Trevali's Provides November Santander Mill Commissioning Update; Zinc and Lead-Silver Concentrate Sales Increasing
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Dec 3, 2013) - Trevali Mining Corp. ("Trevali" or the "Company") (TSX:TV)(LMA:TV)(OTCQX:TREVF)(FRANKFURT:4TI) announces that ongoing mineral processing plant commissioning, and zinc and lead-silver concentrate production from its Santander Zinc-Lead-Silver Mine in Peru continues to progress well as the operation moves towards full commercial production.
During November, Santander mill throughput continued at full nameplate capacity of 2,000-tonnes-per-day, again giving an effective monthly plant availability of 100%. Average head-grades for the month were 4.7% zinc, 1.6% lead and 1.9 oz/ton silver from a blend of underground feed and stockpiled surface material, to clear the coarse-feed stockpiles, while the Company moves towards full underground production feed in Q1-2014 when the Magistral North and Central production stopes are brought fully online. Additionally, concentrate shipments for November have resulted in approximately 5,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate and 900 tonnes of lead-silver concentrate delivered and sold to partner Glencore.
Tonnes processed year-to-date (approx.): | 192,600 tonnes |
Zinc concentrate produced to date (approx.): | 13,300 tonnes |
Average zinc concentrate grade: | 48.7% Zn |
Lead-silver concentrate produced to date (approx.): | 3,900 tonnes |
Average lead-silver concentrate grade: | 55% Pb, 50 oz/T Ag |
Period | Zinc recovery | Lead recovery | Silver recovery | |||
Since start-up (mid-August) | 80.9 | % | 79.3 | % | 65 | % |
September | 80.9 | % | 77.6 | % | 63.2 | % |
October | 85 | % | 83 | % | 69 | % |
November | 80.3 | % | 81.9 | % | 66.7 | % |
Note: Reported production is preliminary in nature and subject to regular and ongoing reconciliation studies.
While October mill commissioning used 100% underground hard-rock feed, November commissioning utilized a blend of underground and up to 50% higher-grade re-mined former tailings. The Company anticipates recoveries will further improve with the transition to full underground mill feed and ongoing mill optimization that includes the installation of a second Pb filter (currently in progress) and the Courier OSA (on-stream analyzer) currently scheduled for commissioning in early Q1-2014.
Qualified Person and Quality Control/Quality Assurance
EurGeol Dr. Mark D. Cruise, Trevali's President and CEO, a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, has supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. Dr. Cruise is not independent of the Company, as he is an officer, director and shareholder.
ABOUT TREVALI MINING CORPORATION
Trevali is a zinc-focused base metals mining company with operations in Canada and Peru.
In Peru, the Company has commenced commissioning and concentrate production at its Santander zinc-lead-silver mine and metallurgical plant with subsequent ramp up to 2,000-tonne-per-day production scheduled in December 2013. The Company anticipates declaring Commercial Production at the Santander Mine shortly.
In Canada, Trevali owns the Caribou mine and mill, Halfmile mine and Stratmat polymetallic deposit all located in the Bathurst Mining Camp of northern New Brunswick. Initial trial production from the Halfmile underground mine was successfully undertaken in 2012 and the Company anticipates commencing operations at its 3,000-tonne-per-day Caribou Mill Complex in 2014.
All of the Company's deposits remain open for expansion.
The common shares of Trevali are listed on the TSX (symbol TV), the OTCQX (symbol TREVF) and on the Lima Stock Exchange (symbol TV). For further details on Trevali, readers are referred to the Company's web site (www.trevali.com) and to Canadian regulatory filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors of TREVALI MINING CORPORATION
Mark D. Cruise, President
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States private securities litigation reform act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Statements containing forward-looking information express, as at the date of this news release, the Company's plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations, or beliefs as to future events or results and the company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation to, update such statements containing the forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to statements as to: the accuracy of estimated mineral reserves and resources, anticipated results of future exploration, and forecast future metal prices, anticipated results of future electrical sales and expectations that environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-economic, political, marketing or other issues will not materially affect estimates of mineral reserves.
These statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements contained in this news release and the company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: fluctuations in spot and forward markets for silver, zinc, base metals and certain other commodities (such as natural gas, fuel oil and electricity); fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Peruvian sol versus the U.S. dollar); risks related to the technological and operational nature of the Company's business; changes in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls or regulations and political or economic developments in Canada, the United States, Peru or other countries where the Company may carry on business in the future; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected geological or structural formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding);
risks relating to the credit worthiness or financial condition of suppliers, refiners and other parties with whom the Company does business; inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks and hazards; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability and increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses and permits and the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining,; diminishing quantities or grades of mineral reserves as properties are mined; global financial conditions; business opportunities that may be presented to, or pursued by, the Company; the Company's ability to complete and successfully integrate acquisitions and to mitigate other business combination risks; challenges to, or difficulty in maintaining, the Company's title to properties and continued ownership thereof; the actual results of current exploration activities, conclusions of economic evaluations, and changes in project parameters to deal with unanticipated economic or other factors; increased competition in the mining industry for properties, equipment, qualified personnel, and their costs. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty or reliance on forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements or information, other than as required by applicable law.
Trevali's production plans at Caribou-Halfmile-Stratmat and Santander are based only on Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources and not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Inferred Mineral Resources are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves, and there is therefore no certainty that the conclusions of the production plans and Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) will be realized. Additionally where Trevali discusses exploration/expansion potential, any potential quantity and grade is conceptual in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource. Reported interim production figures are preliminary in nature and subject to regular and ongoing reconciliation studies.
We advise US investors that while the terms "measured resources", "indicated resources" and "inferred resources" are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the US Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize these terms. US investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the material in these categories will ever be converted into reserves.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the securities laws of any state and may not be offered or sold within the United States, absent such registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements.
The TSX has not approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release.
Contact
Trevali Mining Corp.
Steve Stakiw
Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communicati
(604) 488-1661 / Direct: (604) 638-5623
sstakiw@trevali.com
www.trevali.com