9th Dec 2013 07:00
ASX ANNOUNCEMENT 9 December 2013
NOTIFICATION OF EXPIRY OF OPTIONS
The Company notifies that the following unlisted options to acquire one fully paid ordinary share in Metminco Limited for each option have expired, unexercised:
NO. OF OPTIONS | EXERCISE PRICE | EXPIRY DATE
|
16,250,000 | 0.44 cents | 6 December 2013 |
16,250,000 | 0.525 cents | 6 December 2013 |
Full details are in Appendix 3B attached.
A number of the above options were held by Timothy Read, Chairman of the Board. Timothy Read's resultant beneficial ownership, following the expiry of the above options is set out below:
Director | Ordinary Shares | % Issued Share Capital | Options Expired | Remaining interest in Options |
Timothy Read | 1,400,000 | 0.08% | 6,000,000 | 2,000,000 |
Full details are in Appendix 3Y attached.
Yours sincerely
Philip W Killen
Company Secretary
Company Background
Metminco is a dual ASX and AIM listed company with a portfolio of copper, molybdenum and gold projects in Peru and Chile.
Premier project - Los Calatos copper-molybdenum project
Two studies have been completed at Los Calatos by external consultants, namely NCL (March 2013), and RPM (August 2013), which have confirmed the potential of the project as a long-life, low cost, copper producer. Both studies have focussed on the preferred mining scenario, which incorporates the estimated mineral resources for Targets 1 and 2 at Los Calatos.
The prospectivity of the broader tenement holding position remains largely untested and, as such, has the potential to contribute additional material to any future mining operation developed in context of the preferred mining scenario. That is, the Company has only drill tested two of the eight targets identified to-date over a total project area of 224 km², where the latter is located in a recognised mining district characterised by the development of structurally controlled porphyry clusters.
Peru is proving to be an investment friendly jurisdiction, in which the Government is actively encouraging responsible mine development with a projected, significant, increase in long term copper production supported by competitive power costs. Mining investment in Peru over the period 2012 to 2020 is estimated to be US$53 billion, of which 70% relates to new copper mines, and extensions to existing mines. Los Calatos remains highly deliverable, being located on State-owned land in a desert environment without competing land usage, its status as Project of National Interest, and its proximity to existing infrastructure and the coast. Metminco's strategy to access seawater for metallurgical processing purposes has been widely accepted by both local and regional authorities.
From a commodity perspective, the long-term fundamentals of the copper market remain sound, and it is anticipated that global copper production will struggle to keep pace with demand growth. With the support of a funding partner, Los Calatos has the ability to deliver copper into the global market at a time when incremental supply-demand dynamics will be dictated by production emanating from new 'possible' projects, the success of which will be heavily influenced by factors such as socio-political issues, restrictive legislation and technical issues (e.g. unit operating costs). Against the global backdrop of diminishing long life copper projects in mining friendly jurisdictions, and with the benefit of low unit operating costs, Los Calatos is well placed to command significant strategic interest.
Projects and mineral resources
The Los Calatos Project, located in southern Peru, has a Mineral Resource of 304 million tonnes at 0.36% Cu and 0.018% Mo (at cut-off grade of 0.15% CuEq) to a vertical depth of 500 metres below surface and a Mineral Resource of 1,058 million tonnes at 0.51% Cu and 0.024% Mo (at a cut-off grade of 0.35% CuEq) commencing at an elevation of 2,500 metres (approximately 500 metres below surface).
The Chilean assets include the Mollacas Copper Leach Project with a Mineral Resource of 15.5 million tonnes at 0.51% CuT consisting of a Measured Resource of 11.2 million tonnes at 0.55% Cu and 0.12g/t Au, an Indicated Resource of 4.3 million tonnes at 0.41% Cu and 0.14g/t Au (at a 0.2% copper cut-off); and the Vallecillo Project with a Mineral Resource of 8.9 million tonnes consisting of a Measured Resource of 5.5 million tonnes at 0.84g/t Au, 9.99g/t Ag, 1.12% Zn and 0.32% Pb, an Indicated Resource of 2.6 million tonnes at 0.80g/t Au, 10.23g/t Ag, 0.94% Zn and 0.35% Pb and an Inferred Resource of 0.8 million tonnes at 0.50g/t Au, 8.62g/t Ag, 0.48% Zn and 0.17% Pb (at a cut-off grade of 0.2g/t Au).
The Company also has a number of early stage exploration projects where initial exploration activities have identified anomalous copper, molybdenum and gold values.
Competent Persons Statement
The information in this report that relates to Exploration Results and Mineral Resources is based on information compiled by Colin Sinclair, BSc, MSc, who is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and is employed by the Company as Exploration Manager - Chile.
Colin Sinclair has sufficient experience (over 30 years) which is relevant to the style of mineralisation, 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'. Mr Sinclair, as Competent Person for this announcement, has consented to the inclusion of the information in the form and context in which it appears herein.
Forward Looking Statement
All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this announcement including, without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of Metminco are forward-looking statements. When used in this announcement, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as ''anticipate", "believe", "could", "estimate", "expect", "future", "intend", "may", "opportunity", "plan", "potential", "project", "seek", "will" and other similar words that involve risks and uncertainties.
These statements are based on an assessment of present economic and operating conditions, and on a number of assumptions regarding future events and actions that, as at the date of this announcement, are expected to take place. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, its directors and management of Metminco that could cause Metminco's actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or anticipated in these statements.
The Company cannot and does not give any assurance that the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement will actually occur and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Metminco does not undertake to update or revise forward-looking statements, or to publish prospective financial information in the future, regardless of whether new information, future events or any other factors affect the information contained in this announcement, except where required by applicable law and stock exchange listing requirements.
For further information contact:
METMINCO LIMITED | Office: +61 (0) 2 9460 1856 | |
William Howe - Managing Director | Office: +61 (0) 2 9460 1856 | |
Stephen Tainton - Executive Director | Mobile: +61 (0) 477 299 411 | |
Phil Killen - Company Secretary & CFO | Mobile: +61 (0) 408 609 916 | |
BROKERS | ||
Canaccord Genuity (UK) | ||
Neil Elliot | Office: +44 (0) 20 7523 8000 | |
Liberum Capital Limited (UK) | ||
Richard Crawley | Office: +44 (0) 20 3100 2222 | |
FINANCIAL PUBLIC RELATIONS | ||
Buchanan (UK) | ||
Gordon Poole/Tim Thompson | Office: +44 (0) 207 466 5000 |
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