Properties

Montagne d'Or

  • Catalysts for 2017-2023:

    Q4, 2022: Obtains approval of French authorities for acquisition the project
    Q3, 2022: NordGold agrees to sell its 55.01% interest in the project
    Q3, 2021: Completion of environmentally optimized project design
    Q3, 2021: Wins lawsuit against government on concession renewals
    Q4, 2020: Completes Montagne d’Or project modifications
    Q2, 2020: Submittal of mine permit applications
    Q3: 2019: Commencement project improvements following Public Consultation
    Q2-3, 2018: Public Consultation as part of the permitting procedures
    H1, 2017: Exploration drilling to assess expansion potential
    Q1, 2017: Completion of Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS)

    Project Overview:

    Montagne d’Or is an open pit gold mine development project that hosts Measured Mineral Resources of 10.3 Mt at 1.804 g/t gold (600,000 oz), Indicated Mineral Resources of 74.8 Mt at 1.350 g/t gold (3.25 Moz) and additional Inferred Mineral Resources of 20.2 Mt at 1.48 g/t gold (960,000 oz), prepared in accordance with the requirements of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”). The Mineral Resources are confined within a pit shell defined by a gold price of US$1,300/oz and a cut-off grade of 0.4 g/t gold. Mineral Reserves have also been defined with Proven Mineral Reserves of 8.25 Mt at 1.99 g/t gold (530,000 oz) and Probable Mineral Reserves of 45.87 Mt at 1.50 g/t gold (2.2 M oz). The Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves were estimated using a gold price of US$1,200 per ounce at varied cut-off grades from 0.552 to 0.665 g/t gold, dependent on lithological rock types, economics and estimated metallurgical recovery. Montagne d’Or ore can be readily processed to recover the contained gold and silver values using unit operations considered standard to the industry.

    Orea Terminates Acquisition of Additional Interest in Montagne d’Or Project. See news release dated June 13, 2023 for more information.

    Orea is awaiting for regulatory approvals to close the aquisition of the additional 55.01% of Montagne d’Or that it doesn’t already own. See news release dated April 6, 2023 for more information.

    In January 2023 Orea secured a 100% beneficial interest in the 5 million Ounce Montagne d’Or gold deposit. For more information see news release dated January 4, 2023.

    Orea is awaiting a decision by the Supreme Court of France regarding the renewal of mining titles at Montagne d’Or. See news release dated May 10, 2022 for more information.

    Montagne d’Or Gold Reserves & Resources (100% interest)

    • Gold Resources1:
      3.85 Moz Measured & Indicated
      (85.1 M tonnes @ 1.405 g/t Au)
      0.96 Moz Inferred
      (20.2 M tonnes @ 1.484g/t Au)
    • Gold Reserves2:
      2.75 Moz Proven & Probable
      (54.11 M tonnes @ 1.58 g/t Au)

    1 The resource is confined within a Whittle optimization pit shell using a cut-off grade of 0.4 g/t gold and a gold price of US$1,300/oz. See news release dated March 20, 2017.

    2 Mineral reserves are inclusive of the Measured and Indicated resources and are reported at varied cut-offs dependent on lithological rock types, economics, metallurgical recoveries and a gold price of US$1,200/oz. See news release dated March 20, 2017.

    Bankable Feasibility Study3

    • NPV (5%): US $370 Million (After-tax)
    • IRR: 18.7% (After-tax)
    • CAPEX: US $361 Million
      (After Surplus Tax Credit Refunds)
    • AISC: US $779 per ounce gold (LOM)
      (Including reclamation & closure)
    • LOM: 12 years
    • Production: 2.57 Moz (LOM)
      237,000 oz/year (years 1-10)
    • Average Mined Grade: 1.73 g/t Au (years 1-10)

    3 For more details on the BFS, refer to news release dated March 20, 2017

    Montagne d’Or is located in western French Guiana and is accessible via an all season forest road from the town of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, for a distance of 120 kilometres, and by small aircraft to the project’s base camp. Several roads crisscross the mining concessions providing truck access.

