GME Resources, >1,2Mio t Nickel +weiteres - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

[Popeye82]

Haben nicht wirklich viele
-dafür ein interessantes Hauptprojekt.

Was mir derzeit noch nicht ganz aufgehen will ist,
daß die angestrebte Produktion sich nur auf einen wirklich
sehr überschaubaren Anteil des Gesamtvorkommens bezieht.

Das dürfte auch seine Reize haben,
richtig richtig interessant sollte es aber vor allem werden,
wenn das gesamte Vorkommen Richtung Produktion gebracht werden soll.

Wie und wann das sein soll ist mir noch nicht so richtig klar,
sehr positiv sollte sein, daß es auf eine ziemliche Low-Cost-Production hinauslaufen sollte,
die veranschlagten Rohstoffpreise für die Projekte
könnten dann nochmals zusätzlich einen ganz netten, positiven Effekt haben, wird man schauen müssen.

Was von den anderen, hauptsächlich Goldprojekten zu erwarten ist kann ich nicht sagen, der Teil der Website wird auch gerade überarbeitet.


www.gmeresources.com.au

– Shares on Issue : 253 million
– Options on Issue : 2.35 million
– Market Cap Approx : $140 million
– No Debt
– Cash $9.2 million


"GME through its subsidiary NiWest Ltd owns 100% of the NiWest Nickel Laterite Project located at Murrin Murrin in the North Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia.

The project land holding is in excess 500 square kilometres hosting significant laterised ultramafic structures. The project contains a World Class nickel resource of 128 million tonnes averaging 1.0% nickel and 0.06% cobalt (0.7% nickel cut off grade). Total metal content of 1,280,000 tonnes of nickel and 76,000 tonnes cobalt has been defined by extensive drilling programs over the past three years.

Over the past year the Company has focused its attention of unlocking the value of the resources through a series a metallurgical test programs aimed at identifying ore types that are suitable to be treated by Heap Leaching.

The results from the test programs provide compelling evidence that a substantial proportion of the resource is a saprolitic ore type that responds favourably to Heap Leaching with sulphuric acid.

Metallurgical column leach test work completed on the Hepi and Mt Kilkenny resources has recorded up to 78% nickel and 94% cobalt extraction is achievable in 120 days. These resources represent only 30% of the total resources contained in the NiWest Nickel Laterite Project.


The project, which has the potential to become a significant long term, low cost nickel producer through the development of a Heap Leach project, is located in close proximity to established infrastructure such as railway, nickel refineries, established townships, natural gas pipeline and bitumen road access. The project is sited in a predominately flat arid environment is considered to be highly conducive to the development of a Heap Leach operation.

Aker Kvaerner have been appointed to undertake a Pre feasibility study on the development of a low CapEx /OpEx Heap Leach Project targeting a minimum 10 year project producing up to 15,000 tonnes of Nickel and 1000 tonnes of Cobalt per annum. The study is supported by a high grade saprolite resources base ( Hepi and Mt Kilkenny project areas) of 18 million tonnes averaging 1.29% Nickel and 0.10% Cobalt."


Table 1: NiWest Total Resource at Various Cut-off Grades


Tonnes Contained Metal
Ni Cut-off Grade % Million Tonnes % Ni % Co Nickel Cobalt
0.5 227.55 0.81 0.05 1,843,000 113,800
0.7 128.10 1.00 0.06 1,281,000 76,800
1.0 48.76 1.25 0.10 609,500 48,700
1.2 26.08 1.42 0.11 370,300 28,700


Table 2: All NiWest Project Areas - 1% Nickel Cut-off Grades

Deposit Category Million Tonnes Ni% Co%
Mt Kilkenny Indicated 13.73 1.29 0.10
Mt Kilkenny Inferred 1.38 1.14 0.07
Eucalyptus Indicated 17.10 1.24 0.08
Eucalyptus Inferred 7.10 1.16 0.09
Waite Kauri Measured 1.30 1.33 0.14
Murrin North Indicated 2.15 1.34 0.09
Murrin North Inferred 0.97 1.14 0.11
Hepi Measured 1.10 1.44 0.10
Hepi Indicated 0.58 1.30 0.11
Hepi Inferred 0.35 1.09 0.11
Mertondale Inferred 1.20 1.24 0.08
Macey Hill Inferred 0.30 1.40 0.15
Duck Hill Inferred 1.50 1.27 0.30
Total Indicated/Measured 35.96 1.28 0.09
Total Inferred 12.80 1.18 0.12
Total Combined 48.76 1.25 0.10

