Endeavour Mining announces positive feasibility study for Houndé Gold Project in Burkina Faso

VANCOUVER, Nov. 6, 2013 /CNW/ - Endeavour Mining Corporation ("Endeavour") (TSX:EDV, ASX:EVR, OTCQX:EDVMF) announces the results of a positive NI 43-101 compliant Feasibility Study ("FS") of its Houndé Gold Project, an open pit gold mine with an initial life of mine ("LOM") of over 8 years.  The FS will be presented to the government of Burkina Faso as part of the on-going permitting process. 

(All amounts in US dollars unless otherwise indicated)

Houndé FS Highlights, on a 100% basis, include:

• Average annual production of 178,000 gold ozs per year over an 8.1 year LOM, with total LOM production of 1.44 million ozs.
• An average gold recovery of 93.3% via a SAG/ball mill (SABC) grinding circuit followed by gravity/CIL plant capable of treating 3.0 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of ore (nameplate capacity: 9,000 tpd).
• Owner operated open pit mining and Proven and Probable reserve of 25 million tonnes with an average grade of 1.95 g/t Au.
• Initial start-up capital of $315 million (including working capital, import duties, and contingency). LOM sustaining capital of $62 million, and $26 million of rehabilitation and closure costs.
• Forecast LOM direct cash cost of $636/oz (excluding royalties) and all-in sustaining cost of $775/oz (including royalties and rehabilitation and closure).
• The project yields, on an after-tax basis:

		At $1,300/oz Gold Price (Base Case)	At $1,500/oz Gold Price (Sensitivity)
NPV 0%	$ million	$364	$593
NPV 5%	$ million	$230	$408
IRR	%	22.4%	33.4%

Neil Woodyer, CEO, stated

"Houndé is a strong gold project with potential to produce approximately 180,000 ozs per year at an all-in sustaining cost of under $800 per ounce.  At a $1,300 gold price, Houndé has an attractive after-tax IRR of 22% illustrating strong cash flow generation.  The project also benefits from excellent infrastructure, our current Agbaou mine building expertise, and our Burkina Faso operating experience at Youga.  While work continues on obtaining the Houndé mining permit, we are evaluating how best to integrate Houndé into Endeavour's production growth plans."

Management Conference Calls - November 13 and 14, 2013

Endeavour's Management previously scheduled two conference calls to discuss the Q3/2013 operating and financial results on November 13 and 14, 2013.  During these calls, Management will also discuss highlights from the Houndé FS. Details for the conference calls can be found in a news release on November 4, 2013.

Houndé Project Ownership

Endeavour, through its 100% owned subsidiary Avion Gold (Burkina Faso) SARL, has a 100% interest in the approximately 1,000 square kilometre Houndé Gold Project, situated in the South-western region of Burkina Faso (see Figure 1). Ownership upon achieving production will be 90% by Endeavour and 10% by the government of Burkina Faso.  All current mineral resources on the Houndé property lie within the Kari Nord and Kari Sud concessions and are subject to a Transfer and Claw-Back Option Agreement with African Barrick Gold plc ("African Barrick").  The FS resources of 1.87 million ounces of Measured and Indicated and 0.13 million ounces of Inferred (see Table 1) are less than 3 million ounces, therefore African Barrick does not have claw-back rights but retains a 2% NSR.  This royalty has been included in the FS financial analysis.

Houndé FS Summary

The Houndé Project FS focuses on the Vindaloo group of deposits that are located approximately 250 km South-west of Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso. The deposits are approximately 2.7 km from a paved highway and as close as 200 metres from a 225 kV power line that extends from Côte d'Ivoire through to Ouagadougou (see Figure 2). The nearby town of Houndé has a population of approximately 22,000. A rail line that extends to the port of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire lies approximately 25 km west of the deposit area.

Lycopodium Minerals Pty Ltd. was the FS study lead consultant with a focus on study coordination, metallurgy, infrastructure design and process plant design. Cube Consulting completed an updated Mineral Resource estimate. Knight Piésold Pty. Ltd. carried out pit and site geotechnical reviews, completed a water balance study and designed the tailings storage facility, water harvest dam and the water storage dam along with mine site drainage control elements. Orelogy Group Pty Ltd completed the mine plan and Mineral Reserve.

