Prime Mining Corp. (“Prime”, or the “Company”) (
TSV:
PRYM) (
OTCQX: PRMNF) (
Frankfurt:
O4V3) is pleased to report its operating and financial
results for the full year ended December 31, 2023. Prime is focused
on the exploration and development of its wholly owned high-grade
Los Reyes Gold-Silver Project in Sinaloa State, Mexico (“Los Reyes”
or the “Project”).
Prime Chief Executive Officer Scott Hicks
commented, “2023 was a year of transformation for Prime, setting
the stage for our 2024 drilling and technical programs, which
include 40,000 metres of drilling. As we continue to explore Los
Reyes and expand our technical understanding of the project, we
remain dedicated to sustainable growth and project advancement.
Thank you to our team and local communities for their ongoing
support and efforts in advancing Los Reyes.”
Corporate Highlights During the
Quarter (Unless otherwise stated, all amounts are
presented in Canadian dollars.)
- On November 29th, Prime announced that
the Company would begin trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange
("TSX") on December 5, 2023 following its graduation from the TSX
Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"), with its trading symbol remaining
unchanged as "PRYM".
- On December 5th, Prime advised that
trading in its common shares was halted at the open of markets as
the TSXV delisting was not completed concurrently by the TSXV,
resulting in a trading halt, with trading on the TSX expected to
begin at the open of markets on December 6, 2023.
- On December 6th, Prime announced that
trading in its common shares has commenced on the Toronto Stock
Exchange (“TSX”) under the existing ticker symbol “PRYM”, following
Prime’s graduation and delisting from the TSX Venture Exchange
(“TSXV”).
Exploration Highlights During the
Quarter
On November 8, 2023, Prime reported high-grade
drilling results from Tahonitas from the Z-T Trend at Los Reyes,
with highlights:
- 2.49 grams per tonne (“gpt”)
gold-equivalent (“AuEq”) (2.11 gpt Au and 29.3 gpt Ag) over 20.1
metres (“m”) estimated true width (“etw”) in hole 23TA-79,
including:
- 6.30 gpt AuEq (5.74 gpt Au and 42.9 gpt
Ag) over 6.3 m etw.
- 2.00 gpt AuEq (1.06 gpt Au and 72.6 gpt
Ag) over 5.5 m etw in hole 23TA-80, including:
- 3.59 gpt AuEq (2.57 gpt Au and 78.5 gpt
Ag) over 1.8 m etw.
- 1.14 gpt AuEq (1.04 gpt Au and 7.7 gpt
Ag) over 4.45 m etw in hole 23TA-73, including:
- 3.51 gpt AuEq (3.26 gpt Au and 19.6 gpt
Ag) over 1.0 m etw.
On December 13, 2023, Prime reported high-grade
drilling results from Noche Buena and San Miguel East from the
Central Trend at Los Reyes, with highlights:
Central Area - Noche Buena highlights:
- 4.49 gpt AuEq (1.48 gpt Au and 232.6 gpt Ag) over 5.0 m etw in
hole 23NB-51, including:
- 8.00 gpt AuEq (2.7 gpt Au and 409.4 gpt
Ag) over 2.6 m etw;
- and 3.51 gpt AuEq (3.36 gpt Au and 11.9
gpt Ag) over 1.2 m etw.
- 3.81 gpt AuEq (1.62 gpt Au and 169.2
gpt Ag) over 2.6 m etw in hole 23NB-53, including:
- 8.21 gpt AuEq (2.77 gpt Au and 420.0
gpt Ag) over 1.0 m etw;
- 1.23 gpt AuEq (0.45 gpt Au and 60.0 gpt
Ag) over 8.4 m etw in hole 23NB-52, including:
- 3.25 gpt AuEq (1.25 gpt Au and 154.7
gpt Ag) over 1.6 m etw.
Central Area – San Miguel East highlights:
- 1.33 gpt AuEq (0.55 gpt Au and 60.1
gpt Ag) over 4.4 m etw in hole 23SME-37, including:
- 2.65 gpt AuEq (2.03 gpt Au and 48.2
gpt Ag) over 0.7 m etw;
- 2.23 gpt AuEq (0.99 gpt Au and 95.9
gpt Ag) over 1.4 m etw in hole 23SME-34.
