REG - Atalaya Mining PLC - Q4 2021 Operations Update and 2022 Guidance

Atalaya MiningAnnouncement

13/01/2022 07:00

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RNS Number : 2743Y  Atalaya Mining PLC  13 January 2022

13 January 2022

Atalaya Mining Plc.

("Atalaya" or the "Company")

 

Fourth Quarter 2021 Operations Update and 2022 Production Guidance

 

New annual production record achieved

 

Atalaya Mining Plc (AIM:ATYM, TSX:AYM) is pleased to announce its operations
update for the fourth quarter of 2021 ("Q4 2021" or the "Period") and to
provide production guidance for 2022.

 

Proyecto Riotinto Operating Highlights

 

                            Q4                   Q3      Full year
                2021        2020         2021    2021    2020    2022 Guidance
 Ore mined      (M tonnes)  3.5          3.5     3.4     13.5    13.6           15.5
 Waste mined    (M tonnes)  7.3          6.7     7.8     30.5    24.1           23.4
 Ore milled     (M tonnes)  3.8          3.9     3.9     15.8    14.8           15.2 - 15.8
 Cu grade       (%)             0.41     0.43    0.40    0.41    0.45           0.42
 Cu recovery    (%)         87.16        85.73   87.18   86.01   84.52          83 - 86
 Cu production  (tonnes)    13,885       14,332  13,893  56,139  55,890         54,000 - 56,000

 

·     Consistent performance in Q4 2021 with production exceeding
expectations at 13,885 tonnes of copper due to better metallurgical recoveries
which offset the slightly lower head grade.

·      A new annual production record of 56,139 tonnes of copper was
achieved in 2021, exceeding Atalaya's increased guidance despite operational
challenges and risks related to COVID-19 restrictions throughout the year.

·      In Q4 2021, 3.8 million tonnes of ore were milled with a copper
recovery of 87.16%.

·      On-site concentrate inventories at the end of Q4 2021 were
approximately 5,254 tonnes. All concentrate in stock at the beginning of the
Period and produced during the Period was delivered to the port at Huelva.

·      Copper prices increased during Q4 2021 compared with Q4 2020 and
Q3 2021, with an average realised price per pound of copper payable, including
the QPs closed in the Period, of $4.36/lb compared with $4.31/lb in the
previous quarter. The average copper spot price during the quarter was
$4.40/lb. The realised price during Q4 2021 excluding QPs was approximately
$4.40/lb.

·      All-in Sustaining Costs ("AISC") for 2021 are expected to be
slightly below the lower end of the revised 2021 cost guidance due mainly to
the U.S. dollar strengthening against the Euro and higher copper tonnes
produced. Further details on costs will be provided with the 2021 Financial
Statements to be reported in March 2022.

 

2022 Production Guidance

·     Atalaya's operating budget for 2022 was set in early December 2021
based on certain economic assumptions of expected inflation, particularly with
respect to energy costs.

·      On this basis, full year 2022 copper production is estimated to
be in the range of 54,000 to 56,000 tonnes.

·      Grade mined during 2022 is expected to be slightly higher than in
2021 owing to pit sequencing. In addition, the plant optimisation initiatives
mentioned below are expected to further support copper production.

·      During December 2021 and the early days of January 2022, energy
prices in Spain have increased significantly due to the sharp increase in
wholesale European gas prices. Should the volatility and current energy prices
persist for a sustained period, Atalaya expects that its operating budget and
production guidance for 2022 may need to be revised.

·      The Company is actively monitoring energy prices on a daily basis
and is identifying potential measures that could be implemented in response.
In the event that energy prices remain at elevated levels for a sustained
period, possible measures could include temporary modifications to the mine
plan, curtailment of throughput during periods of peak energy prices or
reductions in discretionary expenditures.

Proyecto Riotinto optimisation

·      During Q4 2021, some cost reduction initiatives were implemented
including an expert system to control the SAG mill operations, resulting in
lower energy consumption as well as associated reduction of CO2 emissions.

·      Permitting of a 50 MW solar plant for self-consumption has
advanced and construction is expected to start in the next few weeks.

·      Flotation improvements have been implemented during 2021 with the
use of new reagents focused on increased recoveries.

·      Tailings thickening capacity to be increased in 2022 to recover
water with high pH resulting in a reduction of lime consumption.

Reserves and resources updates at Proyecto Riotinto

·      NI 43-101 compliant technical reports for the San Dionisio and
San Antonio deposits are being finalised and will be released in the coming
weeks. As previously announced, a substantial portion of the resources at San
Dionisio are potentially mineable by open pit and further polymetallic
mineralisation could be exploited using underground mining methods at both San
Dionisio and San Antonio.

 

Growth projects

Proyecto Touro

·      Initiatives to address and resolve the historic water issues
relating to the old mine have been approved for execution and are currently
under construction.

