhancing its development model in Val-d'Or. The acquisition contributed 365,200 measured and indicated ounces and 373,100 inferred ounces of higher-grade gold to the total resource inventory, along with 85 square kilometers of underexplored, highly prospective ground for future discoveries. Beaufor, with a production history exceeding 1.2 million ounces, completes the consolidation of the Courvan trend, addressing a key gap in the Novador claim area. McKenzie Break, located within trucking distance of Novador, offers high-grade gold resources with substantial exploration potential. The latest resource estimate reflects significant growth, with Probe tripling resources at McKenzie Break and achieving notable increases across all three newly acquired properties—McKenzie Break, Beaufor, and Croinor—while maintaining significant exploration upside for further expansion (see news release dated March 4, 2024).
2025 Development and Exploration Plans
The 2025 program will focus on project advancement, resource conversion drilling to support the PFS, and expansion and new discoveries on the newly acquired properties.
Novador Development Program:
- 50,000-metre infill drill program underway to support pre-feasibility study
- 4 drills active at Novador, with 8 drills planned for winter drilling.
- Pre-Feasibility study expected by the end of 2025
- Mining engineering (optimization of open pit/underground limits, detailed phase design, schedule optimization/backfill opportunities and mining equipment/transport optimization)
- Geotechnical (ground and overburden characterization, rock mechanics)
- Geochemical (further advancing our understanding of the geochemical behavior for ore/waste rock and overburden)
- Hydrogeology (pumping tests, wells/piezometers and modeling)
- Complete Biological and Physical Environment Baseline studies.
- Preparing for the Feasibility Study with advancement of metallurgical testwork and geotechnical drilling/testing
- Initiating the impact studies.
- Advancing the permitting processes – stakeholder/FN consultations and agreement
Exploration Programs:
In 2025, Probe will conduct exploration programs on at McKenzie Break, Beaufor and Croinor for the Val-d'Or East satellite properties and on regional projects at Detour and La Peltrie. The program will focus on both expansion and regional exploration.
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical content of this press release has been prepared, reviewed, and approved by Mr. Marc Ducharme, P.Geo, Vice President Exploration, who is a "Qualified Person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Technical information in this release was supervised and approved by Yves Dessureault, Probe's Chief Operating Officer and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101.
About Probe's Novador Project
Since 2016, Probe Gold has been consolidating its land position in the highly prospective Val-d'Or East area in the province of Quebec with a district-scale land package of 685 square kilometres that represents one of the largest land holdings in the Val-d'Or mining camp. The Novador project represents one property block of 175 square kilometres that hosts four past producing mines (Beliveau Mine, Bussiere Mine, Monique Mine and Beaufor Mine) and contains 80% of the Company's gold resources in Val-d'Or East. Novador is situated in a politically stable and low-cost mining environment that hosts numerous active producers and mills.
About Probe Gold:
Probe Gold Inc. is a leading Canadian company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of highly prospective gold properties. The Company is well-funded and dedicated to exploring and developing high-quality gold projects. Notably, it owns 100% of its flagship asset, the multimillion-ounce Novador Gold Project in Quebec, as well as an early-stage Detour Gold Quebec project. Probe controls a large land package of approximately 1685-square-kilometres of exploration ground within some of the most prolific gold belts in Quebec. The Company's recent Novador updated Preliminary Economic Assessment outlines a robust mining plan with an average annual gold production of 255,000 ounces over a 12.6-year mine life.
Val-d'Or properties include gold resources totaling 6,728,600 ounces in the Measured and Indicated category and 3,277,100 ounces in the Inferred category along all trends and deposits.
On behalf of Probe Gold Inc.,
Dr. David Palmer,
President & Chief Executive Officer
For further information:
Please visit our website at or contact:
Seema Sindwani
Vice-President of Investor Relations
info@probegold.com
+1.416.777.9467
Forward-Looking Statements
Neither TSX Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements" which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Risks, uncertainties, and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the Company's objectives, goals or future plans, statements, exploration results, potential mineralization, the estimation of mineral resources, exploration and mine development plans, timing of the commencement of operations and estimates of market conditions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to failure to identify mineral resources, failure to convert estimated mineral resources to reserves, the inability to complete a feasibility study which recommends a production decision, the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals, political risks, inability to fulfill the duty to accommodate First Nations and other indigenous peoples, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, changes in equity markets, inflation, changes in exchange rates, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in the development of projects, capital and operating costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, an inability to predict and counteract the effects of COVID-19 on the business of the Company, including but not limited to the effects of COVID-19 on the price of commodities, capital market conditions, restriction on labour and international travel and supply chains, and those risks set out in the Company's public documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. 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, other than as required by law.
