Round Mountain Phase S Will Add 750,000 Ounces To Life Of Mine Production

TORONTO - J. Paul Rollinson, President and CEO of Kinross Gold Corporation, reported, “The Company has produced 585,449 Au eq. oz. in Q3 2023 from continuing operations, compared with 529,155 Au eq. oz. in Q3 2022. The 11% year-over-year increase was primarily attributable to higher mill grades, recovery and throughput at Tasiast, higher production at La Coipa due to the ramp-up of operations in 2022, and higher production at Paracatu due to higher throughput and timing of ounces processed. It has been a great nine months at Kinross and we have delivered another strong quarter. Our production profile has been solid and generated significant cash flow. We continue to reduce the debt on our investment grade balance sheet and have completed our expansion projects at Tasiast and La Coipa. We remain well positioned to meet our annual guidance building on the robust results year-to-date. Our project pipeline continued to make excellent progress. At Great Bear, permitting is advancing well and drill results continue to exceed our expectations, demonstrating the strength of the resource at depth and in less-explored areas of the deposit, including a recent exceptional intercept from the Hinge zone. We officially broke ground at Manh Choh as the project continues to advance on schedule and on budget for initial production in the second half of next year.

Our decision to proceed with Round Mountain Phase S underscores the successful optimization work to build a lower-investment, high-return operation that we expect will add approximately 750,000 ounces to the life-of-mine production profile. The future of Round Mountain has become clear, with the approval of Phase S, combined with Phase W that we are currently mining, we’re now expecting production at Round Mountain until the end of the decade. Longer-term, we see strong potential to supplement that production with high-grade contributions from Phase X and Gold Hill, which we continue to explore and study.

Kinross is delivering on its ESG commitments. In that regard, we’re excited that our 34MW solar power plant at Tasiast is on schedule to deliver power by the end of the year. This, combined with other elements of our Climate Strategy, means Kinross is well on track to meet our goal of a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.”

The Tasiast Mine, in Mauritania, had another strong quarter and achieved record quarterly production and sales. Quarter-over-quarter, production increased mainly due to higher throughput and cost of sales per ounce sold was slightly higher due to the timing of inventory movements. Year-over-year production increased mainly due to higher grades, recoveries and throughput as mining continued in the higher-grade section of West Branch 4. Cost of sales per ounce sold was lower year-over-year due to the increase in production and less operating waste mined as the site progressed with capital stripping of West Branch 5.

The Tasiast solar power plant, which has power generation capacity of 34MW and a battery system of 18MW, continues to advance on plan for solar power-to-grid by the end of the year. Integration and load scenario testing is expected to continue into early 2024 while delivering maximum allowable power. Installation of the photovoltaic panels, inverters and transformer stations are complete, and the battery system installation is well progressed and awaiting battery module delivery. Electrical works and completion of the grid connection are continuing with pre-commissioning testing of the panel arrays and inverters underway.

In Brazil, the Paracatu Mine delivered higher production in both comparable periods. Quarter-over-quarter production increased mainly due to the timing of processing higher-grade ounces from the southwest area of the pit, and year-over-year production increased mainly due to higher throughput and timing of ounces processed. Cost of sales per ounce sold were slightly higher quarter-over-quarter due to timing of inventory movements and lower year-over-year mainly due to the increase in production.

In the Atacama region of Chile, the La Coipa Mine performed well with an increase in production in both comparable periods mainly due to higher throughput and grades. Cost of sales per ounce sold was slightly lower compared with the previous quarter, and higher year-over-year mainly due to increased production as the site reached higher production following its ramp-up in 2022. Kinross’ activities in Chile are currently focused on La Coipa and potential opportunities to extend its mine life. The Lobo-Marte project continues to provide optionality as a potential large, low-cost mine upon the conclusion of mining at La Coipa. While the Company focuses its technical resources on La Coipa, it will continue to engage and build relationships with communities related to Lobo-Marte and government stakeholders.