·      The Company continues to be confident that its approach to
Proyecto Touro is in line with international best practice and has been
engaging in recent months with local and regional stakeholders ahead of the
public consultation period that will commence once the Environmental Impact
Evaluation is submitted for the new project.

Proyecto Masa Valverde

·      As announced on 6 October 2021, exploration work is ongoing at
Proyecto Masa Valverde, which includes the Masa Valverde polymetallic deposit,
the Majadales discovery and the unexplored Campanario-Descamisada area.

·      Positive drilling results previously announced include high grade
intercepts within broad intervals of massive and stockwork type polymetallic
sulphide mineralisation at both Masa Valverde and Majadales.

·      Further drilling results will be released in due course and will
be incorporated into the NI 43-101 compliant report for Proyecto Masa Valverde
that is currently being prepared by CSA Global and expected during Q1 2022.

Proyecto Riotinto East

·      An electromagnetic airborne geophysical survey started during Q4
2021 has largely been completed.  The survey covers the investigation permits
area located immediately east of Proyecto Riotinto and along the same
structural and stratigraphic setting.

·      Anomalies identified by the geophysical survey will be followed
up with drilling as soon as drill permits are obtained.

Proyecto Ossa Morena

·      On 21 December 2021, the Company announced the acquisition of a
51% interest in Rio Narcea Nickel, S.L. establishing a presence in the Ossa
Morena Metallogenic Belt in the southwest of Spain.

·      Proyecto Ossa Morena includes the Alconchel copper-gold-iron
project, which has NI 43-101 compliant total indicated and inferred resources
of 23 Mt at 0.53% Cu, 0.15 g/t Au and 11.2% Fe (Golder Associates, October
2017).

·      The Company has approved an exploration budget of up to €2
million for 2022, which is scalable depending on drilling results and focused
on the Alconchel, Pallares, Vicaria and Guijarro targets.

 

E-LIX update

·      On 6 January 2022, the Company announced the start of
construction of an industrial-scale E-LIX plant at Proyecto Riotinto. The
plant will utilise the E-LIX System, an extraction process developed and owned
by Lain Technologies Ltd, to produce high value copper and zinc metals from
complex sulphide concentrates from Proyecto Riotinto.

·      E-LIX has the potential to unlock significant value from
Atalaya's portfolio of polymetallic resources in the Proyecto Riotinto
district by materially increasing the recoveries of copper, zinc, lead and
precious metals from complex sulphide ores.

·      The plant has a construction budget of €12 million and will
have the capacity to produce between 3,000 and 10,000 tonnes of copper or zinc
metal per year. The production of high-purity metals on-site will reduce the
transportation costs, treatment charges and penalties associated with
producing and delivering conventional concentrates.

·      The plant will be fully operational, including commissioning, in
2022.

 

Alberto Lavandeira, CEO commented:

 

"The Company has enjoyed another robust quarter culminating in record annual
production for 2021. We enter 2022 with a proven operational track record, a
range of exciting optimisation workstreams and a strengthened portfolio of
growth opportunities. We are mindful of current inflationary pressures and
while we shall endeavour to keep costs as low as possible, it is not
unreasonable to assume that challenges lie ahead, particularly in relation to
unprecedented energy costs. We remain confident that Atalaya is well
positioned to navigate any current uncertainty while still investing in its
portfolio of growth projects owing to its strong balance sheet. We have much
to look forward to in 2022 with the advancement of our projects and
exploration activities."

 

 

Contacts:

 SEC Newgate UK             Elisabeth Cowell / Tom Carnegie            + 44 20 3757 6880
 4C Communications          Carina Corbett                             +44 20 3170 7973
 Canaccord Genuity          Henry Fitzgerald-O'Connor / James Asensio  +44 20 7523 8000

 (NOMAD and Joint Broker)
 BMO Capital Markets        Tom Rider / Andrew Cameron                 +44 20 7236 1010

 (Joint Broker)
 Peel Hunt LLP              Ross Allister / David McKeown              +44 20 7418 8900

 (Joint Broker)

 

About Atalaya Mining Plc

Atalaya is an AIM and TSX-listed mining and development group which produces
copper concentrates and silver by-product at its wholly owned Proyecto
Riotinto site in southwest Spain. Atalaya's current operations include the
Cerro Colorado open pit mine and a modern 15 Mtpa processing plant, which has
the potential to become a centralised processing hub for ore sourced from its
wholly owned regional projects around Riotinto that include Proyecto Masa
Valverde and Proyecto Riotinto East. In addition, the Group has a phased,
earn-in agreement for up to 80% ownership of Proyecto Touro, a brownfield
copper project in the northwest of Spain. For further information, visit
www.atalayamining.com (http://www.atalayamining.com)

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