TORONTO, CANADA--(Marketwired - May 16, 2013) - Seabridge Gold (TSX:SEA)(NYSE:SA) reported today that the first round of metallurgical tests on material from the new Walsh Lake deposit at its 100%-owned Courageous Lake project confirm high gold recoveries from conventional, direct ore cyanidation.
SGS Mineral Services' laboratory in Lakefield performed tests on three separate composite samples taken from Walsh Lake drill core. The head grade of the composite samples provided by Seabridge ranged from 2.9 grams of gold per tonne (g/t) to 12.2 g/t in order to assess variations in recoveries at different grades. The samples were ground so that about 80% of the material would pass through a 200 mesh screen, typical of material subjected to gold industry milling practices. The laboratory results indicate that the Walsh Lake material is not refractory and is amenable to leaching by standard, direct cyanidation procedures, yielding gold extractions ranging from 93.8% to 95.0% in 48 hours of leach time. Flotation tests were also performed, yielding gold recoveries ranging from 95% on high grade material to 88% on lower grade material in rougher flotation concentrates containing 15% to 23% of the original composite weight.
Seabridge Chairman and CEO Rudi Fronk said the results of the metallurgical tests were highly favorable for potential exploitation of the Walsh Lake deposit. "We now have a green light to consider mining the Walsh Lake deposit prior to constructing the processing plant required for the larger FAT deposit. This order of development could have significant economic benefits for the Courageous Lake project as it would generate cash flow to pay for some of the capital costs. Of course, the first priority remains the current Walsh Lake drill program which is expected to move us towards an initial resource estimate. As noted in our news release of May 13, 2013, this program is confirming the potential of the Walsh Lake deposit."
Exploration activities by Seabridge at the Courageous Lake gold project are being conducted under the supervision of William E. Threlkeld, P.Geo, Senior Vice President of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Threlkeld has approved the disclosure in this news release. In order to verify the test data, a rigorous quality control/quality assurance protocol is being employed during the 2013 Courageous Lake drill program including blank and certified reference standards inserted by the Company at a rate of not less than one of each type in every 34 samples. Repeats and re-splits of the sample rejects are being analyzed at a rate of not less than one sample in every 25 for each type. Samples are being assayed at Acme Laboratories, Vancouver, B.C. using fire assay atomic adsorption methods for gold and total digestion ICP methods for other elements. Intervals that exceed 4.0 g/t Au are systematically re-analyzed and samples that exceed 10.0 g/t Au are methodically re-analyzed using metallic screen fire assay techniques. Cross-check analyses are being conducted at a second external laboratory on at least 10% of the samples.
Seabridge holds a 100% interest in several North American gold resource projects. The Company's principal assets are the KSM property located near Stewart, British Columbia, Canada and the Courageous Lake gold project located in Canada's Northwest Territories. For a breakdown of Seabridge's mineral reserves and resources by project and category please visit the Company's website at http://www.seabridgegold.net/resources.php .
All reserve and resource estimates reported by the Corporation were calculated in accordance with the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Classification system. These standards differ significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.
This document contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This information and these statements, ref erred to herein as "forward-looking statements" are made as of the date of this document. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: (i) rates of gold extraction and recovery; (ii) the potential for economic exploitation of the Walsh Lake deposit and the impact of mining the deposit first on project economics; (iii) the estimated amount and grade of mineral reserves and mineral resources and whether a new resource estimate can be completed; (iv) estimates of the capital costs of constructing mine facilities and bringing a mine into production, including financing payback periods; (v) the amount of future production; (vi) estimates of operating costs, net cash flow and economic returns from an operating mine; (vii) submission of an Environmental Impact Statement and permit applications for Courageous Lake and the timing thereof; and (viii) the prospect of obtaining necessary permits and proceeding with the construction and operation of a mine and the value of such a venture to Seabridge Gold shareholders. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "envisages", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.
All forward-looking statements are based on Seabridge's or its consultants' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. These assumptions include: (i) the presence of and continuity of metals at the Project at observed or modelled grades; (ii) the capacities of various machinery and equipment; (iii) the availability of personnel, machinery and equipment at estimated prices; (iv) exchange rates; (v) metals sales prices; (vi) appropriate discount rates; (vii) tax rates and royalty rates applicable to the proposed mining operation; (viii) financing structure and costs; (ix) anticipated mining losses and dilution; (x) metallurgical performance; (xi) reasonable contingency requirements; (xii) success in realizing proposed operations; (xiii) receipt of regulatory approvals on acceptable terms, and (xiv) the negotiation of satisfactory terms with impacted Treaty and First Nations groups. Although management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. Many forward-looking statements are made assuming the correctness of other forward looking statements, such as statements of net present value and internal rates of return, which are based on most of the other forward-looking statements and assumptions herein. The cost information is also prepared using current values, but the time for incurring the costs will be in the future and it is assumed costs will remain stable over the relevant period.
By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important factors could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These risk factors may be generally stated as the risk that the assumptions and estimates expressed above do not occur, but specifically include, without limitation: risks relating to variations in the mineral content within the mineralized material identified, in particular mineral reserves or mineral resources, from that predicted; variations in rates of recovery and extraction; developments in world metals markets; risks relating to fluctuations in the Canadian dollar relative to the US dollar; increases in the estimated capital and operating costs or unanticipated costs; difficulties attracting the necessary work force; increases in financing costs or adverse changes to the terms of available financing, if any; tax rates or royalties being greater than assumed; changes in development or mining plans due to changes in logistical, technical or other factors; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; risks relating to receipt of regulatory approvals or settlement of an agreement with impacted First Nations groups; the effects of competition in the markets in which Seabridge operates; operational and infrastructure risks and the additional risks described in Seabridge's Annual Information Form filed with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com ) for the year ended December 31, 2012 and in the Corporation's Annual Report Form 40-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR (available at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml ). Seabridge cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive.
When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to Seabridge, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Seabridge does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by Seabridge or on our behalf, except as required by law.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
Rudi Fronk, Chairman and CEO
