Vancouver, BC, March 22, 2005 - Goldcorp
Inc. (TSX: G; NYSE: GG), and Wheaton River Minerals Ltd. (TSX: WRM;
AMEX: WHT) (together “Goldcorp”), are pleased to announce the
acquisition by their Mexican operating arm, Luismin, of the 2.4 million
ounce Bermejal Gold Deposit in Mexico for cash consideration of US$70
million. Closing of the acquisition, from Minera El Bermejal, S. de
R.L. de C.V. (“Minera Bermejal”), a joint venture of Industrias Peñoles
S.A. de C.V. (“Peñoles”) and Newmont Mining Corporation (“Newmont”), is
expected by March 31, 2005.
In order to finance the acquisition, Goldcorp will
sell its inventory of gold bullion early in the second quarter of 2005.
Furthermore, given Goldcorp’s intent to continue to grow by way of
accretive acquisitions, the Company intends to discontinue its previous
practice of stockpiling one third of its production from the Red Lake
Mine.
Ian Telfer, President and Chief Executive Officer of
Goldcorp, said “This transaction is a key step in consolidating control
of the Guerrero Gold Belt, a significant part of our growth strategy in
Mexico. This purchase increases Goldcorp’s current measured and
indicated mineral resources in this district to nearly 6 million ounces
of gold. The immediate proximity to our Los Filos Gold Deposit will
allow the use of a joint processing facility for ore from both deposits,
which will provide considerable economies of scale. The acquisition of
Bermejal will turn our Los Filos project into the largest gold mining
operation in Mexico, with average annual production expected to exceed
300,000 ounces.
By financing this acquisition through the sale of our
gold bullion inventory, we are converting 240,000 ounces of gold in the
bank vault into 2.4 million ounces of gold in the ground. This is
accretive by any measure.”
The Bermejal Gold Deposit is located 2 kilometres
south of Goldcorp’s Los Filos Gold Deposit, where feasibility studies
are nearing completion. Testwork completed by both Minera Bermejal and
Goldcorp during due diligence indicates run of mine heap leaching is the
preferred processing method.
With the acquisition, the main design effect on the
Los Filos feasibility study will be a change in the proposed heap leach
pad location to a more central location in order to provide enough
capacity to process material from both open pittable deposits.
Geotechnical and design studies have already commenced on the new pad
location. With the majority of Bermejal ore run of mine heap leached,
the already designed Los Filos crushing / agglomeration plant will not
change in scope.
Goldcorp plans to immediately commence further
metallurgical, geotechnical, and engineering studies towards developing
both Bermejal and Los Filos into one comprehensive mining operation.
Reserves and Resources for Goldcorp’s interests in the Guerrero Gold Belt are reported as follows;
GUERRERO GOLD BELT MINERAL RESERVES AND RESOURCES(1,8) (as of December 31, 2004)
|
Project |
Classification |
Tonnage (million tonnes) |
Grade (g Au/t) |
Contained Gold (million ounces) |
|
Bermejal (3) |
Indicated |
93.60 |
0.79 |
2.37 |
|
Los Filos(4,5) |
Measured |
20.67 |
0.81 |
0.54 |
|
Indicated |
67.54 |
0.91 |
1.98 |
|
Nukay(4,6) |
Proven |
0.42 |
4.73 |
0.07 |
|
Probable |
0.77 |
4.65 |
0.12 |
|
Measured |
0.04 |
5.31 |
0.01 |
|
Indicated |
10.45 |
1.75 |
0.59 |
|
TOTAL Measured & Indicated (inclusive of mineral reserves) |
5.68 |
|
Los Filos(4,5) |
Inferred |
11.26 |
0.7 |
0.26 |
|
Nukay(4,6) |
Inferred |
9.69 |
1.8 |
0.58 |
|
El Limon (2,4,7) |
Inferred |
6.50 |
3.3 |
0.68 |
|
TOTAL Inferred |
1.52 |
Notes :
-
Mineral Reserves and Resources reported above have
been calculated as of December 31, 2004 in accordance with the standards
of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum National
Instrument 43-101.