Mine environmental and social impact assessments ("ESIA") were completed under the lead of Genivar Inc. with SOCREGE and INGRID collecting social and environmental data, respectively. INGRID also completed an additional environmental and social study on the project's water supply. Knight Piésold provided high level oversight over all of these studies.

Copies of the FS and ESIA will be presented to the government of Burkina Faso on November 7, 2013.

The Vindaloo zones are hosted by Proterozoic-age, Birimian Group, intensely sericite- and silica-altered mafic intrusions and similarly-altered, strongly foliated and altered intermediate to mafic volcaniclastics and occasionally sediments. The mineralization is often quartz stockwork-style and is weakly to moderately pyritic. The Vindaloo trend has been drill tested for a distance of approximately 7.7 kilometres along strike and up to 350 metres depth. The intrusion-hosted zones range up to 70 metres in true thickness and average close to 20 metres true thickness along a 1.2 km section of the zone called Vindaloo Main. Volcanic- and sediment-hosted zones are generally less than 5 m wide. The entire mineralized package strikes north-northeast and dips steeply to the west to vertical. The mineralization remains open both along strike and to depth.

During Q4/2012 and Q1/2013, Endeavour completed 40,534 metres of drilling in 358 holes with a specific goal of upgrading the Inferred in-pit Mineral Resources to Indicated Mineral Resources and some Indicated Mineral Resources to Measured Mineral Resources. Endeavour's drilling in conjunction with previous drilling comprise a drill database of 751 core and RC holes totalling 103,677 metres that supported the creation of an updated, in-pit Mineral Resources statement, which is summarized in Table 1.

Table 1:  Houndé Mineral Resources¹ (Cube, 2013)

Resource Classification	Weathering Zone	Tonnage Mt	Grade   g/t Au	Contained Gold  (koz)
Measured	Saprolite	0.45	2.08	30
	Transitional	1.56	2.64	133
	Fresh	1.74	2.51	140
	Total	3.75	2.51	303
Indicated	Saprolite	1.64	1.45	77
	Transitional	1.40	1.93	87
	Fresh	22.62	1.94	1,407
	Total	25.66	1.90	1,571
Measured & Indicated	Saprolite	2.09	1.59	107
	Transitional	2.96	2.31	220
	Fresh	24.36	1.98	1,547
	Total	29.41	1.98	1,874
Inferred	Saprolite	0.28	1.40	13
	Transitional	0.29	1.60	15
	Fresh	1.27	2.57	105
	Total	1.84	2.24	133

Note: Mineral Resources are constrained by a pit shell at $1,600/oz
and are reported at a cut-off grade of 0.35 g/t Au

The FS considered the owner operated development of five open pits in the Vindaloo and Madras NW zones over an 8.1 year time period, including 3 months of pre-strip. The Vindaloo pits would mine a series of closely spaced gold zones along an approximate 4.8 km strike length. The Madras NW pits would be mined along an approximately 900 metres long zone and would only mine saprolite and transition mineralization.

Diluted Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves total 24.64 million tonnes grading 1.95 g/t Au totalling 1.55 million ounces (see Table 3), reported at a range of cut-off grades from 0.35 g/t Au to 0.62 g/t Au depending on the zone and oxidation type. In addition, 660,000 tonnes of Inferred Mineral Resources grading 1.61 g/t Au lie within the pit envelope. However, only Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources were considered in the mine design and production schedule.  The key FS parameters are summarized in Table 2 and the Mineral Reserves are summarized in Table 3.

