Canagold Announces Positive Feasibility Study Results for the New Polaris Project
After-Tax NPV (
After-Tax NPV (
Feasibility Study Highlights
Robust Project Economics
-
After-tax net present value (“NPV”) of
generating an after-tax internal rate of return (“IRR”) of$425 million 30.9% , with a project payback of pre-production capital expenditures (“CAPEX”) of 2.4 years, assuming a discount rate of5.0% and aUS base case Gold Price per ounce (“Gold Price”)$2,500 -
After-tax NPV of
generating an after-tax IRR of$793 million 47.3% , with a project payback of pre-production CAPEX of 1.7 years, assuming a discount rate of5.0% and aUS spot Gold Price$3,300 -
Life of mine (“LOM”) after-tax free cash flow of
at a$649 million US base case Gold Price$2,500 -
LOM after-tax free cash flow of
at a$1.1 billion US Spot Gold Price$3,300
High Grade, Low CAPEX and Low AISC
-
Estimated pre-production capital expenditures CAPEX of
$250 million -
LOM all-in sustaining cost (“AISC”) per payable gold
US /oz.$1,247 - High-grade underground mine averaging a LOM diluted grade of 9.94 g/t gold containing 904,000 ounces of Gold
- LOM mill recovered gold production of 805,589 ounces
Feasibility Study Financial Highlights and Gold Price Sensitivity
Table 1: After-Tax NPV ( |
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|
Low Case |
Base Case |
High Case |
Spot Case |
Gold Price (US$/oz) |
|
|
|
|
After-Tax NPV ( |
|
|
|
|
After-Tax IRR (%) |
23.5 |
30.9 |
37.5 |
47.3 |
After-Tax Payback (years) |
2.9 |
2.4 |
2.1 |
1.7 |
After-Tax NPV/Initial Capex |
1.1 |
1.7 |
2.3 |
3.2 |
After-Tax Free Cash Flow ($M) |
|
|
|
|
“The Feasibility Study results demonstrate exceptional economics, low Capex and low AISC for the New Polaris Gold-Antimony Project,” stated Canagold’s Chief Executive Officer, Catalin Kilofliski. “Even at a
TRTFN’s Spokesperson, Charmaine Thom, says, “Canagold’s land acknowledgement of Taku River Tlingit First Nation’s traditional territory and the willingness to work toward a partnership through a Consent Based Agreement, is a true testament of what reconciliation looks like.”
Critical Metals/Antimony
-
A total of 5,630 tonnes of Sb grading
0.6% is included in the Company’s Indicated MRE dated April 2, 2025 - A total of 5,173 tonnes Sb is included in the FS mine plans
However, the Feasibility Study does not include any revenue contribution from antimony or estimate an antimony reserve. This is because the process flowsheet outlined in the Feasibility Study is specifically designed to produce a sulphide concentrate.
Antimony has been recognized at New Polaris since the early mining operations of the 1940s and 1950s. However, its economic significance has grown substantially in recent years due to global supply shortages and sharply rising prices.
The Company is currently undertaking additional metallurgical testing and economic evaluations required to support the inclusion of antimony in the project’s financial model.
The prospect of including revenue from antimony in future phases, has the potential to improve overall project economics, particularly as the associated mining costs for antimony are largely covered by the gold mining activities. However, there are no guarantees that the future testing will support this prospect.
Plans for Unlocking Antimony Value
To capitalize on the full economic potential of antimony, the Company is advancing several key initiatives:
- Metallurgical Test Work: Ongoing advanced testing to produce a high-grade antimony-gold concentrate
- Refining and Processing Studies: Technical assessments evaluating the feasibility of refining antimony into high-purity metal prior to off-site gold refining
- Economic Optimization: Evaluating the potential uplift in project economics from the future inclusion of antimony revenue
- Exploration Upside: Assessing opportunities for expanding antimony mineralization within the broader New Polaris property
New Polaris Feasibility Study
The Feasibility Study for New Polaris was completed by Ausenco Engineering Canada ULC (“Ausenco”), supported by Moose Mountain Technical Services and JDS Energy & Mining Inc. The study confirms robust economics for an underground mining and milling operation, with a low initial capital cost and a high rate of return.
Key Feasibility Study parameters are shown in Table 2.
