TRX Gold Corporation (TSX: TRX) (NYSE American: TRX) (the “Company”
or “TRX Gold”) is pleased to announce positive results of a
Preliminary Economic Assessment (the “PEA”) on the expansion of its
Buckreef Gold Project (“Buckreef Gold”) in Tanzania. The PEA
evaluated the following scenario: (i) an expansion and upgrade of
the existing process plant at Buckreef Gold to 3,000 tonnes per day
(“tpd”); and (ii) a transition from open pit mining to underground
mining over the next 2-3 years. The PEA will be filed under the
Company’s profile on SEDAR+ within 45 days of this announcement.
Stephen Mullowney, TRX Gold CEO commented: “We
have taken what we have learned over the past couple of years and
have now provided a more in-depth roadmap of Buckreef Gold’s
potential based on what is currently known, with a keen focus on
maximizing the economics of Buckreef Gold. This PEA yields positive
results based on a relatively straightforward expansion, similar to
the expansions we have successfully completed previously. The PEA
and associated project economics can also be further enhanced by
additional process plant capacity and mining rate increases in the
future, and the Company will now begin to evaluate these
opportunities. The PEA does not currently contemplate inclusion of
any new exploration discoveries at Buckreef Gold. The Anfield Zone
has not been included and only a small portion of Stamford Bridge
Zone has been reflected in this PEA. This is our first insight into
Stamford Bridge, and it is still early days there as we continue to
execute our exploration program across the entire Buckreef Gold
concession. The future is looking bright, and we are well on our
way towards making Buckreef Gold an exceptional gold producing
asset.”
The Key Outcomes of the
PEA:
- Base case NPV5%
of US$701.0 million pre-tax, or US$442.2 million after tax at
consensus forecast case gold prices (US$2,707/oz year 1,
US$2,646/oz year 2, US$2,495/oz year 3, US$2,400/oz year 4,
US$2,245/oz thereafter) and NPV5% of US$1,180.5 million pre-tax, or
US$766.4 million after tax at an upside US$3,000/oz gold
price;
- The PEA
demonstrates the Company’s ability to potentially finance the
expansion from internally generated cash flow without an upfront
capital requirement, thus there is no quoted Internal Rate of
Return;
- Over a 17.6-year
period, the total process plant throughput is expected to be 18.1
million tonnes averaging 2.14 g/t Au with average recovered gold
production of approximately 62,000 oz Au per annum. During the
first five years of the underground operation, average recovered
production is planned to be over 80,000 oz Au per annum;
- Life of Mine
(“LOM”) cash costs average US$1,024/oz Au and all-in sustaining
costs (“AISC”) average of US$1,206/oz Au;
- Growth capital
of US$89 million will be deployed over the next four-year period
comprised of: (i) US$55 million in capital for the underground
expansion; (ii) US$30 million for process improvements, process
plant throughput expansion, and camp upgrades; and (iii) US$3
million for tailings facility upgrades. LOM growth capital is
estimated to be US$175 million and is primarily for underground
development. LOM sustaining capital cost of US$87 million is
estimated for site and process plant, and US$97 million for
underground mining;
- The PEA mine
plan was developed from Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources of
10.8 million tonnes (“Mt”) grading 2.57 grams per tonne (“g/t”)
gold containing 893,000 ounces of gold and Inferred Mineral
Resources of 9.1 Mt grading 2.47 g/t gold containing 726,000 ounces
of gold; and
- With the
existing open pit mine operating, the underground expansion plan
benefits from the existing on-site process plant and mine
infrastructure in place. The Company anticipates gold production
from the underground expansion could be achieved within 3
years.
The PEA is preliminary in nature and includes
Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative
geologically to enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves.
Therefore, there is no certainty that the PEA economics will be
realized. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves may not
have demonstrated economic viability. The Company engaged P&E
Mining Consultants Inc. (“P&E”) to complete an updated Mineral
Resource Estimate for Buckreef Gold (Table 8) which provides the
Mineral Resource basis for the PEA, and expansion of the mine to
include underground production, and for the existing process plant
to increase capacity to approximately 3,000 tpd.
