Aura Announces Receipt of the Construction License and Commencement of Early Works at the Era Dorada Project

Rhea-AI Summary

Aura (NASDAQ: AUGO) received the construction license for the Era Dorada project in Jutiapa, Guatemala and has commenced early works on Jan 6, 2026, including environmental programs, vegetal suppression, road detour, internal access, mine dewatering and platform preparation. Aura completed the acquisition of Bluestone in January 2025 and filed the Era Dorada Feasibility Study on EDGAR and CVM. The exploitation license covers 15.25 km2; the site lies ~7 km from Asunción Mita (population ~18,500) and ~9 km from El Salvador, with a nearby 20 MW power substation.

Positive

• Construction license received enabling project development
• Early works initiated including dewatering and access roads
• Acquisition of Bluestone completed in January 2025
• Feasibility Study filed on EDGAR and CVM

Negative

• Project sits ~7 km from Asunción Mita (population ~18,500), posing social engagement demands
• Tropical wet season May–October with 1,350 mm annual rainfall could affect construction schedules

Key Figures

Community dialogue hours 853 hours Time spent in dialogue roundtables with local communities at Era Dorada

Distance to capital 160 km Road distance from Era Dorada Project to Guatemala City

Distance to border 9 km Proximity of Era Dorada Project to El Salvador border

Nearby population 18,500 people Population of Asunción Mita near the Era Dorada Project

Exploitation license area 15.25 km² Area covered by the Era Dorada exploitation license

Site elevation range 450–560 masl Elevation range at Era Dorada Project site

Annual rainfall 1,350 mm Average annual rainfall at the Era Dorada Project location

Power substation capacity 20 MW Capacity of nearby La Baranca power substation

Market Reality Check

$51.20 Last Close

Volume Volume 605,193 vs 20-day average 633,187 (relative volume 0.96x). normal

Technical Price 52.42 is trading above 200-day MA at 34.72 and 3.47% below 52-week high 54.3025.

Peers on Argus

Gold peers showed mixed moves: FSM +3%, NG +3.19%, NGD +4.01% versus SAND -5.16% and SSRM -1.07%, suggesting company-specific drivers for AUGO.

Historical Context

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 08	Growth outlook	Positive	-2.0%	Updated multi-year growth outlook highlighting >600,000 GEO potential with key projects.
Dec 08	Feasibility study	Positive	-2.0%	Released Era Dorada feasibility study with 16.8-year LOM and strong economics.
Dec 01	Acquisition closing	Positive	+0.3%	Closed acquisition of MSG gold mine in Brazil and assumed operational control.
Nov 06	Equity investment	Positive	+3.4%	Exercised Altamira Gold warrants, increasing ownership stake for investment purposes.
Nov 04	Earnings release	Positive	-4.1%	Reported record Q3 2025 production, revenue, EBITDA and lower AISC metrics.

Pattern Detected

Recent positive operational and growth news often met with muted or negative next-day price reactions.

Recent Company History

Over the last few months, Aura reported record Q3 2025 financials, exercised Altamira Gold warrants to expand its investment, and closed the Serra Grande (MSG) mine acquisition in Brazil. It then released the Era Dorada feasibility study with robust economics and updated its multi-year growth outlook, indicating potential to exceed 600,000 GEO annually. Despite generally constructive news, share reactions were mixed. Today’s construction license and early works at Era Dorada advance the same growth pipeline highlighted in December updates.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement advances Aura’s Era Dorada Project by confirming receipt of the construction license and the start of early works, building on December’s feasibility study disclosure. It reduces permitting uncertainty around an underground-only development approach and underscores extensive local engagement, with more than 853 hours of community dialogue. Investors may monitor future updates on construction progress, capital deployment, and integration of Era Dorada into the company’s broader growth and production plans.

