New Found Gold Announces Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Queensway Gold Project
New Found Gold (NYSE-A: NFGC) has announced a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for its Queensway Gold Project in Newfoundland, Canada, outlining a 15-year mine life with total production of 1.5 million ounces of gold.
The project will be developed in three phases: Phase 1 requires $155 million initial capital for a small open-pit mine producing 69.3koz Au annually at US$1,282/oz AISC (Years 1-4). Phase 2 involves $442 million growth capital to expand production to 172.2koz Au annually at US$1,090/oz AISC (Years 5-9). Phase 3 adds underground mining operations.
The PEA demonstrates strong economics with an after-tax NPV(5%) of $743 million and IRR of 56.3% at US$2,500/oz gold. The project shows significant leverage to gold prices, with NPV increasing to $1.45 billion at US$3,300/oz gold. Initial production is targeted for 2027, pending regulatory approval.
New Found Gold (NYSE-A: NFGC) ha annunciato una Valutazione Economica Preliminare (PEA) per il suo progetto aurifero Queensway a Terranova, Canada, delineando una vita utile della miniera di 15 anni con una produzione totale di 1,5 milioni di once d'oro.
Il progetto sarà sviluppato in tre fasi: la Fase 1 richiede un capitale iniziale di 155 milioni di dollari per una piccola miniera a cielo aperto che produrrà 69,3 mila once d'oro all'anno con un costo totale all-in-sustaining (AISC) di 1.282 USD/oz (anni 1-4). La Fase 2 prevede un capitale di crescita di 442 milioni di dollari per espandere la produzione a 172,2 mila once d'oro all'anno con un AISC di 1.090 USD/oz (anni 5-9). La Fase 3 aggiunge operazioni di estrazione sotterranea.
La PEA mostra solide prospettive economiche con un valore attuale netto (NPV) post-tasse al 5% di 743 milioni di dollari e un tasso interno di rendimento (IRR) del 56,3% a un prezzo dell'oro di 2.500 USD/oz. Il progetto presenta una significativa leva rispetto ai prezzi dell'oro, con un NPV che aumenta a 1,45 miliardi di dollari a un prezzo dell'oro di 3.300 USD/oz. La produzione iniziale è prevista per il 2027, subordinata all'approvazione normativa.
New Found Gold (NYSE-A: NFGC) ha anunciado una Evaluación Económica Preliminar (PEA) para su Proyecto de Oro Queensway en Terranova, Canadá, que describe una vida útil de la mina de 15 años con una producción total de 1.5 millones de onzas de oro.
El proyecto se desarrollará en tres fases: la Fase 1 requiere un capital inicial de 155 millones de dólares para una pequeña mina a cielo abierto que producirá 69.3 mil onzas de oro anuales con un costo total sostenido (AISC) de 1,282 USD/oz (años 1-4). La Fase 2 implica un capital de crecimiento de 442 millones de dólares para expandir la producción a 172.2 mil onzas de oro anuales con un AISC de 1,090 USD/oz (años 5-9). La Fase 3 incorpora operaciones de minería subterránea.
La PEA muestra una economía sólida con un VPN después de impuestos (5%) de 743 millones de dólares y una TIR del 56.3% a un precio del oro de 2,500 USD/oz. El proyecto presenta una importante sensibilidad a los precios del oro, con un VPN que aumenta a 1.45 mil millones de dólares a un precio del oro de 3,300 USD/oz. La producción inicial está prevista para 2027, sujeta a la aprobación regulatoria.
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New Found Gold (NYSE-A : NFGC) a annoncé une évaluation économique préliminaire (PEA) pour son projet aurifère Queensway à Terre-Neuve, Canada, prévoyant une durée de vie de la mine de 15 ans avec une production totale de 1,5 million d'onces d'or.
Le projet sera développé en trois phases : la phase 1 nécessite un capital initial de 155 millions de dollars pour une petite mine à ciel ouvert produisant 69,3 koz d'or par an avec un coût AISC de 1 282 $/oz (années 1-4). La phase 2 implique un capital de croissance de 442 millions de dollars pour augmenter la production à 172,2 koz d'or par an avec un AISC de 1 090 $/oz (années 5-9). La phase 3 ajoute des opérations minières souterraines.
La PEA démontre une forte rentabilité avec une VAN après impôts (5 %) de 743 millions de dollars et un TRI de 56,3 % à un prix de l'or de 2 500 $/oz. Le projet montre une forte sensibilité aux prix de l'or, la VAN passant à 1,45 milliard de dollars à un prix de l'or de 3 300 $/oz. La production initiale est prévue pour 2027, sous réserve de l'approbation réglementaire.
