TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Oct. 28, 2015) - Asian Mineral Resources Limited ("AMR" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:ASN) is pleased to provide an operational update for the third quarter of 2015 ("Q3").
HIGHLIGHTS
- Above-guidance Q3 production(1):
- 2,629 tonnes of nickel milled production;
- 1,109 tonnes of copper milled production; and
- 14,050 tonnes dry concentrate sold.
- Mill recoveries exceed targets at 87.7% nickel and 95.3% copper.
- C1 unit operating costs(2) below-guidance at US$ 3.49/lb Ni, including royalties and export taxes.
- Full repayment of the outstanding term loan facility of US$12 million and repayment of US$2.7 million working capital facility.
- 1.2km mineralized zone identified at the Kingsnake prospect; Electromagnetic ("EM") conductors identified at depth.
- Concentrate sales lower than forecast due to delays associated with shipping to Tianjin port.
Commenting on Asian Mineral Resources' Q3 performance and exploration progress, CEO, Evan Spencer, said:
"AMR's strong operational performance has continued to underpin the business during this extended low-pricing cycle. As notified to the market on 30th September 2015, sustained strong operational performance combined with our ongoing stated objective to reduce costs enabled Ban Phuc Nickel Mines, AMR's Vietnamese subsidiary, to pay down US$14.7 million in debt during the quarter. The subsequent temporary delay in BPNM's nickel concentrate shipments to Tianjin port has not impacted the operation. Shipments have re-commenced and we expect to return to our normal shipping schedule over the coming months. The short-term bridge facility provided by our major shareholder, Pala Investments, has enabled us to work though this delay in shipping in a controlled fashion.
Exploration at our high priority Kingsnake prospect has provided exciting results. The structural re-interpretation combined with field mapping, geochemical sampling and surface EM work undertaken during Q3 has identified the potential for a mineralized system up to 1.2 km in length at Kingsnake. The presence of a number of EM conductors at depth has enable detailed drill targeting to begin. The confirmation of mineralization at Kingsnake is a significant discovery and provides the opportunity for AMR to access additional mineralization from the existing mine infrastructure should economic quantities of mineralization be confirmed."
PRODUCTION
AMR produced 2,307 tonnes of nickel metal, 1,058 tonnes of copper metal and 75 tonnes of cobalt metal in concentrate in Q3 2015. Optimization of the processing circuit implemented during Q2 has resulted in a sustained improvement in processing recoveries with Q3 2015 recovery achieving 87.7%, above a design target of 85%.
Three product shipments were completed in Q3 2015. This was below expectation due to the unplanned shipping delays to Tianjin in September, for a total of 14,050 tonnes of dry concentrate. The average realized nickel price for the quarter was US$4.40/lb (US$9,699/tonne).
| Key Operating Highlights | |||
| Q3 2014 | Q3 2015 | Y-o-Y Variance | |
| Ore Mined (tonnes)3 | 111,276 | 112,400 | +1.0% |
| Ni Metal in Concentrate (tonnes) 4 | 1,842 | 2,307 | +25.2% |
| Cu Metal in Concentrate (tonnes)4 | 898 | 1,058 | +17.8% |
| Ni Concentrate Sold (dmt) | 18,820 | 14,050 | -25.3% |
FINANCIAL
All key capital expenditures were completed in Q3 as planned. The Ban Phuc mine has now shifted to a stoping operation having completed all planned underground development. This will allow further sustainable reductions in operating costs through 2015 and into 2016. C1 operating cash costs for Q3 were, net of by-product credits and inclusive of all royalties and tariffs to US$ 3.49/lb (Q2 2015: US$4.55/lb).
During Q3 AMR paid down US$ 14.7 million in debt as part of its strategy to reduce costs and generate greater flexibility with cash management. Subsequent to AMR paying down its in-country term loan facility, Ban Phuc concentrate shipments via Tianjin port were impacted. To ease short-term cashflow as a result of these shipping delays, AMR through one of its wholly owned subsidiaries, entered into a short-term US$2.1 million facility with its major shareholder, Pala Investments. This facility is expected to be repaid during Q4 2015. Shipping operations recommenced in October and AMR will begin to reduce finished product concentrate stockpiles during the quarter.
As of 30th September, the company had a cash and trade receivables position of US$ 2.1 million.
KINGSNAKE EXPLORATION
The Kingsnake prospect, as discussed in the press release of 16 June 2015, is one of AMR's high-priority exploration targets identified along the 2.8km Ban Khoa trend. The Ban Khoa trends sits approximately 1km to the north east of the existing Ban Phuc operations.
