| | Published : November 15th, 2010 | Fourth Quarter 2010 Production Report |
|
Article
|
Comments
|
Comment this article
|
Rating
|
♥
Follow Company
|
|
Lonmin Plc
Fourth Quarter 2010
Production Report
Introduction
Lonmin Plc, ("Lonmin"
or "the company") today publishes its production report for the three
months to 30 September 2010. Lonmin has also
published today, in a separate announcement, its final results for the year
ending 30 September 2010.
During
the year, we reviewed and revised the management structure for Marikana mining into four business units comprising Karee,
Westerns, Middelkraal and Easterns
and we are reporting under this format for the first time.
Q4 2010 Production
Total
tonnes mined for the fourth quarter of the 2010
financial year from our Marikana underground
operations, were 3.1 million, up 0.5 million, a 19.5% increase from the prior
year period and quarter on quarter increase of 19.3%. All the mining business
units increased their production quarter on quarter. The 0.5 million tonnes year on year increase reflects a notable 0.3 million
tonnes contribution from Karee which includes K3. In
addition Middelkraal's Saffy
and Hossy operations increased production by some 0.1
million tonnes or 29.8%, whilst Easterns
increased production by 33.7% or some 0.1 million tonnes.
Production at Westerns was more muted as the increase at Rowland was largely
offset by a decline at Newman, where the shaft is starting to come to the end
of its life. The reduction in the frequency and impact of Section 54 safety
shutdowns was a contributing factor with only around 37,000 tonnes
of production lost in the quarter due to Section 54 shutdowns, compared to
around 196,000 tonnes in the prior period.
The
quarter on quarter trend demonstrates an improving underground performance as
the year has progressed. In Quarter One the 2.6 million tonnes
mined was almost 4% lower than the prior year period. Quarter Two performance
was effectively flat whilst Quarter Three production increased by just over
10%.The Quarter Four increase of almost 20% completes the trend and finishes
the year with an excellent underground mining performance.
Production
at the Merensky open pit started at the end of the
second quarter and has continued to ramp up, achieving 0.2 million tonnes in the quarter. We expect production to be
maintained at this level during 2011.
Pandora
underground production continued to improve and achieved a quarter on quarter
increase of 9.3% and a 21.2% increase over the prior year period.
Overall,
tonnes mined in the quarter increased by 28.2% to 3.4
million tonnes from prior period.
Total
tonnes milled in the quarter increased over the prior
year period by 8.6% year on year to 3.3 million tonnes.
This is lower than the increase in tonnes mined as
some 243,000 tonnes of opencast was milled in the
last quarter of 2009 whilst in 2010 no opencast was milled, as 237,000 tonnes of opencast ore has been stockpiled for milling
during the Christmas break. Compared to the third quarter of 2010 there was an
increase of 17.6% in tonnes milled.
Underground
concentrator recoveries increased significantly to 85.0% from 81.9% from the
prior year period, reflecting the continued success of the concentrator optimisation programme.
Underground
milled head grade was 4.63 grammes per tonne (5PGE+Au) for the quarter, up from 4.59 grammes per tonne in the prior
year period. This has continued the trend of small grade improvements each
quarter compared to the prior year period. Sequentially, the underground head
grade also showed an improvement quarter on quarter from 4.60 grammes per tonne to 4.63 grammes per tonne.
Platinum
in concentrate from the Marikana operations was
194,705 saleable ounces, a quarter on quarter increase of 19.2% and 18.8%
increase from the prior year period. In total, the concentrators produced
202,898 saleable ounces of Platinum in concentrate for the quarter, a 17.9%
increase from prior year period. These marked improvements can be
attributed to the increase in tonnes milled and the
continued excellent concentrator recoveries.
Total
refined production in the fourth quarter of the 2010 financial year was 301,492
ounces of Platinum and 533,387 ounces of PGMs, a significant quarter on quarter
increase from 91,952 ounces of Platinum and 194,234 ounces of PGMs respectively
mainly due to the delays in production following the Number One furnace
incident in May. During the quarter, 77,368 ounces of Platinum were toll
refined in order to reduce the processing back log which arose from the
extended down time of the Number One smelter. Total refined Platinum and PGM
production in the quarter increased by 80.7% and 67.8% respectively year on
year.
Metal
sales during the fourth quarter of the 2010 financial year also increased
significantly by 67.4% and 50.3% to 322,401 and 539,354 Platinum and PGM ounces
respectively from the prior year. This included the sale of around 25,000
platinum ounces of concentrate.
ENQUIRIES:
Investors
/ Analysts:
Tanya
Chikanza
+44 (0) 207 201 6007
Head
of Investor Relations
Media:
Cardew
Group
+44 (0) 207 930 0777
Rupert Pittman/Jamie
Milton
Financial
Dynamics
+27 (0) 11 214 2000
Dani Cohen / Ravin Maharaj
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 months
|
3 months
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
to 30 Sep
|
to 30 Sep
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010
|
2009
|
Tonnes mined
|
Marikana
|
Karee
|
kt
|
|
1,209
|
941
|
|
Westerns
|
kt
|
|
998
|
970
|
|
Middelkraal
|
kt
|
|
556
|
428
|
|
Easterns
|
kt
|
|
320
|
239
|
|
Underground
|
kt
|
|
3,083
|
2,579
|
|
Opencast
|
kt
|
|
237
|
-
|
|
Total
|
kt
|
|
3,320
|
2,579
|
Pandora attributable2
|
Underground
|
kt
|
|
47
|
38
|
|
Opencast
|
kt
|
|
-
|
8
|
|
Total
|
kt
|
|
47
|
47
|
Lonmin Platinum
|
Underground
|
kt
|
|
3,129
|
2,618
|
|
Opencast
|
kt
|
|
237
|
8
|
|
Total
|
kt
|
|
3,367
|
2,626
|
Tonnes milled3
|
Marikana
|
Underground
|
kt
|
|
3,142
|
2,676
|
|
Opencast
|
kt
|
|
-
|
185
|
|
Total
|
kt
|
|
3,142
|
2,861
|
Pandora4
|
Underground
|
kt
|
|
126
|
90
|
|
Opencast
|
kt
|
|
-
|
59
|
|
Total
|
kt
|
|
126
|
149
|
Lonmin Platinum
|
Underground
|
kt
|
|
3,268
|
2,767
|
Head grade5
|
g/t
|
|
4.63
|
4.59
|
Recovery rate6
|
%
|
|
85.0%
|
81.9%
|
Opencast
|
kt
|
|
-
|
243
|
|
Head grade5
|
g/t
|
|
0.00
|
2.88
|
|
Recovery rate6
|
%
|
|
0.0%
|
51.0%
|
|
Total
|
kt
|
|
3,268
|
3,010
|
|
|
|
Head grade5
|
g/t
|
|
4.63
|
4.45
|
|
|
|
Recovery rate6
|
%
|
|
85.0%
|
80.3%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 months
|
3 months
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
to 30 Sep
|
to 30 Sep
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010
|
2009
|
Metals in concentrate7
|
Marikana
|
Platinum
|
oz
|
|
194,705
|
163,870
|
|
Palladium
|
oz
|
|
91,493
|
76,401
|
|
Gold
|
oz
|
|
4,412
|
3,804
|
|
Rhodium
|
oz
|
|
26,891
|
22,535
|
|
Ruthenium
|
oz
|
|
42,761
|
33,634
|
|
Iridium
|
oz
|
|
9,114
|
7,344
|
|
Total PGMs
|
oz
|
|
369,376
|
307,588
|
|
Nickel8
|
MT
|
|
848
|
723
|
|
Copper8
|
MT
|
|
514
|
453
|
Pandora3
|
Platinum
|
oz
|
|
8,192
|
8,212
|
|
Palladium
|
oz
|
|
3,841
|
3,717
|
|
Gold
|
oz
|
|
55
|
56
|
|
Rhodium
|
oz
|
|
1,268
|
1,105
|
|
Ruthenium
|
oz
|
|
2,003
|
1,537
|
|
Iridium
|
oz
|
|
329
|
298
|
|
Total PGMs
|
oz
|
|
15,687
|
14,924
|
|
Nickel8
|
MT
|
|
12
|
12
|
|
Copper8
|
MT
|
|
7
|
7
|
Lonmin Platinum
|
Platinum
|
oz
|
|
202,898
|
172,082
|
Palladium
|
oz
|
|
95,333
|
80,117
|
|
Gold
|
oz
|
|
4,467
|
3,860
|
|
Rhodium
|
oz
|
|
28,159
|
23,640
|
|
Ruthenium
|
oz
|
|
44,764
|
35,170
|
|
Iridium
|
oz
|
|
9,443
|
7,642
|
|
Total PGMs
|
oz
|
|
385,063
|
322,512
|
|
Nickel8
|
MT
|
|
861
|
735
|
|
Copper8
|
MT
|
|
521
|
460
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 months
|
3 months
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
to 30 Sep
|
to 30 Sep
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010
|
2009
|
Refined production
|
Lonmin refined
metal Production12
|
Platinum
|
oz
|
|
224,124
|
165,251
|
|
|
Palladium
|
oz
|
|
96,226
|
70,858
|
|
|
Gold
|
oz
|
|
4,767
|
4,428
|
|
|
Rhodium
|
oz
|
|
34,921
|
30,846
|
|
|
Ruthenium
|
oz
|
|
55,484
|
35,733
|
|
|
Iridium
|
oz
|
|
11,752
|
5,840
|
|
|
Total PGMs
|
oz
|
|
427,275
|
312,955
|
|
|
Toll refined
metal production
|
Platinum
|
oz
|
|
77,368
|
1,600
|
|
|
Palladium
|
oz
|
|
15,185
|
736
|
|
|
Gold
|
oz
|
|
1,100
|
48
|
|
|
Rhodium
|
oz
|
|
4,601
|
538
|
|
|
Ruthenium
|
oz
|
|
6,524
|
1,639
|
|
|
Iridium
|
oz
|
|
1,335
|
328
|
|
|
Total PGMs
|
oz
|
|
106,112
|
4,888
|
|
|
Total refined
PGMs
|
Platinum
|
oz
|
|
301,492
|
166,851
|
|
|
Palladium
|
oz
|
|
111,411
|
71,594
|
|
|
Gold
|
oz
|
|
5,867
|
4,475
|
|
|
Rhodium
|
oz
|
|
39,522
|
31,383
|
|
|
Ruthenium
|
oz
|
|
62,008
|
37,372
|
|
|
Iridium
|
oz
|
|
13,087
|
6,168
|
|
|
Total PGMs
|
oz
|
|
533,387
|
317,843
|
|
|
Base metals
|
Nickel9
|
MT
|
|
1,365
|
849
|
|
|
Copper9
|
MT
|
|
913
|
471
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 months
|
3 months
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
to 30 Sep
|
to 30 Sep
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010 - Act
|
2009 - Act
|
Sales
|
Refined Metal
Sales
|
Platinum
|
oz
|
|
297,551
|
167,546
|
Palladium
|
oz
|
|
111,047
|
78,998
|
Gold
|
oz
|
|
6,158
|
5,542
|
Rhodium
|
oz
|
|
35,210
|
34,612
|
Ruthenium
|
oz
|
|
55,646
|
40,538
|
Iridium
|
oz
|
|
8,892
|
5,262
|
Total PGMs
|
oz
|
|
514,504
|
332,498
|
Concentrate and other10
|
Platinum
|
oz
|
|
24,850
|
25,062
|
Palladium
|
oz
|
|
-
|
370
|
Gold
|
oz
|
|
-
|
13
|
Rhodium
|
oz
|
|
-
|
174
|
Ruthenium
|
oz
|
|
-
|
301
|
Iridium
|
oz
|
|
-
|
387
|
Total PGMs
|
oz
|
|
24,850
|
26,307
|
Lonmin Platinum
|
Platinum
|
oz
|
|
322,401
|
192,608
|
Palladium
|
oz
|
|
111,047
|
79,369
|
|
Gold
|
oz
|
|
6,158
|
5,555
|
|
Rhodium
|
oz
|
|
35,210
|
34,786
|
|
Ruthenium
|
oz
|
|
55,646
|
40,839
|
|
Iridium
|
oz
|
|
8,892
|
5,649
|
|
Total PGMs
|
oz
|
|
539,354
|
358,806
|
|
Nickel9
|
MT
|
|
1,237
|
964
|
|
Copper9
|
MT
|
|
880
|
777
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 months
|
3 months
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
to 30 Sep
|
to 30 Sep
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010 - Act
|
2009 - Act
|
Average Prices
|
|
Platinum
|
$/oz
|
|
1,539
|
1,252
|
|
Palladium
|
$/oz
|
|
496
|
270
|
|
Gold
|
$/oz
|
|
1,196
|
971
|
|
Rhodium
|
$/oz
|
|
2,144
|
1,612
|
|
Ruthenium
|
$/oz
|
|
183
|
79
|
|
Iridium
|
$/oz
|
|
693
|
378
|
|
Basket price of PGMs11
|
$/oz
|
|
1,206
|
918
|
|
Basket price of PGMs11
|
R/oz
|
|
8,627
|
6,949
|
|
Nickel9
|
$/MT
|
|
20,485
|
16,208
|
|
Copper9
|
$/MT
|
|
6,661
|
6,193
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exchange
Rates
|
Average rate for period13
|
R/$
|
|
7.30
|
7.77
|
Closing rate
|
|
R/$
|
|
6.92
|
7.47
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes:
1.