"The exploration work undertaken over the past year has resulted in high grade resources increasing by 8.2 million tonnes, or 20%, to 48.77 million tonnes grading 1.25% Nickel and 0.10% Cobalt. Infill drilling has upgraded Total Indicated and Measured resources to 36.7 million tonnes at 1.28% Nickel and 0.09% Cobalt. (1%Ni cut off grade).

Potential exists to build on the resource base through selective targeting of higher grade drill intersections. A major RC drilling program is scheduled to be completed by June 2007 aimed at further resource expansion and resource upgrade.

Formed agglomerates for 4 metre column tests.


Metallurgical Test Work

In August 2006 the Company commissioned a Sonic drill rig program to recover full core samples through the 1% nickel envelope. A total of sixteen drill holes were located over the Hepi and Mt Kilkenny resources to provide representative sample of the ore types in each resource.

The core samples were then cut, assayed, agglomerated and loaded into four separate four metre column. The column leach tests, which, commenced in November 2006 were undertaken at SGS Lakefield Oretest laboratories in Perth.

The first three column tests exceeded the targeted Nickel extraction rate of 70% and were decommissioned (March 2007) in preparation of Geotechnical work to confirm the strength of the agglomerates. The remaining test column, MK North #2, continues in line with the other column tests. Details of the metal extraction results from the column tests are shown in the tables below.

Throughout the test duration all columns maintained consistently high leach solution percolation rates. The percolation rates confirm that the Hepi and Mt Kilkenny agglomerates have remained stable throughout the test period, with minimal slump observed. This is a significant step forward as the stability of the agglomerate is a fundamental aspect in achieving a successful Heap Leach operation.

Table 3: 120 Day Column Test Results

4 Meter Column Tests Number Days Extraction % Ni Rate % Co Column Head Grade % Ni
Hepi #1 120 76.6 94.2 1.74
MK North #1 120 78.2 87.5 1.29
MK Central #1 120 73.2 80.4 1.37
Mk North #2 64 54.2 25.1 1.12

4 metre column tests at SGS Lakefield Laboratory Perth WA
Development of Heap Leach Project

Consulting engineers Aker Kvaerner have been appointed to undertake a pre feasibility study to be completed during the first quarter of 2007.

As a result of the highly successful column tests the Company has elected to proceed with a 20,000 tonne onsite trail heap leach in an effort to expedite the project development. Planning and permitting process are now underway in anticipation of work commencing on site later in 2007.

Following to the successful Trial Heap Leach phase the Company plans to ramp up production to a demonstration heap leach in the vicinity 200,000 tonnes of high grade saprolite ore (1.5%Ni) from the Hepi Project in 2008.

The demonstration scale project will operate on purchased acid and contract materials handling equipment. The demonstration project although only expected to produce around 2000 tonnes of nickel per annum has the potential to provide significant cash flow to the Company.

Commitment to a bankable feasibility study for the full scale project processing 1.5 – 2.0 million tonnes per annum (12,000 – 15,000 tonnes Nickel) involving a sulphur burning acid plant and metal recovery circuits will run concurrently with the commissioning of the Demonstration project. Completion time for the acid plant would dictate full commissioning but is expected to be on line by 2010."

im Mai wurde für den ersten Teil eine Prefeasibility-Study
erstellt:

www.gmeresources.com.au/pdfasx/PrefeasibilityStudyResults.pdfPRE

Auszug:

"FEASIBILITY STUDY CONFIRMS MAJOR NEW NICKEL HEAP LEACH PROJECT
• Annual Production - 13,100 tonnes Nickel and 630 tonnes Cobalt
• Minimum Mine Life 20 years
• Operating Surplus - A$3.70 billion (pre tax)
(in der Presentation steht hier glaube ich ein noch höherer Wert?)
• Operating Costs - US$2.49/lb (after Co credit)
• Capital Costs - A$455 million
• NPV - A$1.47 billion (pre tax )
• Strong Potential for Existing Resource Base to Support Higher Production

