Camps are open and drilling to commence mid-MarchVANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - Marketwire - February 25, 2010
-- Sabina Gold & Silver Corp. (TSX:SBB) is pleased to announce the
exploration program and budget for its Nunavut precious metals
projects. Camps are currently being opened and provisioned with
drilling scheduled to commence on or about March 15, 2010.
Sabina
Gold & Silver Corp. is an emerging precious metals company with
district scale, world class undeveloped assets in one of the world's
newest, most politically stable mining jurisdictions: Nunavut, Canada.
The properties cover the 3,000 km2 Wishbone Greenstone belt (which
hosts the world class Hackett River Silver Project) and the proximal
Back River Gold Project.
Hackett River is one of the largest
undeveloped silver - zinc volcanic massive sulphide ("VMS") deposits in
the world with indicated resources totalling 43.3 million tonnes grades
of 4.65% zinc, 144 g/t silver, 0.42% copper, 0.64% lead and 0.30 g/t
gold. An additional inferred resource totalling 14.6 million tonnes
with grades of 4.46% zinc, 136 g/t silver, 0.31% copper, 0.57% lead and
0.31 g/t gold is also contained at Hackett River. The deposit is
precious metals rich with approximately 45% of the value of the
resource in silver.
In late 2009, an updated Preliminary
Economic Assessment ("PEA") was completed on the project. The PEA
envisions that Hackett River can generate $1.8 billion in free cash
flow, an NPV of $975 million (5% discount) and an IRR of 25.9% by
producing three payable concentrates over a 16 year mine life.
"The
Hackett River PEA identified an already robust project that is more
than able to sustain the large infrastructure capital required to
become an economic mine," said Tony Walsh, President & CEO. "Our
previous experience in the Canadian north has taught us that size and
throughput is key. While the deposits at Hackett River are all open to
depth and are expected to transition to underground at some point in
their mine life, the focus is on finding more near surface, higher
value mineralization to extend the open pit life of the operation and
defer the underground development until the project can fund these
costs from cash flow. After our very successful 2009 season, we are
excited about the aggressive program that we have planned for 2010 and
expect to start receiving results mid to late April."
Hackett RiverThe
goal of the 2010 drill program at Hackett River is twofold. The first
goal is to investigate and quantify targets which can significantly
improve the early years of the project economics by identifying high
value mineralization (copper/silver/gold stringer mineralization)
located near or within the current open pit shells and reducing the
currently contemplated strip ratio.
The pit shells and the
current waste to ore strip ratio identified in the PEA contain a number
of areas that require additional drilling to potentially convert
designated waste rock to a mineralized resource. During the 2009 work
program, Sabina drilled selected portions of this classified waste
material, both within and outside of the current pit shells, and
identified strong mineralization. The conversion of a significant
portion of the classified waste material to ore would have the positive
impact of reducing the strip ratio and enhancing project economics.
This drilling will target the currently proposed open pits at the Main,
east Cleaver, Boot Lake and JO Zones.
High priority targets
include the copper stringer mineralization to the west and north of the
Main West deposit and an area immediately to the south of the Boot Lake
deposit where strong geophysical anomalies remain untested.
The
second objective for 2010 is to identify additional mineralization
which could provide Sabina an opportunity to increase project
throughput and/or further defer the capital associated with the
transition to underground. This drilling will focus on the discovery of
new ore zones within the core 5 km by 2 km area of the known deposits.
New
high potential targets have been defined based on the field work of
2009 and include the West Cleaver area, where gossans with significant
base metal values have been outlined, and the Chuck Lake area, where
copper-rich alteration was discovered.
To view the Hackett Drilling map, please click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/224sbb1.pdfThe
Company has planned to drill approximately 18,000 meters at Hackett
with a budget of approximately $10 million. The budget also includes
associated geophysical programs, field mapping and prospecting. A small
airborne survey will be completed in conjunction with a selected
portion of the Wishbone project.
WishboneObjectives for
the 2010 program at Wishbone include returning to the May Zone, which
was discovered in 2009, to complete sufficient drilling on the zone to
enable a resource calculation to be completed. Work will focus in and
around the D'Arcy Lake area following-up on the May Zone discovery and
testing several high potential targets such as Watson Lake where
surface grab samples of up to 5,160 g/t Ag, 30.3 g/t Au, 5.2% Zn and
2.21% Pb have been found. The May Zone is a large near surface target
that is proximal to the proposed Hackett River mill and provides an
opportunity for supplemental mill feed ultimately deferring underground
development. The zone is tabular, has a shallow plunge and is open in
all directions. Geophysical interpretation of the May Zone has outlined
a minimum 2,000 meter strike length of which only the northern most
portion has been drilled and has the potential to run approximately 2km
along strike. The shallow plunge of this deposit makes it an excellent
open pit target.
The Company plans to drill approximately 8,300
meters on the Wishbone property with a budget of approximately $5
million. The 2010 program will also include a significant field
component consisting of mapping, prospecting and ground geophysics
targeting both gold and VMS type targets. An airborne survey will test
high priority unexplored areas to the north and west of the May-Watson
area.