The Fort Knox Mine, in Alaska, had a quarter-over-quarter production increased due to more ounces recovered from the heap leach pads. Cost of sales per ounce sold was in line compared with the previous quarter. Year-over-year production was lower mainly due to lower mill throughput, partially offset by higher mill grade and an increase in ounces recovered from the heap leach pads. Cost of sales per ounce sold was slightly lower compared with Q3 2022 mainly due to planned mine sequencing involving less operating waste mined.

Round Mountain Mine, in Nevada, reported that production increased compared with the previous quarter primarily due to higher-grade ore from Phase W2. Quarter-over-quarter, cost of sales per ounce sold was slightly higher due to timing of ounces recovered from the heap leach pads, however it was lower than expected due to increased stacking and mill grades. Year-over-year, production increased slightly due to higher grades, and cost of sales per ounce sold increased mainly as a result of less capital development.

The is continuing to mine Phase W2 and will be proceeding with mining of the optimized Phase S open pit early next year, providing production out to the end of the decade and a bridge to the potential higher margin underground opportunities at Phase X and Gold Hill, which the Company continues to explore and study.

Kinross is pleased to announce that the optimization work at Phase S over the last year has resulted in an improved design with a lower overall strip ratio, higher grade, similar overall ounces, and a significantly lower capital investment and cash outflow. This was achieved by stepping-in the pit design in areas that had higher stripping, lower-margin ounces and identifying opportunities to add some near-surface, lower-strip ounces that come earlier in the plan, helping to reduce the cash outflow in the near term. With this optimized design and plan, at current gold prices we expect Round Mountain to be able to self-fund the Phase S expansion, driving a significant change in the risk profile and return of this expansion for the Company.

Phase S is expected to increase life-of-mine production by approximately 750,000 Au eq. oz. and generate an incremental internal rate of return11 (IRR) of 45% and incremental net present value11 (NPV) of $170 million. Initial capital expenditures are expected to be $170 million, of which $140 million is related to pre-stripping. The remaining $30 million is planned for an expansion of the existing North Heap Leach Pad and some additional tailings infrastructure. Phase S is expected to improve the cash cost at Round Mountain, particularly later in the mine life, as the mine plan reaches the higher-grade Phase S ore towards the bottom of the pit. Including Phase S, the Company expects Round Mountain to produce approximately 215,000 Au eq. oz. per year from 2024-2028.

The combination of the optimization results and extensive technical diligence completed over the last year on Phase S provides confidence in strong returns and margins while proceeding with this next phase of mine life at Round Mountain.

By providing meaningful production scale at Round Mountain out to the end of the decade, the Phase S pushback could also drive cost synergies if the Company proceeds with future underground mining at Phase X and Gold Hill. The two underground opportunities continue to show potential for higher-margin, higher-return operations at Round Mountain, particularly when combined with production and scale from Phase S.

While still mining Phase S, Round Mountain could potentially develop and ramp-up Phase X underground, which could then concurrently be exploited with Phase S in the second half of the decade. Gold Hill underground development could follow Phase X, adding higher-grade mill feed to supplement production from Phase X at the end of the decade and into the 2030s.

At Phase X, construction of the exploration decline continues to progress well with approximately 1,000 metres developed so far, remaining on plan to start definition drilling in early 2024. Kinross has also initiated technical studies for the Phase X project. Phase X is envisioned to be a bulk long-hole open stoping operation. Current intercepts suggest 3 to 4 g/t average stope grades.

At Gold Hill, located approximately seven kilometres northeast of Round Mountain, prior drill results show potential for a higher-grade narrow vein operation which could supplement mill feed from Phase X, increasing the average processed grade and margin. Kinross plans to continue drilling at Gold Hill in Q4 2023 and into 2024 to progress exploration and studies.

Also located in Nevada, the Bald Mountain Mine production and cost of sales per ounce sold were largely in line quarter-over-quarter. Compared with Q3 2022, production decreased mainly due to the timing of ounces recovered from the heap leach pads. Year-over-year, cost of sales per ounce sold was higher mainly due to lower production, lower capital development and higher contractor and maintenance costs.