Stephen Mullowney, TRX Gold CEO, further states,
“The results of the PEA, as summarised in Table 1, show an
extremely robust project capable of producing 1.1 million gold
ounces over a 17.6-year life, with low cash costs of only
US$1,024/oz Au and AISC of US$1,206/oz Au. The PEA indicates an
upside pre-tax NPV5% of US$1.2 billion and after-tax NPV5% of
US$766 million at US$3,000/oz gold. We will now start work on
optimizing results further, including evaluating an additional
process plant expansion and increased mining rates. We believe that
will help to solidify a project which ultimately is capable of
producing 100,000+ gold ounces per year for 10+ years, based on
what is currently known and excluding any new additional Mineral
Resources. It should be noted that Mineral Resources were also
estimated at a US$1,900 per oz gold price and there is also the
potential to add additional economic material if gold prices remain
at current levels.
The growth capital cost for the expansion is
estimated at US$89 million over a four-year period, inclusive of a
process plant expansion, process improvements, and tailings
facility upgrades. The Company has already commenced some
preparatory work for this expansion, including capital expenditure
for the process plant upgrades and camp expansion.
In addition, TRX Gold has established a strong
Operations team of mining professionals on the ground in Tanzania,
which has successfully managed Buckreef Gold’s three previous
expansions on-time and on-budget, in achieving the current 2,000
tpd throughput capacity. The Company has been further enhancing the
skillset of this team to ensure that the necessary personnel are in
place to support the next step in the development of Buckreef
Gold.”
Based on the estimated production schedule,
capital costs and operating costs, a cash flow model was prepared
by TRX Gold for the economic analysis of the Buckreef Project. The
cash flow model was reviewed and approved by P&E. All
information used in this economic evaluation was derived from work
completed by P&E, with support by TRX Gold.
Project economics were evaluated using a
discounted cash flow method that measures the before-tax and
after-tax Net Present Value (“NPV”) of future cash flow streams.
The PEA economic model was based on the following key assumptions
in Table 1.
Table 1 – PEA Summary of LOM 25 Key
Metrics and Project Economics
Summary of Project Economics |
|
Life of Mine |
Base Case Gold Price |
US$ |
2,707/oz year 1; 2,646/oz year 2; 2,495/oz year 3; 2,400/oz year 4;
and 2,245/oz thereafter |
Discount Rate |
% |
5 |
Mining Parameters |
Open Pit - Tonnes of Mineralization |
Mt |
3.5 |
Open Pit - Avg Grade |
g/t Au |
1.92 |
Open Pit - Strip Ratio |
w:o |
6.0 |
Underground - Tonnes of Mineralization |
Mt |
14.4 |
Underground - Avg Grade |
g/t Au |
2.22 |
Mine life - Open Pit & Underground |
Years |
17.6 |
Process Plant Parameters |
Recovery |
% |
87 |
Rate |
tpd |
2,824 |
Total Tonnage Processed |
Mt |
18.1 |
Average Annual Production |
oz/year |
61,700 |
Average Annual Production (first five years of underground) |
oz/year |
80,100 |
Capital Expenditures |
Initial Capital Expenditures |
US$M |
Nil |
Growth Capital Expenditure |
US$M |
174.5 |
Sustaining Capital Expenditure |
US$M |
184.4 |
Closure Cost |
US$M |
13.4 |
Operating Costs |
Mining Cost - Open Pit |
US$/t mined |
3.78 |
Mining Cost - Underground |
US$/t processed |
33.09 |
Processing Cost |
US$/t processed |
12.68 |
G&A cost |
US$/t processed |
6.50 |
Cost per Ounce |
LOM Cash Cost |
US$/oz |
1,024 |
LOM All-in Sustaining Cost |
US$/oz |
1,206 |
Financial Analysis |
Pre-tax NPV 5% |
US$M |
701.0 |
Post-tax NPV 5% |
US$M |
442.2 |
Financial Analysis
Figure 1 – Annual After-Tax Free Cash
Flow (US$ millions), Cash Cost and AISC (US$/oz)
Figure 2 – Annual EBITDA (US$
millions)
Sensitivities
Table 2 – PEA Sensitivity Analysis –
Gold Price
Gold Price (US$/oz) |
Pre-tax NPV 5%
(US$M) |
Post-tax NPV 5%
(US$M) |
$3,000 |
1,180.5 |
766.4 |
$2,800 |
1,040.9 |
672.0 |
