RNS Number : 0504V
Rusina Mining NL
03 July 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3 July 2009
Rusina Mining NL
('Rusina' or the 'Company')
NICKEL UPDATE
The Company announces that is has released an update on its nickel operations today. A copy of the document is available from the Company's website - www.rusina.com.au
Direct Shipping Ore Operations (DSO)
DMCI Mining ('DMCI') has notified Rusina Mining ('Rusina' or 'the Company') that it will suspend its current operations at the Company's Acoje tenement on the island of Luzon in the Philippines due to low nickel prices. As noted in the last 3 Quarterly Reports, DSO shipments virtually stopped in June 2008. Since that time DMCI has sold a few sporadic shipments principally clearing stockpiles at port.
The DSO market, under current nickel and iron prices has moved towards the supply of ore for the production of low nickel 'pig-iron' where prices paid for ore are virtually at cost with little to no profit. The continuation of mining the required high iron low nickel limonite ore is not economic to DMCI.
The DSO profit share alliance entered into with DMCI does not involve any capital outlay for Rusina. DMCI is 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.
DMCI has performed exceedingly well in its role of DSO operator particularly considering the volatile DSO market. The Company thanks DMCI for its contributions.
Heap Leach Trial Facility
The prevailing nickel prices have had no impact upon the Company's Nickel Heap Leach project plans which we are implementing in partnership with European Nickel plc ('EN'). Unlike the short term, opportune nature of the DSO market, the long term production of nickel through Heap Leach operations has a low operating cost that remains very profitable at current and forecast nickel prices.
The trial heap leach pad and pilot plant, part of the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) currently underway, is now substantially complete. Over the coming months 3,000 tonnes of crushed and agglomerated nickel laterite ore will be stacked on the pad and acid leaching will commence.
The trial heap will be constructed at the same height as the full commercial operation and is designed to prove the heap percolation and leach rates on a full scale basis. In addition the trial facility will showcase the clean, safe and environmentally friendly nature of the process to the government and local stakeholders. It also provides an opportunity to demonstrate our rain control methodology over the heap and ponds.
The re-costing of the Pre-Feasibility Study ('PFS') by China Tianchen Engineering Corporation, the construction engineers involved with EN's Caldag, Turkey nickel heap leach project, is due to be received this week and is expected to show a meaningful cost reduction on the capital cost published in the PFS in November 2008. In addition by undertaking some further drilling the DFS will seek to move additional JORC Inferred resources to Indicated status which will lengthen the proposed mine life and increase the NPV from its present US$375 million.
A full scale laboratory has now been in operation at Acoje for many months and is continuing to make significant inroads into further enhancing the economics of the project. Downstream processing is a key factor to the successful economic processing of nickel laterites and the Acoje Test Centre has been working on a number of new technologies designed to lower the current forecast cash cost of US$1.60/lb (before refining charges) and increase the end payable product.
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. Mr Robson is employed by Fil-Asian Strategic Resources and Properties Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rusina Mining NL, 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'. Mr Robson 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
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