Quarterly Update
January 28 2009 - 2:00AM
UK Regulatory
TIDMRMLA
RNS Number : 3508M
Rusina Mining NL
28 January 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
28 January 2009
Rusina Mining NL
("Rusina" or the "Company")
QUARTERLY REPORT
FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2008
The Company announces that is has released its Quarterly Report to the ASX
today. A copy of the document is available from the Company's website -
www.rusina.com.au
HIGHLIGHTS DURING THE QUARTER
- Heap Leach Pre Feasibility Study completed
- Construction of Trial Leach Pads underway
- Operating expenses reduced
- DSO market inquiries increasing
- $4.9m in cash and $2.2m in receivables at Quarter end
RUSINA CORPORATE
Rusina Corporate
The Company's cash balance at the end of the quarter was $4.9m as compared with
$5.2m at the end of the prior quarter.
In addition to cash on hand there are receivables of $2.2m payable from our
joint venture partners.
The majority of expenditure and operating activities are now being undertaken by
our joint venture partners European Nickel and DMCI Mining. The Company has also
implemented a revised budget that reduces annual expenditures through the
elimination and/or deferral of all non-essential expenditure.
The Company continues to benefit from holding a majority of its cash in USD
which has further strengthened against the Australian dollar during the period.
In November the Company held its Annual General Meeting at which all resolutions
were passed on a show of hands.
There were no share issues during the quarter. The total number of ordinary
shares on issue as at the end of the 2008 calendar year was 245,202,715.
NICKEL MINING
DMCI NICKEL LATERITE MINING AGREEMENT - Rusina 50%, DMCI 50%
Background:
DMCI Mining, a subsidiary of Philippine listed construction company DMCI
Holdings, and Rusina have an alliancing Direct Ship Ore (DSO) agreement wherein
DMCI are responsible for all funding, mining, grade control, rehabilitation,
road and port developments as well as the marketing and sales obligations of 5
million tonnes of ore over 5 years.
Update:
As advised in the last quarterly report, the DSO market has virtually stopped
and only one 7,500t 2.1% Ni trial shipments took place for a Japanese customer.
The trial shipment was successful and DMCI are reviewing mine plans for possible
future cargos. The new year has shown some renewed interest in DSO cargos,
particularly in high iron content but margins remain low. DMCI have advised that
they have signed a contract to move 50kt 1.3% Ni with Laycan in February and
continue to negotiate for the higher grade 1.8%Ni cargos.
DMCI FERRONICKEL PROJECT, SEMIRARA - Rusina 40%, DMCI 60%
Background:
Under an arrangement between DMCI and Rusina, DMCI are investigating the
feasibility of a ferronickel facility where Rusina has up to 40% free carry in
such a project, and will guarantee the ore supply for up to 5 years.
Update:
Nothing to report this quarter.
EUROPEAN NICKEL PLC, HEAP LEACH STUDY - Rusina 40%, EN 40%, LP 20%*
(*LP - Local Partners, DMCI and others 20%. This figure is at the mining level,
the Processing Facility can sustain 100% foreign equity and will be subject to
capital subscription.)
Background:
European Nickel plc and Rusina have entered into a JV agreement to investigate
the feasibility of Heap Leaching of Acoje Ore. Under the agreement European
Nickel will spend USD 10 million on the Feasibility Study to earn up to 40% of
the nickel laterite project.
Update:
The Acoje pre feasibility study being conducted by European Nickel PLC on the
heap leaching of nickel laterites was released during the quarter. Highlights of
the PFS are:
- JORC combined limonite plus saprolite Indicated Resource of 34.41 Mt at
1.09% nickel from an Inferred plus Indicated Resource of 50.14 Mt at 1.06%
nickel using a 0.8% cut off grade
- Estimated annual production of 24,500 tonnes of nickel and 930 tonnes
of cobalt
- Estimated cash cost of US$3.10/lb of nickel, net of by-products
including refining costs at US$6.00/lb nickel price and US$10/lb cobalt price
- Total development estimated at US$498 million
- Estimated capital cost per annual pound of nickel of US$7.84
- Post-tax Net Present Value of US$375 million (at a 10% discount rate)
and US$6/lb nickel price and $10/lb cobalt
- Internal Rate of Return of 28.3%
- 3 year payback period
- Forecast annual sales of US$260 million, based on a long term nickel
price of US$6.00/lb and including by-product credits
- Significant potential to increase NPV and IRR with extended mine life
by confirming the JORC Inferred Acoje and Zambales Chromite deposits to JORC
Indicated status
The results demonstrate an economically viable nickel laterite project using
heap leach technology producing 24,500 tonnes a year of contained nickel and 930
tonnes of contained cobalt. The study for the Acoje project is based on a JORC
Indicated Resource of 30.76 million tonnes at 1.12% nickel and 0.05% cobalt (at
a 0.8% nickel cut-off for saprolite and a 0.9% nickel cut off for limonite)
giving the project an initial mine life of ten years. Mining will be at a rate
of three million tonnes per annum, with a low strip ratio of 0.46, and cash
costs are estimated at US$3.10 per pound of nickel (at US$6/lb Ni), net of
by-products including a refining charge of 25% of the nickel price and a cobalt
price of US$10/lb. Further potential resources have been identified, the JORC
Inferred Resources at Acoje and the Zambales Chromite deposit, which are
expected to extend the mine life beyond 20 years and are expected to be
confirmed to JORC Indicated Resource levels during the DFS.
The basis for the Study was the November 2008 Snowden Mining Industry
Consultants resource estimate. This only used the indicated resource at Acoje.
The inferred resource at Acoje and Zambales Chromite has not been used. The
Companies anticipate that these further resources will be upgraded at Acoje by
infill drilling during 2009 which should significantly increase the net present
value and the rate of return of the project in the future through greater mine
life.