Table 2:  FS Parameters

Item	Unit	FS
Revenue, Smelting & Refining
Gold Price	US$/oz	$1,300
Payable Metal	%Au	99.95%
Refining/Transport	US$/oz	$3.35
Royalties @ 4% of NSR	US$/oz	$51.84
Royalties @ 2% of NSR	US$/oz	$25.92
Net Gold Price	US$/oz	$1,218.24
	US$/g	$39.17
OPEX Estimates
Average Mining Cost	US$/mined	$2.03
Strip Ratio	t:t	8.48
OP Mining Cost	US$/t milled	$19.25
Processing Cost	US$/t milled	$14.31
G&A	US$/t milled	$3.53
Total OPEX	US$/t milled	$37.09
Process and Mining Losses
Process Recovery	Variable	92.4% to 95.4%
Dilution / Ore Loss	%	6.5% / 5.2%
Geotechnical Parameters
Slope Angles (overall)
Saprolite	degrees	28 to 41
Transition	degrees	38 to 43
Fresh	degrees	43 to 50
Mill Throughput	Mtpa	3.0

Table 3: FS Mineral Reserves by Classification and by Rock Type (Orelogy, 2013)

Mineral Reserves by Classification
	Ore			Waste		Total Material
Reserve Classification	Tonnage	Grade	Contained Gold	Tonnage	Strip Ratio	Tonnage
	Mt	Au (g/t)	Moz	Mt		Mt
Proven	3.8	2.43	0.30	209.0	8.48	233.6
Probable	20.9	1.87	1.25
Total	24.6	1.95	1.55

Mineral Reserves by Rock Type
	Ore			Waste		Total Material
	Tonnage	Grade	Contained Gold	Tonnage	Strip Ratio	Tonnage
Rock-Type	Mt	Au (g/t)	Moz	Mt		Mt
Saprolite	1.9	1.52	0.09	209.0	8.48	233.612014
Transition	2.8	2.25	0.20
Fresh	20.0	1.96	1.25
Total	24.6	1.95	1.55

Studies of 22 metallurgical samples from the Vindaloo and Madras NW zones indicated average assumed mill recoveries of 93.37%. Recoveries of 93.5% for the Vindaloo Main zone fresh mineralization were achieved by fine grinding of gravity concentrates to 80% passing 10 micron from an initial grind of 80% passing 90 micron. More than 70% of the gold is contained in a 2.5% mass pull gravity concentrate.  The processing plant consists of a 3.0 million tonne per year primary crushing with SABC milling circuit to feed a gravity / CIL plant. Ground ore will feed continuous centrifugal gravity concentrators to recover free and occluded gold in heavy particles (pyrite) to the gravity concentrate. This concentrate will be reground and will feed a concentrate leach circuit.  The gravity concentration tails will be thickened and feed a standard CIL circuit, with leach tails passing into a cyanide destruction process before being pumped to tailings storage.  Average production of 178,000 ozs/year over a period of 8.1 years is anticipated with a high of 215,300 ozs in year 2 and low of 136,900 ozs in year 7.

Table 4: Houndé LOM Production Profile

	Year	-1	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total
Mining
Ore Mined	kt	146	3,264	3,064	3,003	3,301	2,501	3,001	3,201	3,102	63	24,644
Grade	g/t Au	1.77	2.07	2.32	2.08	1.89	2.39	1.86	1.49	1.67	1.35	1.95
Waste Mined	kt	3,077	29,407	31,168	28,145	38,328	36,200	20,087	17,593	4,938	26	208,968
Total Mined	kt	3,223	32,670	34,232	31,148	41,629	38,701	23,087	20,793	8,040	88	233,612
Strip Ratio	Ratio	21.1	9.0	10.2	9.4	11.6	14.5	6.7	5.5	1.6	0.4	8.5
Processing
Saprolite	kt		773	207	13	0	21	0	732	135	46	1,928
Grade	g/t Au		1.85	2.48	2.42	0.00	2.21	0.00	0.97	1.07	1.06	1.52
Transition	kt		941	1,053	174	0	204	0	142	52	199	2,765
Grade	g/t Au		2.01	2.64	2.56	0.00	2.54	0.00	2.06	1.14	1.17	2.25
Fresh	kt		1,419	1,843	2,813	3,000	2,775	3,000	2,194	2,813	95	19,951
Grade	kt		2.13	2.10	2.08	1.87	2.33	1.86	1.63	1.75	1.50	1.96
Total Ore	kt		3,133	3,103	3,000	3,000	3,000	3,000	3,069	3,000	340	24,644
Grade	g/t Au		2.03	2.31	2.11	1.87	2.35	1.86	1.49	1.71	1.25	1.95
Contained Gold	k ozs		204.0	230.2	203.3	180.2	226.2	179.3	147.1	164.8	13.6	1,548.7
Recovery	%		93.8%	93.6%	93.4%	93.5%	93.3%	93.6%	93.1%	92.8%	87.7%	93.3%
Recovered Gold	k ozs		191.3	215.3	189.9	168.4	211.1	167.8	136.9	152.9	11.9	1,445.5

