Gindalbie Metals
Limited (ASX: GBG)
GINDALBIE
TARGETS MAJOR EXPANSION OF KARARA IRON ORE
PROJECT
FEASIBILITY
STUDY COMMENCES ON 50% INCREASE IN MAGNETITE PRODUCTION
Gindalbie Metals
Limited (ASX: GBG – “Gindalbie”)
has moved to substantially expand the scope of its iron ore business in Western
Australia with the commencement of a Feasibility Study on increasing the
start-up production rate of the Karara
Magnetite Project from 8mt/annum to 12mt/annum of magnetite
concentrate.
The
expansion plans are based on the substantial scale and exploration potential of
the world-class Karara Magnetite deposit, where an
aggressive A$7 million exploration program is currently underway to almost
double the total Karara magnetite resource base to a
targeted 2.5 billion tonnes. The expansion
feasibility study will not impact on the delivery of the fully-funded 8mt/annum
Karara Magnetite Project, where detailed design work
is well advanced.
In
addition, Gindalbie and its 50% joint venture
partner, China’s
Anshan Iron & Steel Group Corporation (“Ansteel”),
will review the economics of further staged expansions of the Project.
Expansion
Opportunities
Gindalbie has already
completed a Bankable Feasibility Study for the Karara
Magnetite Project (published September 2007) which showed a A$1.6 billion
project development with initial output of 8mt/annum of magnetite concentrate
delivered a robust financial return based on 2007 iron ore prices, before the
recent 65% price increase.
The
8mt/annum production rate was based on an initial Ore Reserve of 497 million tonnes at 36.3% Fe, which was calculated on only a portion
of the Indicated and Inferred Resource of 1.43 billion tonnes
at 36.3% Fe, to underpin a 25-year mine-life for the purposes of the Bankable
Feasibility Study. However, the BFS also indicated that the current resource
would be capable of sustaining a long-life operation at a much higher production
rate.
With
this in mind, the Karara Joint Venture commenced an
aggressive A$7 million drilling program last year targeting extensions to the
current resource inventory and to convert current resources to additional
reserves. The current Ore Resource is contained within a pit design 2km in
length, 700 metres wide and 300 metres
deep. However, results from the current drilling program demonstrate the strike
and depth extension of the Karara orebody.
Gindalbie is on schedule to complete the current
drilling program by 30 June 2008, with the objective of increasing the resource
inventory to 2.5 billion tonnes. A resource of that
size would allow Gindalbie to produce 1 billion tonnes of premium quality magnetite concentrate grading
68-69%Fe.
A
2.5 billion tonne resource will be sufficient to
underpin an increased start-up production rate from 2010 of 12mt/annum of
magnetite concentrate – a 50% increase on the 8mt/annum base case in the
Bankable Feasibility Study. The Feasibility Study will also assess the
viability of further increases to the magnetite concentrate production rate.
The
Study, which will take approximately six months to complete but will not
impinge on the current progress of the Karara
development, will examine the capital, equipment and logistical requirements
for this increased production rate from the base case presented in the
September 2007 Bankable Feasibility Study.
112 Million Tonne Magnetite
Resource Defined at Blue Hills North
As
reported in November last year, extensive high-grade magnetite mineralization
has been identified at depth below the Blue Hills North (BH2) hematite deposit,
which is located on the Karara tenements 5km along
strike from the Karara magnetite deposit. Gindalbie is pleased to advise that subsequent drilling has
resulted in the definition of an Indicated and Inferred JORC Code compliant
resource for the magnetite deposit at BH2 comprising 112 million tonnes at an average grade of 41.1% Fe (See Table 1).
Resource
Classification
|
Mt
|
Fe (%)
|
SiO2 (%)
|
Al2O3
(%)
|
P (%)
|
S (%)
|
Indicated
|
22
|
41.3
|
36.8
|
0.4
|
0.09
|
0.03
|
Inferred
|
90
|
41.1
|
34.9
|
0.5
|
0.10
|
0.03
|
TOTAL
|
112
|
41.1
|
35.3
|
0.5
|
0.10
|
0.03
|
Table
1 – Blue Hills North Magnetite Head Grade Resource Statement
Recent
Davis Tube Recovery (DTR) test work on drill core from this deposit has
confirmed the potential to produce a high-grade Direct Reduction (DR) quality
magnetite concentrate grading 71% Fe and 1.9% SiO2 at 43% weight
recovery (See Table 2). Because of its relatively higher grade compared
with the Karara magnetite deposit and ability to
produce a high-quality DR concentrate with low contaminants, the BH2 magnetite
deposit represents a significant strategic opportunity for the Karara Joint Venture.
