McEwen Mining Inc MUX

TORONTO, Feb. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- McEwen Mining Inc. (NYSE: MUX) (TSX: MUX) (“McEwen” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the filing of a technical report prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”), for its 100%-owned Fenix Project (the “Project”), which is located in the State of Sinaloa, Mexico. The technical report is available on SEDAR under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com.

“The Fenix Feasibility Study envisions a 9.5-year mine life with an attractive after-tax IRR of 28% using $1,500/oz gold and $17/oz silver. At $1,800/oz gold and $25/oz silver the project generates a 51% After-Tax IRR and a $91 million NPV@8%.

The project will incorporate an environmentally progressive method of tailings management, using in-pit storage that creates multiple benefits such as improved safety, smaller environmental footprint, lower capital and operating costs, and improved reclamation outcomes.

Average annual production is projected at 26,000⁽¹⁾ oz gold in Phase 1 and 4,500,000⁽⁴⁾ oz silver equivalent in Phase 2. The critical path environmental permits are in hand for the first phase of production. In addition, the El Gallo Complex infrastructure remains in place, as well as an established, well-experienced local workforce. Our next steps will involve detailed engineering, assessment of procurement options, and the evaluation of financing alternatives,” said Rob McEwen, Chairman and Chief Owner.

Fenix FS Highlights

Feasibility Study Report

The complete Fenix Project FS NI 43-101 Technical Report is available on www.sedar.com and www.mcewenmining.com. The FS was prepared by GR Engineering Services Limited (“GRES”) in accordance with the requirements of Canadian National Instrument 43-101 “Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects” (“NI 43-101”) and SEC Industry Guide 7.

Permits

The current operation at El Gallo Gold is a fully permitted site; permit for the Phase 1 was granted by the Federal Environmental Authority (SEMARNAT) in September 2019, for the addition of a mill and leach circuit in the location of the existing facilities for the reprocessing of the heap leach pad material. The permit amendment also includes the backfilling of a previously mined pit with mill tailings, as part of an integrated concurrent closure plan for the El Gallo Gold Mine. In-pit tailings storage provides a number of key benefits to the project, including:

• Lower construction and operating cost compared to a conventional tailings dam or dry-stack facility.
• Much improved safety and long-term tailing and pit stability.
• Reduced footprint minimizes surface disturbance and maximizes reclamation results.
• Promotes the re-use of process water, reducing groundwater demand.
• Reduces reclamation and management costs.
  

Further project advancement for Phase 2 is subject to permit approvals. Phase 2 project permitting will require authorization to expand the process plant footprint at El Gallo Gold and the haul road, and to augment the tailings volume to be deposited at the depleted pit.

The Fenix Project has CONAGUA approval for the extraction of groundwater and land-use permits for the construction of wells required for the life of Fenix Project.

Resource Estimates

Estimated resources for the Fenix Project are comprised only of material within the boundaries of conceptual pit shells, except for the El Gallo heap leach pad, which is considered completely available for reprocessing.

For the purposes of mine scheduling, the contained gold ounces in the Heap Leach Material have been depleted from the drill-defined resource model estimate by an amount of 23 koz Au, to account for the production from heap leach operations and gold in circuit assessments between the timing of the resource estimate up until the reserve estimate date of December 2020.

Table 1: Fenix Project Resources Estimate⁽⁵⁾⁽⁶⁾

Table 2: Fenix Project Reserves Estimate December 31, 2020 ⁽⁸⁾

Table 3: Assumptions for Heap Leach Pad and El Gallo Silver Pit Optimization Phase 2 ⁽⁶⁾⁽⁹⁾

The technical contents of this news release has been reviewed and approved by G. Peter Mah, P.Eng., COO of McEwen Mining and a Qualified Person as defined by Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects."

The technical information in this news release related to resource and reserve estimates has been reviewed and approved by Luke Willis, P.Geo., McEwen Mining’s Director of Resource Modelling and Qualified Person as defined by Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects."

CAUTIONARY NOTE TO US INVESTORS REGARDING RESOURCE ESTIMATION
McEwen Mining presently prepares its resource estimates in accordance with standards of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum referred to in Canadian National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101). These standards are different from the standards permitted in reports filed with the SEC under Industry Guide 7 (“Guide 7”). Under NI 43-101, McEwen Mining reports measured, indicated and inferred resources, measurements which are generally not permitted in filings made with the SEC under Guide 7. The estimation of measured and indicated resources involve greater uncertainty as to their existence and economic feasibility than the estimation of proven and probable reserves. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that any part of measured or indicated resources will ever be converted into economically mineable reserves. The estimation of inferred resources involves far greater uncertainty as to their existence and economic viability than the estimation of other categories of resources. Inferred Mineral Resources could be upgraded to Indicated Mineral Resources with continued exploration. Therefore, U.S. investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of inferred resources exist, or that they can be legally or economically mined.

Canadian regulations permit the disclosure of resources in terms of “contained ounces” provided that the tonnes and grade for each resource are also disclosed; however, under Guide 7, the SEC only permits issuers to report “mineralized material” in tonnage and average grade without reference to contained ounces. Under Guide 7, the tonnage and average grade described herein would be characterized as mineralized material. We provide such disclosure about our properties to allow a means of comparing our projects to those of other companies in the mining industry, many of which are Canadian and report pursuant to NI 43-101, and to comply with applicable disclosure requirements.

CAUTION CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and information, including "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements and information expressed, as at the date of this news release, contain McEwen Mining Inc.'s (the "Company") estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations or beliefs as to future events and results. Forward-looking statements and information are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, risks and contingencies, and there can be no assurance that such statements and information will prove to be accurate. Therefore, actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements and information. Risks and uncertainties that could cause results or future events to differ materially from current expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to, effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, fluctuations in the market price of precious metals, mining industry risks, political, economic, social and security risks associated with foreign operations, the ability of the corporation to receive or receive in a timely manner permits or other approvals required in connection with operations, risks associated with the construction of mining operations and commencement of production and the projected costs thereof, risks related to litigation, the state of the capital markets, environmental risks and hazards, uncertainty as to calculation of mineral resources and reserves, and other risks. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information included herein, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to reissue or update forward-looking statements or information as a result of new information or events after the date hereof except as may be required by law. See McEwen Mining's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, under the caption "Risk Factors", for additional information on risks, uncertainties and other factors relating to the forward-looking statements and information regarding the Company. All forward-looking statements and information made in this news release are qualified by this cautionary statement.

The NYSE and TSX have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this news release, which has been prepared by management of McEwen Mining Inc.

ABOUT MCEWEN MINING

McEwen Mining is a diversified gold and silver producer and explorer focused in the Americas with operating mines in Nevada, Canada, Mexico and Argentina. It also owns a large copper deposit in Argentina.