WINNEMUCCA,
NEVADA–(Marketwired – Feb. 25, 2014) – Paramount Gold and Silver Corp. (NYSE
MKT:PZG) (TSX:PZG) (FRANKFURT:P6G) (WKN:A0HGKQ) (“Paramount”) today
reported results from the final two core holes drilled at Don Ese-part of its
ongoing program to enhance the resource base at its 100%-owned San Miguel
Project in northern Mexico. Paramount has been drilling at San Miguel since
late last year with two core rigs. The focus now shifts to a potential new
discovery on the southern end of the 7.5 km long Guazapares Megastructure.
Two additional holes
were drilled into the Don Ese deposit to upgrade and expand resources. Infill
drill hole DS-044 intersected 18 meters of 4.46 g/T of gold and 424.88 g/T of
silver including a central portion of 3.4 meters grading 19.18 g/T of gold with
1,873.6 g/T of silver. Drill hole DS-045 intercepted two zones of higher silver
and gold grades within the main Don Ese vein including 7.7 meters of 2.31 g/T
of gold and 118.5 Ag g/T of silver and 6.2 meters of 0.65g/T of gold and 176.6
g/T of silver. These two holes were completed within the resource block model
and are expected to move inferred resources to measured and indicated.
Commenting on these
results, Paramount CEO Christopher Crupi noted that “on a gold equivalent
basis, hole 44 is reporting 18 meters of 11.5 grams of gold per tonne. These
are exceptional results which should enhance the economic potential of the Don
Ese deposit compared to last year’s PEA (Preliminary Economic
Assessment).”
Paramount will now
provide Mine Development Associates (www.mda.com) with the data from a total of
16 new core holes (8,027 meters) to be incorporated into a new resource
estimate (see table below) which will be used to update the PEA. The new PEA
will also evaluate the potential for including a heap leach operation into the
project’s design, to process lower grade material which was left out of last
year’s PEA. As previously announced on November 6, 2013, metallurgical tests
support the potential viability of a heap leach component which would increase
the resource base and could also serve as a low cost start-up option prior to
commencing underground mining and milling.
Results from the final
two holes drilled at Don Ese in 2014 are as follow:
Hole # Area Total
Length From (m) To (m) Width (m) Au g/T Ag g/T
DS-044 DON ESE 436.35 421.15 421.80 0.65 0.861 79.20
435.00 435.50 0.50 1.000 224.00
452.90 461.15 8.25 1.446 201.65
468.10 468.80 0.70 0.264 44.30
472.70 490.70 18.00 4.461 424.88
including 472.70 476.10 3.40 19.178 1873.59
DS-045 DON ESE 542.15 495.60 501.80 6.20 0.651 176.58
507.20 514.90 7.70 2.312 118.50
True widths are
expected to be 85 % of reported intercepts.
A map is available at
the following address: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/929538A.pdf.
Previously reported
drill holes, to be incorporated in an updated resource estimate.
Hole # Area Total
Length From (m) To (m) Width (m) Au g/T Ag g/T
DS-13-030 DON ESE 524.4 433.60 438.40 4.80 0.082 9.95
442.35 492.90 50.55* 1.325 150.00
Including 451.55 458.10 6.55 2.469 314.67
Including 467.80 487.15 19.35 2.300 245.80
DS-13-031 DON ESE 683 586.80 591.40 4.60 1.31 21.660
DS-13-032 DON ESE 621.95 515.75 538.25 22.50* 3.16 44.340
including 527.10 530.05 2.95 14.180 96.15
including 527.10 527.95 0.85 42.500 186.00
including 535.55 538.25 2.30 6.560 113.97
including 535.95 536.55 0.60 17.000 125.00
541.15 543.90 2.75 0.370 18.78
555.90 556.40 0.50 2.340 13.10
579.45 579.95 0.50 1.068 14.30
DS-13-033 DON ESE 634.20 522.80 523.35 0.55 1.075 816.00
537.95 538.70 0.75 0.678 136.00
544.30 546.70 2.40 0.694 74.43
552.15 553.15 1.00 1.147 38.10
561.55 563.70 2.15 0.481 23.91
576.55 585.95 9.40 0.562 52.33
Including 580.00 582.35 2.35 1.286 87.53
DS-13-034 DON ESE 643.20 573.80 592.75 18.95 0.890 111.77
Including 588.10 591.20 3.10 2.400 183.45
