Business Description

Gladstone Pacific Nickel Ltd. The Group's principal activity is exploring for and developing nickel and cobalt minerals. It operates only in the mineral evaluation business within Australia and south-west Pacific region.

Gladstone Pacific Nickel Limited (GPNL) is an Australian mining development company presently undertaking a Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) for the Gladstone Nickel Project (GNP). The company's vision is to build a major long-life nickel cobalt refinery at the deepwater Port of Gladstone, in Central Queensland, Australia, treating abundant high grade nickel laterite ores from New Caledonia and other south-west Pacific islands, underpinned by beneficiated ores from its own Marlborough deposits. The Project has the potential to be one of the largest of its type in the world producing some 126,000 tpa nickel (8 -10% of global nickel demand) and 10,400 tpa of cobalt metal from its first two stages.

The GNP will comprise of; a high pressure acid leach (HPAL) plant and metal refinery in the Yarwun Precinct of the Gladstone State Development Area (GSDA); nickel mines and loadout/shipping facilities in New Caledonia and potentially other south-west Pacific islands; ore importation facilities at the Port of Gladstone; a modern nickel mine and beneficiation plant at Marlborough with a proposed slurry pipeline to take the beneficiated ore to Gladstone; and a long-term residue storage facility located in the Aldoga Precinct of the GSDA.

KEY DATA:

Gladstone Pacific Nickel Ltd Ticker: GPN

GPN Directors/Managers :
Chairperson (Exec.): Mr RA Pearce (Robert)
Executive Director an d executive Chairman: Mr PJ Matheson (Peter)
Director (Non-Exec.): Mr AE Daley (Andrew)
Director (Non-Exec.): Mr JG Henderson (James)
Director (Non-Exec.): Mr PJ Watson (Peter)


Exchanges: LON
0 Sales: 0
Currency: Australian Dollars
Fiscal Year Ends: June
Share Type: Ordinary
Country: Australia
Major Industry: Metal Producers & Products Manufacturers
Sub Industry: Miscellaneous Metal Producers
Employees: 9
Market Capitalization: 143,348,407
Ordinary Shares in issue.41,909,716
Closely Held Shares: 9,575,000

16-03-2007 RAB Special Situations - 13,463,642 44.3700
11-04-2006 Andrew Daley - 1,250,000 5.9900


http://www.gladstonepacific.com.au/clientuploads/Presentations/GPNL_MajorProjectsConference_28Jul06.pdf

NEW project presentation!

http://www.gladstonepacific.com.au/clientuploads/Presentations/070326NewCalNiConfPresentation-English.pdf

http://www.gladstonepacific.com.au/index.php?src=


Useful Links

http://www.mineralprices.com/

http://www.lme.co.uk/nickel.asp

http://www.miningnews.net/

http://www.minesite.com/

can anyone work out whether the last rns on holdings was rab accumulating a bit of gpn stock or shedding.....

Australia's nickel capital has a rich life ahead
In 2000 Kambalda as the nations nickel mining heart was unloved and looking at perhaps a decade of life ahead providing the nickel price improved. The pathfinder company that restarted mines on the Kambalda and Widgiemooltha domes has painted a powerful picture for the next 20 years.

Author: Ross Louthean
Posted: Friday , 09 May 2008

PERTH -

The managing director of Mincor Resources NL (ASX: MCR), David Moore, painted a picture at RIUI's Resources Round-Up in Sydney of not only a strong mining performance for the company ahead but also one of great confidence for major new discoveries.

Two other companies that acquired mines from WMC Resources (before it was taken over by BHP Billiton) - Independence Group NL (ASX: IGO) and Sally Malay Mining (ASX: SMY) -- in partnership with Canada's Brilliant Mining -- have also been producing stellar profits and strong production performances.

Moore said that since starting mining, initially on the Miitel mine in 2001 the company has discovered 89,000 tonnes of contained nickel from exploration on five ore systems.

To illustrate this he pointed to the Miitel mine where drilling into the plunging lava flows the company had discovered North Miitel and South Miitel. The perception, Moore said was that these plunging systems have unexplored extension both north and south for 3.2 kilometres at both ends.

"To achieve a further 20 years of production at 20,000 tonnes per annum, Mincor needs to discover 1,060t per ore system per year," he said.

Mincor has been able to find extensions to 12 ore systems in the Kambalda-Widgiemooltha region and was now targeting a whole new ore system on its leases called Strong Ultra-Sized Nickel Ore Body (USNOB) targets. Two of these were an interpreted extension of Independence Group's Long shaft extending into Mincor's ground and a channel-like feature in a basal contact parallel to the deep Otter Juan mine which Mincor acquired recently.

Mincor has had strong profits since 2001, helped by the upward movement of the nickel price from 2002 and it has paid regular dividends since 2001 and today has $A110 million ($US103.4 M) cash and no debt.

The forecast production for 2008 was to achieve between 17-18,000t of contained metal and achieving the 20,000 tpa in 2009. (All Kambalda nickel miners deliver their ore to BHPB's concentrator at Kambalda).

On the Kambalda Dome, Mincor has the Otter Juan and Coronet mines in production, revived mining at both Carnilya Hill and McMahon under construction and a feasibility study on the Durkin mine. On the Widgiemooltha Dome, the operating mines are Miitel, Mariners, Redross and the hard-to-kill Wannaway, the Mariners No 9 project is on "drill out" and the Stockwell prospect was in advanced production.

