Mark Brennan, Founder, CEO, and Director of Cerrado Gold Inc (TSX.V: CERT) (OTCQX: CRDOF), joins me to review the Q2 2025 financials and operations, along with the dual-pronged 20,000 meter expansionary exploration program at the producing Minera Don Nicolas gold mine in Argentina, and the value proposition key upcoming development catalysts at the Lagoa Salgada VMS Project in Portugal and the Mont Sorcier Iron-Vanadium project in Quebec.
Q2/25 MDN Operating Highlights:
- Q2/25 production of 11,437 GEO and AISC of $1,779/oz
- Unit costs expected to continue to decline as production increases in H2/2025
- Q2/25 Adjusted EBITDA of $7.4 million
- Record heap leach production of 7,864 GEO during the Quarter
- Underground development at Paloma started with three access portals
- CIL plant receiving initial contribution from underground development; production expected to ramp up over H2/2025
- 20,000m Exploration Program underway at MDN targeting potential significant resource growth opportunities
Mark and I review their Minera Don Nicolas producing gold project in Argentina, and the record heap leach gold equivalent ounce production for the quarter. There is expanded and improved crushing capacity at the heap leach, from the newly installed secondary crusher, and this will continue to be impactful on a move-forward basis in Q3 and beyond, with the quantity of ore being placed on the pad having increased, and with it helping to reduce down unit costs into H2.
The production profile will also keep growing with the underground mining having now commenced. With higher gold prices, the CIL plant continued to process lower-grade stockpiles in Q2/25, but new high-grade material from the underground mining operations will start being blended with it moving forward, and this will increase the average grade throughput at the mill.
Another area of future growth will be the 20,000 meter drill program will be a combination of underground exploration work targeting new areas of mineralization and growing the mine life, in addition to surface drilling that is exploring around the open pit resources, as well as identifying additional satellite open-pits at surface.
Next we unpacked the growing value proposition at the Lagoa Salgada VMS Project in Portugal, with a Post-tax NPV of US$147 million and a 39% IRR in the current Feasibility Study. This Project adds both substantial precious metals resources along with critical minerals exposure (42 % Gold & Silver, 24% zinc, 14% copper, and 5% tin) to the future production profile. We also discuss the various work streams leading to optimized Feasibility Study in Q4, a construction decision by Q1 2026. Construction is targeted for H2 of 2026, with first production slated for early 2028.
We wrap up discussing the underappreciated value and ongoing derisking work that is moving towards a Bankable Feasibility Study in Q1 of 2026 at the Mont Sorcier Iron-Vanadium in Quebec. Recent metallurgical test work, has reaffirmed the potential to produce high-grade and high-purity iron concentrate grading in excess of 67% iron with silica and alumina content below 2.3%.
If you have questions for Mark regarding Cerrado Gold, then please email those to me at Shad@kereport.com.
* In full disclosure, Shad is a shareholder of Cerrado Gold at the time of this recording, and may choose to buy or sell shares at any time.
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