Sona Resources Corp.: Blackdome-Elizabeth Preliminary Economic Assessment Finalized
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - June 22, 2010) - Sona Resources Corp. (the "Company" or "Sona") (TSX VENTURE:SYS)(FRANKFURT:QS7) is pleased to announce that it has received and filed on SEDAR the full final Preliminary Economic Assessment evaluation report from Micon International Ltd. ("Micon") for mining the known mineral resources at the Blackdome Gold Mine ("Blackdome") and the Elizabeth Gold Property ("Elizabeth"), and processing them at the former-producing Blackdome mill. The report is available for download on both the Company and SEDAR websites.
The details of the economic assessment were released on May 18, 2010, and included the following summary: "The economic review contemplates underground mining at Blackdome and Elizabeth with a 200 tonne per day mill throughput over an eight-year mine life, to recover 183,600 ounces of gold and 62,500 ounces of silver. Operating cash costs are projected to average $686 per ounce or $208 per tonne milled over the life of the project. Pre-production capital costs at Blackdome and Elizabeth are estimated at $11.4 million and $9.4 million, respectively, with a combined sustaining capital of $9.45 million. The pre-tax cash flow is estimated to be a positive $27 million, and the after-tax cash flow $20 million."
Planning for the $5-million underground and surface exploration program at the Elizabeth deposit, to improve confidence in the mineral resource and to expand the known resource, is well under way. Upgrading of the access road to the Elizabeth property is in progress and is expected to be completed in July 2010. Bids have been obtained for a 40-man trailer camp, a communications system for the camp, and a diamond drill contract.
About Sona Resources Corp.
Since its inception in 1990, Sona has engaged in exploration activities at its mineral properties in Canada and the United States, as well as small-scale gold production at its flagship property, the 100 percent owned Blackdome Gold Mine, in south-central British Columbia. At Blackdome, the indicated mineral resources are estimated to be 144,500 tonnes, grading 11.29g Au/t and containing 52,600 ounces of gold, and the inferred resource is estimated to be 90,600 tonnes, grading 8.79g Au/t (news release of May 4, 2010). At its 100 percent owned Elizabeth Gold Property, 30 kilometres south of the Blackdome Gold Mine, Sona has outlined an inferred gold resource of 522,900 tonnes, grading 12.3g Au/t and containing 206,100 ounces of gold (news release of June 8, 2009). Sona aims to bring the Blackdome mill back into production over the next three years, with feed from the former-producing Blackdome Gold Mine and the Elizabeth Gold Property.
Sona holds a 100 percent interest in two other promising properties: The Callaghan Project is located in Nevada, within 80 kilometres of several producing mines, and is underlain by the Roberts Mountain Thrust, a major structural setting for gold deposits. The Montgolfier Project is located in Quebec, 40 kilometres east of the multimillion-ounce Casa Berardi Mine gold deposit.
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, and such statements involve risks and uncertainties. The results or events predicted may differ materially from actual results or events. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or any other occurrence.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.