    At Montagne d’Or, the gold mineralisation is hosted within a 400-metre thick sequence of intercalated felsic and mafic volcanic and subordinate volcaniclastic rocks that strike east-west and dip steeply south. The near surface gold resources are contained within four closely-spaced stratiform, sub-parallel, east-west-striking and south-dipping sulphide mineralised horizons, which include the principal UFZ and LFZ having average thicknesses of 50 metres and 17.5 metres, respectively. Gold mineralisation is associated with disseminated and stringer sulphides with occasional semi-massive seams to several centimetres in width, mainly as pyrite, and is accompanied by pervasive alteration, which includes sericite, secondary biotite (retrograded to chlorite) and secondary K-feldspar ± quartz. Only a small portion of the deposit has been subjected to upper level oxidation.

    Montagne d’Or occurs within the Guiana Gold Belt which stretches from western Venezuela eastward through Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana and into Brazil. Mineral deposits are typical of those in other greenstone terrains such as in Canada, Australia and West Africa. Many significant gold deposits and prospects have been identified on the Guiana Gold Belt, including Las Cristinas, Choco, Toropoaru, Aurora, Omai, Gros Rosebel, Merian and Camp Caiman. Numerous other prospects in Guyana, Surinam and French Guiana are undergoing active exploration.

    Historical Exploration:

    Modern exploration at the Montagne d’Or gold deposit includes geological, geochemical and geophysical surveys, and diamond core drilling carried out primarily from 1996 to 1999. Most of this work included 54 holes for 10,600 metres directed at the Montagne d’Or gold deposit which delineated an Inferred gold resource of 1.9 million ounces from 36.7 million tonnes grading 1.6 g/t gold; applying a cut-off grade 0.4 g/t. Resource estimates on Montagne d’Or: 1999 (Guyanor-Golden Star), 2004 (RSG Global) and 2008, 2011, and 2015 (SRK).

    Exploration Work Completed by Orea:

    In late 2012, Orea completed a Phase I drilling program that consisted of 15,824 metres in 45 core holes at the Montagne d’Or gold deposit.

    A Phase II resource development in-fill drill program was completed in November 2014, consisting of 25,570 metres in 126 holes. The program was designed to complete a 50-metre spacing array to a vertical depth of 200 metres along the full 2,500 metre strike extent of the current resource model. The 50-metre drill pattern is expected to internally increase the resources between widely spaced holes, convert much of the Inferred resource to the Indicated and Measured categories, and provide confidence in the grade-width distribution. In addition, concurrent metallurgical and baseline environmental studies were completed leading to a resource update and preliminary economic assessment in early 2015.

    On September 2013, Orea entered into an option agreement with Nordgold. Under the agreement, Nordgold may earn a 55.01% interest in certain licences at the Paul Isnard Gold Project by completing a bankable feasibility study and by expending not less than US$30 million in 3 years in staged work expenditures, which includes a requirement for Nordgold to pay Orea $4.2 million in cash no later than May 21, 2014.

    During the earn-in period, Orea will act as operator at Montagne d’Or and charge a 10% management fee on certain expenditures. For complete details of the agreement please see Orea’s news release dated September 18, 2013

    On March 2014, the definitive option agreement was signed with Nordgold and the $4.2 million payment was made to Orea. For complete details of the definitive agreement please see Orea’s news release dated March 14, 2014

    On April 2015, Orea Announces In-Pit gold resource of 3.8 M oz. Indicated + 1.08 M oz. Inferred and a significant increase in grade at Montagne d’Or. For complete details about the In-Pit gold resource by SRK see Orea’s news release dated April 21, 2015

    On June 2015, Orea commenced a Phase III drilling program designed to support the completion of the bankable feasibility study, consisting of a combination of RC and DD drilling:

    • 5,000 metres of RC fence drilling for infrastructure site condemnation;
    • 14,500 metres of combined RC and DD in-fill drilling to: 1) convert a portion of the current Indicated resources to the Measured category, and 2) better define mineralization contained within the surface saprolite zone (oxide), and;
    • 1,900 metres of DD geotechnical drilling.

