Antelope Deposit PEA: $131M NPV, 35% IRR
B2Gold Corp.'s Antelope Deposit in Namibia has a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) outlining an after-tax NPV of $131M, an after-tax IRR of 35%, and initial capital of $129M. The mine plan runs 5 years at about 65478 oz Au per year.
B2Gold Corp.'s Antelope Deposit has reported Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) results for the gold project in Namibia. The study headlines an after-tax net present value of $131M at a 5% discount rate. It reflects B2Gold Corp.'s (BTG) latest disclosed economics for the asset.
Economics. The after-tax NPV is $131M using a 5% discount rate. After-tax IRR is 35%. Initial capital expenditure is estimated at $129M. The study models a payback period of 1.3 years. All-in sustaining costs are pegged at 1095 USD/oz. Economics are based on $2,400/oz Au.
Production and mine plan. The project envisions an underground operation. Life of mine is 5 years. Average annual production is approximately 65478 oz Au. Average head grade is 5.75 g/t Au. Metallurgical recovery averages 95%.
Resources and ownership. Mineral resources: Indicated: 400 kt at 5.53 g/t Au for 70 koz Au; Inferred: 3,440 kt at 5.23 g/t Au for 580 koz Au. The company holds a 90% interest in the project.
These figures are extracted from B2Gold Corp.'s technical disclosures and reflect the most recent PEA on file. Compare this project against other developers and producers in our project economics database, and always verify the numbers against the original technical report before making any investment decision.
Our Analysis
A 35% after-tax IRR places this project in the lower half of the 90 gold developers we track, though it clears the practical financing hurdle for a single-asset junior by a wide margin. The 5% discount rate used to compute the $131M NPV is at the low end of reporting convention, which flatters the headline figure; a more standard rate would compress that NPV meaningfully. The NPV sits well below the company's market cap, a gap that cuts both ways—it could mean the market has not priced in the project's value, or that investors are skeptical about execution risk given the short mine life and capital intensity.
Initial capex of $129M is 98% of NPV, a moderately capital-intensive profile that creates funding risk for a junior with a market cap below the NPV. The 1.3-year payback is fast, but the 5-year mine life leaves no margin for delays or cost overruns. The study's $2,400/oz gold price sits far below the current spot of $4,193.80/oz, implying substantial upside to returns if that price holds—but also raising the question of why the study used a conservative assumption. The single most important watch-item is financing: the capex-to-market-cap ratio suggests significant dilution risk unless a partner or premium offtake is secured.
Our take, benchmarked against the project economics in the Mining Stocks database. Figures are estimates drawn from company technical reports — not investment advice; always verify against the source filing.