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Lonmin Plc - Further Re Acquisition

Release Date: 15/06/2005 08:00
Code(s): LON
Wrap Text

Lonmin Plc - Further Re Acquisition Lonmin Plc Isin Code: GB0031192486 Share code: LON LONMIN COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF SOUTHERN PLATINUM Renames Messina mine Lonmin Platinum Limpopo Lonmin Plc ("Lonmin") announces today that its wholly owned subsidiary, Lonmin Investments Canada Inc. ("Lonmin Investments"), has paid for the common shares in the capital of Southern Platinum Corp. (TSX:SPC) ("Southern Platinum") deposited and taken up on 10 June 2005 in connection with Lonmin Investment"s offer (the "Offer") to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares (the "Shares") in the capital of Southern Platinum. The 81,027,739 Shares taken up and paid for by Lonmin Investments represent approximately 92.6% of the aggregate number of Shares issued and outstanding, giving Lonmin an indirect controlling interest in Southern Platinum. The Offer has been extended to 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on 28 June 2005 to allow shareholders who have not had the opportunity to tender their Shares under the Offer to do so. Lonmin has now taken over control of the Messina mine operations, which will be renamed Lonmin Platinum Limpopo with immediate effect. Lonmin has also completed the acquisition of the offtake agreement with Impala Platinum. All the former directors of Southern Platinum will be resigning from the board and will be replaced by Brad Mills, John Robinson, Ian Farmer, Peter Godsoe, and Jack Jones who are all directors or senior officers of Lonmin. Lonmin will also appoint a further resident Canadian independent director. Ricus Grimbeek, currently Vice President, SHEC, Lonmin, has been appointed President, Lonmin Platinum Limpopo. Ricus has been heading Lonmin"s integration planning team over the last two months and will now assume responsibility for the mine and the integration process. Lonmin Platinum Limpopo has a strike length of 23 kilometres and an attributable PGM resource base of 20 million ounces (5PGE+Au) to a depth of 1,000 metres. The current mining operations at Lonmin Platinum Limpopo cover a strike length 4 kilometres. Over the next 18 months, Lonmin plans to re-engineer these operations to change the mining method to long hole stoping. Production from Lonmin Platinum Limpopo is targeted to increase from the current 45,000 ounces of platinum per annum to 75,000 ounces of platinum for the financial year to September 2007. Capital expenditure over the next three years to achieve this level of production will be around US$75 million. Commenting on the completion of the acquisition, Brad Mills, Chief Executive said: "I am delighted that we have managed to complete the acquisition of Southern Platinum and take over the running of Messina. The newly named Lonmin Platinum Limpopo is entering a new era in its development on a financially secure basis and we look forward to working with its employees to realise the potential of the Limpopo resource base." **************** This press release includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release, and all statements regarding plans, objectives and expected performance, are forward- looking statements. These forward-looking statements have been based on current expectations and projections about future events, including numerous assumptions. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "ambition", "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "seek" or "continue" or negative forms or variations of similar terminology. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors related to Lonmin Plc, Lonmin Investments and Southern Platinum Corp. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. Given these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you are cautioned not to put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. In addition, the inclusion of such forward-looking statements should under no circumstances be regarded as a representation by Lonmin Plc or Lonmin Investments that either will achieve any results set out in such statements or that the underlying assumptions used will in fact be the case. For Further Information: Lonmin Plc: Alex Shorland-Ball, Vice President Investor Relations & Communications - +44 20 7201 6060 Cardew Group: Anthony Cardew / Nadja Vetter - +44 20 7930 0777 Date: 15/06/2005 08:00:06 AM Supplied by www.sharenet.co.za Produced by the JSE SENS Department

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