New Found Gold (NYSE-A: NFGC) hat eine vorläufige wirtschaftliche Bewertung (PEA) für sein Queensway Gold-Projekt in Neufundland, Kanada, veröffentlicht, die eine 15-jährige Bergbauzeit mit einer Gesamtproduktion von 1,5 Millionen Unzen Gold vorsieht.
Das Projekt wird in drei Phasen entwickelt: Phase 1 erfordert 155 Millionen US-Dollar Anfangskapital für eine kleine Tagebaumine, die jährlich 69,3 Tausend Unzen Gold mit AISC von 1.282 US-Dollar pro Unze produziert (Jahre 1-4). Phase 2 umfasst 442 Millionen US-Dollar Wachstumskapital, um die Produktion auf 172,2 Tausend Unzen Gold pro Jahr bei einem AISC von 1.090 US-Dollar pro Unze zu erhöhen (Jahre 5-9). Phase 3 fügt unterirdische Bergbauaktivitäten hinzu.
Die PEA zeigt starke wirtschaftliche Kennzahlen mit einem nach Steuern berechneten Kapitalwert (NPV 5%) von 743 Millionen US-Dollar und einem internen Zinsfuß (IRR) von 56,3% bei einem Goldpreis von 2.500 US-Dollar pro Unze. Das Projekt weist eine signifikante Hebelwirkung gegenüber dem Goldpreis auf, wobei der NPV bei 3.300 US-Dollar pro Unze Gold auf 1,45 Milliarden US-Dollar steigt. Die geplante Produktionsaufnahme ist für 2027 vorgesehen, vorbehaltlich behördlicher Genehmigungen.
- Phased approach minimizes initial capital requirements and shareholder dilution
- Strong economics with after-tax NPV of $743M and 56.3% IRR
- Low AISC of US$1,256/oz over life of mine
- Significant gold price leverage potential with NPV increasing to $1.45B at US$3,300/oz gold
- High average gold recovery rate of 91.9%
- Early revenue generation starting 2027
- Strong EBITDA margin of 59.8%
- High total capital cost requirement of $1.1B over project life
- Significant Phase 2 growth capital needed ($584.9M)
- High strip ratio of 6.0
- PEA includes inferred resources which are speculative in nature
- Project requires regulatory approvals before proceeding
Insights
New Found Gold's PEA shows strong economics with low initial capital, phased development, and robust 56.3% IRR at $2,500/oz gold.
New Found Gold's Preliminary Economic Assessment for their Queensway project reveals a highly strategic phased development approach that maximizes return while minimizing initial capital requirements and shareholder dilution. The company has structured a three-phase development plan that begins with a modest $155 million investment to establish a high-grade open pit operation with toll milling, generating early cash flow to self-fund future expansion.
The economics are compelling with an after-tax NPV5% of $743 million and an IRR of 56.3% at a $2,500/oz gold price. The project demonstrates exceptional gold price leverage, with NPV nearly doubling to $1.45 billion at $3,300/oz. Total planned production reaches 1.5 million ounces over a 15-year mine life with attractive all-in sustaining costs of US$1,256/oz.
What's particularly noteworthy is the grade-sequencing strategy that prioritizes processing higher-grade material early in the mine life. Phase 1 will process material grading 9.64 g/t gold - nearly five times the life-of-mine average of 1.85 g/t. This approach dramatically improves early economics and reduces payback periods.
The project's resource base provides solid foundation with 1.39 million indicated ounces plus 0.61 million inferred ounces. With ongoing exploration across the 175,450-hectare property, significant resource expansion potential exists both near the current resource and along the 110 km strike extent.
The company's innovative approach includes in-pit tailings deposition, which reduces both environmental footprint and costs. With initial production targeted for 2027, New Found Gold is positioning Queensway to become a significant low-cost gold producer in a mining-friendly jurisdiction with excellent infrastructure.
- Solid low-cost production profile from year one via a phased mine plan:
- Phase 1: Low Initial capital cost of
, builds average annual gold production of 69.3koz oz Au1 at anAISC2 of$155 million US /oz Au in Years 1 to 4 planned to fund Phase 2.$1,282 - Phase 2: Growth capital of
, builds average annual gold production of 172.2koz Au at anAISC of$442 million US /oz Au in Years 5 to 9 paid back in less than one year.$1,090
- Phase 1: Low Initial capital cost of
- Early revenue potential:Initial gold production targeted for 2027 pending regulatory approval.