Base Case (avg. $2,296) |
701.0 |
442.2 |
$2,400 |
761.6 |
483.1 |
$2,200 |
622.0 |
388.7 |
$2,000 |
482.4 |
294.2 |
$1,800 |
342.8 |
199.3 |
Table 3 – PEA Sensitivity Analysis –
Operating Costs
|
Pre-tax NPV 5%
(US$M) |
Post-tax NPV 5%
(US$M) |
Operation Cost |
Base Case (avg. US$2,296) |
Upside Case@ US$3,000 |
Base Case (avg. US$2,296) |
Upside Case@ US$3,000 |
Base case -25% |
858.9 |
1,338.3 |
552.6 |
876.9 |
Base case -10% |
764.2 |
1,243.6 |
486.4 |
810.6 |
Base case 0% |
701.0 |
1,180.5 |
442.2 |
766.4 |
Base case +10% |
637.9 |
1,117.3 |
398.0 |
722.2 |
Base case +25% |
543.2 |
1,022.6 |
331.6 |
656.0 |
Table 4 – PEA Sensitivity Analysis –
Growth Capital Costs
|
Pre-tax NPV (US$M) |
Post-tax NPV (US$M) |
Growth Capital Cost |
Base Case (avg. US$2,296) |
Upside Case@ US$3,000 |
Base Case (avg. US$2,296) |
Upside Case@ US$3,000 |
Base case -25% |
735.9 |
1,215.4 |
468.7 |
792.9 |
Base case -10% |
715.0 |
1,194.4 |
452.8 |
777.0 |
Base case 0% |
701.0 |
1,180.5 |
442.2 |
766.4 |
Base case +10% |
687.1 |
1,166.5 |
431.6 |
755.8 |
Base case +25% |
666.2 |
1,145.6 |
415.6 |
739.9 |
Production
Annual production over LOM is expected to
average approximately 62,000 ounces with peak production of 94,000
ounces in year 5 (Figure 3). Underground production commences in
Year 3.
Figure 3 – Production
Profile
Capital Expenditures
The growth capital expenditures are estimated at
US$89 million in Years 1 to 4. LOM growth capital expenditures are
estimated at US$175 million and the sustaining capital expenditures
are estimated at US$184 million (Tables 5 & 6). A contingency
of US$23 million and US$19 million is included in growth and
sustaining capital expenditures, respectively.
Growth and sustaining capital expenditures were
estimated based on current costs received from vendors as well as
developed from first principles, while some were estimated based on
factored references and experience from similar operating
projects.
Figure 4 – Capital Expenditure Profile
(US$ millions)
Table 5 – Growth Capital Expenditures
(US$ millions)
Table 6 – Sustaining Capital
Expenditures (US$ millions)
Cost Element |
LOM Total |
Site and Process Plant - US$5M per year |
87.5 |
Underground |
96.9 |
Total Sustaining Capital |
184.4 |
Total Cash Costs
The total unit cash costs are estimated at
US$1,024/oz. The AISC is estimated at US$1,206/oz. Operating cost
estimates were developed using first principles methodology, vendor
quotes, and based on historical actual operating information at
Buckreef Gold.
Table 7 – Total Cash Cost and
AISC
Cost Element |
LOM Total (US$M) |
Average LOM (US$/tonne
processed) |
Average LOM (US$/oz) |
Mining (Open Pit) |
91.7 |
26.6 (1) |
84.5 |
Mining (Underground) |
475.0 |
33.1 (2) |
437.7 |
Processing |
229.2 |
12.7 |
211.2 |
General & Admin. |
117.5 |
6.5 |
108.3 |
Royalty & Selling Cost |
197.5 |
10.9 |
182.0 |
Total Cash Cost |
1,110.8 |
61.4 |
1,023.7 |
Sustaining Capital |
184.4 |
10.2 |
169.9 |
Reclamation |
13.4 |
0.7 |
12.4 |
Total AISC |
1,308.7 |
72.4 |
1,206.0 |
Notes:(1) Per tonne of ore processed from open
pit only.(2) Per tonne of ore processed from underground only.
Mineral Resource Estimate
An updated Mineral Resource Estimate for
Buckreef Gold including the Stamford Bridge domain is presented in
Table 8 and has an effective date of April 15, 2025.
Mineral Resource Estimate
Methodology
The Buckreef Gold and Stamford Bridge Mineral
Resource models were developed by P&E from 135 wireframes and
one respective wireframe, all created by P&E over
respective 2.2 km and 155 m strike lengths. Buckreef Gold utilized
884 drill holes while Stamford Bridge utilized eight. Wireframes
were developed from an open pit cut-off of 0.40 g/t Au while
underground was 1.20 g/t Au. Both Mineral Resource models utilized
1.0 m capped composites ranging from no capping to 60 g/t Au. Block
models were set up with 2.5 m x 5.0 m x 5.0 m blocks rotated 30
degrees clockwise and used a bulk density of 2.70 t/m3. Grade
interpolation was done with inverse distance cubed estimation.