To view the Wishbone/East Hackett map, please click on the following link:
http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/2sbb224.pdfBack RiverThe
Company's goal at Back River is to increase the resource by
approximately 750,000 ounces of close to surface high grade gold prior
to embarking upon development studies. The best opportunity to
accomplish this is at the Goose Lake project area where a new discovery
was made in 2009. The 2010 work program at Back River has three
objectives. The primary objective is to complete sufficient drilling to
enable calculation of a mineral resource along the newly discovered
Echo zone at Goose Lake. The second objective is to complete aggressive
exploration programs on the Goose project area to define new
mineralization at selected targets including the area between the Echo
Zone and the Goose deposit, as well as the Jackaroo, Umwelt Lake, Camp
zones. These targets all have the potential to significantly increase
the mineral resources of the Goose Lake property. The third goal
at Back River is to continue to advance the conceptual studies of a
Goose open pit. Based on initial positive results, plans for 2010 will
focus on collecting sufficient data to prepare a proper open pit
resource estimate and will require additional sampling of historical
drilling, the drilling of key holes in the hinge and footwall portions
of the pit and geological modeling. If the resource estimate is
positive Sabina could proceed to a scoping level study toward the end
of the year. Additional exploration will also be carried out at
Del Lake claims block, located 10 km southwest of the Goose camp. This
area has had no exploration completed on it since 1985. Follow-up
diamond drilling of selected geological and geophysical targets is
planned to take place during the summer months. A total of 20,000 meters have been planned for drilling at Back River with a budget of $10 million.
To view the Goose Lake maps, please click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/224sbb3.pdf
Camps
at Hackett River and Goose Lake will be provisioned with additional
consumables to enable aggressive follow-up drilling on positive
results. Five new diamond drills will be mobilized to the belt to bring
the total to seven drills, with three drills to Hackett, three drills
to Back River and a reserve drill to be positioned based on results. In
addition, to capitalize on the synergies these projects offer during
the exploration phase, a 100km long winter road is currently being
constructed to connect the Goose Lake camp with the Hackett River camp
through George Lake. An airstrip is also being constructed near D'Arcy
Lake to facilitate Hercules aircraft and expedite mobilization.
Quality AssuranceMr.
John Wakeford, PGeo, and Sr. Vice President corporate Development of
Sabina Gold & Silver Corp is a Qualified Person under the terms of
NI43-101 and has reviewed the technical content of this press release
and approved its dissemination.
Mineral resources for Goose Lake and
George Lake were generated by RSG Global Consulting Pty Ltd (Coffey
Mining) in September 2007.
The mineral resource estimate for
Hackett River was prepared as part of the Preliminary Economic
Assessment (PEA) update by Gordon Zurowski, P.Eng., Principal Mine
Engineer of PEG Mining Consultants Inc, and can be found on SEDAR at
www.sedar.com. Gordon Zurowski is a qualified person as defined by
National Instrument (NI) 43-101. CIM Definition Standards (2005) have
been used in defining the mineral resource categories.
Project
Management of the PEA study was conducted by Eric Harkonen, P.Eng. and
Principal Project Manager/Mine Engineer of PEG Mining Consultants Inc.
He is a qualified person as defined by NI43-101.
All technical reports have been filed on www.sedar.com.
Forward Looking StatementsStatements
relating to future operations at the Hackett River Project, the Back
River Project and the Wishbone Greenstone belt and the expected results
of this work are forward-looking statements within the meaning of
securities legislation of certain Provinces in Canada. Forward looking
statements are statements that are not historical facts and are
generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans",
"anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", 'projects",
"potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions
"will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Information inferred
from the interpretation of drilling results may also be deemed to be
forward looking statements, as it constitutes a prediction of what
might be found to be present when and if a project is actually
developed. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of
risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to
differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking
statements, including, without limitation: risks related to
fluctuations in metal prices; uncertainties related to raising
sufficient financing to fund the planned work in a timely manner and on
acceptable terms; changes in planned work resulting from weather,
logistical, technical or other factors; the possibility that results of
work will not fulfill expectations and realize the perceived potential
of the Company's properties; risk of accidents, equipment breakdowns
and labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties or
interruptions; the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated
expenses in the work program; the risk of environmental contamination
or damage resulting from Sabina's operations and other risks and
uncertainties, including those described in Sabina's Annual Report for
the year ended December 31, 2008.
Forward-looking statements are
based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of Sabina's management on
the date the statements are made. Sabina undertakes no obligation to
update these forward-looking statements should management's beliefs,
estimates or opinions, or other factors, change. This news release has been authorized by the undersigned on behalf of Sabina Gold & Silver Corp. Tony Walsh, President & CEO
Contact:Sabina Gold & Silver Corp.
Nicole Hoeller
Director, IR
1 888 648-4218 or (604) 998-4175
nhoeller@sabinagoldsilver.comwww.sabinagoldsilver.com