- Significant leverage to gold price: After-tax NPV
5% 3 increases to from$1.45 billion and IRR4 increases to$743 million 197% from56.3% when gold price raised toUS /oz Au from base case of$3,300 US /oz Au.$2,500 - Total production: 1.5 Moz Au over a 15-year LOM5at an average total cash cost of
US /oz Au and an AISC of$1,085 US /oz Au.$1,256 - Exploration upside: Significant resource expansion potential, both near-MRE6 and camp scale over 110 km7 strike extent.
All amounts in Canadian dollars unless stated otherwise.
The Company will hold a webcast to discuss the Queensway PEA results on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, which will include a virtual presentation and a question-and-answer session with analysts and investors. Please see dial-in numbers and webcast link below. |
Keith Boyle, Chief Executive Officer, commented: "We are pleased to deliver the first economic study for Queensway, just months after announcing an initial mineral resource estimate for the Project. The PEA reinforces our conviction that Queensway can become a low-cost, high-margin, cashflow generating mine. This is a significant step in achieving our goal of building and operating a gold mine in central
Since day one, the objective of the new management team at New Found Gold has been to advance Queensway to cash flow. The PEA outlines a phased approach with an initial small high-grade open pit mine with toll milling, followed by the construction of a larger on-site operation, which will include both open pit and underground mining. Aphased project design provides for early gold revenue generation, processing of the highest-grade mineralized material at the start of the operation and in-pit tailings deposition. This unique combination of design elements allows for low initial capital investment, a rapid payback of that initial investment, using cashflow to grow the operation thereby providing for a superior rate of return, and minimizing dilution to shareholders."
"The infill, definition and exploration drilling, completion of the environmental baseline work, trade-off and further engineering studies will allow for rapid advancement of the phased Project." continued Mr.
The PEA is preliminary in nature, it includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized.
ղ1: Queensway PEA Summary
Production1 | Value | Units |
LOM | 15 | years |
Total Mill Feed | 27,373 | ktonnes |
Phase 1: Off-Site Toll Mill | 1,150 | ktonnes |
Phase 2 and 3: On-Site Mill | 26,223 | ktonnes |
Average Head Grade | 1.85 | g/t Au |
Phase 1: Off-Site Toll Mill (Years 1-5) | 9.64 | g/t Au |
Phase 2: On-Site Mill (Years 5-9) | 2.22 | g/t Au |
Cut-off Grade (OP) | 0.3 | g/t Au |
Cut-off Grade (UG) | 2.68 | g/t Au |
Average Gold Recovery | 91.9 | % |
Contained Gold | 1,626 | koz |
Recovered Gold | 1,494 | koz |
Average Annual Gold Production (Years 1-4) | 69.3 | koz/yr |
Average Annual Gold Production (Years 5-9) | 172.2 | koz/yr |
Average Production Mining Rate � Phase 1 | 700 | tpd |
Average Production Mining Rate � Phases 2 and 3 | 7,000 | tpd |
Strip Ratio | 6.0 | - |
Capital Costs1 | ||
Initial Capital (Phase 1) | 154.8 | $M |
Growth Capital (Phase 2 and 3) | 584.9 | $M |
Sustaining Capital | 325.4 | $M |
Reclamation and Closure Capital | 30.0 | $M |
Total Capital Costs | 1,095.1 | $M |
Total Operating Costs1,2 | 1,977 | $M |
Royalty NSR | 0.40 | % |
Total Cash Cost | 1,085 | US$/oz Au |
AISC (LOM)3 | 1,256 | US$/oz Au |
AISC (Years 1-4)3 | 1,282 | US$/oz Au |
AISC (Years 5-9)3 | 1,090 | US$/oz Au |
Financial Summary | ||
Gold Price (Base Case) | 2,500 | US$/oz Au |
Exchange Rate | 1.43 | C$/US$ |
After-Tax NPV | 743 | $M |
After-Tax IRR | 56.3 | % |
After-Tax Payback | <2 | years |
Mine Net Revenue | 4,924 | $M |
EBITDA | 2,947 | $M |
EBITDA Margin | 59.8 | % |
Notes: |
1Denotes a "specified financial measure" within the meaning of National Instrument 52-112 � non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Disclosure. See note on "Non-IFRS Financial Measures". |
2Total operating costs refer to onsite charges that cover open pit mining, underground mining, third party processing and material handling, onsite processing, and onsite general and administrative costs. |
3AISC is calculated as the sum of treatment and refining charges, royalties, onsite operating costs, sustaining capital costs, and closure costs, divided by the quantity of ounces sold. |
PEA Overview
Queensway is planned as a primary conventional open pit ("OP") mine complemented by a high-grade underground ("UG"), mechanized cut and fill mine, with early off-site toll milling transitioning to on-site treatment of the mined material. Material will be processed through a conventional circuit consisting of comminution, gravity concentration, flotation of a sulphide concentrate for off-site treatment, and cyanide leach and adsorption via carbon-in-leach ("CIL") of the flotation tailings, carbon elution and gold recovery circuits. The two products to be produced are doré on site, plus a gold-bearing, sulphide concentrate sold for treatment at an off-site facility.