The Company is pleased to report the results from the Pre Feasibility Study (PFS) on the
development of the NiWest Nickel Laterite Heap Leach project at Murrin Murrin in the North Eastern
goldfields of Western Australia.
The PFS shows a project which has the potential to deliver significant long term economic benefits
to shareholders. The low cost per annual pound of Nickel produced confirms Heap Leach as the
preferred development route for GME’s laterite ores.
At US$11.43/lb the NiWest capital cost rates as
one of the lowest cost nickel projects internationally.
The Company will now commit to a bankable feasibility study (BFS) for the project which will include
a demonstration 20,000 tonne mining and heap leach trial. The BFS is expected to be completed by
June 2008.

Production

The NiWest Heap Leach project will be based on an operation treating 1.5 million tonnes of ore per
annum and production of a high grade Mixed Sulphide Product that yields 13,000 tonnes of nickel
and 630 tonnes cobalt annually. The project will be self contained with its own acid plant.

Resources and Recoveries

The PFS utilises the measured and indicated resources (at a 1% nickel cut off grade) located at
the Hepi, Mt Kilkenny and Eucalyptus project areas. These resources total 32.5 million tonnes at
1.27% Nickel and 0.08% Cobalt. Taking into account future conversion of these resources to
reserves, the mineable ore has been assumed to be 30 million tonnes at 1.21% Nickel and 0.08% Cobalt.
Total resources at the Hepi and Mt Kilkenny projects represent the first 12 years of production. The
balance of the heap leach resource tonnes will come from the Eucalyptus project area where similar
saprolite ore types have been identified. Metallurgical column test work will commence on the
Eucalyptus resource in June 2007.

Capital Costs

Total capital costs have been estimated at A$455 million. The Company believes that significant
savings can be made in a number of areas once more accurate quantities have been defined.
The following table provides a summary of Capital Costs.

Capital Breakdown Million A$

Bulk and Civil Earthworks 48.0
Process and Acid Plant 283.3
EPCM 48.3
Contingencies 75.9
Total 455.5

Operating Costs

Total operating costs before cobalt credits have been calculated to be US$3.30/lb Nickel or A$85
per tonne of ore treated. After cobalt credits are taken up operating costs fall to US$2.49/lb Nickel.
The operating costs are in line with the Company’s conceptual estimates although there are a
number of areas that have been identified where savings can be made.
Test work has also been commissioned to investigate the economics of introducing a SX EW plant
to produce LME grade product. Refining costs allowed for in the PFS total approximately $1.0 billion
over the life of the mine.

Project Financial Indicators

A financial model of the project has been produced. Based on nickel and cobalt prices of US$10 and
US$20 per pound respectively, the model shows the project will produce a cash surplus of A$3.7
billion before tax. Using a discount rate of 8% this gives an NPV A$1.47 billion.The following table summarises the financials and key parameters of the project

Heap Leach Mine Life 20 years

Resources
Measured and Indicated 32.5 Mt at 1.27% Ni and 0.10% Co
Estimated Mineable Ore 30.0 Mt at 1.21% Ni and 0.08% Co

Production per annum
Nickel in Mixed Sulphide Product 13,100 Tonnes
Cobalt in Mixed Sulphide Product 630 Tonnes

Exchange Rate
(A$ - US$) A$0.75
Nickel Price US$10/lb
Cobalt price US$20/lb
Capital
Capital Costs A$455 Million
Capital Cost per annual pound Ni Production (Life of Mine) US$11.43/lb

Operation Cost
Operating Cost including Cobalt Credits (Life of Mine) US$2.49/lb
Operating Surplus
Operating Surplus (pre tax) A$3.7 Billion
NPV 8% discount (pre tax) A$1. 47 Billion

Project Upside
Table 1 shows the combined heap leach resources (1% nickel cut off grade) at the Hepi, Mt Kilkenny
and Eucalyptus resources. The Measured and Indicated resources are expected to increase further
as a result of the current infill drilling program aimed at upgrading the inferred resources. Based on
previous infill drilling programs, resource conversion from inferred to indicated category is
approximately 90%.

