Wrap Text
LON - Lonmin Plc - Lonmin today announces its production report
for the six months to 31 March 2007
(unaudited).
Lonmin Plc
(Incorporated in England and Wales)
(Registered in the Republic of South Africa under registration
number
1969/000015/10)
JSE code:LON
Issuer Code:LOLMI & ISIN:GB0031192486
("Lonmin")
First Half Production Report
25 April 2007
Lonmin today announces its production report for the six months to
31 March 2007 (unaudited).
Brad Mills, Chief Executive Officer said:
"Our second quarter production and sales of refined metal were
impacted by the shutdown of the Number One furnace on 16 December
2006. Total refined metal sales were 513,278 ounces of total PGMs
down 27.8% on the same period last year. We have completed the
rebuild of the Number One furnace, which is currently heating up.
We expect to resume normal smelting and refining operations by the
end of this month. On 12 March 2007 we completed our first matte
tap at our re-commissioned Merensky furnace. This furnace is
running extremely well with throughput ahead of plan. Our mining
operations were impacted by an extended Christmas break and a one
day wildcat strike. Tonnes mined were in line with the first half
of 2006 after stripping out the effect of the additional week in
the prior year period. The concentrators delivered 450,894 ounces
of Platinum in concentrate down some 3.6% on an equivalent basis
principally as a result of poorer recoveries due to the mix of ore
types processed during the period."
6 months to 31 6 months to 31
March March
2007 20061
Tonnes Marikana Underground 000 5,580 5,676
mined
Opencast 000 704 899
Total 000 6,284 6,575
Limpopo Underground 000 390 461
Opencast 000 - 14
Total 000 390 475
Pandora Underground 000 60 50
attributabl
e2
Opencast 000 150 35
Total 000 210 85
Lonmin Underground 000 6,030 6,187
Platinum
Opencast 000 854 948
Total 000 6,884 7,135
Tonnes Marikana Underground 000 5,581 5,622
milled3
Opencast 000 738 1,196
Total 000 6,319 6,817
Limpopo Underground 000 397 487
Opencast 000 - 14
Total 000 397 501
Pandora4 Underground 000 141 117
Opencast 000 336 68
Total 000 477 185
Ore Underground 000 72 -
purchases5
Lonmin Underground 000 6,191 6,226
Platinum
Opencast 000 1,074 1,278
Total 000 7,265 7,504
6 months to 31 6 months to 31
March March
2007 20061
Metals in Marikana Platinum oz 403,860 448,134
concentrat
e6
Palladium oz 183,862 206,833
Gold oz 11,191 10,675
Rhodium oz 53,164 61,152
Ruthenium oz 86,078 87,644
Iridium oz 17,967 18,329
Total PGMs oz 756,122 832,766
Nickel7 MT 1,933 2,020
Copper7 MT 1,160 1,228
Limpopo Platinum oz 18,759 25,926
Palladium oz 13,083 21,605
Gold oz 1,448 3,026
Rhodium oz 1,955 3,208
Ruthenium oz 3,053 5,205
Iridium oz 722 1,085
Total PGMs oz 39,020 60,055
Nickel7 MT 416 491
Copper7 MT 285 337
Pandora4 Platinum oz 25,600 10,203
Palladium oz 11,997 4,707
Gold oz 226 96
Rhodium oz 3,707 1,543
Ruthenium oz 5,511 2,401
Iridium oz 1,197 487
Total PGMs oz 48,238 19,437
Nickel7 MT 30 3
Copper7 MT 17 6
Ore Platinum oz 2,675 -
purchases5
Palladium oz 1,233 -
Gold oz 36 -
Rhodium oz 416 -
Ruthenium oz 670 -
Iridium oz 138 -
Total PGMs oz 5,168 -
Nickel7 MT 16 -
Copper7 MT 9 -
Lonmin Platinum oz 450,894 484,263
Platinum
Palladium oz 210,175 233,145
