Rajapalot Gold-Cobalt Project PEA
The Rompas-Rajapalot property consists of five granted exploration permits for 5,725 hectares and eight exploration permit applications for a combined total of 17,989 hectares. The property is located in Lapland, northern Finland, close to the Arctic Circle approximately 35 kilometres west-southwest of the city of Rovaniemi.
Access to site is by standard vehicle on tar sealed roads and well-maintained gravel roads. The topography is gently rolling to almost flat, heavily glaciated and inundated with numerous post-glacial lakes, till, eskers, lacustrine and fluvial deposits with a mean elevation of approximately 170 metres.
2022 October PEA Highlights:
- Robust economics underscores significant value of current resource base
- $211 million post-tax NPV5 (real) using $1,700/oz gold and $60,000/t cobalt
- AISC1 $824/oz Au life of mine (“LoM”)
- >92 koz AuEq2 steady state average production rate. 9 year life producing ~700 koz Au and ~2800 t Co
- A significant European mine
- If in production today, Rajapalot would be the EU’s third largest cobalt mine and sixth largest gold mine
- Ethical metals sourcing with majority local support and 100% renewable power
- 27% post tax IRR, $181 million initial capex
- Strong cashflows, with $338 M free cash flow in years 1 to 5, and $101 M in life of mine cobalt by-product revenues
- 100% owned low-cost project in Tier 1 location
- Underground only operation, utilising predominately long hole open stoping
- 95% Au recovery with conventional gravity-CIL
- Low infrastructure needs
- PEA underpins project to leverage substantial resource growth potential
- Rajapalot deposits are all open at depth, highlighted by the deepest intersection in Palokas of 30.8 m at 5.1 g/t AuEq from 553 m.
18,000 ha land package with undrilled targets between the project area and other significant gold occurrences such as the Rompas discovery (highlight 6 m at 617 g/t Au) 8 km west of Rajapalot.
- AISC is a non-IFRS metric. For definition see Technical Background section below.
- AuEq production figures calculated using metal prices $1,700/oz Au and $60,000/t Co AuEq = Au oz + (Co t x 35.3). AuEq head grades calculated using the same metals prices, and recoveries of 95% Au and 88.7% Co AuEq = g/t Au + (Co ppm / 988).
Robust economics underscores significant value of current resource base
PEA confirms Rajapalot’s attractiveness
- Favourable setting for low operating costs
- Low impact underground only mining
- Conventional processing with high recoveries
- A significant asset for Europe
Rajapalot would be Europe’s 6th largest gold producer if in production today.
And Europe’s 3rd largest cobalt mine
- Access to 100% renewable grid power
- EU cobalt production source with high environmental credentials
- Cobalt is critical to the EU’s battery ecosystem, and stated goals for self-sufficiency and the circular economy.
Substantial resource growth potential
High prospectivity between Rajapalot and Rompas discoveries
- +8 km to the west (6m at 617 g/t Au)
- 30+ structural dominant targets identified in mag survey. Area never drilled, but truckable to Rajapalot
- Coincident with large C-horizon till anomaly – source unknown
- Refer news release https://mawsongold.com/news/news-releases/2022/mawson-magnetic-survey-highlights-new-exploration-targets-in-finland
Rajapalot deposits are all open
- Among best intersections are the deepest, eg, Palokas 30.8 m at 5.1 g/t AuEq from 553 m
- Excellent down-plunge continuity.
- Drill to demonstrate system extends
Simple project design
Economics underpinned by robust mine design
- Robust deposit with extraction of 85% of the Au in resources through LHOS and cut & fill.
- 9 year life, includes ramp up in year 1
- 1.2 Mt/a production rate, mining 3 deposits at any one time
Mine Schedule
Conventional processing with high recoveries
- 1.2mt/a dedicated mill with conventional low risk flowsheet
- 95% gold recovery to doré driven by simple free gold metallurgy
- Cobalt sulphide flotation to produce marketable cobalt concentrate
Simple Infrastructure Solutions
- Access to 100% renewable grid power
- Best practice water management included in project configuration
- 100% lined plant residues management facility
- All site infrastructure included for standalone operation
- No expensive camps, bridges, roads