Table 1 - Heap Leach Resources
1% Cut off grade

Category Tonnes Ni% Contained Nickel
Measured & Indicated 32,500,000 1.27 412,750
Inferred 8,830,000 1.15 101,545
Combined Total 41,330,000 1.24 514,295

Table 2 shows the increase in tonnes and metal content when the resources are calculated at 0.8%
nickel cut off grade.Table 2

Heap Leach Resources
0.8% Cut Off Grade

Category Tonnes Ni% Contained Nickel
Measured & Indicated 45,730,000 1.11 507,603
Inferred 13,980,000 1.00 139,800
Combined Total 59,710,000 1.08 647,403

Although the PFS is based on a processing rate of 1.5 million tonnes per annum, the resource base
can support a substantially higher annual processing rate. The BFS will investigate further the
grade/tonnage relationship and the incremental capital costs to determine the optimum project size.

Feasibility Study

The Company is to immediately commence the BFS. A number of initiatives to compliment the fast
tracking of the BFS have been advanced including
• An extensive infill drilling program to upgrade Mt Kilkenny and Eucalyptus resources.
• A Sonic core drilling program to facilitate a new round of column test work
• Environmental surveys and studies at Hepi and Mt Kilkenny projects
• Water resource drilling and evaluation
• Resource model and reserve studies for Hepi and Mt Kilkenny
• Drill out at Hepi for the trial pit design
• Engineering and design for the 20,000 tonne Trial Heap Leach

Capital Raising

Further capital is required to complete this work. The Company has received strong support from its
shareholders and is in the process of finalising a capital raising by way of a renounceable rights
issue. Full details of this rights issue will be announced shortly.
Yours sincerely
Jamie Sullivan
Managing Director

vor einiger Zeit wurde ein MOU mit Norilsk Nickel unterzeichnet:
www.gmeresources.com.au/pdfasx/ASX7August2007NN.pdf

die letzte Presentation:
www.gmeresources.com.au/pdfasx/AGMPresentation.pdf


das Management:

Chairman
Michael Delaney Perrott BCom
61 Years

Mr Perrott has been involved in industries associated with construction, contracting, mining and land development since 1969. He is currently Chairman of Port Bouvard Limited and Gage Road Brewing and is a Director of Portman Limited and Schaffer Corporation Limited. He is also a member of the Board of Notre Dame University and a council member of the National Advisory Council for Suicide Prevention and the State Ministerial Council for Suicide Prevention.

Mr Perrott has been Chairman of the Company since his appointment as a director in 1996.




Managing Director
James Noel Sullivan FAICD
45 years

Mr Sullivan has owned and managed a successful business operation based in the Goldfields of Western Australia for the past 25 years. He was instrumental in the formation and management of the Golden Cliffs Prospecting Syndicate, which was acquired by the company in 1995. Mr Sullivan has an intimate knowledge of the Goldfields and has been involved with the company as the General Manager since April 2004. He brings to the board considerable experience and knowledge associated with the supply and logistics of services to the mining / exploration industry, tenement management and issues relating to land access and native title.




Technical Director
Geoffrey Mayfield Motteram BMetE(Hons), MAusIMM
(Metallurgical Engineer)
57 years

Mr Motteram is a metallurgical engineer with over 25 years’ experience in the development of projects in the Australian resources industry.

He has extensive experience in gold and base metals having been involved with WMC’s Kwinana Nickel Refinery and Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter. He subsequently joined BHP, and later Metals Exploration, where he was involved in the evaluation of gold and base metal projects. Since 1989 he has acted as a Mining Project and Metallurgical Consultant. He was involved in the formation of Minara Resources Limited (formerly Ananconda Nickel Limited) in 1994 and controlled the technical development of the Murrin Murrin Joint Venture until the end of 1997. He is a former director of Minara Resources Limited.

Mr Motteram has been technical director of the Company since 1997.




Director
Peter Ross Sullivan BE, MBA
(Engineer)
50 years

Mr Sullivan is an engineer and has been involved in the development of resource companies and projects for more than 16 years.