Based on variography, Measured Mineral Resources were those blocks
classified within 20 m of three drill holes while Indicated Mineral
Resources were classified within 40 m of three drill holes. All
other wireframe constrained grade blocks were classified as
Inferred Mineral Resources. Pit-constrained and out-of-pit Mineral
Resources were reported above respective 0.42 g/t and 1.31 g/t Au
cut-offs.
Table 8 - Mineral Resource
Estimate (1-7)
Zone |
Cut-off Au g/t |
Tonnes (k) |
Au g/t |
Au ozs (k) |
MAIN |
|
|
|
|
Measured |
0.42/1.31 |
2,982.8 |
2.36 |
226.4 |
Indicated |
0.42/1.31 |
6,193.9 |
2.72 |
542.6 |
Meas + Ind |
0.42/1.31 |
9,176.7 |
2.61 |
769.0 |
Inferred |
0.42/1.31 |
7,549.3 |
2.37 |
576.0 |
SOUTH |
|
|
|
|
Measured |
0.42/1.31 |
23.6 |
1.68 |
1.3 |
Indicated |
0.42/1.31 |
35.3 |
1.95 |
2.2 |
Meas + Ind |
0.42/1.31 |
58.9 |
1.84 |
3.5 |
Inferred |
0.42/1.31 |
53.8 |
1.70 |
2.9 |
WEST |
|
|
|
|
Measured |
0.42/1.31 |
40.3 |
3.27 |
4.3 |
Indicated |
0.42/1.31 |
204.7 |
2.52 |
16.5 |
Meas + Ind |
0.42/1.31 |
245.0 |
2.64 |
20.8 |
Inferred |
0.42/1.31 |
73.9 |
2.37 |
5.6 |
EASTERN PORPHYRY |
|
|
|
|
Measured |
0.42/1.31 |
2.9 |
6.97 |
0.6 |
Indicated |
0.42/1.31 |
1,306.4 |
2.35 |
98.8 |
Meas + Ind |
0.42/1.31 |
1,309.3 |
2.36 |
99.4 |
Inferred |
0.42/1.31 |
1,198.8 |
2.44 |
94.0 |
STAMFORD BRIDGE |
|
|
|
|
Inferred |
1.20 |
272 |
5.38 |
47.0 |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
Measured |
0.42/1.31 |
3,049.6 |
2.37 |
232.6 |
Indicated |
0.42/1.31 |
7,740.3 |
2.65 |
660.1 |
Meas + Ind |
0.42/1.31 |
10,789.9 |
2.57 |
892.7 |
Inferred |
0.42/1.20/1.31 |
9,147.8 |
2.47 |
725.5 |
Notes:(1) Mineral Resources, which are not
Mineral Reserves, may not have demonstrated economic viability. The
estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by
environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political,
marketing, or other relevant issues. (2) The Inferred Mineral
Resource in this estimate has a lower level of confidence than that
applied to an Indicated Mineral Resource and must not be converted
to a Mineral Reserve. It is reasonably expected that the majority
of the Inferred Mineral Resource could be upgraded to an Indicated
Mineral Resource with continued exploration.(3) The Mineral
Resources were estimated in accordance with the Canadian Institute
of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM), CIM Standards on Mineral
Resources and Reserves, Definitions and Guidelines prepared by the
CIM Standing Committee on Reserve Definitions and adopted by the
CIM Council.(4) Gold price used is US$1,900/oz Au.(5) The pit
constrained cut-off grade of 0.42 g/t Au was derived from 80%
process recovery, US$21.04/tonne process and G&A cost, and a
royalty of 7.3%. The constraining pit optimization parameters were
US$3.88/t mining cost and 45-degree pit slopes.(6) The out-of-pit
cut-off grade of 1.31 g/t Au was derived from 80% process recovery,
US$21.04/tonne process and G&A cost, a US$40/tonne underground
mining cost, and a royalty of 7.3%. The out-of-pit Mineral Resource
grade blocks were quantified below the constraining pit shell and
within the constraining mineralized wireframes. Out–of-Pit Mineral
Resources are restricted to areas which exhibit geological
continuity and reasonable potential for extraction by cut and fill
and long hole mining methods.(7) The Stamford Bridge cut-off grade
of 1.20 g/t Au was derived from 80% process recovery,
US$21.04/tonne process and G&A cost, a US$35/tonne underground
mining cost, and a royalty of 7.3%. Mineral Resources are
restricted to areas which exhibit geological continuity and
reasonable potential for extraction by cut and fill and long hole
underground mining methods.
