Overview
Antilles Gold (ASX:AAU, OTCQB:ANTMF) is an Australian mining firm targeted on gold and copper initiatives in Cuba via joint ventures with the Cuban Authorities’s mining firm, GeoMinera.
With a change within the US‐Cuba relations, Cuba is changing into a vacation spot for miners. To encourage overseas investments in its mining sector, the Cuban Authorities has instituted enticing funding legal guidelines and practical mining and environmental rules. The nation additionally affords funding incentives, together with a waiver of 15 p.c earnings tax for eight years, no import duties, and no withholding tax on overseas providers or dividends. Royalties on steel gross sales are mounted at an trade normal of three p.c.
Moreover, the Cuban Authorities permits JV loans and gross sales proceeds to be deposited in a overseas checking account for disbursement on to collectors, successfully eliminating nation credit score danger.
A number of worldwide corporations have established operations in Cuba, together with Toronto‐primarily based mining big Sherritt Worldwide and Australian oil & gasoline firm Melbana Power. Commodities buying and selling firm Trafigura additionally has a serious presence in Cuba, commissioning the US$300‐million Castellanos base metals mine in 2017, which was developed in a three way partnership with GeoMinera.
Antilles Gold’s partnership and wonderful relations with GeoMinera has resulted in fast undertaking allowing and entry to a number of new growth alternatives for the Australian firm.
Antilles Gold affords sturdy development potential via two close to‐time period growth initiatives, Nueva Sabana and La Demajagua, and two exploration initiatives, El Pilar porphyry system and Sierra Maestra copper concessions.
The Nueva Sabana is a close to‐time period, gold‐copper mine growth inside a 50:50 JV with GeoMinera, and is anticipated to initially produce round 55 grams per tonne (g/t) gold in a focus from a excessive‐grade gold cap adopted by ~25 p.c copper focus. Challenge growth technique contains finalizing the mineral useful resource estimate (MRE) in January 2024, finishing the feasibility examine by April 2024, and starting the ten‐month building program in June 2024. The undertaking is anticipated to generate sturdy money stream from mid‐2025.
The second proposed mine growth is La Demajagua open-pit mine, which is prone to produce ~50,000 tpa of gold arsenopyrite focus (32 g/t gold, 27 p.c arsenic), and ~10,000 tpa of gold antimony focus (28.8 g/t gold, 48 p.c antimony, 1,200 g/t silver) for 9 years. In line with the plans, building will begin in late 2024, with commissioning in mid‐2026. La Demajagua will even embrace the development of a industrial focus processing facility to deal with La Demajagua’s gold arsenopyrite focus and imported gold pyrite focus, with the capability to supply 100,000 oz gold per yr in dore, which is able to additional improve JV revenue and cashflow.
The corporate’s two exploration initiatives comprise the 17,800‐hectare El Pilar Concession in Central Cuba protecting a cluster of three copper‐gold porphyry deposits (El Pilar, Gaspar and San Nicholas), and three concessions totaling 54,000 hectares inside the producing Sierra Maestra copper belt in Southeast Cuba, with indications of porphyry deposits extremely potential for copper, gold and molybdenum.
Antilles goals to recommence drilling of the El Pilar porphyry system in mid‐2024 after its concession has been transferred to a brand new JV with GeoMinera. Importantly, there’s a probability for Antilles to develop into the bulk proprietor of the brand new JV, which might allow the longer term switch of a controlling curiosity to a serious mining group for any mine growth.
Antilles intends to take a position a part of the anticipated surplus money stream from the Nueva Sabana mine to fund the exploration of main copper targets, together with the El Pilar copper‐gold porphyry system, and the Sierra Maestra copper belt.
Firm Highlights
- Antilles Gold Restricted is an Australian mining firm listed on the ASX (AAU) and OTCQB (ANTMF).
- The corporate is targeted on gold and copper initiatives in Cuba via joint ventures with the Cuban authorities’s mining firm GeoMinera. The connection with GeoMinera opens new growth alternatives for Antilles and de-risks allowing processes.
- The corporate is engaged in 4 growth initiatives: 1) Nueva Sabana gold‐copper mine; 2) La Demajagua gold mine; 3) El Pilar porphyry copper undertaking; and 4) Sierra Maestra copper concessions. Of those, Nueva Sabana and La Demajagua supply close to‐time period growth alternatives.
- The Nueva Sabana is a close to‐time period gold‐copper mine growth undertaking with a ten‐month building starting in June 2024. The undertaking is anticipated to generate sturdy money stream from focus gross sales from mid‐2025.
- The second mine growth undertaking is La Demajagua, an open-pit mine gold undertaking the place building will begin in late 2024 and commissioning begins mid‐2026. The undertaking contains the development of a industrial focus processing facility able to producing 100,000 oz of gold per yr in dore. This undertaking will even produce roughly 10,000 tons each year (tpa) of antimony‐gold focus (30,000 oz gold equal per yr).
- The corporate’s two exploration initiatives embrace the El Pilar copper‐gold porphyry system and three concessions within the Sierra Maestra copper belt.