Mining Law Ruling
Following a process commenced by the Company in
July 2023, a Federal judge in Mexico has granted its applications
for Federal protection, or ‘Amparos’, to conduct its activities
under the previous (1994) mining-related laws, and is thereby not
subject to the 2023 reforms for both the Los Reyes Project, as well
as the adjacent El Rey claim once the latter claim is granted.
Critical to the rulings, the granted
applications protect the Los Reyes Project and El Rey claims
constitutionally from any further changes to mining related laws in
Mexico. This protection extends to the 2023 mining-related laws,
which included reforms to water usage, reclamation considerations
and the scope and term of mining concessions.
As expected and required by law, the government
has appealed the rulings. However, the rulings are expected to be
upheld given the procedural shortcomings of the 2023 mining law
implementation and likelihood that the 2023 reforms will be deemed
unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
Maintaining Health and Safety
Protocols
Prime remains engaged with local stakeholders
and is proactive in monitoring employees and contractors concerning
general health conditions. The Company continues to closely adhere
to the directives of all levels of government and relevant health
authorities in Mexico and Canada.
Community Engagement and Environmental
Stewardship Strategy
We continued to gather environmental and
community data in the quarter in support of our ESG programs,
including completion of a materiality assessment, strategic plan,
and disclosure matrix. We strive to minimize the environmental
footprint of our activities and ensure that Los Reyes has a
positive impact on our host communities.
The Company released its initial sustainability
report during April 2023 which establishes a baseline and a new
yardstick to measure our progress in meeting our commitments
regarding sustainability and stewardship of the environment,
relevant social issues, and corporate governance.
Selected Financial Data
The following selected financial data is
summarized from the Company’s consolidated financial statements and
related notes thereto (the “Financial Statements”) for the three
and twelve months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. A copy of the
Financial Statements and MD&A is available at
www.primeminingcorp.ca or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
|
Year ended December 31, 2023 |
Year ended December 31, 2022 |
Loss and comprehensive loss |
$ (24,389,430 |
) |
$ (27,372,260 |
) |
Loss per share – basic and diluted |
$ (0.18 |
) |
$ (0.24 |
) |
|
December 31, 2023 |
December 31, 2022 |
Cash |
$ 33,811,215 |
$ 23,811,434 |
Total assets |
$ 47,908,403 |
$ 38,105,206 |
Total current liabilities |
$ 2,470,659 |
$ 1,209,140 |
Total liabilities |
$ 3,295,811 |
$ 2,092,161 |
Total shareholders’ equity |
$ 44,612,592 |
$ 36,013,045 |
2024 Outlook
Prime is targeting 40,000 metres in its 2024
drill program and will continue to evaluate drilling plans using
its success-based approach. This evaluation will also include
prioritization of targets based on probability of resource
development and generative area discovery potential.
Five drill rigs are currently active on site at Los Reyes, with
2024 exploration focused on:
- Extending the high-grade Z-T Area shoots that
remain open at depth, as well as along strike, both north and
south.
- Expanding the known high-grade mineralization at
Guadalupe East.
- Increasing the Central Area resource through
additions at Noche Buena and its connection to San Miguel
East.
- Generative target drilling of high-grade
intercepts at Las Primas, Mariposa, Fresnillo, Mina and
others to further develop the resource potential at Los Reyes.
QA/QC Protocols and Sampling Procedures
Drill core at the Los Reyes project is drilled
in predominately HQ size (63.5 millimetre “mm”), reducing to NQ
(47.6 mm) when required. Drill core samples are generally 1.50 m
long along the core axis with allowance for shorter or longer
intervals if required to suit geological constraints. After logging
intervals are identified to be sampled, the core is cut and one
half is submitted for assay. RC drilling returns rock chips and
fines from a 133.35 mm diameter tricone bit. The returns are
homogenized and split into 2 halves, with one half submitted for
analysis and the other half stored.