Table 2: New Polaris FS Project Parameters |
|
Base Case Economic Assumptions |
|
Gold Price (US$/oz) |
|
Exchange Rate (C$/US$) |
0.725 |
Discount Rate |
|
Contained Metals Mined |
|
Contained Gold (koz) |
904 |
Contained Antimony (tonnes) |
5173 |
Mining |
|
Mine Life (years) |
8.3 |
Waste (Mt) |
1.8 |
Total Material Mined (Mt) |
4.6 |
Total Mineralized Material Mined (Mt) |
2.8 |
Processing |
|
Processing Throughput (ktpa) |
340 |
Average Diluted Gold Grade (g/t) |
9.9 |
Gold Production |
|
Gold Recovery (%) |
89.1 |
LOM Recovered Gold in Concentrate (xoz) |
806 |
LOM Payable Gold Production (koz) |
709 |
LOM Avg. Annual Gold Production (koz) |
85.7 |
Operating Costs Per Tonne |
|
Mining Cost ($/t Milled) |
|
Processing Cost ($/t Milled) |
|
G&A Cost (C$/t Milled) |
|
Total Operating Costs ($/t Milled) |
|
Other Costs |
|
Concentrate Transportation to Smelter ($/wmt) |
|
Cash Costs and All-in Sustaining Costs |
|
LOM Cash Cost (US$/oz Au) |
|
LOM All-in Sustaining Cost (US$/oz Au) |
|
Capital Expenditures |
|
Pre-production Capital Expenditures ($M) |
|
Sustaining Capital Expenditures ($M) |
|
Closure Expenditures ($M) |
|
Economics |
|
After-Tax NPV ( |
|
After-Tax IRR % |
30.9 |
After-Tax Payback Period (years) |
2.4 |
After-Tax NPV / Initial Capex |
1.7 |
Pre-Tax NPV ( |
|
Pre-Tax IRR % |
38.4 |
Pre-Tax Payback Period (years) |
2.3 |
Pre-Tax NPV / Initial Capex |
2.7 |
LOM After-tax Free Cash Flow ($M) |
649 |
- Cash costs are inclusive of mining costs, processing costs, site G&A, off-site charges and royalties
- AISC includes total cash cost, sustaining CAPEX and closure cost
-
All dollar ($) figures are presented in CAD unless otherwise stated. Base case metal price used in this economic analysis is
US /oz Au.$2,500
Gold Production Profile
Graph 1: New Polaris LOM Production Profile
Mineral Resource Estimate
The Company’s current Mineral Resource Estimate (“MRE”), completed by Moose Mountain Technical Services, has an effective date of April 2, 2025 with the mineralization model as the basis for the FS. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability at this time.
The New Polaris Mineral Resources for gold and antimony are shown in Table 3 and Table 4.
Table 3. New Polaris April 2, 2025 Gold Resource Estimate at 4 g/t cut-off |
|||
Resource Class |
Tonnes (000’s) |
Au (g/t) |
Au Metal Ozs (000’s) |
Indicated |
2,965 |
11.6 |
1,107 |
Inferred |
926 |
8.5 |
266 |
Table 4. Antimony Resource Estimate within the Base Case Au Resource |
|||
Resource Class |
Tonnes (000’s) |
Sb (%) |
Sb Metal (Tonnes) |
Indicated |
860 |
0.65 |
5,630 |
Inferred |
100 |
1.2 |
1,195 |
About the Mineral Resource Estimate
Mineral Reserve Estimate
The mineral reserves are summarized in Table 5.
Table 5: Mineral Reserves |
|||
Reserve Class |
Tonnes (000’s) |
Au (g/t) |
Au Metal Ounces (000’s) |
Probable |
2,830.2 |
9.94 |
904.4 |
Total |
2,830.2 |
9.94 |
904.4 |
Mining Overview
The New Polaris mine is designed as a modern, fully-mechanized underground operation, targeting the safe and cost-effective extraction of mineral reserves over an estimated 8.3 year mine life. The plan anticipates delivering approximately 2.8 million tonnes (Mt) of mill feed at an average grade of 9.9 g/t gold.
A total of 1.8 Mt of waste rock will be generated during LOM underground development. Of this, the majority will be used as backfill material within the mine to support mined-out areas, with the remaining volume placed on surface in the integrated tailings and waste rock storage facility.
The mineral reserves are located beneath the historic workings of the Polaris-Taku mine, which operated from 1938 to 1951 and produced 740,000 tonnes at an average grade of 10.3 g/t gold. The new underground access will be established via a ramp extending from the existing New Polaris portal, reaching an ultimate depth of approximately 780 meters. The primary ore body, known as the ‘C’ zone, accounts for nearly
Geotechnical assessments indicate favorable rock conditions, with typical ground control measures and associated costs anticipated.