The PEA envisions a 15-year LOM producing 1.5 million ounces ("Moz") recoverable gold and is planned to be developed in three distinct phases (Figure 1). Phasing of the Project allows for lower upfront capital requirements, early revenue generation, funding of subsequent phases, processing highest grade first, and best-in-class in-pit tailings deposition.
Phase 1 (Years 1-4): OP Mine with Off-Site Toll Milling
Phase 1 involves preparing the Queensway site and installing the infrastructure for a small OP mine. High-grade material will be crushed and transported to an off-site toll mill located in
Phase 2 (Years 5-15): OP Mine with Construction and Operation of On-Site Processing Plant and In-Pit Tailings Deposition
Phase 2 involves the construction of the on-site 7,000 tpd processing plant. Construction of the plant is scheduled to start in Year 3, with completion in Year 4. Processing of the material will commence in Year 5 of the operation, for a planned total of nine years, followed by two years of reclaiming low grade stockpiles. The stockpiles created during Phase 1 and the UG high-grade material in Phase 3 will allow for grade sequencing, thereby prioritizing higher grade mined material during the initial years of processing to optimize the project economics. The mining rate and sequence for the OP will allow for in-pit tailings deposition for the life of the operation. Phase 2 has average annual gold production of 129.0 koz and AISC of
Phase 3 (Years 6-10): UG Mine Development and Operation
Construction of the UG mine is scheduled to commence in Year 5. The UG mine is planned as a high-grade cut-and-fill operation from Year 6 to Year 10 at a nominal production rate of 700 tpd. The UG mine will consist of a series of five separate ramp systems to access the stopes and mine the mineralized material in a traditional mechanized cut-and-fill method with 3 metre ("m") x 3 m heading size. The mineralized material will be hauled to surface using 20 tonne trucks.
Optimized Project Economics Through a Phased Mine Plan
The phased mine plan is possible because of the high-grade core of the deposit and is intended to minimize both initial capital and shareholder dilution with the first phase funding future expansions. This is accomplished through grade sequencing that is, the stockpiles created during Phase 1 and UG high-grade ores in Phase 3 will allow prioritizing higher grade mined material during the initial years of on-site processing to optimize project economics. The lowest grades will be processed starting in Year 13 through to the end of processing in Year 15 after the mining has been completed. Processing the higher grades first will generate higher cash flow in the earlier years.
Queensway PEA and Technical Report
The Queensway PEA was prepared using the Company's initial mineral resource estimate with an effective date as at March 15, 2025 (the "MRE"). The PEA, with an effective date as at June 30, 2025 was prepared by SLR Consulting (
Property Description, Location, Access and On-Site Infrastructure
Queensway is located in the province of
The
Mineral Resource Estimate
Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources ("M&I") total 18.0 million tonnes ("Mt") at an average gold grade of 2.40 grams per tonne ("g/t Au") for 1.39 million contained ounces of gold. Inferred Mineral Resources total 10.7 Mt at an average grade of 1.77 g/t Au for 0.61 million ounces of gold. The Mineral Resource estimate has an effective date of March 15, 2025.
The OP Indicated Mineral Resources total 17.3 Mt grading 2.25 g/t Au containing 1.25 million ounces Au, and Inferred Mineral Resources total 9.0 Mt grading 1.24 g/t Au containing 0.36 million ounces Au.
The UG Indicated Mineral Resources total 0.8 Mt grading 5.76 g/t Au containing 0.14 million ounces Au, and Inferred Mineral Resources total 1.7 Mt grading 4.44 g/t Au containing 0.25 million ounces Au.
The resource database was closed on November 1, 2024 and contains 3,214 drill holes for a total of 723,387m, for which 550,949m have assay intervals. The Company is currently conducting a 70,000 m 2025 drill program and anticipates completing as required to advance future economic studies. An updated MRE is planned to be completed in the first quarter of 2026.