_________________
1 PEA estimates were made using gold price of US$1,750 per ounce
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
2024年成就:
- 显著增加了黄金资源,共有6,728,600盎司的可测量和指示("M&I")资源,以及3,277,100盎司的推测资源,覆盖了加拿大魁北克省Novador项目和Val-d'Or East物业的所有趋势和矿床,与2023年资源更新相比几乎翻了一番;M&I资源增加了77%;推测资源增加了131%。
- Novador项目的更新的积极初步经济评估("PEA")研究显示,年均生产量达到255,000盎司,而前五年的年均产量约为281,000盎司,税后净现值(5%)为91000万加元,内部收益率为24.4%,基于每盎司1,750美元的价格。
- 推进许可 – 启动了联邦和省级的许可流程,并收到了来自双方的影响研究指南,使公司在Novador项目的许可流程上更进一步。
- 收购Val-d'Or的McKenzie和Beaufor物业;新收购的物业在新的资源评估中贡献了超过200万盎司的黄金,并具有巨大的上行潜力。
- 稳健的资产负债表 – 年末现金和短期投资超过2500万。
2025年计划:
- 目前正在进行5万米的填充钻探计划,以支持可行性预研究,目前有四台钻 rig 在运行,并计划为冬季钻探季节部署八台钻 rig。
- 可行性预研究预计将在2025年底完成。
- 完成生物和物理环境基线研究。
- 与第一民族和地方利益相关者进行咨询。
- 在Novador卫星矿床上进行资源扩展和新发现钻探项目,目标是高品位的矿化。
- 在Detour和La Peltrie的区域项目上扩展勘探计划。
多伦多,2024年12月17日(环球新闻)-- Probe Gold Inc. (TSX: PRB) (OTCQB: PROBF) (“Probe”或“公司”)很高兴提供2024年的总结以及2025年的计划。Novador项目是加拿大的顶级开发项目之一,位于魁北克省采矿友好的法尔多尔司法管辖区。该公司在法尔多尔拥有最大的综合土地许可证,其中包括Beliveau、Monique、Beaufor和Bussiere四个棕地采矿地点,其中两个仍然拥有有效的运营许可证。Probe的Detour项目还提供了在魁北克其他活跃黄金带上开辟90公里的未开采黄金潜力的新勘探催化剂的可能性。
大卫·帕尔默,Probe的总裁兼首席执行官表示:"2024年是我们Novador最成功的一年,公司正在从一个大型勘探项目向一个更大型的开发项目转型。这一年首先突出的特点是潜在产量的大幅增加,经过更新的PEA,我们的年产量达到了255,000盎司,并且在每盎司1,750美元的情况下,税后净现值(NPV)提高了50%,达到91000万。PEA还强调了该项目的规模化能力,为Novador提供了超过300,000盎司生产者的可见性,借助我们新的卫星矿床,可能会更多。我们的第二个亮点是我们的资源,超过了1000万盎司黄金的重要门槛,使Novador与其他重要项目并列,强化其作为全球最大最有前景的未开发黄金矿床之一的地位。对于Novador,我们现在已进入冲刺阶段,优先考虑许可证的申请、可持续性和与我们的第一民族及社区伙伴、监管机构的社会认可,同时期待项目获批和施工。同时,Novador仍有大量勘探的潜力。我们在2023年和2024年的收购为我们提供了通往更大资源和更高品位的高速公路,并且结合开发和许可工作,我们将积极推动新的McKenzie Break、Beaufor和Croinor地区的扩张和勘探。2025年将是进步的一年。我们将继续专注于加速我们的许可工作,完成预可行性研究,并在我们的新项目上瞄准更大、更高品位的资源。凭借我们的成功、明确的策略和强劲的资产负债表,Novador正在不断朝着成为重要的加拿大黄金生产商的目标迈进。
2024年成就
Novador开发 – 更新的PEA、MRE和许可证进展
更新的PEA在2024年2月,Probe公布了其更新的PEA结果,评估了在开放式矿和地下矿开发Novador 涉矿概念的基本情况。经济模型支持在12.6年的矿山生命周期内低资本成本和高回报率的事件;事件控件。该项目展示了在概念采矿和磨矿计划中强大的经济性,经过税后净现值为C$91000万,内部回报率为24.4%,预计回收期为4.4年。该项目将年均生产255,000盎司黄金,矿山生命周期内总共约321万盎司黄金。根据黄金价格为每盎司US$1,750(低于当前现货价格的$900),估计平均现金成本为每盎司US$841,平均全周期现金成本(AISC)估计为每盎司US$1,038(请参考2024年2月13日的新闻稿)。
图1 – Novador PEA(2024年2月)项目经济总结
更新的资源估算在2024年9月,Probe公布了其第四次更新的Val-d'Or East属性资源估算,报告了所有趋势和储量的显著增长。总资源增加至6,728,600盎司黄金在M&I类别和3,277,110盎司在推测类别,几乎是2023年资源更新的两倍。主要亮点包括M&I资源增加77%和推测资源增加131%。Novador开发项目现在在Monique、Pascalis、Courvan和Beaufor储量中拥有6,405,000盎司M&I和1,550,200盎司推测资源,较2023年增长60%。值得注意的是,超过82%的资源在开放式矿限制之内,突显了近表层资源增长的强大潜力,并支持该项目的强劲发展前景(请参见2024年9月5日的新闻稿)。
图2 – 自2016年以来Val d'Or属性的总资源增长(M&I用蓝色表示,推测用金色表示)
爱文思控股许可探测公司于2023年通过提交初步项目描述开始了Novador项目的联邦许可。今年,公司进一步提交了详细的项目描述,并启动了省级许可程序,发布了项目通知。随着联邦和省级政府的指导方针现已出台,第一阶段已完成,项目进入影响评估阶段。
图表3 – 联邦和省级许可流程
新物业收购 - 解锁显著的勘探潜力
在2024年3月,Probe宣布收购Beaufor和McKenzie Break矿产,该举措战略性地增强了其在Val-d'Or的发展模型。此次收购为总资源清单贡献了365,200盎司的测量和指示金以及373,100盎司的推断金,此外还获得了85平方公里的未被充分勘探的高潜力土地,以便于未来的发现。Beaufor的生产历史超过120万盎司,完成了Courvan趋势的整合,填补了Novador索赔区域的一个关键空白。McKenzie Break位于Novador的公路运输距离内,提供高品位黄金资源,并具有显著的勘探潜力。最新的资源评估反映出显著增长,Probe在McKenzie Break的资源三倍增长,并在新收购的三个矿产—McKenzie Break、Beaufor和Croinor—中实现了显著增加,同时保持了进一步扩展的显著勘探上行空间(请参见2024年3月4日的资讯发布)。
2025年发展与勘探计划
2025年计划将重点放在项目推进、资源转换钻探以支持PFS,以及在新收购矿产上的扩展和新发现。
Novador发展计划:
- 正在进行5万米的填充钻探项目,以支持可行性研究
- 在Novador有4台钻机在运作,计划在冬季进行8台钻机钻探。
- 预可行性研究预计在2025年底完成
- 矿业工程(优化露天/地下开采边界,详细阶段设计,进度优化/回填机会以及矿山设备/运输优化)
- 岩土工程(地面和覆盖层特征,岩石力学)
- 地球化学(进一步推进我们对矿石/废石和覆盖层的地球化学行为的理解)
- 水文地质(抽水测试、井/压头计和建模)
- 完成生物和物理环境基线研究。
- 通过推进冶金测试和岩土钻探/测试,准备可行性研究。
- 启动影响研究。
- 推进许可流程——利益相关者/原住民咨询和协议。
勘探计划:
在2025年,Probe将在McKenzie Break、Beaufor和Croinor进行针对Val-d'Or East卫星资产的勘探计划,并在Detour和La Peltrie的区域项目上展开。该计划将重点关注扩展和区域勘探。
合格人士
本新闻稿的科学和技术内容已由副总裁探索的Marc Ducharme先生(P.Geo)准备、审查和批准,他是国家仪器43-101 – 矿业项目信息披露标准("NI 43-101")所定义的"合格人士"。本发布中的技术信息由Probe的首席运营官Yves Dessureault监督并批准,他也是NI 43-101下的合格人士。
About Probe's Novador Project
自2016年以来,Probe Gold一直在魁北克省具有高度前景的Val-d'Or East地区整合其土地位置,其区级土地包达685平方公里,代表着Val-d'Or矿区最大的土地持有之一。Novador项目代表着一个175平方公里的物业区块,内有四个历史开采矿山(Beliveau矿、Bussiere矿、Monique矿和Beaufor矿),包含了公司在Val-d'Or East的80%的黄金资源。Novador位于一个政治稳定且低成本的矿业环境中,拥有众多活跃的生产者和矿厂。
关于Probe Gold:
