Finders Resources
Finders Resources' operations include development of the wetar copper project, exploration for copper and gold in Indonesia and investment in resource-based companies. The Company has 93.97% interest in wetar copper project, Indonesia. The Company’s interests in the wetar project and the ojolali project are held through its subsidiaries, Banda Minerals Pty Ltd and Way Kanan Resources Pty Ltd. The Company operates in two geographical locations, being Australia and Indonesia. Its minerals business is based in Indonesia where it is developing a copper project on the island of Wetar and conducting mineral exploration on Wetar Island and Sumatra.
Finders Resources plans 6,500 meters of drilling at Ojolali Gold-Silver Property
Finders Resources Ltd (AIM & ASX: FND) released its quarterly report for the period ended September 30th, the statement highlighted a quarter in which the company raised a combined $21m through two separate fund raisings. Finders also made progress on its development of the Wetar Copper Project and the Ojolali Gold-Silver Project.
During the quarter, Finders raised $20m through a share placement of approximately 60m shares at $0.33 per share and a further $1.25m through the issue of almost 4m shares under a share purchase plan to eligible shareholders at $0.33 per share. Following the fund raising the Company repaid a $5m loan from Meridian International Capital Limited. The loan was due to mature on 31 December 2009 and was repaid early.
The placement was strongly supported by existing investors, including Acorn Capital Limited and Resource Capital Funds, and new investors including Taurus Funds Management Pty Limited and Straits Resources
Limited. Following the placement, Acorn Capital, Resource Capital Funds and Taurus Funds Management each hold a 10% interest in the Company.
At 30 September 2009, the group's remaining interest-bearing debt totals $1.7m, comprising of the $1.5m convertible note which matures in January 2012 and $0.2m owing from the forward sale and purchase of copper cathode. At the end of the quarter, Finders had $11.2 million in cash.
At the Wetar Copper Project optimization of the demonstration project is underway, during the quarter Finders has focused on improving leach and plant performance.
The Wetar Copper Project, comprises of two high grade deposits Kali Kuning and Lerokis, according to Finders the deposits are suitable for open pit mining with a low waste:ore ratio. Across both the Kali Kuning and Lerokis deposits, the JORC resource statement reveals a total of 8.8 million tonnes grading of 2.4% copper with contained copper of 218,000 tonnes. The Kali Kuning deposit has a measured resource of 5.2m tonnes grading 2.6% with contained copper of 133,000 tonnes, while Lerokis contains 2.1m tonnes grading 2.4% with contained copper of 51,000 tonnes.
The demonstration SX-EW (Solvent Extraction / ElectoWining) plant with 5 tonnes per day copper cathode capacity has been operational since February 2009 and is permitted to process 100,000 tonnes of ore from the Kali Kuning deposit.
SX-EW is a two-stage process that first extracts and upgrades copper ions from low-grade leach solutions into a concentrated electrolyte, and then deposits pure copper onto cathodes using an electrolytic procedure. At the demonstration plant test heaps are at heights similar to commercial operations worldwide and the SX-EW technology being used is industry standard.
Over the course of the quarter the SX-EW plant performance was assisted by the successful commissioning of an acid neutralisation plant, and improved irrigation and aeration piping trials commenced on Heap 3 and Heap 4.
During the quarter, the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS), which is being conducted by Ausenco, became functionally complete and according to Finders, it confirms the validity of the project. The progress of the DFS relied on information generated from the demonstration plant. Additional test work was also undertaken at HRL's laboratories in Brisbane, which successfully added acid neutralisation capacity into the DFS.
According to Finders, the basic development philosophy encompasses three stages, each of which are subject to permitting and finance.
Under Stage 1, Finders will expand the demonstration plant up to 5,000 tonne per year, with the whole of this stage being contained within the environmental footprint of the previous gold mining operation. Through Stage 2, Finders will relocate and commission the ‘Whim Creek SX-EW plant’ to add a further 18,500 tonnes per year cathode capacity to the project. Finally in Stage 3, Finders will establish haulage operations to transport ore from the Lerokis deposit to the leach pads at Kali Kuning to maintain a 23,000tpa copper cathode production from both SX-EW plants.
Upon completion of the DFS, Finders will undertake further work to make the study fully bankable. In particular, a review of earthworks and heap leach pad designs, the optimisation of minerals balance through additional geotechnical drilling and the procurement of tenders for earthwork contracts from Indonesian-based contractors.
In the quarterly update, Finders stated that it envisages that capital costs per tonne of annual production will be low compared to other copper projects while operating costs will be close to the global average for all copper producers.
At the Company’s other project, the Ojolali Gold-Silver property, Finders intends to increase the oxide gold resource to +300,000 ounces of gold. The objective is to provide the basis for a low cost 30-50,000 ounce per year open pit mine based on the Jambi oxide resource. Following extensive surface trenching, results highlighted the potential for a significant expansion of the resource. During the period, a new major target area of high grade Au-Ag bearing quartz veins were defined at Way Neki, with channel samples up to 2m at 50 grams per tonne gold. A programme of 5,000m of RC and 1500m of diamond drilling is planned to test these targets.
Other Finders Resources articles
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01/06/09 Finders Resources to acquire copper cathode plant, adds to project certainty
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20/03/09 Finders Resources boosts upside with A$5.6m placement for Wetar Copper Project
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12/03/09 Finders Resources – Indonesia’s first heap leach copper cathode producer
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09/03/09 Finders Resources ships first copper cathode from Wetar Copper Project in Indonesia
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16/01/09 Finders Resources secures convertible loans from Resource Capital and directors
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22/12/08 Finders Resources anticipates first copper production in January
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23/05/08 Copper: Long term fundamental demand
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22/02/08 Finders Resources: all eyes on Wetar Pilot Plant
Other Finders Resources news
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10/03/10 Finders Resources changes year-end date to 31 December
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29/01/10 Finders Resources ticks off "positive" Wetar Copper Project DFS
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23/12/09 Finders Resources acquires Whim Creek SX-EW plant for Wetar copper project in A$5 million all-share deal
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04/12/09 Finders Resources to commence diamond drill testing on high grade gold vein targets at Ojolali
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24/11/09 Finders Resources ticks off achievements at AGM
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12/11/09 Finders Resources prepares for "economically robust" copper project in Indonesia
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06/10/09 Major holder Resource Capital Fund acquires more Finders Resources shares
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25/09/09 Finders repays US$5 mln Meridian Intl Capital loan
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25/09/09 Finders Resources director acquires more Finders shares
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23/09/09 Finders Resources chairman acquires additional shares
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