Fort Knox Production Increased From Higher Mill Throughput And Higher Grades

TORONTO - Kinross Gold Corporation President and CEO, Paul Rollinson, said, “Our portfolio of mines performed well during the quarter contributing to a strong first half of the year. Our margins grew by 27%, operating earnings were significantly higher, and free cash flow more than doubled compared with the same period last year. Tasiast, Paracatu and La Coipa delivered approximately 70% of our production and our lowest costs for the quarter, including record production at Tasiast, and we remain on track to meet our annual production and cost outlook for 2023.

Our pipeline of projects continued to make strong progress. During the quarter, construction and initial commissioning was completed at the Tasiast 24k project, on schedule and on budget. The Tasiast 24k project is expected to increase production and lower costs while generating significant free cash flow. Manh Choh is advancing on plan to come online in the second half of 2024 following the receipt of its key operating permits.

At Great Bear, we are pleased to have recently signed an Advanced Exploration Agreement with our partners the Wabauskang and Lac Seul First Nations on whose traditional territories the project is located. We recognize that respect, collaboration and consideration for our First Nation partners is central to our license to operate in the area. We are committed to developing a project that honours Indigenous rights and brings long-term socio-economic benefits, consistent with how Kinross operates in all of our host communities.

We also released our annual Climate Report, which provides a transparent and comprehensive account of our reporting in this important area. We advanced our climate change strategy in 2022 as well as a number of energy-efficiency projects that support our goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The solar plant at Tasiast is on schedule to come online by the end of the year and is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 530,000 tonnes over the life of mine.”

Tasiast had another strong quarter and achieved record quarterly production and sales, largely due to strong grades and recoveries. Production was higher compared with the first quarter primarily due to higher throughputs after the planned shutdown in February, and as the operation continues its commissioning and ramp-ups to the sustained 24k tonnes per day (t/d). Production was higher year-over-year mainly due to improved recoveries and an increase in mill grades as mining has moved to the higher-grade section of West Branch 4. Cost of sales per ounce sold was lower quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year due to the increase in production.

Paracatu performed well during the quarter, with an increase in quarterly production driven by strong grades and recoveries, which contributed to the lower cost of sales per ounce sold. Year-over-year, production increased due to stronger grades and cost of sales per ounce sold decreased mainly due to the increased production.

At La Coipa, production was higher quarter-over-quarter mainly due to the planned mill shutdown in the first quarter to increase mill reliability and sustain higher throughput levels, partially offset by lower grades and recoveries. Year-over-year production was higher as the mill ramped up over the course of last year. Production cost of sales per ounce sold was lower than both comparable periods due to the increase in production.

At Fort Knox, production was higher compared with the previous quarter mainly due to an increase in mill throughput and higher grades. Year-over-year production decreased primarily as a result of fewer tonnes placed on the Barnes Creek heap leach facility, partially offset by higher grades. Cost of sales per ounce sold was largely in line quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year.

Construction activities have commenced on the mill modifications at Fort Knox, where the Manh Choh ore will be processed. The Kinross operations team is now fully staffed while onboarding of key business partners to support the mining and ore transport is ongoing. As a key priority, all parties remain focused on local hiring and training opportunities to support the local towns and villages including long-term skills for individuals after mining concludes at Manh Choh.

At Round Mountain, production decreased slightly compared with the previous quarter mainly due to lower grades and recoveries. Year-over-year production increased slightly, largely due to an increase in tonnes placed on the heap leach pads. Cost of sales per ounce sold was lower quarter-over-quarter mainly due to an increase in ounces stacked on the heap leach pads, and largely in line year-over-year.

At Round Mountain, the Company has completed Phase W1 and is continuing to mine Phase W2 while progressing optimization work on Phase S open pit and focusing on exploration and studies of the underground options at Phase X and Gold Hill. The recent optimization work at Phase S has shown positive initial results, reducing the capital spend and strip ratio and improving economics. The Company will continue to study Phase S, and the associated ounces remain in reserves for potential future mining.Construction of the Phase X exploration decline is progressing well, with 350 metres developed so far, and remains on plan to start definition drilling in early 2024.

In terms of sequencing, Round Mountain could potentially transition open pit mining from Phase W2 to Phase S while developing and ramping up the Phase X underground, which could then be concurrently exploited with Phase S in the second half of the decade. Gold Hill underground development could follow Phase X, adding higher grade mill feed to supplement production from Phase S and Phase X towards the end of the decade.  

At Bald Mountain, production was higher quarter-over-quarter primarily due to an increase in ounces recovered from the heap leach pads, partially offset by lower grades. Year-over-year production was lower as a result of fewer tonnes placed on the heap leach pads and lower grades. Cost of sales per ounce sold was slightly higher quarter-over-quarter due to higher maintenance costs, and year-over-year due to lower production. Following the unprecedented winter snowfall, mining rates have ramped up and Bald Mountain remains on target for full-year production.