|
During
the year we revised the management structure into four business units and we
will report against these units from now onwards. Karee includes the shafts
K3, 1B and 4B and will also include K4 once production commences. Westerns comprises Rowland, Newman and the now closed W1
and B3. Middelkraal represents Hossy and Saffy. Easterns include E1, E2 and
E3.
|
2.
|
Pandora's
attributable tonnes mined represents Lonmin's share
(42.5%) of the total tonnes mined on the Pandora joint venture.
|
3.
|
Tonnes
milled exclude slag milling.
|
4.
|
Lonmin
purchases 100% of the ore produced by the Pandora joint venture for onward
processing which is included in downstream operating statistics.
|
5.
|
Head
Grade is the grammes per tonne (5PGE + Au) value contained in the tonnes
milled and fed into the concentrator from the mines (excludes slag milled)
|
6.
|
Recovery
rate in the concentrators is the total content produced divided by the total
content milled (excluding slag).
|
7.
|
Metals
in concentrate include metal derived from slag processing and have been
calculated at industry standard downstream processing losses to present
produced saleable ounces.
|
8.
|
Corresponds
to contained base metals in concentrate.
|
9.
|
Nickel
is produced and sold as nickel sulphate crystals or solution and the volumes
shown correspond to contained metal. Copper is produced as refined product
but typically at LME grade C.
|
10.
|
Concentrate
and others sales have been adjusted to a saleable ounce basis using industry
standard recovery rates.
|
11.
|
Basket
price of PGMs is based on the revenue generated in Rand and Dollar from the
actual PGMs (5PGE + Au) sold in the period based on the appropriate Rand /
Dollar exchange rate applicable for each sales transaction.
|
12.
|
Lonmin
refined metal production and sales include saleable ounces of Platinum
produced from toll refining third party concentrate estimated at 3koz Q1,
3koz in Q2 and 2koz in Q3 (2009 - 4koz in Q4).
|
13.
|
Exchange
rates are calculated using the market average daily closing rate over the
course of the period.
|
This information is provided by RNS
The
company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
MSCXZLLFBFFFFBB
To unsubscribe from alerts,
please visit Lonmin PLC's website.
|
Lonmin PLC.
|
|
PRODUCER |
CODE : LMI.L |
ISIN : GB0031192486 |
CUSIP : 54336Q203 |
| |
ProfileMarket IndicatorsVALUE : Projects & res.Press releasesAnnual reportRISK : Asset profileContact Cpy |
Lonmin is a gold and platinum producing company based in United kingdom. Lonmin produces gold, platinum, palladium and rhodium in South Africa, and holds various exploration projects in Canada, in Gabon, in South Africa and in Tanzania. Its main assets in production are PANDORA JV, LIMPOPO, MARIKANA, EASTERN PLATINUM (EPL) and KAREE MINE (WPL) in South Africa and its main exploration properties are LUWUMBU in Tanzania, PANTON in Australia, MESSINA PLATINIUM and WESTERN PLATINUM in South Africa and WINDY LAKE in Canada. Lonmin is listed in Germany, in United Kingdom and in United States of America. Its market capitalisation is GBX 21.4 billions as of today (US$ 25.0 billions, € 22.0 billions). Its stock quote reached its highest recent level on August 28, 2009 at GBX 9 964.65, and its lowest recent point on June 28, 2019 at GBX 75.60. Lonmin has 282 784 288 shares outstanding. |
In the News and Medias of Lonmin PLC. |
|
Annual reports of Lonmin PLC. |
Financings of Lonmin PLC. |
Nominations of Lonmin PLC. |
Financials of Lonmin PLC. |
Project news of Lonmin PLC. |
Corporate news of Lonmin PLC. |
|
|