Table 2: Mineral Resource Estimate Summary (Effective Date March 15, 2025)
Zone | Category | Tonnage (Mt) | Grade (g/t Au) | Contained Metal (Moz Au) |
Open Pit | Indicated | 17.3 | 2.25 | 1.25 |
Inferred | 9.0 | 1.24 | 0.36 | |
Underground | Indicated | 0.8 | 5.76 | 0.14 |
Inferred | 1.7 | 4.44 | 0.25 | |
Total | Indicated | 18.0 | 2.40 | 1.39 |
Inferred | 10.7 | 1.77 | 0.61 |
Notes: |
1. | CIM (2014) definitions were followed for Mineral Resources. |
2. | Mineral Resources are estimated using a long-term gold price of |
3. | Open pit Mineral Resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of 0.3g/t Au and constrained by a preliminary optimized pit shell with a pit slope angle of 45°, and bench height of 5 m. |
4. | RPEEE (as defined in the Company's March 24, 2025 news release) for underground Mineral Resources was demonstrated by constraining within reporting panels generated at a cut-off grade of 1.65 g/t Au, with heights (H) of 10m, lengths (L) of 5m and minimum widths of 1.8m. |
5. | The optimized pit shell, underground reporting shapes, and cut-off grades were generated by assuming metallurgical recovery of |
6. | Bulk density within the vein and halo mineralization domains is 2.7t/m³. |
7. | Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. |
8. | Numbers may not add due to rounding. |
9. | See the New Found Gold news release dated March 24, 2025 for additional information. |
The Qualified Person ("QP") is not aware of any environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-economic, marketing, political, or other relevant factors that could materially affect the Mineral Resource estimate.
No Mineral Reserves are defined for the Property.
The overall conversion of Mineral Resources to the PEA mine plan was
Mining
The mine plan is based on conventional OP truck and shovel methods with a complementary high-grade UG cut and fill mine. The OP operation will consist of 17 pits. The three main pits, Iceberg, Keats and Keats West, are sequenced early in the mine life and will subsequently serve as the in-pit tailings deposition facilities. A total of 26.3 Mt of mineralized material will be mined from the pits at an average diluted gold grade of 1.65 g/t Au and an overall strip ratio of 6:1. The OP optimization was completed with a 5 m x 5 m x 5 m block model. The OP operation is planned to be an owner-operated mining fleet, using smaller equipment to minimize dilution and maximize selectivity. The equipment fleet will consist of 70 tonne-class haulage trucks and 10 m3 shovels. The mining sequence and rate have been optimized to prioritize higher grades first by ensuring the highest grades for the 700 tpd Phase 1 operation and moving into Phase 2 at 7,000 tonnes per day and having an open pit available for in-pit tailings deposition starting in Year 5 (Figure 2).
The UG operation will take place in five zones, accessible from five surface portals collared from the smaller open pits. The primary mining method will be mechanized cut and fill mining method. A 3 m x 3 m stope size was selected to minimize dilution while maximizing selectivity. The backfill method will be a combination of rock fill and cemented rockfill. A total of 1.1 Mt of mineralized material will be mined at an average diluted gold grade of 6.67 g/t Au over a 5-year period, with a nominal production rate of 700 tpd. Initial capital development is planned for one year, followed by ongoing capital development over three additional years. It is envisaged that capital development will be executed using contractors, while production mining will be accomplished by owner operators.
The infill drilling currently being conducted is targeting the inferred material to upgrade to indicated.
Processing and Recovery
Phase 1 � Toll Milling
The PEA envisions toll milling a total of 1.2 Mt in Year 1 to Year 5 at an average diluted grade of 9.64 g/t Au at an offsite location some 300 km from the Queensway site. High grade material will be crushed at the Queensway site and transported for processing at the toll mill. Plant modifications of the toll mill have been accounted for in the PEA capital estimate to convert the existing grinding and carbon in pulp ("CIP") leach plant to a grind - gravity concentration - carbon in leach ("CIL") plant, with an estimated recovery of
Phase 2 � On-Site Processing and In-Pit Tailings Deposition
An on-site 7,000 tpd process plant will be constructed that will comprise comminution, gravity concentration, sulphide flotation, cyanide leaching and carbon adsorption via CIL, carbon elution and gold recovery circuits. CIL tailings will be treated in a cyanide destruction circuit and pumped to the in-pit tailings storage facility. The mill will operate for 10.5 years, from Year 5 to Year 15.