-
Data shown is Goldcorp’s share of Mineral Resources.
-
The Bermejal Mineral Resource was estimated by
Peñoles, the current operator of the project, and was included as the
“Mezcala” indicated resource by Newmont in their News Release dated
February 3, 2005. The Bermejal Mineral Resource is reported using a
0.35 g Au/t cutoff and a US$400 gold price. The resource estimate was
audited and verified by Gary Giroux, P.Eng. of Giroux Consultants, a
Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 guidelines.
-
The Los Filos, Nukay, and El Limon Mineral Reserves
and Resources were reported by Wheaton in their News Release dated
March 7, 2005.
-
The Los Filos Mineral Resource was estimated by
Neil Burns, P.Geo. of Snowden Mineral Industry Consultants, a Qualified
Person under National Instrument 43-101 guidelines. The Mineral
Resource is wholly contained within an optimization shell using a US$400
gold price, and includes crush/leach resources of 51.5 million measured
and indicated tonnes grading 1.28 grams of gold per tonne for a total
of 2.12 million ounces.
-
The Nukay Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources
and were estimated by Gary Giroux, P.Eng. of Micon Consultants, a
Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 guidelines. The
reserves and resources were estimated using a US$375 gold price and
appropriate cut-offs.
-
The El Limon Mineral Resource was estimated by
James N. Grey, P.Geo. and Al Samis, P.Geo., both of Teck Cominco Ltd.
and Qualified Persons under National Instrument 43-101 guidelines. The
Mineral Resource is wholly contained within an optimization shell using a
US$400 gold price.
-
Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not demonstrate economic viability.
In February 2005, Goldcorp announced that its
offer for Wheaton River was successful and this merger is expected to be
finalized in April 2005. The combined company, which continues as
Goldcorp under the direction of Wheaton River management, creates the
world’s lowest cost million ounce gold producer, with 2005 gold
production expected to exceed 1.1 million ounces of gold at a cash cost
of less than US$60 per ounce. By 2007, gold production is expected to
grow to over 1.5 million ounces. The combined company has a strong
balance sheet with over US$500 million in cash and gold bullion, and no
debt.
Cautionary Statements
Safe Harbor Statement under the United States Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Except for the statements of
historical fact contained herein, the information presented constitutes
“forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking
statements, including but not limited to those with respect to the price
of gold, silver and copper, the timing and amount of estimated future
production, costs of production, reserve determination and reserve
conversion rates involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or
achievements of Wheaton or Goldcorp to be materially different from any
future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, risks
related to the integration of acquisitions, risks related to
international operations, risks related to joint venture operations, the
actual results of current exploration activities, actual results of
current reclamation activities, conclusions of economic evaluations,
changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future
prices of gold, silver and copper, as well as those factors discussed in
the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the Form 40-F for each company
on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington,
D.C. Although Wheaton and Goldcorp have attempted to identify important
factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, 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.
This news release uses the terms “Measured”,
“Indicated” and “Inferred” Resources. United States investors are
advised that, while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian
regulations, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission does not
recognize them. “Inferred Resources” have a great amount of uncertainty
as to their existence and as to their economic and legal feasibility.
It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an “Inferred Resource” will
ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates
of Inferred Resources may not form the basis of feasibility or other
economic studies. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that all
or any part of Measured or Indicated Resources will ever be converted
into Reserves. U.S. investors are also cautioned not to assume that all
or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource exists, or is economically
or legally mineable.
For further information, please contact:
Julia Hasiwar Director, Investor Relations Goldcorp Inc. 1560-200 Burrard Street Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 3L6 Telephone: 604-696-3011 Fax: (604) 696-3001 e-mail: info@goldcorp.com website: www.goldcorp.com
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