Bunker Hill Announces Appointment of General Manager and Secures Mining Contractor
TORONTO, Feb. 15, 2022 - Bunker Hill Mining Corp. (the "Company") (CSE: BNKR, OTCQB: BHLL) is pleased to announce the appointment of Tom Francis as General Manager for the Bunker Hill Mine, and the execution of a mining services contract with Coeur d'Alene Mine Contracting LLC ("CMC").
Sam Ash, CEO stated, "A critical driver of our success has been the strength that comes from building a world-class team, which will remain a central focus as we accelerate the restart of the Bunker Hill Mine. Tom's demonstrated leadership skills and track record are a perfect fit for our needs, and I am pleased to welcome him on our journey towards not just building a mine, but a mining company. He will oversee all operational aspects of the restart of the Bunker Hill Mine including technical services, construction, contract management, and Safety and Health."
"I am also pleased to announce the appointment of CMC as our mining contractor through planned commercial production. This extends an excellent and productive relationship that began in 2020, during which time they have demonstrated their world-class mining capabilities, knowledge of the Silver Valley, and ability to procure skilled personnel to meet our needs. Importantly, agreed rates are in line with those modelled in our PEA. Together with the MOU for the purchase of Teck's Pend Oreille process plant for approximately $3 million, we are pleased that key capital and operating costs continue to be in line with estimates."
APPOINTMENT OF TOM FRANCIS AS GENERAL MANAGER
The Company has appointed Tom Francis as General Manager of the Bunker Hill Mine. Mr. Francis joins the Bunker Hill team after 10 years with Rio Tinto, the second-largest mining company in the world, where he was most recently Mine Manager at the Kennecott Bingham Canyon Mine ("Kennecott") in Utah, USA, its single largest mining operation. Among other achievements, his team delivered world-class payload metrics on Kennecott's ultra-class truck fleet while simultaneously increasing average haul truck speeds and tire life. Previous roles with Rio Tinto included responsibility for productivity across the full Kennecott value stream (mine, concentrator, smelter and refinery), three years in the Group strategic investment analysis team assessing its global suite of projects (greenfield, brownfield & closure), and several years in Rio Tinto Exploration (RTX) managing operational support (incl. safety) for Rio Tinto's Exploration's projects across Africa and Eurasia.
Prior to his mining experience, Mr. Francis served as an officer in the Royal Marines and UK Special Forces, serving on multiple operational tours in Kosovo, Iraq & Afghanistan. He is a dual national US/UK citizen having lived, studied and worked in both the US and the UK. He holds a first-class degree from the University of Oxford (BA, Mathematics & Computation).
APPOINTMENT OF CMC AS MINING CONTRACTOR
The Company has also agreed a Contract Services Agreement ("CSA") with Coeur d'Alene Mine Contracting, LLC for underground mining and development requirements through December 31, 2023, by which time it plans to be in commercial production. CMC is a locally owned and operated mining services company based in Idaho's Silver Valley with extensive contracting experience in the deepest underground mines across North America. Their contract experience spans production, development, mine rehabilitation, mine start-ups and mine closures.
The CSA extends an ongoing relationship with CMC that has seen them work alongside the Bunker Hill team for the last two years, during which time they have performed safely, productively and developed an extensive first-hand knowledge of the Bunker Hill mine. Importantly, CMC has demonstrated an ability to grow in accordance with the step-up in physical activity at Bunker Hill without diluting operational performance. Labor and equipment rates in the CSA are consistent with the Company's Preliminary Economic Assessment published in November 2021, and CMC has also been advising on and supporting the procurement of necessary additional equipment as operational activity increases.
ABOUT BUNKER HILL MINING CORP.
Under new Idaho-based leadership the Bunker Hill Mining Corp., intends to sustainably restart and develop the Bunker Hill Mine as the first step in consolidating a portfolio of North American mining assets with a focus on silver. Information about the Company is available on its website, www.bunkerhillmining.com, or within the SEDAR and EDGAR databases.
For additional information contact:
David Wiens, CFA
CFO & Corporate Secretary
+1 208 370 3665
ir@bunkerhillmining.com
Cautionary Statements
Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are within the meaning of that term in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as well as within the meaning of the phrase 'forward-looking information' in the Canadian Securities Administrators' National Instrument 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligations. Forward-looking statements are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.
Forward looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the Company's intentions regarding its objectives, goals or future plans and statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: the ability to predict and counteract the effects of COVID-19 on the business of the Company, including but not limited to the effects of COVID-19 on the price of commodities, capital market conditions, restriction on labour and international travel and supply chains; failure to identify mineral resources; failure to convert estimated mineral resources to reserves; the inability to complete a feasibility study which recommends a production decision; the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results; the Company's ability to restart and develop the Bunker Hill Mine and the risks of not basing a production decision on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability, resulting in increased uncertainty due to multiple technical and economic risks of failure which are associated with this production decision including, among others, areas that are analyzed in more detail in a feasibility study, such as applying economic analysis to resources and reserves, more detailed metallurgy and a number of specialized studies in areas such as mining and recovery methods, market analysis, and environmental and community impacts and, as a result, there may be an increased uncertainty of achieving any particular level of recovery of minerals or the cost of such recovery, including increased risks associated with developing a commercially mineable deposit with no guarantee that production will begin as anticipated or at all or that anticipated production costs will be achieved; failure to commence production would have a material adverse impact on the Company's ability to generate revenue and cash flow to fund operations; failure to achieve the anticipated production costs would have a material adverse impact on the Company's cash flow and future profitability; delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals; political risks; changes in equity markets; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the inability of the Company to budget and manage its liquidity in light of the failure to obtain additional financing, including the ability of the Company to complete the payments pursuant to the terms of the agreement to acquire the Bunker Hill Mine Complex; inflation; changes in exchange rates; fluctuations in commodity prices; delays in the development of projects; capital, operating and reclamation costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry; and those risks set out in the Company's public documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.
Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resources
This press release has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. Unless otherwise indicated, all resource and reserve estimates included in this press release have been disclosed in accordance with NI 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators which establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Canadian disclosure standards, including NI 43-101, differ significantly from the requirements of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and resource and reserve information contained in this press release may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies. In particular, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the term "resource" does not equate to the term "reserves". Under U.S. standards, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. The SEC's disclosure standards normally do not permit the inclusion of information concerning "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" or "inferred mineral resources" or other descriptions of the amount of mineralization in mineral deposits that do not constitute "reserves" by U.S. standards in documents filed with the SEC. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. U.S. investors should also understand that "inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource" will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource" exists or is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of "contained ounces" in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by SEC standards as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. The requirements of NI 43-101 for disclosure of "reserves" are also not the same as those of the SEC, and reserves disclosed by the Company in accordance with NI 43-101 may not qualify as "reserves" under SEC standards. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits contained in our website may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards.