QUARTERLY OPERATIONAL UPDATE
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NICOSIA, CYPRUS -- (Marketwire) -- 01/16/13 --
EMED MINING QUARTERLY OPERATIONAL UPDATE
EMED Mining is listed on AIM (Code: EMED) and the TSX (Code: EMD)
16 January 2013
EMED Mining Public Limited (AIM: EMED, TSX: EMD) ("EMED Mining" or "the
Company"), the Europe-based minerals development and exploration
company, announces today the following operational update for the
period 1 October 2012 to 31 December 2012. The full Quarterly Report,
including consolidated Financial Statements and the Management
Discussion and Analysis, will be issued by 29 March 2013.
Harry Anagnostaras Adams, Managing Director of EMED Mining,
commented:"During the December quarter we brought the Rio Tinto Copper
Project to
the threshold of commencing preparations for construction at its first
and largest mine. We maintain our target of establishing an initial
base case production rate of 37,000 tonnes per annum
copper-in-concentrate at the end of 2015, based on our target of
commencing production in 2014 with the start of plant construction in
2013."Significant expansion plans are also being formulated as also an
ambitious exploration program focused on re-establishing the Rio Tinto
Copper Project as mining field with several mines operating around a
central processing plant."As at 31 December 2012, we had provided all
documents requested by the
authorities for approval of key permits to proceed, we updated all
capital and operating cost estimates for updating the NI-43-101
Technical Report, and we complemented our strong financial base by
introducing Red Kite to our group of cornerstone customer/financiers
which also includes Goldman Sachs and Xianguang."Since the end of the
December quarter, we established the insurance
for the tailings deposit after agreement with the regulators and we
established the Social Licence Agreement with all seven local
municipalities. Currently, we await regulatory approvals required for
triggering the project resulting from a lengthy permitting process, the
work for which is largely completed. We are focused on commencing
construction in H2-2013, by having attained requisite permits in the
recently agreed sequence during the first two quarters of 2013."
Key Points
Spain-Rio Tinto Copper Project
* Our work schedule maintains the target date of end-2015 for
establishing initial base case production of 37,000 tonnes per annum,
with construction starting in H2-2013 and production in 2014. This
relies primarily on the achievement of the updated target timing for
regulatory permitting as set out below. This is currently being
addressed in earnest with the authorities.
* Andalucian Government approvals required for the project restart
are being progressed as follows:
o Administrative Standing (administrative recognition of the
historical transfer of Mineral Rights):
- This approval requires the regulatory clearance of economic,
technical and legal "capacities". Legal capacity was cleared in March
2011. All documents in respect of legal, technical and economic
capacities were updated in September 2012, as requested by the
regulatory authority, and lodged for final clearance.
o Environmental Plans:
- The period for public comment closed at the end of July 2012. In
October 2012, we received from, and responded to, the regulatory
authority as regards the comments made by the public. We also provided
in December formal responses to other regulatory requests received in
Q4-12.
- The Department of Environment has indicated that it will, during
Q1-2013, issue the final version of plans for comment by any relevant
3rd parties and resolve its approval.
o Final Restoration Plan:
- Upon approval of the Environmental Plans, the Company will update the
Restoration Plan so that it can proceed to public viewing to be
followed by its final approval.
o Project Approval (Exploitation Rights)
- The independent review of the project as a whole was completed by the
Central Government's technical review agency IGME (Instituto Geologico
y Minero de Espana) and its supportive report has been received and
noted.
- The independent review of the tailings deposit for geotechnical
safety was completed by the Central Government's technical review
agency CEDEX (Centro de Estudios y Experimentacion de Obras Publicas).
Its initial report with supportive conclusions now stands pending
completion in Q2-2013 of due diligence on sections of the tailings dam
acquired in August 2012. This will facilitate approval of final
refinements to the system for management of the tailings deposit to
ensure safety margins with respect to Best Available Techniques basedon
environmental, economic and other relevant criteria.
o Bonding for environmental commitments and protection of personnel
entitlements:
- The Company has started to engage on this matter which can only be
resolved by the authorities after approval of the Final Restoration
Plan.