His project engineering experience was followed by four years in corporate finance with an investment bank and two years in a corporate development role with an Australian resource group. Mr Sullivan has considerable experience in the management and strategic development of resource companies. He is currently Managing Director of Resolute Mining Limited.

Mr Peter Sullivan retired as Managing Director of the Company in October 2004.



Company Secretary
Bradley John Wynne B.Com (Dist), CA
32 Years

Mr Wynne is highly experienced in the engineering, oil and gas and mining industries. He has held senior financial management positions in the mining sector including St Barbara Mines Ltd and Xstrata Zinc.

Mr Wynne is also Chief Financial Officer of the Company.


Milestones, hauptsächlich in 2007:

• Oct 2006 Aker Kvaerner Commenc e PFS
• March 2007 Column Test Results show Ni extraction rates up to 80%
• March 2007 Major infill drilling program commences
• May 2007 PFS supports financially robust project
• June 2007 Commitment to Feasibility Study
• July 2007 Renounceable Rights Issue raises $10.4m
• Aug 2007 MOU with Norilsk Nickel Cawse to evaluate THL
program
• Oct 2007 Wanbanna Project acquisition
• Nov 2007 Agreement with Norilsk Cawse to commence THLNiWest

Nickel Laterite Project
Fundamentals

• World Class Nickel Deposit
– Resource Contains
• 1.4 million tonnes Nickel
• 85,000 tonnes Cobalt
– Successful heap leach test results
• Major Infrastructure
– Open access rail line linked to ports (Esperance &
Fremantle)
– Gas pipe line
– Established township
– Arterial bitumen road
• Conducive Environmental Conditions for Heap Leach
– Flat terrain in semi desert environment


zuletzt noch zusätzlich akquiriert:

Wanbanna Acquisition
15 mt @ 1.0% Ni 0.07% Co
(inferred resource 0.7%Ni cut off grade )
High Grade Core
5.5mt 1.28% Ni 0.10% Co
(inferred resource 1.0%Ni cut off grade)
Direct 80% interest
Contiguous to Murrin North
Contains saprolite ore types
Drilling & Metallurgical work
commencing Feb 2008

Auf Seite 23 der Presentation ist nochmal der "Enterprise Value per Contained Nickel Tonne" in Relation zu vergleichbaren Unternehmen
aufgeführt.

Summary
• World class Nickel project
• Adjacent to major infrastructure
• MMJV demo heap leach in operat ion
• Financially Robust PFS
• Trial Heap Leach commencing in April 2008
• Projected Nickel product ion 14,200tpa
• Potential to increase production
• 100% Ownership"

Auch wenn die Tendenz gerade noch nach unten zeigt
-Kurs bei Vorstellung: 0,267E

[Popeye82]

Marketcap ist natürlich schon wieder Quatsch,
müssten derzeit etwa 66Mio E sein.

[Popeye82]

"ASX Announcement – 3 January 2008

The Companies Announcement Office
Australian Stock Exchange
Level 10 Exchange Centre
20 Bond Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Dears Sirs

APPOINTMENT OF MANAGING DIRECTOR
The Company announces the appointment of Mr David Varcoe as Managing Director, effective 18 February 2008.
Mr Varcoe is a highly qualified mining engineer with over 20 years experience that includes extensive senior managerial and technical positions with Australia and international resource companies. His experience includes positions at Sons of Gwalia, Centaur, WMC, and Goldfields St Ives and for the past four years as Principal Consultant Rio Tinto Technical Services based in the United Kingdom and Perth WA.
Mr Varcoe’s appointment will coincide with the anticipated commencement of trial mining at theCompany’s Niwest Nickel Laterite project and subsequent trial Nickel Heap Leach program that is to be completed at the Norilsk Nickel Cawse plant site.
Mr Varcoe’s technical and senior management experience and his expertise in all facets of mine development, operations, and strategic planning are considered by the Board to be key attributes for the Company as it progresses through the feasibility and development stage into production.
To further assist the new managing director, the Company has also strengthened the Feasibility Study management team through the appointment of a project geologist and a process engineer. Further appointments will follow as the study progresses.
These changes form part of the Board’s forward planning to upgrade the corporate and technical capacity and expertise of the Company to develop its world class NiWest Nickel Laterite Project located near Murrin Murrin in Western Australia.
In addition to the NiWest Nickel Laterite Project, the Company has significant gold and other base metal assets. Current Managing Director, Mr Jamie Sullivan will remain as an executive director from the 18th February 2008 and will take on the responsibility to gain best value from these assets for GME shareholders.
Relevant details of Mr Varcoe’s remuneration package are listed below.

