TAVSAN MINE UPDATE

RNS Number : 3897H

Ariana Resources PLC

06 April 2022

 

6 April 2022

AIM: AAU

TAVSAN MINE UPDATE

Ariana Resources plc ("Ariana" or the "Company"), an AIM-listed mineral exploration and development company with gold mining interests in Europe, is pleased to announce an update to the mine development programme underway at Tavsan. The project is operated by Zenit Madencilik San. ve Tic. A.S. ("Zenit") in partnership with Proccea Construction Co. and Ozaltin Holding A.S. and is 23.5% owned by Ariana.

Highlights:

· Tavsan gold and silver mine targeting production of up to 30,000oz of gold per annum over eight years.

· Over 3,900m of resource drilling completed at Tavsan between December 2021 and March 2022.

· Land acquisition and access process has been completed; forestry permits applications remain in process with the Government.

· Discussions regarding debt financing of the required construction capital are continuing between Zenit and potential lenders.

· Ariana will be conducting a new mapping and exploration programme across Tavsan in the next few months, aiming to identify new zones of mineralisation.

Dr. Kerim Sener, Managing Director, commented:

"The Tavsan mine development programme is advancing at pace, and activities across the project are ramping up significantly as the project is progressed towards construction. 

"The latest Tavsan drilling programme experienced some delays due to exceptionally bad weather conditions and the decision to increase the scope of the programme as it proceeded.  As a result, Zenit has now completed almost double the drilling metres that had been planned previously and successfully brought the programme to a close.  We are now awaiting the receipt of assays from this 100-hole programme, following which a revised Resource and Reserve Estimate will be published as part of the Feasibility Study.  All geotechnical drilling required for the finalisation of the study has been completed, which is being revised with improved and updated operating and capital cost estimates.

"Essential freehold land acquisitions have also been concluded recently, allowing for the construction of mine infrastructure.  Following the Environmental Impact Assessment, the necessary forestry permit applications were submitted and presently remain under review with the Government.  Mine construction is expected to commence during Q2 2022, once the required permits are finalised and bank finance has been approved."

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 as it forms part of UK Domestic Law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("UK MAR").

Contacts:

Ariana Resources plc	Tel: [phone]
Michael de Villiers, Chairman
Kerim Sener, Managing Director
Beaumont Cornish Limited	Tel: [phone]
Roland Cornish / Felicity Geidt
Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited	Tel: [phone]
John Prior / Hugh Rich / Atholl Tweedie
Yellow Jersey PR Limited	Tel: [phone]
Dominic Barretto / Henry Wilkinson	[e-mail]

Editors' Note:

About Ariana Resources:

Ariana is an AIM-listed mineral exploration and development company with an exceptional track-record of creating value for its shareholders through its interests in active mining projects and investments in exploration companies. Its current interests include gold production in Turkey and copper-gold exploration and development projects in Cyprus and Kosovo. 

The Company holds 23.5% interest in Zenit Madencilik San. ve Tic. A.S. a joint venture with Ozaltin Holding A.S. and Proccea Construction Co. in Turkey which contains a depleted total of c. 2.1 million ounces of gold and other metals (as at February 2022). The joint venture comprises the Kiziltepe Mine and the Tavsan and Salinbas projects. 

The Kiziltepe Gold-Silver Mine is located in western Turkey and contains a depleted JORC Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resource of 222,000 ounces gold and 3.8 million ounces silver (as at February 2022). The mine has been in profitable production since 2017 and is expected to produce at a rate of c.20,000 ounces of gold per annum to at least the mid-2020s. A Net Smelter Return ("NSR") royalty of 2.5% on production is being paid to Franco-Nevada Corporation.

The Tavsan Gold Project is located in western Turkey and contains a JORC Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resource of 253,000 ounces gold and 0.7 million ounces silver (as at June 2020). Following the approval of its Environmental Impact Assessment, resulting permitting work is ongoing to develop Tavsan as the second joint venture gold mining operation in Turkey. A NSR royalty of up to 2% on future production is payable to Sandstorm Gold. 

The Salinbas Gold Project is located in north-eastern Turkey and contains a JORC Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resource of 1.5 million ounces of gold (as at July 2020). It is located within the multi-million ounce Artvin Goldfield, which contains the "Hot Gold Corridor" comprising several significant gold-copper projects including the 4 million ounce Hot Maden project, which lies 16km to the south of Salinbas. A NSR royalty of up to 2% on future production is payable to Eldorado Gold Corporation.

Ariana owns 100% of Australia-registered Asgard Metals Fund ("Asgard"), as part of the Company's proprietary Project Catalyst Strategy. The Fund is focused on investments in high-value potential, discovery-stage mineral exploration companies located across the Eastern Hemisphere and within easy reach of Ariana's operational hubs in Australia, Turkey and the UK.

Ariana owns 75% of UK-registered Western Tethyan Resources Ltd ("WTR"), which operates across south-eastern Europe and is based in Pristina, Republic of Kosovo.  The company is targeting its exploration on major copper-gold deposits across the porphyry-epithermal transition.  WTR is being funded through a five-year Alliance Agrement with Newmont Corporation (www.newmont.com).

Ariana owns 50% of UK-registered Venus Minerals Ltd ("Venus") which is focused on the exploration and development of copper-gold assets in Cyprus which contain a combined JORC Indicated and Inferred Resource of 17Mt @ 0.45% to 1.10% copper (excluding additional gold, silver and zinc), in addition to pursuing a separate 50:50 JV on Hellenic Apliki Mines, which owns the Hellenic SX-EW processing plant and the 11Mt @ 0.25% to 0.69% Cu Apliki mine development project. 

Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited is broker to the Company and Beaumont Cornish Limited is the Company's Nominated Adviser and Broker.

For further information on Ariana you are invited to visit the Company's website at www.arianaresources.com .

Ends.

 

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