Sample QA/QC measures include unmarked certified
reference materials, blanks, and field duplicates as well as
preparation duplicates are inserted into the sample sequence and
make up approximately 8% of the samples submitted to the laboratory
for each drill hole.
Samples are picked up from the Project by the
laboratory personnel and transported to their facilities in Durango
or Hermosillo Mexico, for sample preparation. Sample analysis is
carried out by Bureau Veritas and ALS Labs, with fire assay,
including over limits fire assay re-analysis, completed at their
respective Hermosillo, Mexico laboratories and multi-element
analysis completed in North Vancouver, Canada. Drill core sample
preparation includes fine crushing of the sample to at least 70%
passing less than 2 mm, sample splitting using a riffle splitter,
and pulverizing a 250-gram split to at least 85% passing 75
microns.
Gold in diamond drill core is analyzed by fire
assay and atomic absorption spectroscopy of a 30 g sample (code
FA430 or Au-AA23). Multi-element chemistry is analyzed by 4-Acid
digestion of a 0.25-gram sample split (code MA300 or ME-ICP61) with
detection by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometer for a
full suite of elements.
Gold assay techniques FA430 and Au-AA23 have an
upper detection limit of 10 ppm. Any sample that produces an
over-limit gold value via the initial assay technique is sent for
gravimetric finish via method FA-530 or Au-GRA21. Silver analyses
by MA300 and ME-ICP61 have an upper limit of 200 ppm and 100 ppm,
respectively. Samples with over-limit silver values are re-analyzed
by fire assay with gravimetric finish FA530 or Au-GRA21.
Both Bureau Veritas and ALS Labs are ISO/IEC
accredited assay laboratories.
Additional Notes
Metres is represented by “m”; “etw” is
Estimated True Width and is based on drill hole geometry or
comparisons with other on-section drill holes; “Au” refers to gold,
and “Ag” refers to silver; “gpt” is grams per metric tonne; some
figures may not sum due to rounding; Composite assay grades
presented in summary tables are calculated using a Au grade minimum
average of 0.20 gpt or 1.0 gpt as indicated in “Au Cut-off” column
of Summary Tables. Maximum internal waste included in any reported
composite interval is 3.00 m. The 1.00 gpt Au cut-off is used to
define higher-grade “cores” within the lower-grade halo.
Gold equivalent grades are calculated based on
an assumed gold price of US$1,700 per ounce and silver price of $22
per ounce, based on the formula AuEq grade (gpt) = Au grade + (Ag
grade x ($22 / $1,700)). Metallurgical recoveries are not
considered in the in-situ grade estimate but are estimated to be
93% and 83% for gold and silver, respectively, when processed in a
mill, and 72% and 25% respectively when heap-leached.
About the Los Reyes Gold and Silver
Project
Los Reyes is a rapidly evolving high-grade, low
sulphidation epithermal gold-silver project located in Sinaloa
State, Mexico. Since acquiring Los Reyes in 2019, Prime has spent
approximately CAD$48 million on direct exploration activities and
has completed over 168,000 metres of drilling. On May 2, 2023,
Prime announced an updated multi-million-ounce high-grade open pit
constrained resource (see the May 2, 2023 press release for more
details).
May 2, 2023 Resource
Statement
Drilling is on-going and suggests that the three
known main deposit areas (Guadalupe, Central and Z-T) are larger
than previously reported. Potential also exists for new discoveries
where mineralized trends have been identified outside of the
currently defined resource areas.
Historic operating results indicate that an
estimated 1 million ounces of gold and 60 million ounces of silver
were recovered from five separate operations at Los Reyes between
1770 and 1990. Prior to Prime’s acquisition, recent operators of
Los Reyes had spent approximately US$20 million on exploration,
engineering, and prefeasibility studies.
Qualified Person
Scott Smith, P.Geo., Executive Vice President of
Exploration, is a qualified person for the purposes of National
Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical
content in this news release.