Gold oz 12,901 13,797
Rhodium oz 59,242 65,903
Ruthenium oz 95,312 95,249
Iridium oz 20,024 19,901
Total PGMs oz 848,548 912,258
Nickel7 MT 2,395 2,514
Copper7 MT 1,471 1,571
6 months to 31 6 months to 31
March March
2007 20061
Metallurgy Lonmin Platinum oz 259,434 356,351
refined
Metal
Production
Palladium oz 116,581 159,536
Gold oz 7,555 9,336
Rhodium oz 31,019 56,773
Ruthenium oz 42,587 82,261
Iridium oz 12,839 15,901
Total PGMs oz 470,015 680,158
Toll Platinum oz 23,872 -
refined
Metal
production
Palladium oz 10,862 -
Gold oz 0 -
Rhodium oz 3,447 -
Ruthenium oz 5,409 -
Iridium oz 1,063 -
Total PGMs oz 44,653 -
Total Platinum oz 283,306 356,351
Refined
PGMs
Palladium oz 127,443 159,536
Gold oz 7,555 9,336
Rhodium oz 34,466 56,773
Ruthenium oz 47,996 82,261
Iridium oz 13,902 15,901
Total PGMs oz 514,668 680,158
Base metals Nickel8 MT 1,604 -
Copper8 MT 826 -
Sales RefinedMeta Platinum oz 273,191 364,133
lSales
Palladium oz 124,884 170,992
Gold oz 7,560 10,251
Rhodium oz 37,170 59,566
Ruthenium oz 56,492 88,853
Iridium oz 13,981 16,717
Total PGMs oz 513,278 710,512
Concentrate Platinum oz 1,249 47,195
and other9
Palladium oz 496 20,760
Gold oz 2,037 1,832
Rhodium oz 46 5,344
Ruthenium oz 90 9,093
Iridium oz 22 1,928
Total PGMs oz 3,940 86,152
Lonmin Platinum oz 274,440 411,328
Platinum
Palladium oz 125,380 191,752
Gold oz 9,597 12,083
Rhodium oz 37,216 64,910
Ruthenium oz 56,582 97,946
Iridium oz 14,003 18,645
Total PGMs oz 517,218 796,664
Nickel8 MT 2,232 2,457
Copper8 MT 774 1,314
6 months to 31 6 months to 31
March March
2007 20061
Prices Average Platinum $/oz 1,103 968
Palladium $/oz 325 266
Gold $/oz 602 511
Rhodium $/oz 5,325 3,142
Ruthenium $/oz 305 79
Iridium $/oz 392 176
Nickel8 $/MT 25,067 10,431
Copper8 $/MT 6,558 4,149
Basket price of PGMs $/oz 1,102 847
ExchangeRa Average rate for period R/$
tes 7.31 6.29
Closing rate R/$
7.24 6.15
Notes:
1 The six months to March 2006 comprised an additional 7 days mining
performance for WPL and EPL arising on the change of basis to report
on a calendar month.
2 JV attributable tonnes mined includes Lonmin`s share (42.5%) of the
total tonnes mined on the Pandora joint venture.
3 Tonnes milled excludes slag milling.
4 Lonmin purchases 100% of the ore produced by the Pandora joint venture
for onward processing which is included in downstream operating
statistics.
5 Relates to the tonnes milled and derived metal in concentrate from
third-party ore purchases.
6 Metals in concentrate has been changed from the previously reported
definition of full contained metal to adjust for industry standard
downstream processing losses.
7 Corresponds to contained base metals in
concentrate.
8 Nickel is produced and sold as nickel sulphate crystals
or solution and the volumes shown correspond to
contained metal. Copper is produced as refined product
but typically at LME grade C.
9 Concentrate and other sales have been adjusted to a
saleable ounces basis using standard industry recovery
rates.
Lonmin`s interim results will be announced on 2 May 2007.
Enquiries:
Alex Shorland-Ball +44 (0) 20 7201 6060
Vice President, Investor Relations & Communications
Date: 25/04/2007 08:00:13 Supplied by www.sharenet.co.za
Produced by the JSE SENS Department.