Resource
Classification
|
Mt
|
Fe (%)
|
SiO2 (%)
|
Al2O3
(%)
|
P (%)
|
S (%)
|
Weight Recovery
(%)
|
Indicated
|
22
|
70.8
|
2.1
|
0.1
|
0.01
|
<0.01
|
43.0
|
Inferred
|
90
|
71.0
|
1.8
|
0.3
|
0.01
|
<0.01
|
43.2
|
TOTAL
|
112
|
71.0
|
1.9
|
0.2
|
0.01
|
<0.01
|
43.1
|
Table
2 – Blue Hills North Magnetite Concentrate Resource Statement
The
Expansion Feasibility Study will review the opportunity to deliver initial feed
to the Karara Magnetite Project from BH2 to generate
strong early cash flow for the Joint Venture. This would have the additional
benefit of providing an early source of high-grade hematite ore from the
pre-strip of the BH2 magnetite deposit, which lies directly beneath the
hematite deposit.
The
Karara Joint Venture is also conducting an aggressive
regional exploration program with a view to developing other potential hematite
and magnetite resources at Karara.
Commenting
on the announcement, Gindalbie’s Managing
Director, Mr Garret Dixon, said: “The
commencement of the Expansion Feasibility Study represents the latest in a
series of positive milestones for the Karara Project,
following the recent finalization of the Subscription Agreement with Ansteel for the A$534 million equity funding component of
the Project.
“We
have always emphasized the substantial opportunities to expand the Project from
the base case production levels defined in the September 2007 Bankable
Feasibility Study,” Mr Dixon said. “Importantly,
Ansteel have agreed to take all of the additional
production being considered by the new Feasibility Study, and they are strongly
supportive of this initiative to aggressively expand the initial scope of the
Project to 12mt/annum.”
Subject
to the timely receipt of environmental approvals and financing, Karara Mining is aiming to commence exports of hematite ore
through Geraldton
Port in 2009 and deliver
first magnetite concentrate ore from the Karara
Magnetite Project by 2010.
- ENDS -
Released by:
|
On behalf
of:
|
Nicholas Read
Read Corporate
|
Mr
Garret Dixon / Mr Michael Weir
Managing
Director / Investor Relations Manager
|
Telephone: (+61-8) 9388-1474
|
Telephone: (+61-8) 9480-8700
|
Mobile: (+61-8) 419 929 046
|
www.gindalbie.com.au
|
Competent Person Compliance Statement
The information in this report that relates to Mineral Resources is
based on information compiled by Mr Andrew Munckton who is a
Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Mr Munckton is a full-time employee of the Company and has
sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation
and type of deposit 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”. Mr Munckton
consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information
in the form and context in which it appears.
Background
– Gindalbie Metals Ltd
Gindalbie is an independent Australian resource company which is developing a
substantial long-term iron ore business based on the A$1.8 billion Karara Iron Ore Project, located in the Mid West region of Western Australia.
The Karara Project, which is
being developed through a joint venture with Ansteel,
one of China’s leading steel and iron ore companies, will deliver a
diversified range of iron products – including high-grade magnetite
concentrates, blast furnace quality pellets and high-grade hematite – to
world markets from the end of this decade.
Gindalbie has an aggressive growth strategy to increase production of both
magnetite and hematite from Karara and other deposits
in the Mid West region to a targeted level of more than 35mt/annum by the
middle of next decade.
Background
– Ansteel
Ansteel is
currently one of China’s largest steel producers and is the major
producer in the north-east region of China, with crude steel production of 16
million tonnes, annual sales revenues in excess of
US$11 billion and a profit of approximately US$1.5 billion in 2006.
Ansteel is
considered to be one of the country’s key growth companies and has strong
government support in securing new sources of long-term iron ore supply through
international investment.
Ansteel is
developing a new integrated iron and steel making facility at Bayuquan, adjacent to the Port
of Yingkou,
approximately 100 kilometres south-west of its
current steel making facility in the city of Anshan. The new facility will have the
capacity of 5.0Mtpa of finished steel products and is the facility that the Karara Iron Ore Project’s products will feed upon
commencement of production.
-
ENDS -
READ CORPORATE
Public Relations
Corporate Communications
T: (+61-8) 9388-1474
| F: (+61-8) 9388-1472 | E: info@readcorporate.com.au | Web: www.readcorporate.com.au