Probe Gold Inc. is a leading Canadian company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of highly prospective gold properties. The Company is well-funded and dedicated to exploring and developing high-quality gold projects. Notably, it owns 100% of its flagship asset, the multimillion-ounce Novador Gold Project in Quebec, as well as an early-stage Detour Gold Quebec project. Probe controls a large land package of approximately 1685-square-kilometres of exploration ground within some of the most prolific gold belts in Quebec. The Company's recent Novador updated Preliminary Economic Assessment outlines a robust mining plan with an average annual gold production of 255,000 ounces over a 12.6-year mine life.
Val-d'Or properties include gold resources totaling 6,728,600 ounces in the Measured and Indicated category and 3,277,100 ounces in the Inferred category along all trends and deposits.
代表Probe Gold Inc.,
大卫·帕尔默博士,
总裁兼首席执行官
更多信息:
请访问我们的官方网站 或联系:
西马·辛德瓦尼
投资者关系副总裁
info@probegold.com
+1.416.777.9467
前瞻性声明
无论是TSX交易所还是其监管服务提供机构(该术语在TSX交易所的政策中有定义)均不对本公告的充分性或准确性承担责任。本资讯公告包括某些“前瞻性声明”,这些声明并不由历史事实构成。前瞻性声明包括估计和描述公司未来计划、目标或宗旨的陈述,包括诸如公司或管理层期待某一控件或结果发生等表述。前瞻性声明可通过诸如“相信”、“预期”、“期待”、“估计”、“可能”、“可以”、“将”、“会”或“计划”等术语来识别。由于前瞻性声明是基于假设并涉及未来事件和控件,因而在本质上它们涉及固有的风险和不确定性。尽管这些声明是基于公司当前可获得的信息,公司并不保证实际结果会符合管理层的预期。与前瞻性信息相关的风险、不确定性和其他因素可能导致实际事件、结果、表现、前景和机会与此类前瞻性信息所表达或暗示的情况有实质性差异。本新闻稿中的前瞻性信息包括但不限于公司的目标、宗旨或未来计划、陈述、勘探结果、潜在的矿化、矿产资源的估算、勘探和矿山开发计划、运营开始时间和市场条件的估算。可能导致实际结果与此类前瞻性信息有实质性差异的因素包括但不限于未能识别矿产资源、未能将估算的矿产资源转化为储量、无法完成推荐生产决策的可行性研究、冶金试验结果的初步性质、获得或未能获得所需政府、环保或其他项目批准的延误、政治风险、未能履行对第一民族和其他土著人民的适应责任、与未来所需融资的可用性和成本相关的不确定性、股市变化、通货膨胀、汇率变动、商品价格波动、项目开发的延误、资本和运营成本与估算之间的显著差异,以及与矿产勘探和开发行业相关的其他风险,无法预测和应对COVID-19对公司业务的影响,包括但不限于COVID-19对商品价格、资本市场情况、劳动力和国际旅行及供应链限制的影响,以及在公司在SEDAR上提交的公开文件中列出的风险。虽然公司相信在准备本新闻稿的前瞻性信息时所使用的假设和因素是合理的,但不应对这些信息过分依赖,该信息仅适用于本新闻稿的发布日期,且不能保证此类事件将在披露的时间范围内发生或根本就不会发生。公司对更新或修订任何前瞻性信息不承担任何意图或义务,无论是由于新信息、未来事件或其他原因,法律要求的除外。
_________________
1 PEA估算是基于每盎司1750美元的黄金价格进行的
与此公告相关的照片可在此获取