Alacer Gold Announces 2016 Results and Increased 2017 Production Guidance

TORONTO, Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alacer Gold Corp. (“Alacer” or the “Corporation”) (TSX:ASR) (ASX:AQG) announces unaudited full-year 2016 production results and 2017 production and cost guidance.

Rod Antal, Alacer’s President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “As expected, towards the end of 2016 we saw the breakthrough of gold solution from the 1.6 million tonnes of higher-grade oxide ore stacked on the heap leach pad in the fourth quarter, which aided in achieving production of over 119,000 ounces in 2016. With the carryover of unleached gold from 2016, the production guidance for 2017 is higher at 160,000 to 180,000 ounces. In addition to the higher gold production, 2017 will be a pivotal year for Alacer as we continue to execute on our organic growth strategy. We will continue to advance construction of the Çöpler Sulfide Expansion Project, which is on schedule for first gold production next year, and will further define both Gediktepe and Çakmaktepe development timelines.”

2016 Highlights (100%):

• Çöpler gold production of 119,036 ounces
• Preliminary Total Cash Costs¹ (C2) of $730 per ounce ²
• Preliminary All-in Sustaining Costs¹ of $960 per ounce²
• Cash balance of $215 million and no debt at year end
• Commenced construction of the Çöpler Sulfide Expansion Project
• Delivered a Prefeasibility Study for the Gediktepe Project
• Produced a maiden Mineral Resource estimate in the Çöpler District

Fourth quarter and full-year 2016 financial statements and the related management’s discussion and analysis are planned to be released on or about February 6, 2017 (North America) with a conference call the following day. Conference call details will be announced in due course.

Çöpler Gold Mine Production Statistics for 2016

2017 Guidance

Guidance for the Corporation’s 2017 gold production and costs are as follows:

Production guidance for 2017 assumes the receipt of a pastoral permit to access the West Pit, which contains approximately 20,000 ounces of recoverable gold. In addition, cost guidance for 2017 assumes the receipt of the pastoral permit to access additional waste dump areas. If the permit is not received, there will be additional costs incurred to manage waste tonnes, which will impact the financial metrics.

Çöpler’s 2017 sustaining capital expenditure is planned to total $12 million ($10 million attributable), which includes $7 million for the final expansion of heap leach pad phase four to 58 million tonnes. Growth capital expenditure for 2017 is planned to total $436 million, which includes $420 million ($336 million attributable) for the Çöpler Sulfide Expansion Project and $16 million ($8 million attributable) to progress technical work and site preparation for the Gediktepe project.

Expenditure on Alacer’s exploration portfolio in Turkey is planned to total $15 million during 2017, of which $7 million is attributable to Alacer. Alacer’s exploration portfolio is held in various joint ventures with our Turkish partner, Lidya Madencilik San. Ve Tic, A.Ş. (“Lidya Mining”).

Notes

In this announcement:

• All production statistics are on a 100% basis except where otherwise noted.
• All $’s are US$’s except where otherwise noted.
• All ounces are troy ounces of gold.
• TRY (Turkish Lira): US$ of 3.5 to 1.00.
• 2017 gold sales - approximately 93,000 ounces will be sold at the hedged price of $1,282 and the remainder at spot.

About Alacer

Alacer is a leading intermediate gold mining company, with an 80% interest in the world-class Çöpler Gold Mine in Turkey operated by Anagold Madencilik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., and the remaining 20% owned by Lidya Mining. The Corporation’s primary focus is to leverage its cornerstone Çöpler Mine and strong balance sheet to maximize portfolio value, maximize free cash flow, minimize project risk and, therefore, create maximum value for shareholders.

The Çöpler Mine is located in east-central Turkey in the Erzincan Province, approximately 1,100 kilometers southeast from Istanbul and 550 kilometers east from Ankara, Turkey’s capital city.

Alacer is actively pursuing initiatives to enhance value beyond the current mine plan:

• Çöpler Oxide Production Optimization – Expansion of the existing heap leach pad to 58 million tonnes capacity continues to advance. The Corporation continues to evaluate opportunities to extend oxide production beyond the current Mineral Reserves, including a new heap leach pad site to the west of the Çöpler Mine.
   
• Çöpler Sulfide Project – The Sulfide Project is under construction with first gold production projected in the third quarter of 2018. The Sulfide Project is expected to deliver long-term growth with robust financial returns and adds 20 years of production at Çöpler. The Sulfide Project will bring Çöpler’s remaining life-of-mine gold production to 4 million ounces at All-in Sustaining Costs averaging $645 per ounce⁵.
  
  
• The Corporation continues to pursue opportunities to further expand its current operating base and to become a sustainable multi-mine producer with a focus on Turkey. The systematic and focused exploration efforts in the Çöpler District, as well as in other regions of Turkey, are progressing. A maiden Mineral Resource estimate was released for Çakmaktepe and Bayramdere⁶ and they remain the focus in the Çöpler District with the potential to add oxide production within the next two years. In the region, the Gediktepe Project has advanced with a maiden Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve released in third quarter 2016⁷.

