Lobo-Marte, Chile

Lobo-Marte is a development stage asset with a large resource, located in the Maricunga district near current Kinross operations.

 
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Kinross acquired the Lobo-Marte gold project in northern Chile on January 8, 2009 from Teck Cominco Limited and certain subsidiaries of Anglo American plc.

Close to 30,000 hectares in size, Lobo-Marte is located in the Maricunga mining district, roughly midway between Kinross' Maricunga and La Coipa mines.

Lobo-Marte allows Kinross to further increase its presence in the Maricunga district and offers potential cost savings by using existing administration and operations at neighbouring Kinross operations to help develop the project. As well, Kinross' experience in cold-weather, heap leach mining at high altitudes will be relied on.

Kinross has completed an update to its earlier pre-feasibility study on Lobo-Marte. The updated study is based on a mine life of approximately 10 years and confirms the viability of a 47,000 tonne per day open pit heap leach operation incorporating SART (Sulphidization, Acidification, Recycling and Thickening) technology. The updated study estimates an average annual production of approximately 350,000 ounces per year, with average operating costs of $11.00-11.50 per tonne. The average gold grade over the life of mine is estimated to be 1.17g/t and average recovery of 60 - 70%.

Kinross received approval for an additional 20,000 metres of drilling at Lobo-Marte late in the fourth quarter of 2010. The Company is proceeding with further infill and geotechnical drilling in support of the project feasibility study, which is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2011. The project remains on target to commence commissioning in 2014.


Mineral Reserve and Resource Summary

As at December 31, 2010

Gold Tonnes
(X 1,000)
Grade
(g/t)
Ounces
(X 1,000)
Proven and Probable Reserves 164,230 1.14 6,028
Measured and Indicated Resources (a) 34,052 0.83 908
a) Measured and Indicated Resources exclude Proven and Probable Reserves