Select key design criteria include crushing plant utilization of
Test Work
NFG has completed two phases of metallurgical test work, and a third phase is in progress. Phase 1 of the test work evaluated three mineralized zones, Keats, Golden Joint, and Lotto, and phase 2 studied mineralization from the Iceberg and Iceberg East zones. The phase 3 test work currently underway is examining mineralized material from Keats West. Test work samples characterized each zone by combining intervals of mineralized core from different vein and structural intercepts to create numerous variability composites. Master composites for each zone were created by combining portions of the variability composites from each respective zone. Exploratory test work was completed on the master composites and included comminution testing, mineralogical analysis, gravity recovery testing, cyanide leaching (direct and CIL), and preg-robbing testing. Based on results of the exploratory testing, the variability composites were tested using a gravity-CIL base-case flowsheet at three different grind sizes. Additional exploratory test work investigated the rejection of carbon via flotation, and sulphide flotation for the recovery of gold associated with sulphides. The test work indicated that the majority of gold not recovered in gravity concentration could be recovered by flotation.
Based on metallurgical test work completed to date, the PEA assumes an overall recovery of
On-Site Infrastructure
Plant site activities, including the process plant, crushing and stockpile management facility, UG mine, OP mine, and balance of plant infrastructure, will require an average of 15 to 20 megawatts ("MW") at full operation. The plant's full power consumption was benchmarked against similar projects, with OP mining and UG mining adjusted for processing throughputs.
Access to the site will be from the Trans-Canada Highway located adjacent to the project site. Power to the site will be provided from the existing transmission grid, which is proposed to be realigned to the north of the mine area prior to mining.
Environmental and Permitting
The Company has completed comprehensive environmental baseline studies for Queensway, thereby laying a strong foundation for the Project's future development. These studies have been instrumental in identifying and understanding the environmental context of the Project area. To date, no significant environmental obstacles have been identified, which highlights the potential for responsible and sustainable advancement of the Project. Given the site's proximity to a nearby town (
Recognizing the importance of community involvement and social responsibility, the Company has also commenced early and widespread social engagement efforts. To date, these initiatives have garnered positive feedback from stakeholders, reflecting an encouraging level of community support for the Project. Through its diligent and pro-active approach to the reduction of environmental impacts and meaningful stakeholder engagement, New Found Gold demonstrates a strong commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility. These efforts not only enhance the Project's sustainability but also facilitate the permitting process, ensuring that Queensway aligns with both regulatory requirements and community expectations.
Capital and Operating Costs
Queensway is planned to be built in three phases.
Phase 1 capital will support a 700 tpd mine with offsite toll milling. The OP mine equipment fleet is assumed to be a capitalized lease. The mining capital costs include all site clearing and road construction, waste dump, stockpile pads, water management, building and maintenance facilities. The on-site infrastructure includes the power installation, water supply and water treatment and temporary crushing facilities. The off-site infrastructure includes the modifications required at the off-site toll mill facility, the relocation of the main transmission lines that run through the Queensway property, and the access to the site from the Trans-Canada Highway.
Phase 2 capital is related to the 7,000 tpd on-site processing plant, the permanent crushing plant, and prepare the Iceberg OP for in-pit tailings deposition.
Phase 3 capital is related to the UG mine and includes initial capital development, mobile equipment and fixed plant equipment.
The sustaining capital costs include the ongoing capital development for the underground mine, fleet purchases and lease payments for the open pit equipment, and allowances for tailings infrastructure relocation.
