Yamana Gold Reports Impressive Technical Study Results for Odyssey Underground Project at Canadian Malartic, Construction Decision Approved

YAMANA GOLD INC. (TSX:YRI; NYSE:AUY; LSE:AUY) (“Yamana” or “the Company”) is herein reporting its financial and operational results for the fourth quarter and full year 2020, providing three-year mine-by-mine guidance, and updating mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates as at December 31, 2020.

The Company is also announcing a positive construction decision for the Odyssey underground project at the Canadian Malartic mine following the impressive results of the technical study, which outlines robust economics, a significant increase in mineral resources, and a mine life extension to at least 2039.

Acquisition of Wasamac Property and Camflo Property and Mill (Acquisition of Monarch Gold)

• During the quarter, the Company announced the acquisition of the Wasamac property and the Camflo property and mill through the acquisition of all of the outstanding shares of Monarch Gold not owned by Yamana. The Company completed the acquisition on January 21, 2021.
• The Wasamac project, which has existing proven and probable mineral reserves of 1.8 million ounces of gold at 2.56 grams per tonne and excellent potential for future exploration success, further solidifies the Company’s long-term growth profile with a top-tier gold project in Quebec’s Abitibi region, where the Company has deep operational and technical experience and expertise.

• IMPRESSIVE TECHNICAL STUDY RESULTS FOR THE ODYSSEY UNDERGROUND PROJECT AT CANADIAN MALARTIC DRIVES APPROVAL OF CONSTRUCTION DECISION 

  Yamana and Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd., who each hold a 50% interest in the Canadian Malartic General Partnership, owner and operator of the Canadian Malartic mine, have approved construction of the Odyssey underground project. The decision reflects positive technical study results and confirms the Odyssey project as the next phase in the evolution of mining at Canadian Malartic, which has served as an economic beacon in Quebec’s Abitibi District for generations and will continue to do so for decades to come. An NI 43-101 technical report for the Canadian Malartic operation is expected to be filed in March 2021 and will include a summary of the Odyssey underground project.

  The construction decision is a milestone in the ongoing evolution of the Canadian Malartic operation and is the culmination of several years of exploration, mineral resource development, and technical evaluation. It marks the transition point of the Odyssey underground project from the project definition phase to the construction and ramp-up phase, which will extend to 2028. From 2029 to 2039, the underground operation will be in full production, producing an expected 500,000 to 600,000 ounces per year. This represents an increase over the Company's initial estimate for an annual production platform of approximately 450,000 ounces. Further extension of the mine life beyond 2039 provides additional upside, with several opportunities under evaluation.

  Odyssey Project Production Profile (100% basis)

  A chart accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/861adaad-1fb4-422b-888c-714ccda69ba4

  About the Odyssey Project

  Canadian Malartic has been a prolific mining operation for decades. Since 2011, it has been an open pit mine, but it has also been a successful underground operation in previous iterations. One of the strategic rationales behind Yamana's decision to jointly acquire Canadian Malartic from Osisko Mining in 2014 was the potential to significantly extend mine life by transitioning the operation to a future underground mine. Initial underground exploration drilling generated promising results, with the discovery of the East Gouldie zone in 2018 confirming the strong potential for a multi-hundred thousand ounce annual production operation with a decades-long mine life. As of year-end 2020, underground mineral resources have grown to approximately 14.4 million ounces of gold (100% basis) in just six years, including an increase of 4 million ounces from year-end 2019.

  The Odyssey project hosts three main underground-mineralized zones, which are East Gouldie, East Malartic, and Odyssey, the latter of which is sub-divided into the Odyssey North, Odyssey South and Odyssey Internal zones. For the purpose of the technical study, mineable stope shapes were generated using a gold price of $1,250 per ounce, consistent with the price used for estimating Canadian Malartic open pit mineral reserves. Mineral resources at East Malartic below 600 metres from surface are not currently included in the technical study. A breakdown of the mineral resources used in the technical study, after dilution and mining recovery, is presented in the table below. Further details on the mineral resources are set out in the mineral reserve and mineral resource section of this news release.

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