Notes: Stockpiling strategies for various mineralization types will cause slight annual variations compared to this high-level summary. A further payables factor of 99.5% has been applied to gold production for preliminary economic modelling.

The tailings storage facility is located 4 km west of the plant in a natural valley. Studies indicate that the tailings storage does not need to be lined as the near-surface, clay-rich substrate would limit migration of tailings fluids away from the site. Decant fluids, though, are not suitable for release to the environment and will be pumped back to the plant. An impact assessment, including a dam break scenario, indicates a high consequence in the event of a wall failure and the tailings embankments were designed to reduce this risk. Closure will require covering the surface with 0.8 metres of broken rock and saprolite. The facility has the potential to hold up to 100% more than is currently designed.

A water balance study indicated that a water harvest dam and separate water storage dam having combined storage of just over 3 million cubic metres would easily fill in one wet season and would contain sufficient water for plant operations demand during a 1:100 year dry season. Camp water would be sourced from nearby wells.

Power for the processing plant will come from the adjacent 225 kV power line that extends from Côte d'Ivoire to Ouagadougou. Sonabel, the state power entity, have agreed, in principle, to sell power to the project; however, the terms and conditions of this sale have not been defined.

Project staff will include approximately 470 people, not including catering and cleaning staff and miscellaneous contractors with 41 international and African expatriates and 430 Burkinabe employees. A camp to house 130 senior staff will be installed with the remaining employees living in the nearby communities.

The ESIA, which has a goal of being IFC compliant, outlines Endeavour's responsibilities to the well-being of the people and the environment during the development, operation and closure of the Houndé gold project. The project will require the acquisition of 2,096 ha of land. Several major land owners own the bulk of the land, however, numerous subsistence farmers rent portions of the land from the land owners. Compensation mechanisms for the land, buildings, trees and crops are part of the ongoing permitting process. Typical concerns, as a result of the project development include changes to quality of life, loss of livelihood, environmental degradation, potential for jobs, potential health issues, increase in traffic etc. Permitting is expected to take between six to nine months to complete.

Houndé Capital Cost Estimate and Financial Summary

The total estimated cost to bring the Houndé Gold Project into production is $315 million, inclusive of contingency, working capital, and import duties, as summarized in Table 5.  The FS shows that the Houndé Project generates the financial results shown in Table 6.

Table 5: Houndé Capital Cost Estimate

Houndé Capital Cost	US$ Million
Mining Equipment	69.8
Mine Pre-Production Stripping	5.4
Process Plant	78.7
Reagents and Plant Services	7.7
Tailings Storage Facility	5.6
High Voltage Power Line	13.1
Infrastructure (Water, Roads, Buildings)	16.5
Construction Indirects	14.9
EPCM	20.3
Owner Project Costs	23.1
Owner Costs (Land, Light Vehicles, Other)	16.7
Sub-Total	271.9
Working Capital	15.1
Import Duties	4.5
Sub-Total	291.5
Contingency	23.4
Grand Total	314.9

Table 6:  Houndé FS Financial Results

		At $1,300/oz Gold Price (Base Case)	At $1,500/oz Gold Price (Sensitivity)
Pre-Tax
NPV 0%	$ million	$449	$721
NPV 5%	$ million	$293	$504
IRR		26.0%	38.3%
After-Tax
NPV 0%	$ million	$364	$593
NPV 5%	$ million	$230	$408
IRR		22.4%	33.4%
Cash Cost excluding. Royalties	$/oz	$636	$636
Cash Cost including Royalties	$/oz	$714	$726
All-in Sustaining Cost	$/oz	$775	$787
Life of Mine Gold Production	koz	1,445	1,445

Project Schedule

The project permitting process has been started and is anticipated to take 6 to 9 months.  Engineering, procurement and construction is estimated at 21 months from Board approval to first gold.