Operating costs are developed from first principles based on recent precedent projects with similar mining methodologies and location (Tables 3 to 6). Refining and transporting costs are all inclusive of concentrate and doré costs, penalties and charges. Royalties assume
Table 3: LOM Operating Cost and AISC
Value | Units | |
LOM Operating Costs1,2 | ||
Mining (OP) | 906,607 | $ '000 |
Mining (UG) | 188,525 | $ '000 |
Off-Site Toll Milling | 57,499 | $ '000 |
Material Handling | 86,248 | $ '000 |
Processing | 549,501 | $ '000 |
G&A | 188,746 | $ '000 |
Total LOM Operating Costs | 1,977,125 | $ '000 |
Doré transport and refining charges | 9.15 | $/oz |
Concentrate transport charges | 120 | $/wmt |
Concentrate treatment charges | 200 | US$/dmt |
Penalties | 10 | US$/dmt |
Royalty NSR | 0.40 | % |
OP Mining Cost | 4.91 | $/t moved |
UG Mining Cost | 176 | $/t |
Off Site Processing & Transport cost | 125 | $/t |
On-Site Processing cost | 20.83 | $/t |
Total Cash Cost | 1,085 | US$/oz Au |
AISC (LOM)3 | 1,256 | US$/oz Au |
AISC (Years 1-4)3 | 1,282 | US$/oz Au |
AISC (Years 5-9)3 | 1,090 | US$/oz Au |
Notes: |
1Denotes a "specified financial measure" within the meaning of National Instrument 52-112 � non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Disclosure. See note on "Non-IFRS Financial Measures". |
2Total operating costs refer to onsite charges that cover open pit mining, underground mining, third party processing and material handling, onsite processing, and onsite general and administrative costs. |
3AISC is calculated as the sum of treatment and refining charges, royalties, onsite operating costs, sustaining capital costs, and closure costs, divided by the quantity of ounces sold. |
Table 4:Unit Operating Cost
Unit Operating Costs (LOM)1,2 | Unit | Value |
Mining | $/t proc | 40.01 |
Processing | $/t proc | 25.33 |
G&A | $/t proc | 6.90 |
Total | $/t proc | 72.23 |
Unit OP Mining Costs | $/t moved | 4.91 |
Notes: |
1Denotes a "specified financial measure" within the meaning of National Instrument 52-112 � non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Disclosure. See note on "Non-IFRS Financial Measures". |
2Total operating costs refer to onsite charges that cover open pit mining, underground mining, third party processing and material handling, onsite processing, and onsite general and administrative costs. |
Table 5:LOM Capital Cost
Phase 1 $M | Phase 2 $M | Phase 3 $M | Sustaining Capital $M | Total $M | |
Mining | 47,749 | 104,162 | 321,365 | 473,276 | |
Onsite Processing | 220,504 | 220,504 | |||
Onsite Infrastructure | 15,680 | 23,520 | 4,000 | 43,200 | |
Offsite Infrastructure | 40,497 | 40,497 | |||
Indirects/Owner's Costs/EPCM | 19,906 | 109,750 | 10,000 | 139,656 | |
Contingency | 30,958 | 88,444 | 28,540 | 147,942 | |
Total1 | 154,790 | 442,218 | 142,702 | 325,365 | 1,065,075 |
Notes: |
1 Denotes a "specified financial measure" within the meaning of National Instrument 52-112 � non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Disclosure. See note on "Non-IFRS Financial Measures". |
Economic Analysis
At a base case consensus long-term gold price of
After-Tax Cash Flow
Using the base case gold price of
Table 6: Gold Price Sensitivity Analysis
Scenario | Downside Case | Base Case | Upside Case | |
Gold Price | USD/oz | |||
Foreign Exchange | CAD/USD | 1.43 | 1.43 | 1.43 |
0% | 504 | 1,128 | 2,113 | |
After Tax NPV $MM | 5% | 295 | 743 | 1,450 |
8% | 210 | 583 | 1,175 | |
10% | 164 | 498 | 1,026 | |
After-Tax IRR | % | 24 | 56 | 197 |
Payback | Years | 1 | <2 | <1 |
Phase 1 (Years 1-4) | ||||
Average Annual EBITDA | $M | 95 | 145 | 224 |
Avg Annual After-tax Op Cash Flow | $M | 86 | 117 | 166 |
Phase 2 (Years 5-9) | ||||
Average Annual EBITDA | $M | 263 | 382 | 573 |
Avg Annual After-tax Op Cash Flow | $M | 212 | 283 | 395 |
LOM (Years 1-15) | ||||
LOM EBITDA | $M | 1,909 | 2,947 | 4,606 |
LOM After-Tax Operating Cash Flow | $M | 1,600 | 2,223 | 3,208 |
Note: Average annual figures represent a 15-year LOM. |
Next Steps
As Queensway moves towards cashflow as soon as possible, the following activities are being completed:
Geological work including a planned 70,000 m drill campaign consisting of:
- Infill drilling of the Mineral Resource to upgrade and add to the initial MRE.
- Definition drilling of the high-grade areas where initial mining is to take place at a very tight 5 m centre drilling to permit appropriate statistical analysis of a high-grade gold deposit.
- Channel sampling of Iceberg zone and excavation and channel sampling of Lotto zone.
- Exploration of regional targets looking for the next major deposit.
Engineering studies and data collection programs to support the project development schedule include:
- Ongoing metallurgical testing programs, with additional work to further refine the flowsheet for the next phase of studies.