In Red Lake, Ontario, the Great Bear project’s robust exploration program continues to make excellent progress, with approximately 48,500 metres drilled in the third quarter and the completion of feasibility level engineering for the advanced exploration decline. The Company focus this year is on inferred drilling in the area half a kilometre to one kilometre below surface. In the second quarter, the Company began using directional drilling, which allows multiple drill holes to branch off from a single pilot hole. The system is now being used on 6 of the 11 drills on site to target the LP Fault and Hinge zones, with the goal of further delineating the deposit at depth as well as adding inferred resource ounces. This is complemented by additional exploration drilling on other areas of the property.

Drilling-to-date has demonstrated potential for a meaningful increase in the LP Fault underground resource and the potential of the Hinge and Limb zones to supplement the LP Fault zone with their demonstrated continuity of mineralization at depth. The Company expects to declare a resource update as part of its year-end results. Recent results continue to support the view of a high-grade, large, long-life mining complex. Holes BR-696 and BR-778C1 continue to demonstrate the potential for wide, high-grade mineralization at greater than 1-kilometre vertical depth under Bruma and Yuma while holes BR-806 and BR-814C1A demonstrate the continuity between the new deep intercepts and the current resource. Hole BR-825 intersected 0.5 m @ 147 g/t in under-tested ground between Viggo and Auro demonstrating potential that mineralization exists at depths greater than 500 m between the two zones.

With the goal of deep resource growth, recent drilling at the Hinge zone has yielded promising results. The more accurate targeting, afforded through directional drilling, has allowed for precise infill drilling of the known quartz vein hosted mineralization at approximately 900 m vertical depth. Following on the success of previously reported holes DL-132 and DL-142, hole DL-085C7 has intersected 2.8 m @ 259 g/t, showing continuity of mineralization.

For the main project, Kinross continues to advance technical studies, including engineering and field testwork campaigns, with plans to release the results of this work in the form of a preliminary economic assessment in the second half of 2024. Also underway is geochemical work that includes static testing, humidity cells, column testing, tailings residue sampling and field leach barrels. An extensive field bedrock and soils geotechnical drilling and testing program was kicked off in August, building on the campaign completed late last year. Bedrock geotechnical analysis is indicating very robust rock strengths in both the open pit and underground.

The Company continues to progress studies and provincial permitting for an advanced exploration program that would establish an underground decline to obtain a bulk sample and allow for definition and infill drilling in the LP Fault zone. Feasibility level engineering for advanced exploration infrastructure is now complete and the procurement process for long-lead items such as the camp, power infrastructure and water treatment plant is progressing well.

Kinross is targeting a potential start of the surface construction for the advanced exploration program in the second half of 2024, subject to receipt of permits.

Permitting for the main project is ongoing at both the provincial and federal levels. Permitting efforts have been initiated with the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada to review potential project impacts within Federal authority. The comprehensive baseline study program encompassing air, noise, hydrogeology, geochemistry, archeology, water quality and a number of other metrics continues to advance. These studies underpin the Company’s Indigenous consultation process and permitting efforts.

At the 70% owned Manh Choh Alaska project, of which Kinross is the operator, activities remain on budget and on schedule for initial production in the second half of 2024. Construction is now 90% complete with commissioning activities underway, pre-stripping has commenced, and work is ongoing to transition the project to operations. At Fort Knox, where the Manh Choh ore will be processed, outdoor construction continues to progress with all concrete works complete. Work continues inside the mill with progress on tanks and piping and further work on additional mill modifications expected during the winter months. A groundbreaking ceremony was held during the quarter and Kinross was pleased to welcome Chief Michael Sam, elders, and delegates from the Native Village of Tetlin, as well as Alaska Governor Michael Dunleavy and other government officials.

The Curlew Basin exploration project in Washington State, reported underground exploration drill results documented a new vein zone, ‘Roadrunner’. The new vein zone is open and more drilling will be conducted over the coming quarters in order to delineate the extents. Underground exploration drilling in the third quarter also continued to build on the existing resource through proximal growth. Results-to-date continue to demonstrate the high grade and upside potential of the Curlew Basin.

Founded in 1993, Kinross Gold is a senior gold mining company with a diverse portfolio of mines and projects in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Chile, and Mauritania. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Kinross is focused on delivering value through operational excellence, balance sheet strength, disciplined growth, and responsible mining.