Updated Technical Report

An updated NI 43-101 compliant Technical Report on the Houndé Gold Project will be filed on www.sedar.com within 45 days of this news release.

Qualified Persons

The FS will be authored by the independent Qualified Persons, with the exception of Mr. Don Dudek who is employed by Endeavour, who have verified the data in this news release.

Mark Zammit, BSc(Hons), GradCertGeostat MAIG	Principal Consultant Geologist, Cube Consulting
Ross Malcolm Cheyne, BE (FAusIMM)	Director/Principal Consultant, ORELOGY Group Pty Ltd
Michael Warren BSc, MSc Eng, MIEAust, CPEng (ret)	Study Manager, Lycopodium Minerals Pty Ltd
David Morgan BSc, MSc, CPEng, AUSIMM	Managing Director, Knight Piésold Pty Ltd
Peter O'Bryan BE (Mining) MEngSc MAusIMM (CP)	Geotechnical Engineer, Peter O'Bryan and Associates
Don Dudek, P.Geo	Senior Vice President - Technical Services, Endeavour Mining Corporation

Mr. Dudek, P.Geo, is a Qualified Person within the definition of that term in NI 43-101 and has supervised the preparation of the technical information contained in this news release.

About Endeavour Mining Corporation

Endeavour is a gold producer delivering growth. Endeavour owns three gold mines producing more than 300,000 ounces per year in Mali, Ghana and Burkina Faso.  Endeavour's annual gold production is forecast to exceed 400,000 ounces per year during 2014, including the start-up of production at the Agbaou Gold Mine in Cote d'Ivoire scheduled for Q1 2014. In addition, in November 2013 a Feasibility Study for the Houndé Project in Burkina Faso was completed showing potential for approximately 180,000 ozs per year over 8 years.

Endeavour Mining Corporation is listed on the TSX (symbol EDV) and ASX (symbol EVR), and also trades on the OTCQX (symbol EDVMF).

On behalf of Endeavour Mining Corporation

Neil Woodyer
Chief Executive Officer

¹Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The estimate of mineral resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issues.  The quantity and grade of reported Inferred resources in this estimation are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define these Inferred resources as an Indicated or Measured mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to an Indicated or Measured mineral resource category.

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" including but not limited to, statements with respect to Endeavour's plans and operating performance, the estimation of mineral reserves and resources, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of future production, future capital expenditures, and the success of exploration activities. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects", "expected", "budgeted", "forecasts" and "anticipates". Forward-looking statements, while based on management's best estimates and assumptions, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: risks related to the successful integration of acquisitions; risks related to international operations; risks related to general economic conditions and credit availability, actual results of current exploration activities, unanticipated reclamation expenses; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; fluctuations in prices of metals including gold; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, increases in market prices of mining consumables, possible variations in ore reserves, grade or recovery rates; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes, title disputes, claims and limitations on insurance coverage and other risks of the mining industry; delays in the completion of development or construction activities, changes in national and local government regulation of mining operations, tax rules and regulations, and political and economic developments in countries in which Endeavour operates. Although Endeavour has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Please refer to Endeavour's most recent Annual Information Form filed under its profile at www.sedar.com for further information respecting the risks affecting Endeavour and its business.

 

Image with caption: "Figure 1: Houndé Project Location Map, including Endeavour's Youga Gold Mine (CNW Group/Endeavour Mining Corporation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131106_C4929_PHOTO_EN_33060.jpg

Image with caption: "Figure 2: Houndé FS General Site Layout - Mine, Waste Dumps, and Plant Location (CNW Group/Endeavour Mining Corporation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131106_C4929_PHOTO_EN_33061.jpg

SOURCE: Endeavour Mining Corporation

Doug Reddy
Senior Vice President - Business Development

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