Salary $250,000 pa
Superannuation $25,000 pa

Share Based Payments
Number of Options
Vesting Period
(from date of Commencement)
Exercise Price
Expiry Date
2,000,000
12 months from commencement
$0.65
3 years from commencement
500,000
24 months from commencement
$0.80
4 years from commencement
500,000
24 months from commencement
$1.00
4 years from commencement
The contract has no fixed term and may be terminated by either party with three months notice."

Das will ich auch irgendwann mal als Jahresgehalt haben.

[Popeye82]

Link zur letzten Präsentation
www.gmeresources.com.au/pdfasx/AGMPresentation.pdf

[Popeye82]

Auch wenn das mit der Resourcenbewertung ganz sicher nicht
dermassen einfach ist, einfach mal die Resourcen nehmen,
dann 10%, wenn man grad gut drauf ist vielleicht doch lieber
20 oder 30%,
fand ich es doch mal einigermassen passend.

Hier gäbe es mehr als 3*soviel Nickel, wobei es bei Inspiration
nochnichtmal bestätigt ist +zusätzlich einiges an Kobalt.

"Inspiration Mining für Mutige

25.01.2008
BetaFaktor

München (aktiencheck.de AG) - Die Experten von "BetaFaktor" halten die Inspiration Mining-Aktie (ISIN CA45772J1093 / WKN 909977) für mutige Anleger für interessant.

Auch der Nickel-Explorer habe sich nicht dem schwachen Marktumfeld entziehen können. Der President von Inspiration Mining, Randy Miller, sehe es aber gelassen: "Wir sind so gut aufgestellt, uns kann eigentlich nichts passieren."

Der Explorer konzentriere sich derzeit vor allem auf die Langmuir No. 2 Mine. Hier würden die Vorkommen auf rund 350 Mio. englische Pfund Nickel taxiert. Miller habe sogar durchblicken lassen, dass es sogar bis zu 400 Mio. englische Pfund werden könnten.


Ende März wolle man eine erste NI-43-101-konforme Resourcenschätzung veröffentlichen. Komme diese auch nur annährend in den Bereich von 300 Mio. englische Pfund, dann müsste sich nach Meinung der Experten in der Bewertung des Unternehmens Entscheidendes abspielen. So werde die Gesellschaft gegenwärtig mit rund 110 Mio. Euro bewertet. Für ein Pfund Nickel zahle man an den Weltmärkten über 12 Kanadische Dollar (CAD). Trotz eines Sicherheitsabschlags von 50%, würden die Experten für Inspiration Mining einen Wert von 1,8 Mrd. CAD ermitteln. Dabei habe man andere Projekte noch gar nicht mit eingerechnet. Damit werde Inspiration Mining aktuell mit weniger als 10% der potenziellen Vorkommen bewertet. In diesen Phasen seien jedoch 20% bis 30% üblich.

Mit einem Cash-Bestand von rund 38 Mio. CAD stehe die Gesellschaft finanziell gut da. Pro Monat verbrauche der Explorer momentan 1,5 Mio. CAD.

Ab der kommenden Woche werde nach einer sechswöchigen Pause wieder der Nachrichtenfluss über weitere Probebohrungen beginnen. Dies sollte sich positiv im Aktienkurs bemerkbar machen. Und eine Spekulation auf die Ergebnisse der NI-43-101-Schätzung habe auch ihren Charme.

Nach Meinung der Experten von "BetaFaktor" gehört sicher Mut dazu, auf diesem gedrückten Niveau in die Inspiration Mining-Aktie einzusteigen. (Ausgabe 04/08b vom 24.01.2008) (25.01.2008/ac/a/a)"

[Popeye82]

Muss mich da vielleicht etwas korrigieren,
ich weiss nicht wieviel 'englische' Pfund sind.