The Gold Hill exploration 2023 drill program tested continuity within the mid-Atlantic vein zone and confirmed an 800m west strike extension with multiple high-grade intercepts within the Jersey vein zone. Top Jersey vein zone intercepts: D-1195 – 2.1m @ 41.5 g/t Au-eq (400m strike extension); D-1195 – 2.3m @ 20.4 g/t Au-eq (400m strike extension); D-1194 – 1.9m @ 29.8 g/t Au-eq, new high grade in critical area; and D-1196 – 1.9m @ 6.1 g/t Au-eq (800m strike extension).

The new strike extensions, including the best intercept received to date in hole D-1195, demonstrate this robust system continues and still remains open to the west at depth.

Tasiast 24k construction and initial commissioning is now complete, on schedule and on budget. The successful tie-in of the new pre-classification circuit was completed in June, all components of the 24k project are in operation with the ramp-up process underway. The process plant has regularly achieved the designed 24,000 t/d throughput for sustained periods of time. The operation is expected to ramp-up for the balance of the year to consistently achieve 24,000 t/d (average) on an annual basis.

The 34MW Tasiast solar power plant continues to advance and is on schedule for completion by the end of the year. Civil works are nearly complete and mechanical works are well advanced with a focus on the installation of the photovoltaic modules. Electrical works are underway and planning for commissioning has begun.

The Company continues to make excellent progress at the Great Bear project in Red Lake, Ontario. In the second quarter, Kinross drilled approximately 56,000 metres as part of its robust exploration and infill drilling program. Kinross’ focus this year is on inferred drilling in the area half a kilometre to one kilometre below surface. This work will be complemented by exploration drilling along strike of the LP Fault zone and around the Hinge and Limb zones that have seen little exploration drilling for new mineralization beyond the known zones, with the goal of further delineating the deposit at depth as well as adding inferred resource ounces. Drilling-to-date has demonstrated potential for a meaningful increase in the underground resource and Kinross expects to declare a resource update as part of its year-end results. Results-to-date continue to support the view of a high-grade deposit that underpins the prospect of a large, long-life mining complex with the recent results continuing to demonstrate the high-grade nature of the mineralization. Holes BR-805, BR-769A and BR-804 show the potential for continued resource growth at Yauro below the existing mineral resource. Hole BR-796 intercepted 4.6m @ 5.7 g/t at a depth of 860m at Yuma, demonstrating the continuity of the LP Fault zone between 500 and 1,000 metres.

The Company recently began using directional core drilling at Great Bear, which allows multiple drill holes to branch off from a single pilot hole. This decreases the amount of drilling required to reach deep targets, thereby reducing costs, improving productivity, and enabling the precise targeting of the resource from different angles. Initial trials earlier this year were highly successful, and the system is now being used on 6 of the 11 drills on site to target the LP Fault and Hinge zones. The Company is also progressing studies and permitting for an advanced exploration program that would establish an underground decline to obtain a bulk sample and allow for more efficient exploration of deeper areas of the LP Fault zone, along with the nearby Hinge and Limb gold zones. Feasibility level engineering for advanced exploration infrastructure is approximately 70% complete, including geophysics and soils geotechnical drilling, and the procurement process for long-lead items such as the camp, power infrastructure and water treatment plant has been initiated.

At the 70%-owned Manh Choh project, activities remain on schedule and on budget, and the mine’s key operating permits were received in May. Construction activities at the mine area have commenced and continue to ramp-up with the mobilization of the mining business partner and construction companies to install the site facilities. Contracting and procurement activities are now complete for the Manh Choh site.

The Company announced in 2022, that it was proceeding with the Manh Choh project as the operator of the joint venture. Initial production from Manh Choh is expected in the second half of 2024 and is expected to add approximately 640,000 attributable Au eq. oz. to the Company’s production profile over its approximately 4.5 year life-of-mine. Including Manh Choh, the Company expects to produce an average of approximately 400,000 attributable Au eq. oz. per year from 2024 to 2027 from its Alaskan assets.

Kinross’ activities in Chile are currently focused on La Coipa and potential opportunities to extend its mine life. The Lobo-Marte project continues to provide optionality as a potential large, low-cost mine upon the conclusion of mining at La Coipa. While the Company focuses its technical resources on La Coipa, it will continue to engage and build relationships with communities related to Lobo-Marte and government stakeholders.

At the Curlew Basin exploration project in Washington State, underground exploration drill results continue to confirm vein extensions and continuity within high priority target areas. Exploration drilling will continue throughout the third quarter with the aim to build on the resource through proximal growth and to test the area of upside potential.

The top three significant intercepts (of 72) received during the quarter include: 1) K5 (1148) – 2.2m @ 41.3 g/t Au. 2) K5 (1403) – 6.8m @ 9.1 g/t Au including 3.1 @ 14.7 g/t Au. 3) K5 (1410) – 4.5m @ 10.8 g/t Au.

Results-to-date demonstrate thicker intervals of mineralization and are adding volume in key portions of the system. Hole 1148, which represents the best Curlew intercept in 10 years, tested the southern edge of K5 and documented a major change in vein orientation, resulting in a new open zone of higher-grade veins. Previous tests of K5-South from surface showed the zone had limited growth potential, and now this intercept and follow-up drilling unlock a new search space. Year-after-year, exploration continues to define new veins, proving the thesis there is more to explore within the entire Curlew Basin.