ORVANA REPORTS Q2 FY2024 PRODUCTION AND EXPLORATION UPDATE

In This Article:

TSX:ORV

TORONTO, April 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Orvana Minerals Corp. (TSX: ORV) (the "Company" or "Orvana") is pleased to report production and exploration updates from Orovalle, Spain, for the second quarter of fiscal year 2024 ("Q2 FY2024), ending March 31, 2024.

Highlights

  • Production of 10,101 Gold Equivalent Ounces (7,775 gold ounces, 1.1 million copper pounds and 26,728 silver ounces).

  • In January 2024, Orovalle successfully concluded negotiations regarding basic terms of its 2023-2025 Collective Bargain Agreement ("CBA"), which were ratified by workers' assemblies.  Upon agreement to the basic terms of the new CBA, the 3-hour stoppages per shift strike that had commenced in mid November 2023 were halted.

  • As a consequence of this non-recurrent event, Orovalle's second quarter performance has been negatively impacted, and the tonnage mined and milled was below the plan for the quarter. Q2 FY2024 throughput of 136,371 tonnes was 23% below the second quarter of fiscal 2023. Gold grade was below the plan for the quarter, and copper grade was above the plan for the quarter, as a result of a different ore blend due to the changes in backfilling and mining sequencing.

  • 2,854 m of Infill and Brownfield drilling, with key intercepts in Boinas South as follows:

    • DDH 23SB181: 20.65 m @ 9.01 g/t Au – 0.29 %Cu

    • DDH 23SB189: 11.50 m @ 3.26 g/t Au – 0.52 %Cu

3.00 m @ 52.98 g/t Au – 0.48 %Cu

    • DDH 23SB191: 12.20 m @ 4.03 g/t Au – 1.15 %Cu

    • DDH 23SB197: 11.00 m @ 4.11 g/t Au – 0.4 %Cu

Juan Gavidia, CEO of Orvana stated: "During the second quarter Orovalle rescheduled the production plan until September 2024, and continues focusing on improving mining operational ratios, which we expect will allow us to increase our monthly throughput to 58,000 t in average over the second half of the year". 

"We are committed to continue optimizing operations at El Valle and improve cost efficiency, always in line with our safety standards", he added.

Q2 FY2024 Production Results

  • 7,775 gold ounces produced. Orovalle is targeting to reach the lower end of the 2024 production guidance of 41,000 - 45,000 Oz.

  • 1.1 million copper pounds produced, on track to meet fiscal year 2024 guidance of 3,300 – 3,700 K lbs.



Q2 FY2024

Q1 FY2024

Q2 FY2023

YTD Q2 FY2024

FY 2024 Guidance

Ore milled (tones)


136,371

130,267

177,853

266,638


Gold equivalent (oz)(1)


10,101

9,550

14,470

19,651


Gold







    Grade (g/t)


1.97

2.09

2.21

2.03


    Recovery (%)


90.0

91.5

91.9

90.8


    Production (oz)


7,775

7,994

11,599

15,768

41,000 - 45,000

Copper







     Grade (%)


0.47

0.32

0.36

0.40


     Recovery (%)


78.0

76.3

81.2

77.3


     Production (K lbs)


1,095

702

1,144

1,797

3,300 - 3,700

Silver







     Grade (g/t)


8.17

6.77

8.40

7.49


     Recovery (%)


74.6

72.0

72.9

73.4


     Production (oz)


26,728

20,393

35,000

47,121