Gold Reserve Inc. (GDRZF)

[Enterprising Investor]

Gold Reserve Provides Mineral Resource and Positive Preliminary Economic Assessment on Siembra Minera Project (3/19/18)

SPOKANE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gold Reserve Inc. (TSX.V: GRZ) (OTCQX: GDRZF) (“Gold Reserve” or the “Company”) is pleased to provide the results of a Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) of the Siembra Minera Gold Copper Project (the "Project") in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101").

The Project is a gold-copper-silver deposit located in the Kilometre 88 mining district of Bolivar State in southeast Venezuela, and is owned 45% by the Company and 55% by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ("Venezuela"). The Project is expected to be a conventional truck and shovel open pit mining operation, utilizing hydraulic shovels and 236-tonne trucks as the primary mining equipment. The overall Project contemplates two plants: a smaller 15,000 tonne per day ("tpd") cyanidation plant (the "Small Plant") and a larger 140,000 tpd flotation plant (the "Large Plant"). The Small Plant is designed to recover gold from oxide saprolite and sulfide saprolite that contains low concentrations of copper and the Large Plant is designed to process hard rock material containing higher concentrations of copper as well as gold. The overall mine life is estimated to be 45 years after achieving commercial production of the Large Plant.

The Project is expected to begin with the Small Plant, which is estimated to take two years for detail design and construction while providing a platform for establishing the Project's operations and management group in advance of the Large Plant operation. The Small Plant, related mining equipment, initial tailings dam and infrastructure cost estimate is $295 million. It is expected to start producing gold at the end of a two-year construction period and generate approximately $40 million in annual cash flow. The Large Plant is expected to take an estimated four years for the completion of a final feasibility study, detail design and construction. Production is expected to begin approximately two years after completion of construction of the Small Plant. All amounts are in U.S. dollars.

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Venezuela Minister of the People's Power for Ecological Mining Development Victor Cano stated, "This study is a confirmation of the tremendous economic value of the Mixed Company Ecosocialista Siembra Minera, S.A. mining project to the Venezuelan nation and our people. We look forward to the continued development of the project in an environmentally and socially responsible manner."

Gold Reserve President Doug Belanger added, "This study confirms that the Siembra Minera Project is one of the largest gold-copper deposits in the world with some of the lowest project operating costs for such a large project."

Gold Reserve is also pleased to report that the Company has recently transferred an additional $30 million from its trust account in Venezuela to its bank account in North America.

The next phase of the Project’s development is the detail design work for the Small Plant and related facilities in order to implement fast track development and production. In addition, we expect to initiate the feasibility study on the Large Plant and concurrent detailed engineering.

Proposals are currently being evaluated for a drilling program that is expected to commence in 2018 which will support the overall project development activities, water management wells, and test areas where additional resource potential is evident. Siembra Minera has also now established local management offices in Caracas and Puerto Ordaz.
The PEA will be available to the public at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov, as well as the Company’s website at www.goldreserveinc.com within 45 days of the date of this release.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Further information regarding the Company can be located at www.goldreserveinc.com, www.sec.gov and www.sedar.com.

Technical Disclosure

The scientific and technical information contained in this release, including resource estimates, pit design, mine plan, flowsheet design, design criteria, project layout, infrastructure requirements, capital and operating estimates was prepared by Roscoe Postle Associates, Inc., Samuel Engineering Inc., Tierra Group International, Ltd, and AATA International, Inc. The Qualified Persons (as defined in NI 43-101) in respect of the PEA who have reviewed, verified and approved such information are Richard J. Lambert, P.E., P.Eng., José Texidor Carlsson, P.Geo., Grant A. Malensek, P.Eng., Hugo Miranda, C.P., and Kathleen A. Altman, Ph.D., P.E., each of whom is independent of the Company.

Mineral resource estimates reported herein have been classified as Measured, Indicated or Inferred based on the confidence of the input data, geological interpretation and grade estimation parameters. The Company is not currently aware of any known factors that are reasonably likely to have a negative material impact on the Company’s mineral resources. The mineral resource estimates were prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and classifications adopted by the CIM Council.

Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The PEA is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180319006306/en/Gold-Reserve-Mineral-Resource-Positive-Preliminary-Economic