- Geo-metallurgical modelling of the refractory gold distribution to be incorporated into future block models.
- Condemnation drilling for siting of plant infrastructure, geotechnical and hydrogeological data collection programs.
- Trade-off and optimization studies with more detailed engineering to support a rapid, small mine development.
Environmental studies and data collection programs to support the project development schedule include:
- Complete the baseline studies based on the mine design and layout.
- Preparation of project description and submission of EA.
- Continued engagement with communities and government.
The potential timeline for the project with key milestones includes:
- Submission of an Environmental Assessment in H1/26.
- An updated MRE and technical report to support Phase 1 by Q2/26 with detailed engineering starting thereafter.
- Subject to project financing, long lead time equipment would be procured and early works program initiated in 2026.
- Phase 1 construction is planned to commence in 2027 with first production in Q3/27.
PEA Conference Call and Webcast
In connection with this news release, the Company's senior management team will host a conference call on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at 10:00 am ET to discuss the PEA results. Participants may join the conference call via webcast or through the following dial-in numbers:
647-932-3411 | |
Toll free ( | 800-715-9871 |
Webcast: |
|
A replay of the call/webcast will be posted to the Company website at when available.
Preliminary Economic Assessment Study 3D VRIFY Presentation
A 3D VRIFY presentation to accompany the webcast will be posted to the Corporation's website atwww.newfoundgold.ca on July 22, 2025.
Qualified Persons
The Study has an effective date ofJune 30, 2025and a technical report will be filed on SEDAR+ within 45 days. It was authored by independent QPs and is in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 � Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
The QPs areDavid M.
The technical content of this press release has been reviewed and approved byKeith Boyle, P.Eng., Chief Executive Officer of New Found Gold and a QP as defined in NI 43-101.
About New Found Gold Corp.
New Found Gold holds a
The Company has completed an initial MRE and PEA at Queensway (see New Found Gold news release dated March 24, 2025 and July 21, 2025).
Recent drilling continues to yield new discoveries along strike and down dip of known gold zones, pointing to the district-scale potential of the 175,450 ha project that covers a 110 km strike extent along two prospective fault zones.
New Found Gold has a new management team in place, a solid shareholder base, which includes a
Keith Boyle, P.Eng.
Chief Executive Officer
New Found Gold Corp.
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Acknowledgements
New Found Gold acknowledges the financial support of the Junior Exploration Assistance Program, Department of Natural Resources, Government of
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.
Cautionary Statement
The PEA is preliminary in nature, it included inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves and there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized.
Forward-Looking Statement Cautions
This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, relating to exploration, drilling and mineralization on the Company's Queensway gold project in
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The Company has included certain non-GAAP financial measures in this news release. These financial measures are not defined under IFRS and should not be considered in isolation. The Company believes that these financial measures, together with financial measures determined in accordance with IFRS, provide investors with an improved ability to evaluate the underlying performance of the Company. The inclusion of these financial measures is meant to provide additional information and should not be used as a substitute for performance measures prepared in accordance with IFRS. These financial measures are not necessarily standard and therefore may not be comparable to other issuers.
All-in Sustaining Cost
All in sustaining cost is a non-GAAP financial measure calculated based on guidance published by the World Gold Council ("WGC"). The WGC is a market development organization for the gold industry and is an association whose membership comprises leading gold mining companies. Although the WGC is not a mining industry regulatory organization, it worked closely with its member companies to develop these metrics. Adoption of the all-in sustaining cost metric is voluntary and not necessarily standard, and therefore, this measure presented by the Company may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. The Company believes that the all-in sustaining cost measure complements existing measures and ratios reported by the Company.
All-in sustaining cost includes both operating and capital costs required to sustain gold production on an ongoing basis. Sustaining operating costs represent expenditures expected to be incurred at the Project that are considered necessary to maintain production. Sustaining capital represents expected capital expenditures comprising mine development costs, including capitalized waste, and ongoing replacement of mine equipment and other capital facilities, and does not include expected capital expenditures for major growth projects or enhancement capital for significant infrastructure improvements.
__________________________
1koz Au/yr = thousand ounces of gold per year |
2 AISC = All-in sustaining costs are the sum of treatment and refining charges, royalties, onsite operating costs, sustaining capital costs, and closure costs, divided by the quantity of ounces sold |
3 NPV |
4 IRR = internal rate of return |
5 LOM = life of mine |
6 MRE = mineral resource estimate |
7 km = kilometres |
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