Alacer is a Canadian corporation incorporated in the Yukon Territory with its primary listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The Corporation also has a secondary listing on the Australian Securities Exchange where CDIs trade.

Cautionary Statements

Except for statements of historical fact relating to Alacer, certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information, future oriented financial information, or financial outlooks (collectively “forward-looking information”) within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information may be contained in this document and other public filings of Alacer. Forward-looking information often relates to statements concerning Alacer’s future outlook and anticipated events or results, and in some cases, can be identified by terminology such as “may”, “will”, “could”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “intend”, “estimate”, “projects”, “predict”, “potential”, “continue” or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts.

Forward-looking information includes statements concerning, among other things, preliminary cost reporting in this document; production, cost, and capital expenditure guidance; the ability to expand the current heap leach pad; development plans for processing sulfide ore at Çöpler; the results of any gold reconciliations; the ability to discover additional oxide gold ore; the generation of free cash flow and payment of dividends; matters relating to proposed exploration; communications with local stakeholders; maintaining community and government relations; negotiations of joint ventures; negotiation and completion of transactions; commodity prices; mineral resources, mineral reserves, realization of mineral reserves, and the existence or realization of mineral resource estimates; the development approach; the timing and amount of future production; the timing of studies, announcements, and analysis; the timing of construction and development of proposed mines and process facilities; capital and operating expenditures; economic conditions; availability of sufficient financing; exploration plans; receipt of regulatory approvals; and any and all other timing, exploration, development, operational, financial, budgetary, economic, legal, social, environmental, regulatory, and political matters that may influence or be influenced by future events or conditions.

Such forward-looking information and statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions, including, but not limited in any manner to, those disclosed in any other of Alacer’s filings, and include the inherent speculative nature of exploration results; the ability to explore; communications with local stakeholders; maintaining community and governmental relations; status of negotiations of joint ventures; weather conditions at Alacer’s operations; commodity prices; the ultimate determination of and realization of mineral reserves; existence or realization of mineral resources; the development approach; availability and receipt of required approvals, titles, licenses and permits; sufficient working capital to develop and operate the mines and implement development plans; access to adequate services and supplies; foreign currency exchange rates; interest rates; access to capital markets and associated cost of funds; availability of a qualified work force; ability to negotiate, finalize, and execute relevant agreements; lack of social opposition to the mines or facilities; lack of legal challenges with respect to the property of Alacer; the timing and amount of future production; the ability to meet production, cost, and capital expenditure targets; timing and ability to produce studies and analyses; capital and operating expenditures; economic conditions; availability of sufficient financing; the ultimate ability to mine, process, and sell mineral products on economically favorable terms; and any and all other timing, exploration, development, operational, financial, budgetary, economic, legal, social, geopolitical, regulatory and political factors that may influence future events or conditions. While we consider these factors and assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to us, they may prove to be incorrect.

You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information and statements. Forward-looking information and statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and our projections about future events. Actual results may vary from such forward-looking information for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties disclosed in Alacer’s filings on the Corporation’s website at www.alacergold.com, on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the ASX at www.asx.com.au, and other unforeseen events or circumstances. Other than as required by law, Alacer does not intend, and undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking information to reflect, among other things, new information or future events.

¹ Total Cash Costs per ounce and All-in Sustaining Costs per ounce are non-IFRS performance measures with no standardized definition under IFRS. For further information and a detailed reconciliation, please see the “Non-IFRS Measures” section of the most recent MD&A.

² 2016 costs are preliminary. Audited financials will be released with Alacer’s full-year financial results on or about February 6, 2017.

³ Sulfide ores are being stockpiled and reported as long-term inventory.

⁴ Attributable gold production is reduced by the 20% non-controlling interest at the Çöpler Gold Mine.

⁵ Detailed information regarding the Çöpler Sulfide Project, including the material assumptions on which the forward-looking financial information is based, can be found in the Technical Report dated June 9, 2016 entitled “Technical Report on the Çöpler Mine and Çöpler Sulfide Exploration Project” (the “Updated Technical Report”) available on the Corporation’s website at www.alacergold.com, on www.sedar.com, and on www.asx.com.au. 

⁶ Detailed information can be found in the press release entitled “Alacer Gold Announces Additional Exploration Results for Çakmaktepe and an Initial Mineral Resource in the Çöpler District,” dated December 19, 2016, available on the Corporation’s website at www.alacergold.com, on www.sedar.com, and on www.asx.com.au.

⁷ Alacer has completed the clawback for Gediktepe and now owns 50% of the Project. Detailed information can be found in the press release entitled “Alacer Gold Announces a New Reserve for its Gediktepe Project Providing Future Growth,” dated September 13, 2016, available on the Corporation’s website at www.alacergold.com, on www.sedar.com, and on www.asx.com.au.