TVI Pacific Files Balabag Scoping Study
CALGARY, ALBERTA–(Marketwire – Aug. 21, 2008) – TVI Pacific Inc. (TSX:TVI) (the “Company”) announced today that it has filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) the comprehensive scoping study (prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects) respecting the Balabag epithermal gold project, which is located near the municipalities of Bayog, Zamboanga Del Sur, and Diplahan, Zamboanga Sibugay, in the Philippines. The study, entitled Scoping Study of the Balabag Project, was prepared by Genivar Limited Partnership of Montreal, Quebec, Canada (“Genivar”). This news release should be read in conjunction with the release issued on July 17, 2008, “TVI Pacific Receives Balabag Scoping Study”.
Certain statements in this News Release constitute forward- looking statements, including statements concerning the estimated time required to undertake certain feasibility work at Balabag and estimates of the time required to undertake construction activities at Balabag in the event a production decision is reached by the Company in respect of the project. Readers should refer to the cautionary statement that appears at the end of this News Release.
The purpose of the Scoping Study was to assess the mining potential of a stand-alone commercial scale mining operation centred on the currently delineated Balabag deposit and to provide an order of magnitude of its economic potential. The Management and Board of Directors of the Company are encouraged by the Balabag Scoping Study, which supports their conclusion that the preparation of a comprehensive exploration and feasibility work program is warranted to further assess the resource and reserve models and to provide additional engineering, environmental, socio-political, and commercial site studies.
Significant information and assumptions (base case models) set out in the Balabag Scoping Study include the following:
——————————————————————– ——– (US$)______________ Base Case 1 (O/P & U/G)(i)____Base Case 2 (O/P & U/G)(i) ——————————————————————– ——– ——————————————————————– ——– Total Capital costs :__________ $38.8 M (10% contingencies)__ $58.1 M (10% contingencies) ——————————————————————– ——– Avg. Production rate :________________________ 1,300 / 6 yrs________________ 1,450 / 5 yrs ——————————————————————– ——– Cut-off grade :________________ 0.48 gpt AuEq________________ 0.44 gpt AuEq ——————————————————————– ——– Ore production :__2,803,729 tonnes (O/P & U/G)__2,579,052 tonnes (O/ P & U/G) ——————————————————————– ——– Average grade (diluted):________ 3.94 gpt AuEq; (O/P & U/G)____3.95 gpt AuEq; (O/ P & U/G) ——————————————————————– ——– Gold Price :______________________650.00 $/oz__________________ 900.00 $/oz ——————————————————————– ——– Silver Price :____________________ 13.00 $/ oz____________________17.00 $/oz ——————————————————————– ——– Discount Rate :____________________________10%__________________________ 10% ——————————————————————– ——– Cash costs per Oz Au Eq :____________________ 312 $/oz AuEq________________ 397 $/ oz AuEq ——————————————————————– ——– Total Operating Costs :______________________________$96.1 M______________________$110.7 M ——————————————————————– ——– Total Income (Before Tax) :______________________$100.5 M______________________$134.5 M ——————————————————————– ——– Net Project CF (Aft Tax) :__________________________$45.0 M______________________ $58.1 M ——————————————————————– ——– Net Present Value (Aft Tax):____________________ $19.8 M______________________ $36.1 M ——————————————————————– ——– Internal Rate of return :____________________________ 31.9%________________________ 45.8% ——————————————————————– ——– Payback Period :____________________3.1 years____________________ 2.2 years ——————————————————————– ——– (i) O/P means open pit mining operations; U/G means underground mining ____operations. ____Gold Equivalent (“AuEq”) values were calculated using $650/oz Au and ____$13/oz Ag for Base Case 1 and $900/oz Au and $17/oz Ag for Base Case 2. ____The foregoing is a summary only of certain information contained in ____the Balabag Scoping Study. Readers should refer to the full report ____filed on SEDAR for additional details concerning the information set out ____in this News Release.
Readers are cautioned that the Balabag Scoping Study is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. There is no certainty that the Balabag Scoping Study assessment will be realized and actual results may vary substantially.
Both base cases are preliminary in nature and a definitive feasibility assessment will need to be completed to enable the management and Board of Directors of the Company to make a production decision in regard to the Balabag Project. This feasibility work is expected to entail (i) additional exploration drilling, resources /reserves modeling and pit optimization; (ii) detailed engineering bids and costing reviews; and (iii) geotechnical, environmental and socio-political baseline studies (to document EIS work and ECC applications). Management estimates that it will take between 16 and 24 months to complete such feasibility work. Genivar has recommended that such feasibility work be undertaken at the earliest opportunity in order to secure all necessary operating permits and to enable the Company to reach a production decision in a timely manner.
Once a production (investment) decision has been reached, the construction time (pre-production period) for either of the base case scenarios is estimated to be approximately twenty four (24) months. Management of the Company believes that this period could be shortened, by as much as eight months, should a commitment be made by the Company to rehabilitate an existing logging road in order to provide access to the site much sooner.
About TVI Pacific Inc. (TSX:TVI)
TVI Pacific Inc. is a publicly traded Canadian mining company focused on exploring for and producing precious and base metals within district scale systems in the Philippines. The Company’s interest in the Canatuan Mine and its other Philippine assets are held through TVI Resource Development (Phils.) Ltd.
Mr. Marc Beauvais, Eng, P. Eng. of Genivar Limited Partnership, has served as the “Qualified Person” (for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Deposits) in respect of the Balabag Scoping Study. Mr. Beauvais has reviewed this news release at the request of TVI. Mr. Beauvais is independent of TVI Pacific for purposes of National Instrument 43-101.
Certain information set out in this News Release constitutes forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “seek”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “intend”, “could”, “might”, “should”, “believe” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based upon the opinions and expectations of management of the Company as at the effective date of such statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties (known and unknown) that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, such things as the volatility of prices for precious metals and base metals, commodity supply and demand, fluctuations in currency and interest rates, inherent risks associated with the exploration and development of mining properties, ultimate recoverability of mineral reserves, timing, results and costs of exploration and development activities, availability of financial resources or third-party financing, new laws (domestic or foreign), changes in administrative practices and changes in exploration plans or budgets. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance upon the forward-looking statements contained in this News Release and such forward-looking statements should not be interpreted or regarded as guarantees of future outcomes. Forward-looking information respecting the time required to undertake certain feasibility work at Balabag is based upon the time required to undertake certain exploration activities at Balabag to date, management’s experiences with other feasibility work programs undertaken in the Philippines and elsewhere, advice received from third-party advisors with respect to the timing of various components of the feasibility work program and the Company’s current budget and overall strategy for Balabag, which plans, budget and strategy are all subject to change. Forward-looking information concerning the estimated time required to undertake construction activities at Balabag (in the event a production decision is reached by the Company in respect of the project) is based upon management’s experiences with other construction projects in the Philippines and elsewhere, advice received from third-party advisors with respect to the timing of various components of the construction project, and the Company’s current budget and overall strategy for Balabag, which plans, budget and strategy are all subject to change. The forward- looking statements of the Company contained in this News Release are expressly qualified, in their entirety, by this cautionary statement. Various risks to which the Company is exposed in the conduct of its business (including exploration activities) are described in detail in the Company’s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2007, which was filed on SEDAR on March 27, 2008 and is available under the Company’s profile at www.SEDAR.com. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly revise the forward-looking statements included in this News Release to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.ward-looking statements included in this News Release to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
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