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By Managing Director Mr John Lewins
Platinum Australia Limited is committed to growth and the enhancement of shareholder value through the discovery and development of Platinum Group Metal ("PGM") Projects in Australia and overseas.
The Company has a diverse and exciting portfolio of advanced PGM projects in South Africa and Australia which provides an excellent opportunity to move from explorer/developer to mid-tier PGM producer over a relatively short time frame.
In addition, the Company has also developed a new metallurgical process for the recovery of PGM's, the Panton Process, which was developed as part of a Feasibility Study undertaken on the Panton Project. This process, which has been patented, has a number of potential benefits over the traditional smelter route including potential improved recoveries, reduced concentrate transport costs, increased value of final product and reduced environmental impact.
Platinum Australia has developed significant specialised knowledge and expertise of the PGM industry since its inception, while in addition, personnel within the Company have a high level of skills and experience in the areas of project evaluation & development and mining operations.
The Company believes that the skills and experience of its personnel, combined with the quality of its development assets, make it uniquely placed to successfully join the ranks of PGM producers.
Kalahari Platinum
Platinum Australia Limited ("PLA") has signed a formal Joint Venture Agreement with African Rainbow Minerals Platinum (Proprietary) Ltd ("ARMplatinum") which provides for PLA to earn up to 49% of the Kalplats Project by completing a Bankable Feasibility Study ("BFS") on the project and making the Panton Metallurgical Process available for the project at no cost.
The Kalplats Project is well advanced with over 45,000 metres of drilling having been completed between 2000 and 2003 to define a combined Indicated and Inferred Resource of 3.4 million ounces of 3E PGM (Pt + Pd + Au), including a high grade resource of 12 million tonnes @ 3.6 g/t 3E PGM for 1.4 million ounces 3E PGM.
A BFS is currently underway on the Project and due for completion in March 2008. PLA believes that subject to the completion of this Study, the Project has the potential to be developed initially as a major open cut mine producing 200,000 to 300,000 ounces of 3E PGM per annum with a life of +10 years. This could be followed by a similar sized underground operation more than doubling the life of the project.
Smokey Hills Project
The Smokey Hills project is located on the Eastern Limb of the Bushveld Complex in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, 300 kilometres north of Johannesburg.
The Project has a measured and indicated mineral resource of 5.5 million tonnes at a grade of 5.6 g/t 4E PGM (platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold) containing 1 million ozs 4E PGM. The Project is covered by a New Order Prospecting Right in the name of PhokaThaba Platinum Pty Ltd (“PTP”), a joint venture company in which PLA has a 59% direct interest and a beneficial interest of approximately 75%. The Limpopo Provincial Government has a 15% interest in the PTP through Corridor Mining Resources, with the balance held by a consortium of Black Economic Empowerment (“BEE”) Groups, including the Local Community.
The results of the BFS completed in August 2006 showed the Project to be extremely attractive and robust, generating estimated returns of over 70% on the Base Case assumptions and in excess of 600% using
July 2006 metal prices and exchange rate.
Panton Platinum Palladium Project
The Panton Project is located adjacent to the Great Northern Highway, 60km north of Halls Creek in the Kimberly region of Western Australia. The Project is 100% owned by Platinum Australia Limited and is secured by three granted mining leases.
This remains the largest and highest grade known resource in Australia. The Top Reef is of a higher grade than that mined in the average operation in South Africa, while its average width of 1.5 to 2.0 metres is significantly greater than the average 1 metre thickness mined in that country.
Following the signing of an agreement with Sally Malay Mining Limited (SMY) last year to establish a joint venture to treat 1.5 million tonnes of high grade Top Reef through the Sally Malay plant, work on updating the previous BFS was commenced. This has included refurbishing the exploration decline to enable a further bulk sample to be mined and a program of metallurgical testwork.
In addition, PLA is also evaluating the potential of a stand alone operation, with an initial four years of open pit and a production rate of 250,000 – 300,000 tonnes per annum producing 35,000 to 40,000 oz PGM per annum.
South Africa and Australia
| Mr Peter Allchurch | (Non Exec. Chairman) |
| Mr John Lewins | (Managing Director) |
| Mr Michael Blakiston | (Non Exec. Director) |
| Mr Eric Hughes | (Non Exec. Director) |
| Mr William Hansen | (Non Exec. Director) |
| Mr David Neill | (CFO) |
Company AddressLevel 3
|
Year End30 June |
Nominated BrokersRBC Capital Markets | Nominated AdvisorsNabarro Wells & Co Limited |
23/10/06 - Eagle Research Advisory
| New Smith Capital | 33,750,000 | 16.26% |