To optimize recovery and minimize costs, two main mining methods will be employed:
- Mechanized cut-and-fill mining will be used in areas where high selectivity, minimal dilution, and strong recovery rates yield the greatest value
- Sublevel long-hole mining will be applied in zones where its inherently low unit cost delivers optimal economic benefit
Mine development and early construction activities will be carried out by an experienced underground mining contractor, with operations transitioning to an owner-operated model upon commencement of production. The underground mine is expected to employ approximately 190 personnel, sustaining an average production rate of 950 tpd throughout the mine’s operating life.
Processing Overview
Processing will occur in a 1000 tpd crushing, grinding and flotation plant to produce a bulk sulphide flotation concentrate which will be shipped off site for final processing at an independent processing facility.
Crushed ore is ground to
Flotation concentrate is thickened, filtered and dried, to a moisture of approximately
A portion of the process tailings will be fed to a backfill plant and used for filling underground mining voids, the balance will be filtered and trucked to a dry-stack storage facility located about 1 km from the plant site. Waste rock not used for underground backfilling will also be trucked to this facility for storage with the tailings.
Concentrate Marketing Study
An independent concentrate marketing study for the New Polaris Project, evaluating marketability and treatment terms for its gold concentrate has been completed as part of the FS. The study confirms that the New Polaris gold concentrate, targeted at a grade exceeding 100 g/t Au, and an average
The report identifies potential outlets for the sale of New Polaris gold concentrate, including:
-
Traditional gold roasters in
Asia , which represent an established and high-capacity processing route - Blending facilities, where the concentrate can be mixed with other materials prior to shipment to smelters
- Asian gold roasters, copper smelters, or lead smelters
- Direct sales to international metal trading firms, which offer flexible and liquid off-take arrangements
- Pressure oxidation (POX) plants
Based on indicative commercial terms provided by several prospective buyers, the marketing study validated the project’s financial modeling assumptions related to treatment charges and gold payability. The analysis concluded that an average net smelter return (NSR) of
Capital Costs
The initial capital cost is estimated at
Table 6: Project Capital Cost Estimates ($M): |
|||
|
Initial |
Sustaining |
LOM Total |
Mining ($M) |
|
|
|
Processing ($M) |
|
- |
|
Tailings ($M) |
|
|
|
Onsite Infrastructure ($M) |
|
- |
|
Offsite Infrastructure ($M) |
|
- |
|
Indirects ($M) |
|
- |
|
Project Delivery ($M) |
|
- |
|
Owner’s Costs ($M) |
|
- |
|
Total excluding Contingency ($M) |
|
|
|
Project Contingency ($M) |
|
|
|
Closure ($M) |
- |
- |
|
Total ($M) |
|
|
|
Note: Totals may differ slightly due to rounding
Operating Costs
The LOM Total Cash Cost is
Unit Operating costs are shown in Table 7.
Table 7: Operating Costs Per Tonne Milled |
|
Operating Costs Per Tonne |
$/t |
Mining Cost ($/t Milled) |
135.45 |
Processing Cost ($/t Milled) |
64.28 |
G&A Cost ($/t Milled) |
67.58 |
Total Operating Costs ($/t Milled) |
267.31 |
Financial Analysis
At a
The Project Financials are shown in Table 8.
Table 8: New Polaris Project Financials |
|
|
|
After-Tax NPV ( |
|
After-Tax IRR (%) |
30.9 |
After-Tax Payback Period (years) |
2.4 |
After-Tax NPV / Initial Capex |
1.7 |
Pre-Tax NPV ( |
|
Pre-Tax IRR (%) |
38.4 |
Pre-Tax Payback Period (years) |
2.3 |
Pre-Tax NPV / Initial Capex |
2.7 |
LOM After-tax Free Cash Flow ($M) |
|
Regulatory and Environmental Assessment Process
The Project is subject to a range of regulatory approvals, including a consent decision from the Taku River Tlingit First Nation (TRTFN) and an Environmental Assessment Certificate (EAC) under British Columbia’s Environmental Assessment Act. Once the environmental assessment process is completed, the necessary construction and operating permits may be applied for and issued in accordance with applicable provincial and federal legislation.
The project formally entered the BC Environmental Assessment (EA) process in 2023. In September 2024, the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office (BCEAO) issued a Readiness Decision, concluding there is sufficient information to proceed with the Environmental Assessment Application. Canagold’s consulting team is currently preparing the required technical studies and supporting documentation, with the EA application targeted for submission in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The ongoing involvement, input, and support of the TRTFN have been instrumental in ensuring that their interests are recognized and addressed throughout the process. Their collaboration continues to play a critical role in helping advance and streamline the regulatory review.