About Prime Mining
Prime is managed by an ideal mix of successful
mining executives, strong capital markets personnel and experienced
local operators all focused on unlocking the full potential of the
Los Reyes Project. The Company has a well-planned capital structure
with a strong management team and insider ownership. Prime is
targeting a material resource expansion at Los Reyes through a
combination of new generative area discoveries and growth, while
also building on technical de-risking activities to support
eventual project development.
For further information, please visit
https://primeminingcorp.ca/ or direct enquiries to:
Scott HicksCEO &
Director
Indi GopinathanVP Capital
Markets & Business Development
Prime Mining Corp.710 – 1030 West Georgia
St.Vancouver, BC V6E 2Y3 Canada+1(604)
238-1659info@primeminingcorp.ca
Cautionary Notes to U.S. Investors
Concerning Resource EstimatesThis news release has been
prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws
in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of the U.S.
securities laws. In particular, and without limiting the generality
of the foregoing, the terms “mineral reserve”, “proven mineral
reserve”, “probable mineral reserve”, “inferred mineral resources,”
“indicated mineral resources,” “measured mineral resources” and
“mineral resources” used or referenced in this presentation are
Canadian mineral disclosure terms as defined in accordance with
National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral
Projects (“NI 43-101”) under the guidelines set out in the 2014
Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Standards
for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, Definitions and
Guidelines, May 2014 (the “CIM Standards”). The CIM Standards
differ from the mineral property disclosure requirements of the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) in Regulation
S-K Subpart 1300 (the “SEC Modernization Rules”) under the U.S.
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). As a
foreign private issuer that is eligible to file reports with the
SEC pursuant to the multijurisdictional disclosure system, the
Company is not required to provide disclosure on its mineral
properties under the SEC Modernization Rules and will continue to
provide disclosure under NI 43-101 and the CIM Standards.
Accordingly, the Company’s disclosure of mineralization and other
technical information may differ significantly from the information
that would be disclosed had the Company prepared the information
under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules.
Forward Looking InformationThis news release
contains certain “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking
statements” within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation
as may be amended from time to time, including, without limitation,
statements regarding the perceived merit of the Company’s
properties, including additional exploration potential of Los
Reyes, potential quantity and/or grade of minerals, the potential
size of the mineralized zone, metallurgical recoveries, and the
Company’s exploration and development plans in Mexico.
Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical
facts which address events, results, outcomes, or developments that
the Company expects to occur. Forward-looking statements are based
on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company’s management
on the date the statements are made, and they involve several risks
and uncertainties. Certain material assumptions regarding such
forward-looking statements were made, including without limitation,
assumptions regarding the price of gold, silver and copper; the
accuracy of mineral resource estimations; that there will be no
material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties;
that all required approvals will be obtained, including concession
renewals and permitting; that political and legal developments will
be consistent with current expectations; that currency and exchange
rates will be consistent with current levels; and that there will
be no significant disruptions affecting the Company or its
properties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such
statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future
events could differ materially from those anticipated in such
statements. Forward-looking statements involve significant known
and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual
results to differ materially from those anticipated. These risks
include, but are not limited to: risks related to uncertainties
inherent in the preparation of mineral resource estimates,
including but not limited to changes to the cost assumptions,
variations in quantity of mineralized material, grade or recovery
rates, changes to geotechnical or hydrogeological considerations,
failure of plant, equipment or processes, changes to availability
of power or the power rates, ability to maintain social license,
changes to interest or tax rates, changes in project parameters,
delays and costs inherent to consulting and accommodating rights of
local communities, environmental risks, title risks, including
concession renewal, commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations,
risks relating to COVID-19, delays in or failure to receive access
agreements or amended permits, risks inherent in the estimation of
mineral resources; and risks associated with executing the
Company’s objectives and strategies, including costs and expenses,
as well as those risk factors discussed in the Company's most
recently filed management's discussion and analysis, as well as its
annual information form dated August 21, 2023, available on
www.sedarplus.ca. Except as required by the securities disclosure
laws and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company
undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements
if management’s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors,
should change.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/65e17b11-b64f-4958-9852-24f5bd628f5e
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