Paracatu (100% ownership and operator) - Brazil
The Paracatu mine is a large scale open pit
mine located less than three kilometers north of the city of
Paracatu, situated in the northwest part of Minas Gerais State,
230 kilometers from Brasília, the capital of Brazil. Kinross
acquired its ownership interest in the Paracatu open pit mine
upon completion of the combination with TVX on January 31, 2003.
On December 31, 2004, Kinross completed the purchase of the
remaining 51% of Paracatu from Rio Tinto.
Access to the site is provided by paved
federal highways or by charter aircraft that can land at a small
paved airstrip on the outskirts of Paracatu. The mine is the
largest employer in Paracatu, directly employing 750 workers in
what is predominantly an agricultural town (dairy and beef
cattle and soy bean crops) located in Brazil’s tropical
savannah. Gold mining has been associated with the Paracatu area
since 1722 with the discovery of placer gold in the creeks and
rivers of the Paracatu region.
The mill and mine operate 24 hours per day, 7
days per week. The nominal plant throughput is 1.5 million
tonnes per month or 18 million tonnes per year, considering the
present ore hardness. An ore stockpile of approximately 10 days’
production is maintained near the processing plant. Its main
purpose is to ensure uninterrupted mill feed in the rainy season
when some delays may be experienced in the pit as a result of
extreme rainfall. During the dry season the stockpile can be
used if the pit becomes too dusty. Kinross is committed to
controlling dust levels on site and in the city.
The Paracatu mine currently has a nominal
capacity of about 18 million tonnes per year with variations
depending on the hardness of the ore, as it affects grinding
throughput. In general, ore hardness is expected to increase
over the remaining mine life as the pit is deepened and hence
throughput will diminish over time.
The Paracatu Expansion
Kinross’ Board of Directors has approved an
estimated $470 million expansion projected at the Paracatu mine
in Brazil, which is expected to start up in 2008. Average annual
production at Paracatu for the first five years is expected to
be approximately 557,000 ounces of gold per year at an average
cost of sales of approximately $230 per ounce. As a result,
total Kinross production for 2009 is expected to aggregate 1.8
–1.9 million ounces of gold equivalent. For the first ten years,
average annual output at Paracatu is expected to be
approximately 490,000 ounces at an average cost of sales of $259
per ounce. The current life of mine plan is expected to be
approximately 418,000 at an average cost of sales of
approximately $307 per ounce.
“In line with our commitment to ‘growth from
core operations’, Kinross’ Board of Directors has approved a
substantial investment at Paracatu that is expected to
significantly increase production at attractive costs,
especially in the early years. We continue to optimize our
assets portfolio, with an intense focus on the project at
Paracatu,” stated Tim Baker, Executive Vice President and Chief
Operation Officer. “Already one of Brazil’s largest gold mines,
Paracatu is expected to be one of the western hemisphere’s
largest gold mines and a growing contributor to Kinross’
production profile in 2008 and beyond.”
Selected Production and Operating
Information
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Years Ended December 31, |
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Paracatu (100%) |
|
2005 |
2004(a) |
2003(b) |
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|
Tonnes mined(C) |
000s |
17,157 |
17,281 |
17,263 |
|
Tonnes processed(C) |
000s |
16,945 |
17,342 |
16,891 |
|
Gold grade |
gpt |
0.42 |
0.44 |
0.40 |
|
Gold recovery |
% |
78.2% |
76.8% |
76.8% |
|
Gold equivalent production |
ounces |
180,522 |
92,356 |
91,176 |
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Revenue |
US$ MM |
79.0 |
38.2 |
32.0 |
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Cost of sales |
US$ MM |
50.0 |
20.6 |
18.0 |
|
Accretion & reclamation expense |
US$ MM |
0.7 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
|
Depreciation, depletion & amortization |
US$ MM |
17.0 |
9.5 |
9.8 |
|
Exploration |
US$ MM |
5.2 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
|
Impairment charge |
US$ MM |
0.0 |
2.1 |
99.4 |
|
Other |
US$ MM |
0.7 |
2.6 |
1.1 |
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Net earnings (loss) |
US$ MM |
5.4 |
2.9 |
-96.8 |
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Unit costs: |
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Per gold equivalent ounce produced |
US$/oz |
277 |
223 |
197 |
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Per tonne milled |
US$/t |
2.95 |
1.19 |
1.07 |
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a) 2004
and 2003 results reflect 49% ownership. The Company
acquired the remaining 51% |
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and
became the mine operator on Dec. 31, 2004 |
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b) 2003
results are for the 11 months from February through
December only |
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c)
Tonnes mined/processed represent 100% of mine production |
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Mineral Reserve and Resource Summary
Kinross Gold Corporation’s Share at December 31, 2005
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Tonnes |
Grade |
Ounces |
|
|
( X
1,000) |
(g/t) |
( X
1,000) |
|
Proven and Probable Reserves |
1,186,808 |
0.40 |
15,210 |
|
Measured and Indicated Resources |
95,324 |
0.27 |
839 |
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