    For more details about the Phase III drilling program see Orea’s news release dated June 30, 2015

    On July 2015 Orea announces the results of the NI 43-101 compliant, Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) conducted by SRK Consulting.

    Montagne d’Or PEA Highlights

    • After-tax NPV (at 8%) of US$324 Million
    • After-tax IRR of 23%, at a gold price of US$1200 per ounce (“Oz”)
    • Initial Capital Cost of US$366M, including US$44M contingency
    • All-in Sustaining Costs (“AISC”) of US$711/Oz
    • Life of Mine (“LOM”) Production of 3.05 million ounces
    • Average Annual Gold Production 273,000 ounces in years 1-10
    • Milling Capacity of 12,500 tonnes/day, with an average grade of 2.0 g/t in years 1-10

    PEA (Preliminary Ecomonic Assessment) - July 31, 2015

    On December 2015, Orea announces its intent to engage Tractebel Engineering to complete a study on potentially connecting Orea’s 100% owned Montagne d’Or Gold Project to the national power grid. The power study is part of the ongoing Feasibility Study that commenced in October 2015. For more details about this anouncement see Orea’s news release dated December 30, 2015

    On April 2016, Orea completes the 2015-2016 resource development drilling program. For complete details about the completion of the 2015-2016 drilling program see Orea’s news release dated April 22, 2016

    On May 2016, Orea provides an update on the advancement of the Feasibility Study and ESIA on the Montagne d’Or Gold Deposit. For complete details on this update see Orea’s news release dated May 26, 2016

    On July 2016, Orea is granted permits covering potential extensions of the Montagne d’Or Gold deposit. For complete details about the grant of these Exclusive Exploration Permits (PER) see Orea’s news release dated July 27, 2016

    On November 2016, Orea announces preparations for an exploration focused drilling program planned for commencement in January 2017, with the objective of assessing expansion potential. November 10, 2016

    On August 2017, Orea announces results of a 31-hole exploration drilling program at Montagne d’Or, confirming potential to increase size of the gold deposit to depth and along strike. A new gold zone was discovered. August 15, 2017

    Drill Results:

    Please refer to the following news releases highlighting drill results from Phase III and Phase II drill programs:

    Phase III:
    April 22, 2016
    December 10, 2015

    Phase II:
    February 19, 2014
    March 12, 2014
    April 30, 2014
    May 29, 2014
    September 9, 2014
    September 11, 2014
    October 28, 2014
    December 16, 2014

    View highlights of Phase III Phase II Drill Plans below:

    Phase III: 2016-04-22-drillplan.pdf
    Phase II: 2014-12-16-drillplan.pdf

    Metallurgical Work Completed to Date:

    Results from a comprehensive metallurgical test work reviewed three gold recovery process options on master composites including: 1) whole-ore cyanidation, 2) a combination of gravity concentration followed by cyanidation of gravity tailing, and 3) gravity concentration followed by gold flotation from the gravity tailing. The test work indicates that the ore types of the principal Upper Felsic Zone (“UFZ”) and subsidiary Lower Favorable Zone (“LFZ”) are highly amenable to the three metallurgical processes tested, with recoveries of gold ranging from 95% to 97%.

    Please refer to the following news release highlighting metallurgical results from the initial metallurgical program completed in 2014: January 8, 2015

    Rock Lefrançois, P.Geo. (OGQ), is the Qualified Person that has reviewed and approved the technical content of this project description.

  • NI 43-101 Technical Report - Bankable Feasibility Study (April 28, 2017)