Indigenous Relations and Community Engagement
The New Polaris Project is located within the territory of the Taku River Tlingit First Nation (TRTFN).
Canagold has maintained a long-standing and respectful relationship with the TRTFN, having operated within their traditional territory since 1990. Over the years, the Company has built a strong foundation of collaboration and trust with the Nation. A formal engagement framework is in place, guiding communication, consultation, and permitting activities in alignment with TRTFN values and governance structures.
In February 2023, Canagold and the TRTFN established a Technical Working Group (TWG) to facilitate focused collaboration on the New Polaris Project. Bi-weekly meetings have been held consistently, allowing for in-depth discussions on all aspects of the project. In addition, several open houses and community engagement sessions have been conducted to ensure transparent and inclusive dialogue with TRTFN citizens.
Canagold remains firmly committed to continuing meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities, both in
Opportunities to Enhance Project Value and Reduce Carbon Footprint
The 2025 FS clearly demonstrates that New Polaris is an economically viable project.
Several key opportunities have the potential to significantly increase the economic value of the New Polaris Project while simultaneously reducing its environmental impact:
- Antimony Recovery Optimization: Ongoing metallurgical test work aims to optimize flotation and refining conditions for antimony. Successful antimony recovery and processing could unlock substantial additional revenue
- Renewable Energy Integration: An engineering study is underway to assess the feasibility of constructing a run-of-river hydroelectric facility on-site. This project could replace a significant portion of diesel-generated power, leading to a major reduction in CO₂ emissions and a corresponding decrease in energy costs—ultimately contributing to lower operating expenses
- Resource Expansion Potential: The mesothermal gold deposit remains open at depth and along strike, offering potential for resource expansion beyond the current 8.3-year mine life outlined in the Feasibility Study. In addition, 2024 drilling north of the historic mining area intersected multiple mineralized veins, further supporting the opportunity to increase the defined resource base
Qualified Persons
In accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, Garry Biles, P. Eng., President & COO is the Qualified Person for the Company and has prepared, validated, and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. The Company strictly adheres to CIM Best Practices Guidelines in conducting, documenting, and reporting activities on its projects.
Sue Bird, M Sc., P.Eng., V.P. of Resources and Engineering at Moose Mountain Technical Services, an independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Sue has also reviewed and approved the technical information about the 2025 MRE resource contained in this news release.
Tommaso Roberto Raponi, P. Eng., Principal Metallurgist with Ausenco Engineering Canada ULC., is an independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed and verified the contents of this news release. Mr. Raponi is responsible for mineral processing and metallurgical testing in the technical report.
Kevin Murray, P. Eng., Principal Process Engineer for Ausenco Engineering Canada ULC., is an independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed and verified the contents of this news release. Mr. Murray is responsible for processing, process and infrastructure capital and operating cost estimation, financial analysis and marketing in the technical report.
James Millard, P. Geo., Director, Strategic Projects with Ausenco Sustainability ULC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Ausenco Engineering Canada ("Ausenco") is an independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed and verified the contents of this news release. Mr. Millard is responsible for the sections and subsections related to environmental, permitting, and social and community aspects in the technical report.
Jonathan Cooper, MSc., P.Eng., Water Resources Engineer with Ausenco Sustainability ULC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Ausenco Engineering Canada ("Ausenco") is an independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed and verified the contents of this news release. Mr. Cooper is responsible for the sections and subsections related to site-wide water management in the technical report.
Dino Pilotto, P. Eng., General Manager, Technical Services with JDS Energy & Mining Inc., is an independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed and verified the contents of this news release. Mr. Pilotto is responsible for mining methods in the technical report.
Mike Levy, P. Eng., Geotechnical Manager with JDS Energy & Mining Inc., is an independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed and verified the contents of this news release. Mr. Levy is responsible for the underground geotechnical assessment in the technical report.
About Canagold
Canagold Resources Ltd. is an advanced development company dedicated to advancing the New Polaris Project through feasibility, permitting, and production stages. Additionally, Canagold aims to expand its asset base by acquiring advanced projects, positioning itself as a leading project developer. With a team of technical experts, the Company is poised to unlock substantial value for its shareholders.
“Catalin Kilofliski”
_________________________ |
Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250721775840/en/
Catalin Kilofliski, Chief Executive Officer
CANAGOLD RESOURCES LTD
Catalin@canagoldresources.com, 604-685-9700
Source: Canagold Resources Ltd.