- Funding in Cuba affords a number of advantages, together with richness in minerals, decrease working prices and royalties, steady authorities and rules, a number of funding incentives and the supply of a talented workforce.
Key Tasks
Nueva Sabana Challenge
Nueva Sabana is the corporate’s close to‐time period, gold‐copper mine growth undertaking. The undertaking is held in a 50:50 JV with the Cuban Authorities’s mining firm GeoMinera. It is going to be an open-pit mine developed on the El Pilar oxide deposit in central Cuba.
Outcomes from 24,000 metres of historic drilling outcomes, 1,800 metres drilled in 2022, and the ten,000 metres drilled in 2023 shall be used to ascertain a mineral useful resource estimate (MRE) in January 2024. A feasibility examine for the proposed growth of the oxide deposit will comply with quickly after that, and the ten‐month building part is anticipated to start in June 2024.
Latest drilling has proven excellent grades for gold and copper, and rising lateral and vertical boundaries of the copper area. The outcomes reinforce the prospect of close to‐time period growth of the low‐capex Nueva Sabana mine at El Pilar. The excellent grades within the gold area prolong from the floor to a depth of 40 to 50 metres, and sturdy grades within the underlying copper area proceed for an extra 50 to 70 metres.
The proposed mining fee for the undertaking shall be 650,000 tpa of ore with a low waste‐to‐ore ratio. The anticipated preliminary manufacturing of 55 g/t gold focus shall be adopted by ~25 p.c copper focus.
The estimated undertaking value is roughly $23 million, of which $3 million is shareholders fairness with the steadiness of $20 million funded via an advance on purchases of the gold focus by a world commodities dealer.
Chinese language engineering group, Prominer Mining Know-how, which has in depth expertise in designing and establishing gold and copper concentrators, is anticipated to produce the crushing and flotation circuits for the Nueva Sabana mine.
Concentrator to be equipped for Nueva Sabana mine by Chinese language Engineering Group ProMiner
La Demajagua Challenge
La Demajagua entails the event of a gold‐antimony‐silver deposit as an open-pit mine by the three way partnership firm, Minera La Victoria.
The undertaking covers 900 hectares of mining concession on the Isle of Youth, 60 nautical miles from mainland Cuba. The undertaking website is 35 kilometres from the port metropolis of Nueva Gerona and enjoys wonderful infrastructure when it comes to accessibility by freeway, and availability of water, electrical energy and fiber optic cable.
The undertaking has an MRE of 905,000 oz gold equal for the open-pit operation. The MRE was calculated from outcomes from 29,000 metres of drilling undertaken by the JV, and selective outcomes from about 50,000 metres of historic drilling and revised after the receipt of further antimony assays. The undertaking expects mining of about 815,000 tpa ore to supply two concentrates: 50,000 tpa of gold‐arsenopyrite and 10,000 tpa of gold‐antimony‐silver for 9 years.
The undertaking will even embrace a industrial focus processing facility to supply gold dore. The power will comprise a 75,000‐tpa two‐stage fluidized‐mattress roaster and a 100,000‐tpa carbon-in-leach (CIL) circuit. It’s anticipated to course of 50,000 tpa gold arsenopyrite focus, and 35,000 tpa gold oxide ore from La Demajagua, and 25,000 tpa of imported gold pyrite focus. The general manufacturing goal is 100,000 oz gold per yr in dore for abroad refining. Chinese language engineering agency BGRIMM Know-how Group, which has in depth expertise in designing and establishing roasters, is anticipated to produce the turnkey course of plant.
Whole mine growth value is estimated at US$145 million, which shall be funded by US$60 million in fairness, which incorporates contribution by a 3rd shareholder within the undertaking, and the steadiness of US$85 million in debt. The life‐of‐mine money surplus is estimated at ~US$600 million, with an NPV of about US$330 million primarily based on US$1,800/oz gold, and US$13,000/t antimony.
Completion of the definitive feasibility examine is anticipated in September 2024, and building is anticipated to begin in late 2024, with commissioning focused for mid‐2026.
El Pilar Copper‐Gold Porphyry System Challenge
El Pilar is an exploration undertaking with a cluster of three copper‐gold porphyry deposits: El Pilar, Gaspar and Camilo. The undertaking contains 752 hectares of exploration licenses and 17,000 hectares of reconnaissance permits. The undertaking shall be transferred to a deliberate new three way partnership, which is anticipated to allow majority overseas possession.
The undertaking website advantages from established infrastructure with entry to a serious freeway, excessive‐stress energy, and a 60 kilometre rail hyperlink to Palo Alto port.
Earlier mapping, soil sampling, floor magnetics, an aeromagnetic survey and 24,000 metres of shallow drilling confirmed the existence of copper‐gold mineralization and recognized the exposures as probably a big, leached porphyry system. The floor exposures at El Pilar are leached phyllic caps to a cluster of copper‐gold porphyry cores. The extent of surficial hydrothermal alteration signifies the porphyry intrusions have giant dimensions, and potential depths larger than 1,000 metres.
