Nexus Announces Evaluation of Strategic Alternatives for Gold Asset
Vancouver, April 2, 2024 - Nexus Uranium Corp. (CSE: NEXU) (OTCQB: GIDMF) (FSE: 3H1) (the "Company" or "Nexus") announces that it is evaluating strategic alternatives for its development-stage Independence Gold Project in Nevada.
"Given the record gold prices of over US$2,200 per ounce coupled with the market's lack of recognition of any value for our Independence project, we have determined that it is time to evaluate strategic alternatives to unlock value for shareholders" commented Jeremy Poirier, CEO of Nexus Uranium. "The Independence project demonstrates significant leverage to the gold price, highlighting a NPV5% of US$60M and IRR of 36% when assuming a gold price of US$2,125 per ounce, which remains below the current spot price of over US$2,240 per ounce. Given we believe the project has significant value, we are considering all options, including a spin-out of a gold-focused company to existing shareholders or even an outright sale to a third party."
The Company notes that, at this stage, it is considering its options only and there can be no assurance of any specific outcome. The Company has not set a timetable for completion of its evaluation process and has not determined what type of specific transaction, if any, it would pursue.
The Independence project is located in one of the premiere gold mining jurisdictions, the Battle Mountain mining district of Northern Nevada, and is located entirely within Nevada Gold Mines' Phoenix Mine permitted Plan of Operations. Nevada Gold Mines is a joint venture between Barrick Gold (61.5%) and Newmont (38.5%), which is forecasted to produce between 2.7 to 2.9 million ounces of gold at a cash cost of US$980 - $1,060 per ounce (source: 2024 Outlook from Barrick website)1.
The Independence project hosts an M&I (measured and indicated) resource of 334,300 ounces of gold (28M tonnes at 0.41 g/t gold) and an inferred resource of 847,000 ounces (9M tonnes at 3.22 g/t gold) of gold with a substantial silver credit. A 2022 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) outlined a low-cost heap leach operation focusing on the near-surface resource with total production of 195,443 ounces of gold at an all-in sustaining cost of $1,078 (U.S.) per ounce of gold.
The economic evaluation of the PEA utilized a US$1,700 per ounce gold price assumption to drive a NPV5% of US$17.6M and IRR of 18%. It also demonstrated significant leverage to gold prices, yielding a US$59.6M NPV5% and IRR of 35.9% assuming a gold price of US$2,125 per ounce, which is lower than the current spot price of US$2,241 per ounce.
Table 1: Gold Price Sensitivity
| Gold Price | IRR | NPV(0%) | NPV(5%) |
| US$/oz | % | US$M | US$M |
| 1,275 | -6.10% | (18.1) | (32.5) |
| 1,530 | 9.50% | 30.3 | (1.0) |
| 1,700 | 18.00% | 58.7 | 17.6 |
| 1,870 | 25.40% | 84.5 | 34.4 |
| 2,125 | 35.90% | 123.3 | 59.6 |
Source: 2022 PEA Technical Report
The Company also wishes to announces a renewal agreement with MIC Market Information & Content Publishing GmbH ("MIC") (Address: Gerhart-Hauptmann-St. 49b 51379 Leverkusen; email: contact@micpublishing.de; phone: +49 2171-7766628) beginning February 5th, 2024 (the "Agreement") for marketing services which will continue through April 30th, 2024 or until budget exhaustion. Pursuant to the Agreement, MIC will utilize their online programs with the aim of increasing investor awareness and interest in the Company through various online platforms and methods of engagement in consideration of EUR 125,000. The marketing activity will occur by email, Facebook, and Google. MIC does not have any prior relationship with the Company, other than previous marketing engagements and the Agreement constitutes an arm's length transaction.
About Nexus Uranium Corp.
Nexus Uranium Corp. is a multi-commodity development company focused on advancing the Cree East uranium project in the Athabasca Basin and the Wray Mesa uranium-vanadium project in Utah in addition to its precious metals portfolio that includes the development-stage Independence mine located adjacent to Nevada Gold Mine's Phoenix-Fortitude mine in Nevada, the Napoleon gold project in British Columbia, and a package of gold claims in the Yukon. The Wray Mesa project covers 6,282 acres within the heart of the prolific Uruvan mining district in Utah and has extensive historical drilling of over 500 holes defining multiple mineralized zones. The Independence project hosts an M&I (measured and indicated) resource of 334,300 ounces of gold (28M tonnes at 0.41 g/t gold) and an inferred resource of 847,000 ounces (9M tonnes at 3.22 g/t gold) of gold with a substantial silver credit. A 2022 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) outlined a low-cost heap leach operation focusing on the near-surface resource with total production of 195,443 ounces of gold at an all-in sustaining cost of $1,078 (U.S.) per ounce of gold. The Napoleon project comprises over 1,000 hectares and prospective for multiple forms of gold mineralization, with exploration in the area dating back to the 1970s with the discovery of high-grade gold. The Yukon gold projects are comprised of almost 8,000 hectares of quartz claims prospective for high-grade gold mineralization with historical grab sampling highlights of 144 g/t gold.
Nexus Uranium cautions investors the preliminary economic assessment is preliminary in nature, it includes inferred mineral resources that 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 no certainty that the preliminary economic assessment will be realized. The Company further cautions investors Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability and further cautions investors the quantity and grade of the reported inferred Mineral Resources are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define these inferred Mineral Resources as indicated Mineral Resources.
The Company cautions investors it has yet to verify the historical data and further cautions investors grab samples are selective by nature and are unlikely to represent average grades of sampling on the entire property.
The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Warren D. Robb, P.Geo. (BC), a Director and VP Exploration of Nexus Uranium Corp. and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Jeremy Poirier
Chief Executive Officer
info@nexusuranium.com
This news release includes certain statements and information that may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or "occur". All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, including statements regarding future estimates, plans, objectives, timing, assumptions or expectations of future performance are forward-looking statements and contain forward-looking information, including, but not limited to the Company's evaluation of strategic alternatives for the Independence project and the outcome of such evaluation, such as a sale or spin-out of the asset.
Forward-looking statements are based on certain material assumptions and analysis made by the Company and the opinions and estimates of management as of the date of this news release, including, but not limited to, the assumption that the Company will find a successful strategic alternative for the Independence project.
These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including, but not limited to, stock market volatility and capital market fluctuations, general market and industry conditions, as well as those risk factors discussed in the Company's most recently filed management's discussion & analysis.
Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial outlook that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
1 Source: Nevada Gold Mines 2024 Outlook retrieved from https://www.barrick.com/English/operations/nevada-gold-mines/default.aspx
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