607.05 609.40 2.35 1.740 36.67
DS-13-035 DON ESE 423.50 332.00 348.75 16.75* 1.479 209.80
Including 338.10 342.50 4.40 3.567 484.44
352.85 357.75 4.90 0.143 25.37
364.65 366.60 1.95 3.969 200.85
398.15 398.65 0.50 1.000 247.00
DS-13-036 DON ESE 505.05 421.35 422.10 0.75 0.346 87.10
429.80 432.45 2.65 2.184 133.79
including 431.40 432.45 1.05 5.254 247.00
439.75 470.30 30.55* 0.742 86.30
including 439.75 441.75 2.00 3.034 448.00
489.40 489.95 0.55 3.794 89.30
DS-13-037 DON ESE 359.05 278.25 281.25 3.00 0.297 28.22
352.60 353.90 1.30 0.246 132.00
DS-13-038 DON ESE 340.85 296.90 304.65 7.75 2.535 230.81
including 298.00 299.65 1.65 4.190 271.24
312.05 314.00 1.95 0.198 35.90
315.45 316.05 0.60 0.407 63.40
327.00 327.90 0.90 2.440 303.00
335.00 335.65 0.65 3.913 624.00
339.35 339.85 0.50 2.457 268.00
DS-13-039 DON ESE 383.80 293.30 298.80 5.50 1.475 198.71
300.25 301.65 1.40 0.513 89.90
326.35 326.80 0.45 0.224 70.50
344.80 345.45 0.65 0.752 210.00
367.90 371.85 3.95 11.866 2294.78
including 369.70 371.85 2.15 17.995 3435.44
including 369.70 370.50 0.80 29.400 4833.00
374.30 376.10 1.80 0.509 161.67
DS-13-040 DON ESE 466.25 354.45 378.35 23.90 4.986 335.94
including 361.10 367.85 6.75 12.797 741.77
including 363.00 364.65 1.65 37.130 1883.88
including 363.95 364.65 0.70 59.700 2793.00
400.25 401.90 1.65 0.600 54.34
413.85 414.55 0.70 0.656 55.00
DS-13-041 DON ESE 472.60 384.75 421.20 36.45 3.662 222.17
including 393.55 397.35 3.80 2.769 242.99
including 403.05 418.90 15.85 7.042 365.25
including 405.05 409.65 4.60 16.509 723.45
including 405.05 406.05 1.00 56.600 1907.00
including 407.05 408.00 0.95 10.900 483.00
423.80 424.35 0.55 1.050 33.50
427.70 428.95 1.25 1.711 130.26
DS-13-042 DON ESE
551.7 477.40 479.15 1.75 0.295 40.60
480.85 484.80 3.95 0.855 47.32
488.10 511.45 24.35 4.818 311.69
Including 488.10 491.80 3.70 13.214 697.36
Including 495.50 501.55 6.05 8.712 584.02
DS-13-043 DON ESE 438.7 343.50 351.30 7.80 0.597 93.68
359.05 360.95 1.90 1.238 165.00
371.95 373.20 1.25 0.875 191.00
382.00 382.60 0.60 0.500 144.00
418.05 421.60 3.55 0.696 119.12
True widths range from
60% to 95 % of reported intercept; for more details visit www.paramountgold.com
NI 43-101 Disclosure
Exploration activities
at San Miguel are being conducted by Paramount Gold de Mexico S.A de C.V
personnel under the supervision of Glen van Treek, Exploration Vice President
of the Company and Bill Threlkeld, a Qualified Person as defined by National
Instrument 43-101, who have both reviewed and approved this press release. An
ongoing quality control/quality assurance protocol is being employed for the
program including blank, duplicate and reference standards in every batch of
assays. Cross-check analyses are being conducted at a second external
laboratory on 10% of the samples. Samples are being assayed at ALS Chemex and
Acme Laboratories, Vancouver, B.C., using fire assay atomic absorption methods
for gold and aqua regia digestion ICP methods for other elements.
San Miguel Project PEA
The PEA was prepared
by Metal Mining Consultants (“MMC”) of Denver, Colorado incorporating
a resource model developed by Mine Development Associates (www.mda.com). The
PEA confirms that the San Miguel Project represents an unusually robust
economic opportunity to develop a low cost mine in the prolific Sierra Madre
belt in Mexico. In their analysis, MMC proposed a 4,000 tonnes per day mill fed
by open pits and underground mines, resulting in a projected 14 year operation
with a total metal production of 803,000 ounces of gold and 43.2 million ounces
of silver (1,637,000 ounces of gold equivalent at the base case gold-to-silver
price ratio of 51.7 to 1).
Start-up capital costs
including working capital are estimated at $243 million. Sustaining capital
costs over the project’s life are projected to be an additional $227 million.