Table 9 – TRX 2020 to 2025 Mineral
Resource Estimate Transition
|
2020 MRE |
2025 MRE |
Classification |
Tonnes (M) |
Au (g/t) |
Au oz (k) |
Tonnes (M) |
Au (g/t) |
Au oz (k) |
Measured & Indicated |
38.6 |
1.77 |
2,195 |
10.8 |
2.57 |
893 |
Inferred |
19.6 |
1.14 |
718 |
9.1 |
2.47 |
726 |
The generation of an April 15, 2025, Buckreef
Gold updated Mineral Resource Estimate (“MRE”) has undertaken
material differences in reporting protocols not utilized in the
previously published May 15, 2020, MRE. The 2025 MRE utilized the
2014 CIM Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves and 2019 CIM
Best Practices Guidelines and reports Mineral Resources with a
reasonable prospect of eventual economic extraction (i.e.:
constrained mineral inventory basis), versus the 2020 MRE, which
utilized the 2003 CIM Best Practice Guidelines and reports Mineral
Resources on an unconstrained mineral inventory basis.
The major sources of differences between the
2020 MRE and 2025 MRE are as follows:
- The 2025 MRE utilized a constrained
optimized pit shell and underground workings which resulted in a
reduction in volume for material to the 450 m EL level (which is
the maximum depth of the underground workings in the PEA) as well
as the exclusion of certain footwall and hanging wall low grade
material (combined, this resulted in a reduction of ~10 Mt of
material grading ~1.50 g/t Au containing ~500 koz);
- The 2025 MRE utilized a cut-off
grade of 1.3 g/t Au for underground mining versus a 0.4 g/t Au
cut-off grade in 2020 MRE (this resulted in a reduction of ~25 Mt
grading ~0.70 g/t Au containing ~500 koz);
- Removal of ~ 4.5 years of
production to date (this resulted in a reduction of 1.35 Mt grading
1.95 g/t Au containing 85 koz Au); and
- Removal of Tembo and Bingwa
deposits from 2025 MRE due to unquantifiable small scale mining
activity by local residents (this resulted in a reduction of 2.1 Mt
grading 2.12 g/t Au containing 143 koz).
Mining
Current open pit mining operations have been
planned for Years 1 to 4. The first two years will process 1,750
tpd of mineralization, then will increase to 3,000 tpd in Year 3.
The Main Pit and the smaller East Pit will be mined out over the
four-year period. Low-grade mineralization will be stockpiled for
processing at the end of the mine life.
Underground mine development will commence in
Year 3. A total of 14.4 Mt of mineralized material at an average
grade of 2.22 g/t Au will be extracted over the LOM from five
different underground mining areas:
- The Main zone, with 94% of the gold ounces to be mined,
subdivided into four areas;
- North, with 55%;
- South, with 34%;
- Stamford Bridge, with 4%; and
- Satellite, with 1%;
- The East zone, with 6% of the ounces to be mined.
The open pits and underground mining areas are
shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5 – 3D Projection of the Open Pit
and Underground Designs and Mining Areas
The underground mining method will be longhole
with longitudinal retreat stopes measuring 3 to 13 m wide,
corresponding to 82% of the stope tonnage and transverse longhole
mining designed for stopes 13+ m wide, which account for 18% of the
stope tonnage. Divisions between transverse and longitudinal mining
areas are not strict, with approximately 25% of transverse areas
being less than 13m wide and 5% of longitudinal areas being more
than 13m wide.
Stope dimensions are planned to be 30 m high, 3
to 15 m wide, and 30 m long. The average transverse stope size is
approximately 16 kt, and the average longitudinal stope size is 11
kt. An average of 95 stopes will be mined annually. Stope mining
recovery varies from 80 to 95%, and averages 92.4%. Development
mining recovery is set at 99%. Stope backfilling is assumed to be
100% cemented paste backfill, although potential exists for
co-mingling rockfill with paste, or utilizing unconsolidated
rockfill in certain areas.
The underground mine is planned to utilize a
contractor. Initial development of two portals in the Main Zone
will begin in Year 3, with stoping production commencing in Year 4
and ramping up to the target 1,080 ktpa (3,000 tpd) in Year 5. The
underground mining equipment fleet is planned to comprise 50-t
class trucks, 17-t class LHDs for development and truck loading,
and 10-t class LHDs for production. The contractor will control
overall fleet quantities, however, it is estimated that a maximum
of 60 pieces of major equipment (trucks, LHDs, drills, jumbos,
bolters, scissor decks/services equipment) will be required at any
one time. Development utilizes mechanized bolters and 2-boom
jumbos, while production drilling utilizes ITH drills. A maximum of
four main ventilation raises are planned to ventilate the
underground mine utilizing a push-pull system exhausting up the
ramp. Primary ventilation raises are expected to be excavated using
specialist raisebore contractors.