Floor magnetics and induced polarization surveys in early 2023 have confirmed a cluster of three probably giant porphyry intrusives – El Pilar, Gaspar and Camilo. A six‐gap preliminary program has demonstrated constructive outcomes with good copper intercepts in porphyry‐model veining and has indicated the proximity of drilling to the core of El Pilar porphyry intrusive. Particularly, drill gap PDH‐004A assayed 1.23 p.c copper over its size of 134 metres from 49 metres.
An intensive two‐yr drilling program shall be performed from mid‐2024 and the corporate notes it might search monetary help for this system from a serious mining firm.
Floor mineralisation at El Pilar
Sierra Maestra Copper Belt Challenge
The undertaking is an exploration undertaking protecting three extremely potential concessions for copper, gold and molybdenum within the Sierra Maestra copper belt in southeast Cuba. It features a 3,600-hectare geological investigation license in La Cristina, a 49,000‐hectare reconnaissance license in Vega Grande, and a 1,100‐hectare reconnaissance license in Buey Cabon.
The copper belt spans greater than 200 kilometres of Cretaceous‐age geology intruded by Eocene shares, that are the supply of widespread gold and base‐metals mineralization. The undertaking is close to the El Cobre mine which is the oldest working copper mine within the Americas. The concessions incorporate a sequence of copper‐gold‐molybdenum zones that show vital footprints of hydrothermal alteration usually related to probably giant porphyry techniques.
An intensive, two‐yr prospecting program shall be carried out on the three concessions, commencing in Q1 2024, to establish drill targets.
Administration Group
Brian Johnson – Government Chairman
Brian Johnson is a graduate of civil engineering from the College of Western Australia and a member of the Institute of Engineers, Australia. He has wealthy expertise within the building and mining industries in Australia, Southeast Asia and North America. He was instrumental in establishing profitable corporations within the iron ore and coal sectors. Beforehand, he has served as a director of two listed gold producers, and of corporations with inventory alternate listings in London, New York, Vancouver and Australia.
James Tyers – Chief Government Officer
James Tyers is a member of the AusIMM and has greater than 30 years of expertise within the mining trade, holding senior administration roles in gold and iron ore operations. He has been related to the Palm Springs Gold Mine within the Kimberley area of Western Australia, and the Cornishman Challenge, a JV between Troy Sources and Sons of Gwalia. He has expertise creating and working iron ore initiatives within the mid‐west of Western Australia. He was accountable for creating the Las Lagunas Challenge and is the undertaking director for the La Demajagua gold mine in Cuba.
Ugo Carlo – Non‐government Director
Ugo Carlo has greater than 30 years of expertise within the Australian mining trade. All through his profession, he has served in a number of senior management roles at Rocklands Richfield, Austral Coal and Conzinc Rio Tinto Australia Group. He’s additionally a former director of the Port Kembla Coal Terminal, the New South Wales Joint Coal Board, and interim chairman of the New South Wales Minerals Council.
Angela Pankhurst – Non‐government Director
Angela Pankhurst has greater than 20 years of expertise as an government and non‐government director, primarily within the mining trade. She has been a senior government for corporations with initiatives in Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Vietnam, South Africa and Australia. She has held senior management positions at Antilles Gold and Central Asia Sources. She is at present a director of Consolidated Zinc and a director of Imritec.
Tracey Aitkin – Chief Monetary Officer
Tracey Aitkin is knowledgeable member of CPA Australia and has greater than 30 years of wealthy expertise in finance, administration and workers administration throughout a variety of industries, together with mining, manufacturing, retail, transport and agriculture. She joined the corporate in 2009 and was named CFO in 2010.
Dr. Jinxing Ji – Technical Director
Dr. Jinxing Ji is a seasoned metallurgist with six years of analysis expertise in universities and 26 years of sensible expertise within the mining trade associated to gold, silver, copper, zinc and lead. His broad expertise contains due diligence, metallurgical take a look at work, pre‐feasibility examine, feasibility examine, detailed design, plant commissioning help, and operational help for initiatives in Turkey, Greece, Canada, China, Romania, Brazil and Papua New Guinea.
Steve Mertens – Mining Director
Steve Mertens is a mining engineer with greater than 20 years of trade expertise throughout a variety of commodities, together with 9 years primarily based in Latin America. He has been related to the Goro Nickel Challenge in New Caledonia and the Mina de Cobre Challenge in Panama. Previous to his present function as common supervisor for the Minera La Victoria JV firm, he was the mining supervisor for Antilles Gold’s Las Lagunas operation within the Dominican Republic.
Chris Grainger – Exploration Director
Chris Grainger holds a PhD in financial geology from the College of Western Australia. He’s an Australian geologist with greater than 25 years of worldwide expertise with involvement in grassroots and brownfield exploration, in addition to useful resource definition and growth, with a give attention to valuable and base metals in South and Central America and the Caribbean. He has been related to Continental Gold’s Buritica gold‐silver undertaking, and Cordoba Minerals’ Alacran copper‐gold undertaking.
*This text was written in collaboration with Couloir Capital.
