- Work to complete the feasibility study continues Scoping level sensitivity studies carried out by Golder Associates indicate that at the current gold price of USD 1,400 per ounce, using a discount rate of 8 % and assuming that all inferred resources can be converted to measured and / or indicated above the current underground cut-off, Fäboliden has the potential to yield an NPV of SEK 1.4 billion and an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 19.2 % associated with a possible mineral resource of 1.22 million ounces. The feasibility study is expected to cost an estimated SEK 26 million to complete. As previously announced, the full-year forecast for gold production in 2010 was reached already in November. Combined with the current gold price, this means that no external financing is deemed necessary to complete the study," says Kjell Larsson, CEO of Lappland Goldminers. Background On behalf of Lappland Goldminers, the international consulting company Golder Associates has conducted scoping level studies of an open pit, coupled with an underground mining operation designed to mine the higher grade zones at a production rate of 1.5 million tonnes per annum. This has provided the basis for continued work on the feasibility study for the future mine and processing plant at Fäboliden. The feasibility study is being carried out parallel to the evaluation of an optimum financing solution for the project and is expected to be finalized in the second quarter of 2011. Financial evaluation of the project To facilitate the assessment of the project, a financial evaluation has been carried out based on three different gold prices, using an exchange rate of SEK 7.25 per USD and a discount rate of 8%. The peak funding requirement is estimated at approximately SEK 1.3 billion, including a contingency for investments of SEK 225 million. The gold recovery in the process plant for the average grade material has been estimated at 86%. The diagram below illustrates the sensitivity of the net present value (NPV) of the project assuming the inferred resources are converted to measured and / or indicated, at different gold price levels, before and after tax. A gold price of USD 1,400/oz provides an NPV before tax of approximately SEK 1,400 million, while USD 1,250/oz provides an NPV of approximately SEK 800 million and USD 1,100/oz an NPV of just over SEK 200 million. Optimization On July 5, 2010, Lappland Goldminers published a mineral resource estimate for Fäboliden. Based on this estimate, an extensive effort has been made with the purpose of identifying an optimum strategy for mining and processing based on a gold price of USD 1,000 per ounce. A higher gold price may be used in the final feasibility study that would improve the profitability of the project. The work so far has identified a most appropriate configuration of mining and processing using: * Selective open pit mining with a cut-off grade of 0.5 grams of gold per tonne * Selective underground mining with a cut-off grade of 1.2 grams of gold per tonne * Processing plant with an annual capacity of 1.5 million tonnes Mineral resources Given the above cut-off grades, the provisional estimates of Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources for open pit mining amounts to 6.7 million tonnes of ore with an average grade of 1.44 grams of gold per tonne. Provisional estimates of the corresponding resources for underground mining are approximately 15.2 million tonnes with an average grade of 1.84 grams of gold per tonne, of which approximately 5,4 million tonnes consist of Inferred Resources. Further drilling will be carried out with the aim of converting Inferred Mineral Resource to Measured or Indicated Resources. Permits Lappland Goldminers has a mining concession for the Fäboliden deposit and was granted an environmental permit by the Supreme Environmental Court in the autumn of 2008. The facilities in Fäboliden will be built to meet rigorous safety and environmental requirements. Mine and processing plant The scenario currently being evaluated involves an open pit mine being mined for five years which would provide access to and concurrent development of an underground mine which would have a life of approximately 13 years. The processing plant is designed for an annual capacity of 1.5 million tonnes and the stages of the process consist of crushing, autogenic grinding, flotation, cyanide leaching and elution. The reader is advised that this study contains an economic assessment about ongoing studies that 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 categorised as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the preliminary assessment will ever be realised, in whole or in part. Ersmarksberget It was previously announced that an updated mineral resource estimate for Ersmarksberget would be published in December. This work has been somewhat delayed and the estimation will instead be published in January 2011. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For additional information: Kjell Larsson, CEO Tel. +46 70-385 03 57 kjell.larsson@lgold.se Also visit: www.lapplandgoldminers.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lappland Goldminers AB is a producing mining company with significant exploration activities. The Company is listed on the market place First North Premier under the name GOLD, with Mangold Fondkommission AB as Certified Adviser. Lappland Goldminers' strategy is to develop mineral deposits into profitable producing mines. The Company is strategically positioned with the fully permitted Fäboliden gold project and the Ersmarksberget deposit and processing plant in northern Sweden. The Pahtavaara gold operation is located in the north of Finland and the Haveri gold deposit in the south of Finland. Lappland Goldminers is a member of SveMin, the Swedish association for mines, minerals and metal producers, and follows SveMin's reporting rules for public mining and exploration companies. The full press release including the chart can be downloaded from the following link: [HUG#1474437]
Scoping Level Sensitivity Studies indicate that Fäboliden has a significant value at the current gold prices
| Quelle: Lappland Goldminers AB