Yamana Gold, Glencore and Goldcorp Enter Into Agreement For Integration Of Agua Rica and Alumbrera

 

TORONTO, ON - Yamana Gold Inc.,  Glencore International AG and Goldcorp Inc. reported the signing of an integration agreement pursuant to which the Agua Rica project would be developed and operated using the existing infrastructure and facilities of Minera Alumbrera Limited in the Catamarca Province of Argentina. 

The Parties believe the integration of the Agua Rica project and the Alumbrera mine (the “Integrated Project”) has significant merit given the proximity of the assets, and the potential to realize significant synergies by taking full advantage of existing infrastructure associated with the Alumbrera mine for the development and operation of Agua Rica.  Agua Rica hosts a large scale, long life copper mineral resource with associated gold, silver, and molybdenum while the Alumbrera infrastructure is of significant scale and configuration that is ideally suited for the integration plan.  Preliminary studies show the potential for a mine life in excess of 25 years at average annual production of approximately 236,000 tonnes (520 million pounds) of copper-equivalent metal, including the contributions of gold, molybdenum, and silver, for the first 10 years of operation.  This is based on the Agua Rica mineral reserve estimated to contain proven and probable mineral reserves of approximately 4.5 million tonnes  (10 billion pounds) of copper and 6.5 million ounces of gold contained in approximately 910 million tonnes of ore.    

The Agreement represents a significant step forward towards the optimization of Agua Rica.  The Alumbrera infrastructure, including the existing infrastructure for concentrate logistics located in northern Argentina between the mine site and the port, presents a unique opportunity to enhance project economics while also reducing both the project complexity and environmental footprint.  

The Parties have established a Technical Committee to direct the review and evaluation of the Integrated Project.  It is expected that a pre-feasibility study for the Integrated Project will be completed in 2019 and that a full feasibility study with updated mineral reserve, production and project cost estimates will be completed by 2020.  This will provide the framework for the submission of a new Environmental Impact Assessment (“EIA”) to the authorities of the Catamarca Province and for the continued engagement with local stakeholders and communities.