Metallurgy
Comprehensive metallurgical testing and circuit
modelling has highlighted the upside benefits of flotation and fine
grinding to improve metallurgical performance. Studies indicate
that simply increasing throughput at the current grind size (P₈₀ 75
µm) would yield a suboptimal recovery of 78.6%, which is deemed
unacceptable. The introduction of a flotation circuit targeting
sulphide concentrates, coupled with regrind and thickening, is
expected to improve recovery by approximately 10% to an average of
88%.
Processing
The existing process facility is complete with
two trains of three-stage crushing, four closed circuit ball mills,
eleven carbon-in-leach (CIL) tanks, and complete elution,
electrowinning, and carbon reactivation for the production and sale
of the gold doré.
The proposed expansion by TRX Gold is to be done
in two phases. Phase 1 capital expenditure will ensure a yearly
production rate of 1,750 tpd (636,738 tpa) for Years 1 and 2. Major
equipment for this phase includes, but is not limited to:
- Flotation circuit – trash screens,
reagent conditioning tank, and five Metso e50 tanks cells (50
cu.m/cell) and blower system;
- Flotation concentrate High
Intensity Grinding (“HIG”) mill, to achieve the required product
size –Metso HIG700;
- All associated pumping and
cycloning within the regrind circuit;
- Concentrate leach feed thickener –
16.5 m diameter;
- Flotation tailings thickener – 16.5
m diameter;
- Two additional CIL tanks to treat
the flotation concentrate;
- 4 tonne per day elution circuit,
complete; and
- All associated screens, pumps,
reagent system, and upgraded water system.
During Years 1 to 2, Phase 2 will be built with
a planned processing rate of 3,000 tpd (1,080,000 tpa) to be
commissioned in Year 3. Grinding is planned to a target P₈₀ of 150
µm. Major equipment for this phase includes:
- Surge bin, feeders, conveyors for
the SAG mill circuit;
- SAG mill – 7.32 m diameter x 3.75 m
effective grinding length, 3,500 kW;
- Cyclone cluster with SAG and ball
mill(s) circuit; and
- Reverting to a single stage jaw
crusher – 750 mm x 1,069 mm for SAG mill feed preparation;
The introduction of a flotation circuit to
recover and regrind sulphide concentrates as well as regrinding,
thickening, additional CIL capacity and elution circuit expansion
is expected to improve overall process recovery to 88%.
Figure 6 - Expansion
Flowsheet
Project Infrastructure
Buckreef Gold is approximately 40 km south of
the Town of Geita and 110 km south-west of the City of Mwanza. The
current mine site contains all infrastructure necessary to operate
a 1,750 tpd mining operation. This includes the process plant and
tailings facilities, camp for Company personnel and certain
contractors, core shack, offices, water treatment plant, fuel
distribution facility, mining contractor maintenance shop,
warehouses, connection to the national electrical power grid and
explosives storage. Security is contracted, and the main
mine/infrastructure area is completely fenced.
The expanded mineral processing plant will be
built within the existing site footprint as shown in Figure 5.
Figure 7 - Process Plant Layout with
Expansion Infrastructure
Underground Infrastructure
The main ventilation raises will be bored at 3.4
metres diameter and serve as the primary fresh air intakes with
high-efficiency surface fans. In the Main Zone, exhaust air will
exit mostly through the main ramp until development in the Stamford
Bridge Zone develops the fourth ventilation raise, which serves as
a secondary exhaust to reduce airspeed in the ramp and required
primary ventilation power draw. The East Zone utilizes a single
ventilation raise and a ramp exhaust.
Underground infrastructure includes a service
area at the 835 EL connection drift, which will accommodate a
welding bay, maintenance bay, tire storage, washing bay, small
warehouse, greasing bay and parking. The maintenance bay will allow
for simultaneous maintenance of two large equipment units and one
smaller unit, ensuring efficient underground operations. The
service area is located on the connection drift between the North
and South mining areas of the Main Zone, allowing equipment from
either area to be maintained at that location. No service area is
planned for the East or Satellite Zones, since equipment can
transit to surface maintenance areas. Smaller service bays are
planned in all Zones, excluding the Satellite Zone, for small-scale
maintenance and PM purposes.
