Tinka Reports Updated PEA and Mineral Resource Estimate for the Ayawilca Polymetallic Zinc-Tin-Silver Deposit

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2024 / Tinka Resources Limited ("Tinka" or the "Company") (TSXV:TK)(BVL:TK)(OTCQB:TKRFF) is pleased to announce the results from an updated Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") on the Company's 100%-owned polymetallic Ayawilca project ("Ayawilca" or the "Project") in central Peru. The updated PEA shows Ayawilca to be an excellent base metals project with significant enhancements from the previous PEA study. The Project now features a smaller, more efficient zinc-silver-lead plant, introduces a separate tin plant for additional revenue and commodity diversification and highlights the development path forward for Ayawilca to become a producing mine.

PEA Highlights:

  • Robust economics: After-tax Net Present Value ("NPV") at 8% discount of US$434 million (pre-tax NPV8% of US$732 million) and after-tax Internal Rate of Return ("IRR") of 25.9% (pre-tax IRR of 34.8%).

  • Payback period after-tax of 2.9 years (pre-tax of 2.4 years).

  • Initial Capital Expenditure ("Capex") of US$382 million.

  • Long 21-year life of mine ("LOM") for a 2.0 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) zinc-silver-lead operation with 15?years of tin production at 0.3 Mtpa.

  • Average C1 cash cost of US$0.55/pound zinc and all in sustaining cost ("AISC") of US$0.68/ pound zinc.

  • Average annual metal production (in concentrate) of 200 million pounds of zinc (90,000 tonnes Zn), 3.26 million pounds of tin (1,500 tonnes Sn), 560,000 ounces of silver and 5.7 million pounds of lead (2,590 tonnes Pb).

  • Zinc Zone Indicated Mineral Resource tonnage increased 49% from the previous Mineral Resource estimate.

  • Tin Zone Indicated Mineral Resource declared for the first time.

  • Excellent location in a world-class mining jurisdiction, close to a zinc smelter and port.

  • Compact mine footprint and planned use of filtered tailings technology provides the lowest risk and most water-efficient solution for tailings storage while 40% of tailings to be stored underground as backfill.

Dr. Graham Carman, Tinka's President and CEO, stated:

"We are very pleased to release the results of the updated 2024 PEA for the Ayawilca project. We believe the results of the PEA show Ayawilca to be an outstanding polymetallic project with several improvements from the previous study. While zinc continues to be the primary revenue source, Ayawilca's polymetallic nature includes important contributions from tin and silver providing valuable commodity diversification. The updated PEA is marked by the incorporation of a smaller, more efficient, zinc-silver-lead plant and a separate tin plant and a more compact mine footprint. Despite an increase in the initial capex, due to efficiencies in the mine design there was no significant impact on valuation. The strong financial metrics include an after-tax NPV8% of US$434 million, an after-tax IRR of 25.9%, and a post-tax payback period of only 2.9 years which highlight the potential for Ayawilca to become a producing mine."