Trial Leach Facility Construction
The project has now moved into the definitive feasibility study ('DFS') phase
with the construction of the trial leach facility to demonstrate the large scale
permeability and recovery of the Acoje ore. First leaching is on schedule for
April 2009. In addition European Nickel have constructed a research laboratory
at Acoje where larger 4m column test work as well as advanced metallurgical work
on enhancing the final mixed hydroxide products can be undertaken as part of the
DFS. The permitting of the full scale plant has also commenced and the Chinese
engineering group (China Tianchan Engineering Corporation) have conducted a site
visit.
EXPLORATION
ZAMBALES DISTRICT
Zambales Chromite Mining Company Inc (ZCMC) - Rusina 40%, EN 40%, DMCI 20%
Background:
Rusina, European Nickel and DMCI have purchased all of the shares in ZCMC which
holds mining tenement MPSA-005-91-III, an area of 540 hectares located 3 km
north of Acoje. This tenement is highly prospective for nickel laterites and an
initial JORC resource estimate of 23.5mt grading 1.18% Ni and 0.05% Co has been
defined in December 2007.
Update:
Nothing to report in this quarter.
Acoje Chromite** and Platinum Group Metals (PGM's) - Rusina 80%, LP 20%
(** Note the above chromite target ore figures are based on historic reports are
reported under section 18 of the JORC code and are conceptual until further
drilling can confirm these figures. There can be no guarantee that a
classification as Resource or Reserve will occur in accordance with JORC
requirements.)
Background:
The Acoje Mine operated from 1935 as South East Asia's largest metallurgical
grade chromite mine producing over 10 million tonnes of ore. The underground and
surface mining closed in 1991 due to insufficient sustaining capital and low
commodity prices. The mine reportedly had on its books when it closed between
3.6 - 3.7 million tonnes of chromite grading between 17-18% Cr2O3 remaining
underground. Between 1970 and 1975, the mine produced 15,000 oz of PGMs from a
nickel sulphide lode intercepted as part of the underground operation.
A scoping study in 2006 conducted by the company established that the surface
chromite resources were mostly lateritic and presently uneconomic, whilst the
primary surface chromite was located in widely disseminated pods across the
property not lending itself to an efficient open pit operation capable of
sustaining sufficient cash flow to fund a process plant and the underground
refurbishment.
Update:
Open Minable Chromite:-
The quarter saw reduced demand for chromite. A 1500 tonne shipment is scheduled
for February.DMCI continue to review an option to construct a small scale plant
to process the lower grade chromite and increase tonnages.
Underground Chromite, Nickel Sulphide, and PGM exploration:-
Nothing to report this quarter.
DMCI - RUSINA EXPLORATION
Background:
Rusina has entered a joint exploration agreement with DMCI Holdings Inc to form
an exploration and mining joint venture company [DMCI (60%) and Rusina (40%)]
where all Rusina's and DMCI's non Zambales properties would be vended into the
yet to be formed subsidiary. These properties include Rusina's Abogado
properties EXPA-00068-XII and EXPA-00074-XII and DMCI's Mineral Production
Sharing Agreement (MPSA) MPSA-000166-XII in Sultan Kudarat and the Sodaco
Agricultural Corporation, a fully owned subsidiary of DMCI, MPSA application
APSA-00008-XI located at South Cotabato.
Sodaco Prospect - Rusina 40% DMCI 60%
The Sodaco Project is located on Mindanao Island, 48 km. north-northwest of
General Santos City in Southern Philippines. The project boundary lies entirely
within the Xstrata controlled Tampakan FTAA-002-95-X1 and is 900 meters from the
world class Tampakan copper-gold deposit with a resource of 2.2 billion tonnes
at 0.72% copper equivalent. The Tampakan copper-gold deposit is a major
high-sulphidation epithermal deposit superimposed on an underlying porphyry
copper system.
Update:
Nothing to report in this quarter.
Abogado Prospect - Rusina 40%, DMCI 60%
The Abogado Project is located on Mindanao Island in Sultan Kudarat province, 67
km west of General Santos City in the southern Philippines. The project is held
under two Exploration Permit Applications (EXPA) and an MPSA, for a total area
of 7,898 hectares (79 km2).
Update:
Nothing to report in this quarter.
PANAY PROJECTS - Rusina 100%
Pan de Azucar Project, Iloilo
The Pan de Azucar project (PDA) is located on Pan de Azucar Island, 112 km
north-east of Iloilo City, Panay Island, central Philippines. The project is
held through the 1,296 hectare EXPA.
Update:
Nothing to report in this quarter.
Guimaras Project, Iloilo
The Guimaras project is part of a 2,592 hectare EXPA, located on
Guimaras Island, 30 km south of Iloilo City, Panay Island, central Philippines.
Update:
Nothing to report in this quarter.
Contacts: Mark Hanlon Rusina Mining Tel: +61 8 9226 1111
Roland Cornish Beaumont Cornish Tel: +44 (0) 207 628 3396
The information in this report that relates to Mineral Resources is based on
information compiled by Mr Scott Robson, who is a Member of The Australasian
Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, and has sufficient experience which is
relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration
and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as
defined in the 2004 Edition of the "Australasian Code for Reporting of
Exploration results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves". The information in
this report that relates to other exploration matters is based on information
compiled by Robert Gregory, who is a member of the Australasian Institute of
Mining and Metallurgy and has the relevant experience to qualify as a Competent
Person as defined in the 2004 Edition of the "Australasian Code for Reporting of
Exploration results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves". Mr Robson and Mr
Gregory consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on his
information in the form and context in which it appears.
For further information please visit our website - www.rusina.com.au
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
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