Atico Produces 3.25 Million Pounds of Cu and 2,969 Ounces of Au in Third Quarter 2015
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Oct 14, 2015) - Atico Mining Corp. (the "Company" or "Atico") (TSX VENTURE:ATY) (OTC PINK:ATCMF) announces its operating results for the three months ended September 30, 2015 from its El Roble mine. Production for the quarter totaled 3.25 million pounds of copper and 2,969 ounces of gold in concentrates, an increase of 20% for copper and 1% for gold over the same period in 2014.
"We are very pleased to report our operational results as the Company has had its strongest operating quarter to date. Processed ore, copper recovery and copper production were at historical highs." said Fernando E. Ganoza, CEO. "Along with robust operating results the Company has made two concentrate shipments in the quarter that will be reflected in the financial results. We will continue to optimize the mine in the fourth quarter and focus on moving closer towards our goal of achieving our 2015 targets."
Third Quarter Operational Highlights
- Production of 3.25 million pounds of copper contained in concentrates; an increase of 20% over Q3 2014.
- Production of 2,969 ounces of gold contained in concentrates; an increase of 1% over Q3 2014.
- Average processed tonnes per day of 641, an increase of 32% over Q3 2014.
- Copper head grade of 3.26%, a decrease of 10% over Q3 2014.
- Gold head grade 2.81 grams per tonne; a decrease of 22% over Q3 2014.
- Copper and gold recovery of 94.4% and 68.5%; an increase of 2% for copper and a decrease of 1% for gold over Q3 2014.
Third Quarter Operational Review
Optimization of the operation continued throughout the third quarter with positive results in metal recovery, amid an increase in daily throughput. Copper recovery has continued to improve quarter over quarter reaching a historical high, while gold recovery, although higher than Q2 2015, still shows opportunity for further improvements. The operation saw its highest daily throughput average for a quarter to date and the current production plan calls for the operation to make up for a significant portion of the production shortfall from the first two quarters, throughout the remainder of the year.
Third Quarter Operational Details
| Q3 2015 Total | Q3 2014 Total | % Change | ||
| Production (Contained in Concentrates) | ||||
| Copper (000s pounds) | 3,255 | 2,702 | 20% | |
| Gold (ounces) | 2,969 | 2,932 | 1% | |
| Mine | ||||
| Tonnes of ore mined | 48,319 | 40,088 | 21% | |
| Mill | ||||
| Tonnes processed | 48,015 | 36,505 | 32% | |
| Tonnes processed per day | 641 | 493 | 30% | |
| Copper grade (%) | 3.26 | 3.63 | -10% | |
| Gold grade (g/t) | 2.81 | 3.60 | -22% | |
| Recoveries | ||||
| Copper (%) | 94.4 | 92.4 | 2% | |
| Gold (%) | 68.5 | 69.5 | -1% | |
| Concentrates | ||||
| Copper and Gold Concentrates (dmt) | 7,830 | 5,768 | 36% | |
| Payable copper produced (000s lbs) | 3,092 | 2,567 | 20% | |
Note: Metal production figures are subject to adjustments based on final settlement.
El Roble Mine
The El Roble mine is a high grade underground copper and gold mine with nominal processing plant capacity of 650 tonnes per day, located in the Department of Choco in Colombia. Its commercial product is a copper-gold concentrate.
Since obtaining control of the mine on November 22, 2013, Atico has upgraded the operation from a nominal capacity of 400 tonnes per day. The mine has a continuous operating history of twenty-two years, with recorded production of 1.5 million tonnes of ore at an average head grade of 2.6% copper and an estimated gold grade of 2.5 g/t. Copper and gold mineralization at the El Roble property occurs in volcanogenic massive sulfide ("VMS") lenses.
Since entering into the option agreement in January 2011 to acquire 90% of El Roble, Atico has aggressively explored the mine and surrounding claims. The Company has completed 11,740 meters of diamond drilling and identified numerous prospective targets for VMS deposits on the 6,679-hectare property. This exploration led to the discovery of high-grade copper and gold mineralization below the 2000 level, the lowest production level of the El Roble mine. Atico has developed a new adit access from the 1880 elevation to develop these new resources.
El Roble has an inferred mineral resource of 1.58 million tonnes grading 4.45% copper and 3.17 g/t gold, at a cut-off grade of 0.72% copper equivalent (See Atico technical report dated August 27, 2013). Mineralization is open at depth and along strike and the Company plans to further test the limits of the resource.
On the larger land package, the Company has identified a prospective stratigraphic contact between volcanic rocks and black and grey cherts that has been traced by Atico geologists for ten kilometers. This contact has been determined to be an important control on VMS mineralization on which Atico has identified 15 prospective target areas for VMS type mineralization occurrence, which is the focus of the surface drill program at El Roble.
Qualified Person
Mr. Thomas Kelly (SME Registered Member 1696580), Chief Operating Officer of the Company and a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101 standards, is responsible for ensuring that the technical information contained in this news release is an accurate summary of the original reports and data provided to or developed by Atico.
About Atico Mining Corporation
Atico is a growth-oriented company, focused on exploring, developing and mining copper and gold projects in Latin America. The Company operates the El Roble mine and is pursuing additional acquisition opportunities. For more information, please visit www.aticomining.com.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
Fernando E. Ganoza, CEO
Trading symbols: (TSX VENTURE:ATY)(OTC PINK:ATCMF)
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. The securities being offered have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States, or to, or for the account or benefit of, a "U.S. person" (as defined in Regulation S of the U.S. Securities Act) unless pursuant to an exemption therefrom. This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of the Company in any jurisdiction.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This announcement includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation the use of net proceeds, are forward-looking statements. Forward- looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties and are based on certain factors and assumptions. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; uncertainty of estimates of capital and operating costs; the need to obtain additional financing to maintain its interest in and/or explore and develop the Company's mineral projects; uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones for the Company's mineral projects; and other risks and uncertainties disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the prospectus of the Company dated March 2, 2012 filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com