Key Terms

feasibility study technical

"A copy of the Era Dorada Feasibility Study has been filed on EDGAR"

A feasibility study is an assessment that evaluates whether a proposed project or idea is practical and likely to succeed before investing significant time and resources. It considers factors like costs, potential benefits, and challenges, helping stakeholders decide if moving forward makes sense. Think of it as a detailed plan that gauges if a new venture is worth pursuing.

underground operations technical

"our recent formal decision to proceed exclusively with underground operations"

Underground operations are business activities carried out secretly to avoid laws, regulations, taxes, licensing or public scrutiny—think of a hidden workshop that produces goods without permits or reporting. For investors, they matter because such covert behavior creates legal, financial and reputational risk: companies exposed for running or relying on underground operations can face fines, supply interruptions and loss of customer or investor trust, which can quickly affect value.

exploitation license regulatory

"The exploitation license covers 15.25 km2 and lies entirely in the municipality"

An exploitation license is a legal permission that lets one party use, produce, sell, or otherwise commercialize another party’s intellectual property, technology, drug, or product in specified ways, places and times. For investors it signals potential revenue streams, obligations (like royalty payments or milestones), and competitive protection—think of it as granting someone the exclusive right to run a franchise in a neighborhood: it creates income potential but also limits and responsibilities that affect value and risk.

qualified person regulatory

"a “qualified person” within the meaning of NI 43-101 and S-K 1300"

A qualified person is someone with specialized knowledge, experience, and training in a particular field, allowing them to accurately assess and verify information or work. Their expertise helps ensure that reports, evaluations, or decisions are trustworthy and meet required standards. For investors, a qualified person provides confidence that the information they rely on is credible and properly validated.

ni 43-101 regulatory

"a “qualified person” within the meaning of NI 43-101 and S-K 1300"

A Canadian regulatory standard that sets the rules for how mining and exploration companies must report mineral resources and reserves, requiring technical reports prepared or signed off by an independent, certified expert. It matters to investors because it creates a consistent, transparent “inspection report” for mining projects, making it easier to compare prospects, judge the reliability of claims, and assess geological and financial risk before investing.

s-k 1300 regulatory

"within the meaning of NI 43-101 and S-K 1300"

Regulation S-K Item 1300 is a U.S. securities disclosure rule that requires public companies to report how they manage cybersecurity risks and to promptly disclose material cyber incidents. Think of it as a requirement to tell investors both the company’s “cyber health” plan and any major break-ins, similar to a homeowner explaining their alarm system and alerting neighbors after a burglary. This helps investors assess operational risk and potential financial or reputational impact.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

ROAD TOWN, British Virgin Islands, Jan. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aura Minerals Inc. (NASDAQ: AUGO, B3: AURA33) (“Aura” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has received the construction license and commenced early works for the development of the Era Dorada Project (“Era Dorada” or the “Project”), marking a significant milestone in the Project’s advancement. A copy of the Era Dorada Feasibility Study has been filed on EDGAR at www.sec.gov and CVM at www.cvm.com.br and is also available on Aura’s website.

The early works activities include environmental programs, controlled vegetal suppression, main road detour, internal road access opening, mine dewatering and preparation of platforms to accommodate equipment and temporary facilities.

In January 2025, Aura completed the acquisition of Bluestone Resources Inc. (“Bluestone”), the 100% owner of the Era Dorada project (formerly known as Cerro Blanco), located in Jutiapa, Guatemala. The project was acquired with all preliminary licenses for the underground mine and today received the final construction license.

Rodrigo Barbosa, Aura’s President and CEO commented, “After extensive dialogue with local authorities and community representatives—during which we shared detailed information about Aura and our Era Dorada project, including our recent formal decision to proceed exclusively with underground operations—we obtained the construction license, which was a requirement to advance and commence early works on the project. At the Era Dorada project, we have spent so far more than 853 hours establishing ongoing dialogue roundtables with local communities—direct, continuous forums that exemplify our commitment to transparency and inclusion. At Aura, we are deeply committed to responsible mining, upholding human rights, and ensuring that the development of Era Dorada delivers distributed, positive impacts for both the environment and surrounding communities.”

