AngloGold Ashanti Acquires Corvus Gold

AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. has agreed to acquire the remaining 80.5% of common shares of Corvus Gold Inc. not already owned by AngloGold Ashanti for approximately $370 million. The combination further consolidates one of the largest new gold districts in the state (the Beatty District) and provides the opportunity for AngloGold Ashanti to establish, in the medium and longer term, a meaningful, lowcost production base in a premier mining jurisdiction, according to the company.

Consolidation of the Beatty District has the potential for significant synergies due to economies of scale and integrated infrastructure, including processing facilities at an attractive capital intensity, the company said. It also allows for streamlined engagement with federal, state and local stakeholders to advance and achieve shared sustainability goals and other district benefits, such as opportunities to design projects incorporating renewable energy, as well as develop conservation and other local projects in conjunction with the Beatty community.

“The inclusion of these assets in our portfolio will enable AngloGold Ashanti to have first production in North America in the next three to four years, further improving the overall geographic balance of our portfolio,” AngloGold Ashanti CEO and Executive Director Alberto Calderon said. “Placing these assets under single ownership will allow for significantly reduced capital intensity to develop the district with a phased and modular approach, providing for a meaningful, low-cost production base in the medium and longer term.”

While AngloGold Ashanti previously operated gold assets in the United States, including the Jerritt Canyon gold mine in Nevada and the Cripple Creek & Victor mine in Colorado, it currently holds several exploration assets (Silicon, Merlin, Transvaal and Rhyolite) in the Beatty District where it has been conducting exploration activities for four years and has drilled 70,688 meters during that period. Current exploration results indicate the potential for significant oxide ore bodies at Silicon and Merlin, as well as additional sulphide potential at Silicon at depth. AngloGold Ashanti anticipates it will publish a mineral resource at Silicon for the year. Exploration work is ongoing to delineate the ore bodies at both Silicon and Merlin in greater detail.

AngloGold Ashanti’s conceptual development plan for the district envisions North Bullfrog being developed first, with production in the next three to four years, followed by Silicon, Merlin (including Lynnda Strip) and Mother Lode.

As featured in Womp 2021 Vol 10 - www.womp-int.com