27 February 2008
Sylvania
Resources Limited ('Sylvania'
or the 'Company')
(ASX/AIM:SLV)
Sylvania
to treat all run of mine fines from three new Samancor sites
- Addendum to
the Samancor Chrome Service and Supply Agreement signed to treat all run
of mine (“ROM”) fines from Samancor Chrome’s
Broken Hill, Spitzkop and Buffelsfontein East sites
- 6,000 oz/pa
initial increase in PGM production for life of mine
- Plant
extensions to treat ROM fines at Lannex (serving Broken Hill and Spitzkop
) and Mooinooi (serving Buffelsfontein East) planned at total capex of
approximately R110 million
- 50,000 tpm
chrome beneficiation plant acquired from Samancor Chrome
- ROM fines
treatment costs covered by receipt of PGE-bearing silicates in return for
washing Samancor Chrome’s chrome ROM
Sylvania Resources Limited
announced today that it has signed a further amendment to the Service and
Supply Agreement with Samancor Chrome Limited (“Samancor Chrome”)
to treat ROM fines from three new sites at Samancor Chrome’s current
South African mining operations.
Attributable PGM production
will increase by approximately 6 000 oz/pa, or 8% of current production, in the
short term, increasing to approximately 33% of production in five to six years as
current dumps are depleted.
The contract amendment agreed
with Samancor Chrome provides that an estimated 300,000 t of ROM fines a year
will be made available to Sylvania
for treatment. These ROM fines have an average grade of 1.4 g/t. Chrome ore
recovered from ROM fines treatment will be returned to Samancor Chrome at a
nominal charge.
Plans for optimal utilisation
of Sylvania’s
existing plant infrastructure on Samancor Chrome properties for the treatment
of the ROM fines are expected to be finalised within the next two months.
First production of PGMs from
ROM fines retreatment is expected in the fourth quarter of 2008, ramping up to
more than 200 oz/pm towards the end of the first quarter of 2009.
Plant extensions to treat ROM
fines at Lannex (serving Broken Hill and Spitzkop) and Mooinooi (serving
Buffelsfontein East) are planned at a total capital cost of approximately R110
million. This will be funded from available cash resources.
An additional chrome
treatment plant with a capacity of 50,000 tpm has been purchased from Samancor
Chrome, at a market-related price reflecting a saving on the construction of a
new plant.
Sylvania CEO Terry McConnachie said: “We are very pleased
to be awarded this additional contract to treat ROM fines from Samancor
Chrome’s Broken Hill, Spitzkop and Buffelsfontein East mining operations
for PGMs and chrome.
“This further
consolidates our symbiotic relationship with Samancor Chrome in terms of which
it benefits from very cheap chrome and we benefit from the PGMs extracted. It
also marks a substantial step forward for Sylvania
in its growth as a specialised, low-cost, high-margin producer of PGMs,
primarily from tailings located throughout South Africa’s prime, PGM- and
chrome-rich Bushveld Complex.”
As consideration for the
facilitation of this agreement, Sylvania will
issue to Portpatrick Limited (or its nominee) three million fully paid ordinary
shares in Sylvania
pursuant to the Co-operation Agreement dated 9 December 2005.
For further information
please contact:
In South Africa
Terence McConnachie
CEO
Sylvania Resources Limited
(+27 11) 803 7214
In Australia
Mike Langoulant
Company Secretary
Sylvania Resources Limited
(+618) 9481 8711
In United Kingdom
Richard Brown
Ambrian Partners Limited
(+44) 20 7776 6417
Kind regards
Helen Andrews
Sylvania Resources Limited
98 Colin Street
West
Perth WA 6005
Phone: +618 9481 8711
Fax: +618 9324 2977
Email: helen@sylvaniaresources.com
Website: www.sylvaniaresources.com
THIS EMAIL IS PRIVATE - This message is the property
of the sender. Information herein is confidential and may be legally
privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee. Access to this email by
anyone else is unauthorized. If you are not the intended recipient, disclosure,
copying, distribution or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on
it, is prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this email in error
please notify the sender immediately via e-mail to: helen@sylvaniaresources.com. No responsibility is taken for any damages or loss
that may be caused by viruses resulting from this e-mail or its attachments. It
is strongly recommended recipients check all files with an up-to-date virus
program.