- In the meantime, we have implemented civil liability insurance on the
tailings deposit on a basis pre-agreed with the regulators.
* The Social Licence Agreement has been established with the seven
municipalities of the Mining District of Riotinto (Cuenca Minera de
Riotinto) setting out relevant policies including those for local
employment, preferential local procurement and the objectives of the
planned EMED Foundation for Economic Diversification of the Mining
District of Riotinto. This demonstrates across-the-board agreement with
every major political party in Andalucia.
* Product marketing arrangements are being discussed with
appropriate third parties, to complement those already in place with
Goldman Sachs, Xiangguang and Red Kite.
Other Projects
* In Slovakia, the Detva Gold Project focuses on community
consultation as part of the processing of its application for the
regulatory approval of its Mining Lease Area, which has already been
approved at the District Level and will now be referred the national
regulator.
* In Andalucia, Spain, regulatory approval is also advancing for
the Company's plans to test the recoverability of significant precious
metals mineralisation contained in waste material on the Rio Tinto
property. This sub-project is in joint venture with Andalucian
investment group, Rumbo 5 Cero, which is also a substantial shareholder
of EMED Mining. Initial plans will be soon issued for public comment.
Corporate
* The General Meeting of shareholders on 19 December 2012 approved
all resolutions, including the completion of transactions with Red
Kite, the Company's new cornerstone customer. The Meeting was held in
Minas de Rio Tinto and was attended by some Andalucia-based
shareholders who, in aggregate, now own over 10% of the Company's
shares.
* An updated NI-43-101 Technical Report will be released this
quarter to update shareholders as regards estimates of capital and
operating costs and project schedules.
* Project financing documentation is being readied for triggering
of formal approval processes to support drawdown in H2-2013, subject to
EMED Mining satisfying conditions precedent emerging from the
regulatory permitting process.
* A shareholder briefing will be held in London on 17 January 2013
with a live webcast for shareholders unable to attend (see announcement
dated 09 January 2013).
* It is now clear that Andalucia's new pro mine-development
policies are beginning to have a beneficial effect with over 60
minerals projects in the region. Combined with the recent mine
start-ups and the expected imminent restart of the Rio Tinto Copper
Project, it seems likely that the Iberian Pyrite Belt will now
re-emerge as a globally significant minerals province.
Corporate Directory
Directors Non-Executive Chairman - Ronnie Beevor
Managing Director - Harry Anagnostaras-Adams
Finance Director - John Leach
Non-Executive Directors - Jasper Bertisen, Roger Davey,
Robert Francis, Harry Liu, Jose Sierra Lopez, Ashwath
Mehra
Nominated RFC Corporate Finance - Stuart Laing (+61 8 9480 2500)
Adviser
Brokers Fox-Davies Capital Limited - Simon Leathers (+44 203 463
5022)
Fairfax I.S. PLC - Ewan Leggat/Katy Birkin (+44 207 598
5368)
Canaccord Genuity - Craig Warren (+1 416 869 7316)
Public Bishopsgate Communications - Nick Rome (+44 207 562 3366)
Relations
Share Computershare Investor Services
Registrar
Issued 31 December 2012
Capital
1,177 million shares on issue
75 million options and warrants on issue
1,252 million shares on issue on a fully diluted basis
Significant Management and Board (excl. companies they 6%
Shareholders represent)
(fully Resource Capital Funds (USA and Australia) 13%
diluted)
Xiangguang International Holdings (China) 11%
RBC Asset Management (Canada) 8%
RMB Australia Holdings Limited (Australia and 5%
elsewhere)
Red Kite 5%
Rumbo 5 Cero 4%
Astor Holdings AG (formerly MRI Group) (Switzerland) 3%
Enquiries:
Investors/Media: Harry Anagnostaras-Adams +357 9945 7843.
In North America : Andreas Curkovic +1 416-577-9927
General: Email: info@emed-mining.com
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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