Scorpio Gold Corporation {TSX.V: SGN} announced its operating results for the full year and the fourth quarter (“Q4”) of 2016 at its 70% owned Mineral Ridge project, located in Nevada.
Total gold production in 2016 was 36,879 ounces, exceeding the Company’s high end guidance of 35,000 by 1,879 ounces, or 5%
Scorpio Gold Reports Annual Gold Production Exceeding Guidance at the Mineral Ridge Operation, Nevada
Total gold production in 2016 was 36,879 ounces, exceeding the Company’s high end guidance of 35,000 by 1,879 ounces, or 5%. The annual production for 2016 of 36,879 ounces represented a decrease of 7% over the prior year.
Chris Zerga, President, comments, “We are proud to report that we have exceeded the high end of our production guidance of 30,000-35,000 ounces for 2016 with 36,879 gold ounces produced at Mineral Ridge in 2016. Scorpio Gold has now completed five years of production at Mineral Ridge, consistently meeting or exceeding annual guidance, while maintaining a safe working environment for our employees and contractors. I would like to thank the entire production team who continue to make the Mineral Ridge operation a success.”
Key Operating Statistics
Three Months Ending Dec 31 | Twelve Months Ending Dec 31 | |||||||||
2016 | 2015 | Change | 2016 | 20154 | Change | |||||
Mining operations | ||||||||||
Mary LC pit | ||||||||||
Ore tonnes mined | 148,161 | 119,891 | 23.6% | 553,402 | 203,468 | 172.0% | ||||
Waste tonnes mined | 977,246 | 743,394 | 31.5% | 3,519,285 | 1,684,728 | 108.9% | ||||
Total mined | 1,125,407 | 863,285 | 30.4% | 4,072,687 | 1,888,196 | 115.7% | ||||
Strip Ratio | 6.6 | 6.2 | 6.5% | 6.4 | 8.3 | -22.9% | ||||
Satellite pits | ||||||||||
Ore tonnes mined | 6,028 | 245,569 | -97.5% | 196,802 | 487,234 | -59.6% | ||||
Waste tonnes mined | 5,888 | 769,186 | -99.2% | 525,491 | 2,045,787 | -74.3% | ||||
Total mined | 11,916 | 1,014,755 | -98.8% | 722,293 | 2,533,021 | -71.5% | ||||
Strip Ratio | 1.0 | 3.1 | -67.7% | 2.7 | 4.2 | -35.7% | ||||
Mary pit | ||||||||||
Ore tonnes mined | – | – | 0.0% | – | 202,002 | -100.0% | ||||
Waste tonnes mined | – | – | 0.0% | – | 1,053,992 | -100.0% | ||||
Total mined | – | – | 0.0% | – | 1,255,994 | -100.0% | ||||
Strip Ratio | – | – | 0.0% | – | 5.2 | -100.0% | ||||
Total producing pits | ||||||||||
Ore tonnes mined | 154,189 | 365,460 | -57.8% | 750,204 | 892,704 | -16.0% | ||||
Waste tonnes mined | 983,134 | 1,512,580 | -35.0% | 4,044,776 | 4,784,507 | -15.5% | ||||
Total mined | 1,137,323 | 1,878,040 | -39.4% | 4,794,980 | 5,677,211 | -15.5% | ||||
Strip Ratio | 6.4 | 4.1 | 56.1% | 5.4 | 5.4 | 0.0% | ||||
Pits under development | ||||||||||
Ore tonnes mined | – | – | 0.0% | – | 92,146 | -100.0% | ||||
Waste tonnes mined (pre-stripping) | 160,672 | – | 100.0% | 309,902 | 1,995,432 | -84.5% | ||||
Total mined | 160,672 | – | 100.0% | 309,902 | 2,087,578 | -85.2% | ||||
Total mining operations | ||||||||||
Ore tonnes mined | 154,189 | 365,460 | -57.8% | 750,204 | 984,850 | -23.8% | ||||
Waste tonnes mined | 1,143,806 | 1,512,580 | -24.4% | 4,354,678 | 6,779,939 | -35.8% | ||||
Total mined | 1,297,995 | 1,878,040 | -30.9% | 5,104,882 | 7,764,789 | -34.3% | ||||
Processing | ||||||||||
Tonnes processed | 142,101 | 265,017 | -46.4% | 846,140 | 891,997 | -5.1% | ||||
Gold head grade (g/t) | 1.37 | 1.66 | -17.5% | 1.44 | 1.52 | -5.3% | ||||
Ounces produced | ||||||||||
Gold | 8,301 | 9,503 | -12.6% | 36,879 | 39,690 | -7.1% | ||||
Silver | 4,074 | 4,905 | -16.9% | 16,950 | 19,742 | -14.1% | ||||
Crusher throughput (tonnes per day) | 1,545 | 2,881 | -46.4% | 2,312 | 2,444 | -5.4% | ||||
Recoverable(1) gold (ounces) placed on pad | 4,301 | 9,434 | -54.4% | 26,549 | 29,189 | -9.0% |
(1) A weighted average metallurgical recovery factor has been applied to the estimated contained ounces crushed and placed on the leach pad based on the pit from which the ore was mined.
About Scorpio Gold
Scorpio Gold holds a 70% interest in the Mineral Ridge gold mining operation located in Esmeralda County, Nevada with joint venture partner Elevon, LLC (30%). Mineral Ridge is currently in production as a conventional open pit mining and heap leach operation. The Mineral Ridge property is host to multiple gold-bearing structures, veins and lenses at exploration, development and production stages. Scorpio Gold also holds a 100% interest in the advanced exploration-stage Goldwedge property in Manhattan, Nevada, with a fully permitted underground mine and 400 ton per day mill facility. The Goldwedge mill facility has been placed on a care and maintenance basis and can be restarted immediately when needed.
Scorpio Gold’s Chairman, Peter J. Hawley, PGeo,, is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the content of this release.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
SCORPIO GOLD CORPORATION
Chris Zerga,
President