Hier noch mal die News Release von Sally Malay zum Minenerwerb:
18 June 2004
SALLY MALAY MINING AND DONEGAL RESOURCES TO BUY WMC LANFRANCHI NICKEL MINE
Sally Malay Mining Limited (ASX Code: SMY) and Donegal Resources Pty Ltd (operating as the Lanfranchi Joint Venture) are delighted to announce today that they had entered into a conditional agreement to buy the Lanfranchi nickel mine and associated tenements (the “Tramways Tenements”) from WMC Resources Ltd (“WMC”).
The Lanfranchi Joint Venture (expected to be Sally Malay 75% and Donegal 25%) will pay WMC a total purchase price of $26 million for the Tramways Tenements to be funded from a mix of debt, equity and project cashflow. The Joint Venture has estimated an inferred resource of 1,160,000 tonnes grading 2.61% nickel for 30,346 tonnes of
contained nickel with significant exploration upside. Donegal will be mine manager and brings local operating expertise to the Joint Venture.
The Tramways Tenements cover approximately 5,000 hectares in the highly prospective Kambalda Nickel province and the Lanfranchi mine is located approximately 42 kms south of the Kambalda Nickel Concentrator. The tenements are currently held under the Nickel Refinery Agreement Act and initially it is proposed the transaction will by way of a sub-lease of the tenements.
WMC General Manager-Operations-Nickel, Mark Adams said “Lanfranchi has produced more than 100,000 tonnes of nickel over 15 years and the new owners are expected to commence production early in 2005.”
All mine production from the Lanfranchi Joint Venture will be toll treated at WMC’s Kambalda Concentrator and the concentrate smelted at the Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter. WMC ceased operations at Lanfranchi in March 2002 and placed the mine on care and maintenance. The divestment of Lanfranchi continues WMC’s strategy of selling
mature nickel mines at Kambalda and participating in the benefits that the new owners can yield from the remaining resources and any new discoveries.
Sally Malay Managing Director, Peter Harold said “the purchase of the Tramways Tenements is a wonderful opportunity to grow the Company’s nickel metal production, resources and exploration portfolio and add significant value for our shareholders. Based on our due diligence we anticipate commencing production from the Tramways Tenements in early 2005 and ramp up to in excess of 9,300 tonnes on contained metal production (Sally Malay share approx. 7,000) tonnes by 2006. Added to our forecast production from the Sally Malay Project, on track for
commissioning in August, this could make Sally Malay the third largest nickel sulphide producer in Australia, behind WMC and LionOre, with estimated attributable contained nickel production in excess of 15,000 tonnes in 2006.”
The indicative development schedule for the Project is as follows:
- Bank due diligence July 2004
- Finalise mine development plan August 2004
- Completion September 2004
- Mine ramp-up October to December 2004
- First delivery to WMR concentrator January 2005
Mehr Infos- auf pdf-Datei