Given the large lateral extents of levels in the
Main Zone, underground refuge stations are located on every level.
In the East Zone, refuges/lunchrooms are located on every second
level.
Mine dewatering utilizes cascading sumps to feed
water to pump stations located at the bottom of each mining block
(approximately 120 m vertical intervals). These pump stations are
equipped with settling sumps to segregate solids from clean water,
as well as submersible and centrifugal pumps. Pump stations are
expected to operate on a 33% duty cycle. Pump stations, sumps,
electrical bays, refuges, shops and powder magazines are not
explicitly included in the design, however, have been accounted for
in the development schedule, with associated costs in the project
financial model.
Tailings and Waste Rock
Management
In Q2 2025, the Company started TSF 2.2 Phase II
construction. Lift 1 is essentially complete with some minor clean
up and earthwork finish grading required. Lift 2 is now in
progress, which will provide tailings until Q1 2026 and will
achieve a final approved elevation of 1,240 m. This work includes,
embankment, compaction, slope finishing, HDPE liner installation,
erosion control, and access road construction.
The Company is now working on the engineering
design and regulatory work required prior to starting construction
of the future TSF 3.0, the Company’s next long-term tailings
storage solution that will be adequate for the remaining LOM.
A significant portion of tailings produced
during the underground mining life will be placed in stopes as
cemented paste backfill.
Closure Plan
An updated closure and rehabilitation plan for
the land affected by Buckreef Gold will be prepared and submitted
for authorization. Progressive reclamation estimated at US$3.4
million is planned at the open pit areas since they will be
completed after the first four years of the LOM plan. The
preliminary concept for final site closure cost is estimated at
US$10 million, net of credit for equipment salvage value.
Qualified Persons - PEA
Authors
The PEA was prepared by consultants who are
independent of TRX Gold, each of whom are Qualified Persons (“QP”)
as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure
for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”). Each of the QPs have reviewed
and confirmed that this news release fairly and accurately
reflects, in the form and context in which it appears, the
information contained in the respective sections of the PEA for
which they are responsible.
The following acted as Qualified Persons under
NI 43-101 as authors of the PEA:
P&E Mining Consultants Inc.Eugene Puritch,
P.Eng., FEC, CET – Mineral ResourcesAndrew Bradfield, P.Eng. –
Study leader and open pit mine design, scheduling and costsD.
Gregory Robinson, P.Eng. – Underground mine design, scheduling and
costsD. Grant Feasby, P.Eng. – EnvironmentalFred H. Brown, P.Geo. –
Mineral ResourcesYungang Wu, P.Geo. – Mineral ResourcesWilliam
Stone, Ph.D., P.Geo. – Tenure, geology, drillingJarita Barry,
P.Geo. – Data verification, QA/QCD.E.N.M. Engineering Ltd.David
Salari, P.Eng. – Process plant expansion and process plant
costing
Mr. William van Breugel, P.Eng, BASc (Hons),
Technical Advisor to TRX Gold Corporation, is the Company’s
Qualified Person under NI 43-101 and has reviewed and assumes
responsibility for the scientific and technical content in this
press release.
PEA / Q2 Results Conference Call and
Webcast Details (Same as Q2 Call)
When: Wednesday, April 23 at 9:00 AM ESTWebcast
link: https://www.c-meeting.com/web3/joinTo/MP9MKT3Z8WQC2Z/35mUcC-RBRd602oA-Xk8rwConference
call numbers:Canada/USA TF: 1-833-752-3900International Toll:
+1-647-849-3080A replay will be made available for 30 days
following the call on the Company’s website.
About TRX Gold Corporation
TRX Gold is a high margin and growing gold
company advancing the Buckreef Gold Project in Tanzania. Buckreef
Gold includes an established open pit operation and 2,000 tonnes
per day process plant with upside potential demonstrated in the
April 2025 Preliminary Economic Assessment (the “PEA”). The PEA
outlines average gold production of 62,000 oz per annum over 17.6
years, and US$701 million pre-tax NPV5% at average life of mine
gold price of US$2,296/oz. The project hosts a Measured and
Indicated Mineral Resource of 10.8 million tonnes (“MT”) at 2.57
grams per tonne (“g/t”) gold containing 893,000 ounces (“oz”) of
gold and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 9.1 MT at 2.47 g/t gold
for 726,000 oz of gold. The leadership team is focused on creating
both near-term and long-term shareholder value by increasing gold
production to generate positive cash flow to fund the expansion as
outlined in the PEA and grow Mineral Resources through exploration.
