Technical Study

Record Gold Prices Reshape Economics of New Mine Development

By The Northwire Desk — AI Analysis Mar 16, 2026 · 08:30 LFLR · 0.53 LaFleur Minerals Inc.

LFLR · Price

LaFleur Minerals released a positive PEA for the Swanson Gold Project showing an after‑tax NPV (5%) of C$101 M, IRR of 65% and a 1.8‑year payback period.
Updated 2026 mineral resource estimate totals 2.96 Mt @ 1.69 g/t Au (Indicated) and 1.08 Mt @ 1.93 g/t Au (Inferred), representing ~30% growth in Indicated resources.
The company disclosed ongoing mill refurbishment (≈30% of restart budget spent) and completed financing of C$7.8 M to fund the Beacon Gold Mill recommissioning, supporting a target 2026 production start.

PEA Highlights – After‑tax NPV (5%) = C$101 M; IRR = 65%; Payback ≈1.8 years; gold price assumption $2,750/oz.
Capital Requirements – Total startup capital estimated at C$31 M; mill restart budget projected at C$5‑6 M.
Resource Update – Indicated: 2.96 Mt @ 1.69 g/t Au = 160.3 koz; Inferred: 1.08 Mt @ 1.93 g/t Au = 66.8 koz (≈30% increase in Indicated vs. 2024).
Drilling Results – Hole SW‑25‑066: 2.05 g/t Au over 158.25 m; additional intercepts include 1.58 g/t Au over 11.05 m and 5.78 g/t Au over 2.05 m in peripheral targets. Total of 60 holes (16,592 m) reported from 2025 program.
Mill Restart Progress – ≈30% of C$5‑6 M restart budget spent; electrical upgrades, winterization, pump inspections, structural assessments and safety improvements completed. Current processing capacity ~750 t/d with staged expansion to 1,250 t/d (short‑term) and >3,000 t/d (long‑term).
Financing – Completed financing of C$7,800,421 allocated to Beacon Mill restart; funds expected to fully cover recommissioning.
Bulk Sample Plan – Permitting underway for ~100,000 t bulk sample at 1.89 g/t Au (~6,350 oz Au), ~3% of current resource, to be processed at Beacon Mill.
Infrastructure Valuation – Independent valuation (July 2025) placed replacement cost of mill & tailings facility at >C$71.5 M; rehabilitation/commissioning costs ≈C$4.1 M.

(Optional – not included as no direct quotes were provided in the release.)

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