Wenn das eine merklich andere Umrechnung ist,
wäre das in diesem Sinne anzupassen.

[Popeye82]

älter, 08.01.
'Mandalup Investments Pty Ltd.'(wer immer das sein mag) hat um gut 6Mio Aktien aufgestockt, lagen davor bei 7,3 jetzt bei 7,9%
www.gmeresources.com.au/pdfasx/SubHolderNotice9Jan08.pdf

30.01. - INTERIM COLUMN TEST RESULTS - EUCALYPTUS PROJECT
www.gmeresources.com.au/pdfasx/ASXAnnouncementJan302008.pdf

[Popeye82]

Dadurch wohl der Kurssprung,
was ich Eingangs mal meinte(nicht wirklich verstanden hatte), die in Relation sehr niedrigen angestrebten Förderraten

...das dürfte sich jetzt großteils wohl erledigt haben.
(müsste dann mal, je nach Ni-preis für Umsätze in der Region
von wahrsch. knapp 1Mrd. $/Jahr gut sein)

"GME outlines bigger, pricier NiWest plans
Kate Haycock
Monday, 21 April 2008

GME Resources has announced an expanded, $A1 billion development strategy for its NiWest nickel laterite project in Western Australia with plans to produce around 30,000 tonnes per annum nickel metal from the potential heap leach operation."

[Popeye82]

scheint also nach Minimum 60Mio Pfund Ni p. anno
auszusehen...


GME acquires the major components for its Hepi Heap Leach Demonstration Trial - 19.05.08

HIGHLIGHTS
•Major components required for Heap Leach Trial purchased from Heron Resources Limited and relocated to Kalgoorlie.
•Equipment to be tested and commissioned prior to relocation to the Hepi Mine Site.
•Heap Leach Trial scheduled to commence in October 2008, representing a key component of the current Bankable Feasibility Study on the NiWest Nickel Laterite Project.
•Expanded development strategy advancing targeting 30‐35,000tpa of nickel metal production.
www.24hgold.com/viewcompanyarticle.aspx?langue=en&articleid=…

[Popeye82]

No Going Back To Murrin Murrin: And GME’s Heap Leach Nickel Project Should Go Easier On The Nerves Too - Minesite - July 16, 2008
www.minesite.com/nc/minews/singlenews/article/theres-no-goin…

"If not for the lower nickel price, if not for a project location adjacent to the often troubled Murrin Murrin mine, and if not for a “colourful” past, the investment world might be taking a much closer interest in GME Resources. That will change. Despite its ultra-low profile in a rattled stock market, GME has qualities which will see it emerge as a significant player in the nickel world for three very simple reasons – a vast reserve of nickel in the ground, a low-cost technology to get it out, and a board of directors who know all about tough mining projects. So far, investors are interested, but not subscribing fully to the GME story, which has its roots in the shadow of Murrin Murrin.

Advances in the way laterites are treated mean that GME is not be proposing to build Murrin Murrin Mark Two. If it did, everyone familiar with that saga would run screaming from the room. For any Minesite reader asleep during the 1990s Murrin Murrin was the original brainchild of Andrew Forrest, the man behind the tear-away iron ore success, Fortescue Metals. Forrest’s grand nickel-plan was to use high-pressure, acid-leach (HPAL) technology to extract metal from ore averaging around 1% nickel. Said quickly, it sounded easy. It wasn’t, and still isn’t. The company Forrest founded, Anaconda Nickel, has changed its name to Minara Resources, and while a star when the nickel price soared briefly above US$20 a pound, it’s now in the doghouse as the nickel price tumbles and the cost of the critical inputs, sulphur and power, soar.

GME’s exploration tenements are immediately adjacent to those of Minara. In fact, back in the 1990s a nasty, name-calling spat broke out over who promised what to whom over access to the ground. The end result was that Anaconda/Minara steamed off to develop its own project, and GME disappeared from view, but retained its tenements. Today, it’s sitting on more than 300 square kilometres of ground, into which has been punched 165,000 metres of drill core. It’s mainly shallow drilling, but that’s the nature of laterite ore. The target is to prove up 75 million tonnes of reserves at 1% nickel. If done, that means GME’s NiWest project will contain one million tonnes of nickel in the ground, with a sweetener of 85,000 tonnes of cobalt. The latest drilling results, which include a 23 metre section assaying 2.5 per cent nickel, indicate that the 1% target average will not be hard to hit.