TRX Gold’s actions are led by the highest environmental, social and
corporate governance (“ESG”) standards, evidenced by the
relationships and programs that the Company has developed during
its nearly two decades of presence in the Geita Region,
Tanzania.
For investor or shareholder inquiries,
please contact:
Investors:
Investor RelationsTRX Gold Corporation+1 844
GOLD TRX (844-465-3879)IR@TRXgold.comwww.TRXgold.com
Non-IFRS Performance
Measures
The Company has included certain non-IFRS
financial measures in this news release, such as growth capital
cost, sustaining capital cost, total capital cost, Total or LOM
cash cost, and AISC, which are not measures recognized under IFRS
and do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. As a
result, these measures may not be comparable to similar measures
reported by other corporations. Each of these measures used are
intended to provide additional information to the user and should
not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures
prepared in accordance with IFRS. Non-IFRS financial measures used
in this news release and common to the gold mining industry are
defined below.
Total Cash Costs and Total Cash Costs
per Ounce
Total cash costs are reflective of the cost of
production. Total cash costs reported in the PEA include mining
costs, processing and water treatment costs, general and
administrative costs of the mine, off-site costs, refining costs,
transportation costs and royalties. Total cash costs per ounce is
calculated as total cash costs divided by payable gold ounces.
AISC and AISC per Ounce
AISC is reflective of all of the expenditures
that are required to produce an ounce of gold from operations. AISC
reported in the PEA includes total cash costs, sustaining capital,
closure costs and salvage, but excludes corporate general and
administrative costs. AISC per ounce is calculated as AISC divided
by payable gold ounces.
Forward-Looking and Cautionary
Statements
This press release contains certain
forward-looking statements as defined in the applicable securities
laws. All statements, other than statements of historical facts,
are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are
frequently, but not always, identified by words such as “expects”,
“anticipates”, “believes”, “hopes”, “intends”, “estimated”,
“potential”, “possible” and similar expressions, or statements that
events, conditions or results “will”, “may”, “could” or “should”
occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements relate to future
events or future performance and reflect TRX Gold management’s
expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but
are not limited to, statements with respect to results set forth in
the PEA, continued operating cash flow, expansion of its process
plant under the terms, exploration and conditions set forth in the
PEA, expanding its open pit mining and initiating underground
mining, current and anticipated price of gold, mine development
plans, estimation of Mineral Resources, ability to develop value
creating activities, recoveries, subsequent project testing,
success, scope and viability of mining operations, the timing and
amount of estimated future production, and capital expenditure.
Although TRX Gold believes the expectations
expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on
reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of
future performance. The actual achievements of TRX Gold or other
future events or conditions may differ materially from those
reflected in the forward-looking statements due to a variety of
risks, uncertainties and other factors. These risks, uncertainties
and factors include general business, legal, economic, competitive,
political, regulatory and social uncertainties; actual results of
exploration activities and economic evaluations; fluctuations in
currency exchange rates; changes in costs; future prices of gold
and other minerals; mining method, production profile and mine
plan; delays in exploration, development and construction
activities; changes in government legislation and regulation; the
ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms and in a timely
manner or at all; contests over title to properties; employee
relations and shortages of skilled personnel and contractors; the
speculative nature of, and the risks involved in, the exploration,
development and mining business. These risks are set forth in
reports that TRX Gold files with the SEC and the various Canadian
securities authorities. You can review and obtain copies of these
filings from the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml
and the Company’s profile on the System for Electronic Document
Analysis and Retrieval (“SEDAR+”) at www.sedarplus.ca.
Technical information contained in this press
release is as of the date of the press release and TRX Gold assumes
no duty to update such information.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6a94db9a-a3be-475a-8a5b-97064a291150
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d80a57be-b0f3-4844-b61a-99c4d6c4dfb4
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/890e8f5c-adda-40e7-bd11-696ed42f16a4
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e49424cb-7bda-4325-b95b-db03e0cc3dc3
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/97058290-d06c-4836-83aa-86b83ccdda34
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6cd8d105-4cde-491f-b10f-1db5aa06207e
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7d3e17fe-d856-442c-a165-a3131d65e39e
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c26d3f6c-07d0-4c74-b168-97f89107a59c
TRX Gold (AMEX:TRX)
과거 데이터 주식 차트
부터 3월(3) 2025 으로 4월(4) 2025
TRX Gold (AMEX:TRX)
과거 데이터 주식 차트
부터 4월(4) 2024 으로 4월(4) 2025