With $70.3 million in contingencies, total life-of-mine capital costs are
estimated at $540 million. Projected life-of-mine average cash operating costs are
$512 per ounce of equivalent gold recovered. The total cost of production
(including cash operating costs and total capital and contingency costs over
the life of the mine) is estimated at US$842 per ounce of gold equivalent,
which compares favorably with current producers in the region. At a gold price
of $1500 per ounce and a silver price of $29 per ounce (the 3 year trailing
average of gold and silver prices at the end of January 2013), the San Miguel
PEA estimated a $1.1 billion pre-tax net cash flow, a $707 million pre-tax net
present value at a 5% discount rate and a highly accretive internal rate of
return of 33.2%.
Note that the PEA
incorporates inferred mineral resources which are considered to be too
geologically speculative to have the economic considerations applied to them
that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves and, as such, do
not have demonstrated economic viability. There can be no certainty that the
estimates contained in the PEA will be realized.
About Paramount
Paramount is a U.S.
based exploration and development company with multi-million ounce advanced
stage precious metals projects in northern Mexico (San Miguel) and Nevada
(Sleeper). Fully-funded exploration and engineering programs are now in
progress at these two core projects which are expected to generate substantial
additional value for our shareholders.
The San Miguel Project
consists of over 142,000 hectares (over 353,000 acres) in the Palmarejo
District of northwest Mexico, making Paramount the largest claim holder in this
rapidly growing precious metals mining camp. The San Miguel Project is ideally
situated near established, low cost production where the infrastructure already
exists for early, cost-effective exploitation. A PEA for San Miguel was completed
and announced on February 28, 2013.
The Sleeper Gold
Project is located off a main highway about 25 miles from the town of
Winnemucca. In 2010, Paramount acquired a 100% interest in the project
including the original Sleeper high-grade open pit mine operated by Amax Gold
from 1986 to 1996 as well as staked and purchased lands now totaling 2,570
claims and covering about 47,500 acres which stretch south down trend to
Newmont’s Sandman project. This acquisition is consistent with the Company’s
strategy of district-scale exploration near infrastructure in established
mining camps. A PEA was completed for Sleeper and announced on July 30, 2012.
Summary of PZG’s
Estimated NI 43-101 Compliant Resources
MEASURED AND INDICATED
RESOURCES
PROJECT Tonnes Au g/T Au Ounces Ag g/T Ag
Ounces
San Miguel 23,918,000 0.83 639,000 70.0 53,559,000
Sleeper 326,963,000 0.33 3,479,000 3.86 40,606,000
Total 4,118,000 94,165,000
INFERRED RESOURCES
PROJECT Tonnes Au g/T Au Ounces Ag g/T Ag
Ounces
San Miguel 37,470,000 0.69 830,000 38.00 46,243,000
Sleeper 223,624,000 0.27 1,972,000 2.84 20,459,000
Total 2,802,000 66,702,000
For details on these
resource estimates please see the following news releases: San Miguel Resource
Estimate, September 5, 2012; and Sleeper Resource Estimate, July 30, 2012.
Cautionary Note to
U.S. Investors Concerning Estimates of Indicated and Inferred Resources
This news release uses
the terms “measured and indicated resources” and “inferred
resources”. We advise U.S. investors that while these terms are defined
in, and permitted by, Canadian regulations, these terms are not defined terms
under SEC Industry Guide 7 and not normally permitted to be used in reports and
registration statements filed with the SEC. “Inferred resources” have
a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as
to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any
part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher
category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not
form the basis of a feasibility study or prefeasibility studies, except in rare
cases. The SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does
not constitute SEC Industry Guide 7 compliant “reserves”, as in-place
tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. U.S. investors are
cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral deposits in this
category will ever be converted into reserves. U.S. investors are cautioned not
to assume that any part or all of an inferred resource exists or is
economically or legally minable
Safe Harbor for
Forward-Looking Statements:
This release and
related documents may include “forward-looking statements” including,
but not limited to, statements related to the interpretation of drilling
results and potential mineralization, future exploration work at the San Miguel
Project and the expected results of this work, estimates of resources including
expected volumes and grades and the economic projections included in the
project’s PEA. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not
historical fact and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which
could cause actual events to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking
statements including fluctuations in the price of gold, inability to complete
drill programs on time and on budget, and future financing ability. Paramount’s
future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans or prospects constitute
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other applicable securities laws.
Words such as “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,”
“expects,” “estimates” and similar expressions should also
be considered to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important
factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from
those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited
to: uncertainties involving interpretation of drilling results, environmental
matters, lack of ability to obtain required permitting, equipment breakdown or
disruptions, and the other factors described in Paramount’s Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2013 and its most recent quarterly
reports filed with the SEC.
Except as required by
applicable law, Paramount disclaims any intention or obligation to update any
forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date
of this document.
Paramount Gold and
Silver Corp.
Glen Van Treek
VP Exploration
866-481-2233
Paramount Gold and
Silver Corp.
Chris Theodossiou
Investor Relations
866-481-2233