Era Dorada Project

The Project is located in southeast Guatemala, in the Department of Jutiapa, approximately 160 km by road from the capital, Guatemala City and approximately 9 km west of the border with El Salvador. The nearest town to the Project is Asunción Mita, a community of about 18,500 people situated approximately 7 km west of the Project. The exploitation license covers 15.25 km² and lies entirely in the municipality of Asunción Mita.

The Era Dorada Project site is accessible year-round via the Pan-American Highway (CA1) through Asunción Mita, with flat to rolling hill topography. The climate is tropical dry forest, with elevations of 450–560 masl, a wet season from May to October, 1,350 mm annual rainfall, temperatures ranging from 10°C to 41°C, 2,530 mm annual pan evaporation, and 62% average humidity. The site is near communities, including Asunción Mita (18,500 population), and the La Baranca power substation (20 MW capacity) a few kilometers south. No prior mining exists in the area, but the closure of Goldcorp’s Marlin Mine in 2017 provides access to trained Guatemalan labor. The project plans to hire locally, with training costs included in the budget.

Qualified Persons

The scientific and technical information contained in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Farshid Ghazanfari, P.Geo., Geology and Mineral Resources Manager, an employee of Aura and a “qualified person” within the meaning of NI 43-101 and S-K 1300.

About Aura 360° Mining

Aura is focused on mining in complete terms – thinking holistically about how its business impacts and benefits every one of our stakeholders: our company, our shareholders, our employees, and the countries and communities we serve. We call this 360° Mining.

Aura is a company focused on the development and operation of gold and base metal projects in the Americas. The Company's five operating assets include the Minosa gold mine in Honduras; the Almas, Apoena, and Borborema gold mines in Brazil; and the Aranzazu copper, gold, and silver mine in Mexico. Additionally, the Company owns Era Dorada, a gold project in Guatemala; Tolda Fria, a gold project in Colombia; and three projects in Brazil: Matupá, which is under development; São Francisco, which is in care and maintenance; and the Carajás copper project in the Carajás region, in the exploration phase.

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements”, as defined in applicable securities laws (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words and phrases such as “plans,” “expects,” “is expected,” “budget,” “scheduled,” “estimates,” “forecasts,” “intends,” “anticipates,” or “believes” or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results “may,” “could,” “would,” “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved.

Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s ability to predict or control, could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Specific reference is made to the most recent Annual Information Form on file with certain Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities for a discussion of some of the factors underlying forward-looking statements, which include, without limitation, volatility in the prices of gold, copper and certain other commodities, changes in debt and equity markets, the uncertainties involved in interpreting geological data, increases in costs, environmental compliance and changes in environmental legislation and regulation, interest rate and exchange rate fluctuations, general economic conditions and other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect the forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The press release includes forward-looking statements relating, but not limited to, the following: our plans with respect to the Era Dorada project.

The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. If the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.

For further information, please visit Aura’s website at www.auraminerals.com or contact:

Investor Relations
ri@auraminerals.com
www.auraminerals.com

FAQ

What did Aura (AUGO) announce on January 6, 2026 about Era Dorada?

Aura announced receipt of the construction license and commencement of early works at Era Dorada.

When did Aura complete the acquisition of Bluestone for Era Dorada (AUGO)?

Aura completed the acquisition of Bluestone in January 2025.

What early works has Aura begun at Era Dorada (AUGO)?

Early works include environmental programs, vegetal suppression, road detour, internal access opening, mine dewatering and platform preparation.

Where can investors find the Era Dorada Feasibility Study for AUGO?

The Feasibility Study is filed on EDGAR and CVM and is available on Aura's website.

How large is the Era Dorada exploitation license for AUGO?

The exploitation license covers 15.25 km2 in the municipality of Asunción Mita.

Does Era Dorada have nearby power infrastructure relevant to AUGO operations?

Yes; the site is a few kilometers north of the La Baranca substation with 20 MW capacity.

What community and environmental considerations did Aura report for Era Dorada (AUGO)?

Aura reported > 853 hours of dialogue roundtables with local communities and emphasized responsible mining and inclusion.