During the quarter, planned exploration activities at the Kingsnake prospect focused on continuing to understand the structural controls and map the extent of the Kingsnake trend. This work initially focused on field mapping and trenching to confirm the surface expression of the Kingsnake structure and was followed up with focused Fixed Loop Transient Electromagnetic ("FLTEM") geophysical surveys.
Seven trenches were dug to facilitate the mapping of the outcropping 525 meter strike extent of the nickeliferous gossan. Mineralization consists of a shear controlled tremolite dyke and brecciated MSV with dip direction varying between SW to NE, similar to the Ban Phuc deposit.
Historical exploration work completed between 2005-2013 included 13 drill holes to test previous EM anomalies. The majority of these holes (8) intersected nickel sulphide mineralization. The remainder either missed due to the west plunge of the orebody or were drilled too steep to intersect a steeply dipping orebody.
To view Figure 1, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1030348a.pdf
KINGSNAKE FLTEM
Field mapping and trenching undertaken during Q3 was followed up with two FLTEM surveys. The first FLTEM survey identified a number of strong conductors west of Kingsnake MSV. The second survey identified a larger moderate conductor coincident with, and directly west, of the known gossan.
The combination of structural mapping, trenching and the confirmation of the conductors at depth has provided specific drill targets and increased confidence in the conceptual targets generated in the structural review in Q2.
To view Figure 2, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1030348b.pdf
FLTEM has increased the confidence in utilizing coincident nickel and copper soil anomalies to design future geophysical surveys. Such knowledge provides a significant exploration tool for future regional exploration targeting and continues to highlight the significant prospectivity of AMR's exploration package in North Vietnam.
The combination of mapping, trenching and FLTEM survey has identified an overall strike length for the Kingsnake structure of 1.2km from outcropping gossan to the last conductor. Kingsnake is located approximately 1km from the existing Ban Phuc mining and processing infrastructure allowing AMR to potentially leverage the significant historic investment in any potential development of the prospect.
To view Figure 3, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1030348c.pdf
ABOUT AMR
AMR is one of the few new sources of nickel sulphide supply globally. AMR commenced commercial production from its Ban Phuc nickel mine in Vietnam in mid-2013. The Ban Phuc project currently produces over 6,900 tonnes of nickel and 3,500 tonnes of copper per annum contained in concentrate, plus a cobalt by-product.
In addition to in and near-mine expansion projects, Ban Phuc provides a cash-generative operating platform from which AMR can continue to focus on developing a new nickel camp within its 150km2 of concessions located throughout the highly-prolific Song Da rift zone, where AMR has a number of advanced-stage nickel exploration targets.
For further details on AMR, please refer to the technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report - Ban Phuc Nickel Project" dated February 15, 2013 available on SEDAR or the AMR website www.asianmineralres.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes certain "Forward-Looking Statements." All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including without limitation, statements regarding completion of the project, the commencement of production and the achievement of expected benefits, potential mineralization and reserve and resource estimates, exploration results and future plans and objectives of AMR are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of AMR to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from AMR's expectations are disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" in AMR's Annual Information Form, and elsewhere in AMR's documents filed from time-to-time with the TSX Venture Exchange and other regulatory authorities. Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions, including: that contracted parties provide goods and/or services on the agreed timeframes; that on-going contractual negotiations will be successful and progress and/or be completed in a timely manner; that application for permits and licences will be granted/obtained in a timely manner; that no unusual geological or technical problems occur; that plant and equipment work as anticipated and that there is no material adverse change in the price of nickel. Although AMR has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this press release. AMR disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
The scientific and technical information in this press release has been compiled and approved by Darryl Mapleson (BSc (Hons), FAusIMM who is a Geologist retained by Asian Mineral Resources Limited and a Competent Person as defined by JORC guidelines and a Qualified Person for NI43-101. He has been working for Asian Mineral Resources Limited as an independent consultant.
(1) Refers to production of reconciled milled tonnes and grade with metal in ore (before mill recoveries).
(2) Defined as total operating cash costs including any royalties, export and environmental taxes per pound of payable nickel metal in concentrate produced, net of copper and cobalt by-product credits. In the period copper by-products were US$1,334,955 for 1,058 tonnes of metal and cobalt by-products were US$378,831 for 75 tonnes of metal.
Contact Information:
Paula Kember
Corporate Secretary
+1 (416) 360-3412