“We’re confident that we have the best undeveloped laterite nickel project in Australia,” is how GME managing director, David Varcoe, sees his patch of dirt near the central Western Australian town of Laverton. A mining engineer with 20 years experience Varcoe is a new name for most investors. The rest of the GME board is better known, especially Geoff Motteram and Peter Sullivan. Motteram was a senior executive at Anaconda and has probably forgotten more about nickel processing than most people will ever know. Sullivan, meanwhile, is chief executive of the gold mining company, Resolute, which is re-developing the tricky Syama project in Mali.

Over coffee at Black Tom’s, a joint almost as infamous in Perth as Murrin Murrin is in the outback, Varcoe explained to Minesite’s Man in Oz the next steps that will be taken in elevating the NiWest project from concept to reality. They are: to continue drilling, and to start a detailed test to investigate whether the ore is amenable to heap leaching, a far simpler process than HPAL, and a process which Minara itself is now using, such are the savings on costs, and anxiety. The essential difference is that HPAL dissolves the ore in sulphuric acid in a pressurised, stainless steel autoclave, while heap leaching is just as simple as it sounds. Grind the ore, spread it out, sprinkle it with sulphuric acid, catch the run off, and process the liquid through what is essentially the second-half of Minara’s HPAL plant. The process will be more than familiar to followers of Aim-traded European Nickel, though that company has its own different stresses and strains to worry about. The trick is to work out whether the atmosphere in Australia is up to it in the same way as it is in Turkey for European Nickel.

Varcoe said that a key step in the assessment process would be the trial processing of 4,000 tonnes of ore though a plant acquired from another laterite nickel hopeful, Heron Resources. Equipment needed for the trial has been relocated from Heron’s operations near Kalgoorlie to Laverton. Testing is due to start in October. “We’ve conducted a series of laboratory tests on NiWest ore. What we now need to do is scale-up the testing,” Varcoe said. “The fact that Minara is expanding its operations with atmospheric leach adds greatly to the confidence in our project.”

And so it should, because Minara’s addition of a heap leach circuit is a stark admission that the HPAL process, which is also being used by BHP Billiton at its new Ravensthorpe nickel mine, is more trouble than it’s worth. Murrin Murrin was years late in completion, cost at least double its original budget, and has never achieved nameplate capacity. Ravensthorpe is also a year late and has also cost roughly double the original estimate, even given the lessons supposedly learnt at Murrin Murrin to guide the BHP Billiton construction team.

The proof of GME’s optimism lies in the testing that’s about to start on the Hepi orebody, 10 kilometres south of Minara’s Murrin Murrin plant. Results from that testing will be a key ingredient in a bankable feasibility study, work on which started in May. The basis of that study is a project producing between 30,000 and 35,000 tonnes of nickel metal a year, which will require the mining and processing of between 3.5 million and 4.5 million tonnes of ore. If all goes to plan, first nickel will be produced in 2012.

GME’s plans have attracted minimal publicity in Australia, which is hardly surprising given the painfully expensive history of trying to treat laterite ore. Over the past year, as the price of nickel has retreated to around its current US$9.50 a pound (and about the same in Aussie dollars given that parity looms), GME’s share price has contracted back from A85 cents to A27 cents. The share price slide is a worry, but it’s a problem seen many times over by GME’s board. In other words, the people running the company have seen tough times before, and they ought to know how to steer a path through the uncertainty and, fingers crossed, have GME ready for the next upswing in the metals market (fingers still crossed)."

[Popeye82]

Aufgrund von Fokussierung &stark geänderter Rahmenbedingungen der Rohstoffmärkte stelle ich die Begleitung zu dem Unternehmen ein. Ich hatte eigentlich beim Mod angefragt, ob Threads auf Bitte des Eröffners auch wieder gelöscht werden können, war aber wohl irgendwie mit der Board-Policy nicht vereinbar.