RNS Number : 1698X
Gladstone Pacific Nickel Limited
20 June 2008



GLADSTONE PACIFIC NICKEL LTD

ACN (104 261 887)

('Gladstone'' or 'the Company')




UPDATED FEASIBILITY STUDY FINANCIAL RESULTS




Gladstone Nickel Project Feasibility Study shows an NPV of US$2.331 billion at current prices with an updated Profit after Tax and Interest in first year of full production of US$538 million.




The Managing Director of the Company, Mr John Downie, announced today the updated financial results of the Feasibility Study for Stage 1 of the Gladstone Nickel Project ('the Project') ('IDFS').




'The Company regularly monitors the effect of changes in key input assumptions, such as Nickel, Cobalt and Sulphur prices and exchanges rates, on the financial results and will provide updated financial results to the market where the effect is significant' he said.




As a result of this monitoring the Company believes that recent changes to these key inputs would have a significant effect on the IDFS financial results and therefore the results announced on 18th January 2008 have been revised.




In spite of the negative effects of lower nickel prices and a stronger Australian dollar the project financials remain strong. Gross Revenue in the first year of full production, assuming a two year ramp up, is expected to be US$2,043 million per year, US$374 million lower than previously announced whilst EBITDA is US$1,019 million, down US$354 million. Projected profit after tax and interest in the first year of full production has been revised from US$635 million to US$538 million in real terms at a gearing ratio of 70% debt for a 10 year loan period and an interest rate of 8.5%.




Cash operating cost for the Project has been revised from US$2.77 to US$2.38 per pound of nickel net of by product credits, due to nickel price, cobalt price and exchange rate movements. The Project net present value ('NPV') is US$2,331 million (*see note below) using an 8% discount rate and commodity prices and exchange rates as at 30 May 2008. This compares to an NPV of US$4,322 million reported in January.




The capital cost, also reported in the 18th January 2007 market release has been revised to US$3,840 million from US$3,656 million. The Directors believe that the Company's association with China Metallurgical Construction (Group) Corporation ('MCC'), based on MCC's prior experience, will reduce the capital cost.




These changes are not expected to affect planned production and the plant can expect to produce up to 64,753 tonnes of nickel and 6,164 tonnes of cobalt in the first year of full production which is expected to be 2015.

(Note: Refer background table of financial outputs, KPI's and major input variables.)




Enquiries to:
John Downie, Chief Executive Officer - Gladstone Pacific Nickel Tel: +61 (0) 7 3231 7100
Fiona Owen - Grant Thornton Corporate Finance Tel: +44 207 383 5100
Simon Rothschild - Bankside Consultants Tel: +44 207 367 8888




This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed 'forward-looking statements'. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future exploration drilling, exploration activities and events or developments that the Company expects, are forward looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include metal prices, exploration success, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions.




Background

Outputs from Financial Model
Unit
Current

Real NPV @ 8% Discount Rate, 100% equity after Tax
US$M
2,331

IRR
%
13.42%








KPI's in First Year of Full Production





Nickel Production
tonne
64,753

Cobalt Production
tonne
6,164








C1 cash cost after credits
US$/lb
2.38

Free Cash Flow
US$M
751

EBITDA
US$M
1,019








Major Input Variables (as at 30 May 2008)





Nickel Price
US$/lb
9.96

Cobalt Price
US$/lb
47.25

AUD:USD
AUD:USD
0.9564

Sulphur Price (FOB Vancouver)
US$/tonne
420

Capital Cost at relevant exchange rates
US$M
3,840


The consumption rates of reagents and consumables have been estimated by Aker Kvaerner Australia Pty Ltd as part of their role in completing the IDFS. Prices for key reagents have been based on current prices in January 2008. In addition, shipping costs have been calculated based on 10 year long term shipping contract rates provided by industry experts.

A comprehensive labour list has been developed for the proposed operations with an estimated 530 employees required at the Gladstone plant. Labour rates have been based on industry surveys in the Gladstone region.

Maintenance material costs for the refinery were estimated at US$40 million per year based on percentages of direct capital costs of plant, equipment and infrastructure. Additional mine maintenance estimates were provided by mining consultants IMC Consultants Pty Ltd and SRK Consulting Pty Ltd for both Marlborough and New Caledonia respectively.

Average expected feed grades from the mines are expected to produce nickel metal of 63,952 tonnes per annum and cobalt of 6,114 tonnes production per annum for the first 10 years of full production in Stage 1.

What do you make of last RNS ajcc ?

smiler .... for all that RNS initialyy reads pretty positive, it is actually substantially based on hypothesis ..... personally i wouldn't touch it ....... real minnow at 37m cap and minute average volume of about 7k daily implies total illiquidity, apart from the the lack of hard fact to support much of the RNS above

Yes ... it all looks good on paper ?

Find me some banks prepared to pump 2billion into a project where the company has a market cap of 40m you must be joking! Next stop 10p.

China ! 10P .. HMM Dont think so ..

funny old share this Smiler..... markets as they are plus slide in nickel price and surplus Ni stockpiles mean this may slide further until one or more of the factors above changes. Let's see what the chinese do?

yes keeping an eye on this one !! ;)

Awful chart could still drop off a fair bit, just e-mailed them to ask what is going on or what is not!!!!

Yes flasher !! Well bad time's for All Still below the Radar but at this level I think its a strong Buy IMHO ... like FOGL !! ; )

yes waiting for FOGL to bottom out then im in like a Flash

is that a jumping jack flash flasher? i bought 2 x lots of 500 of these today - came up as ? on the trades - can confirm they are buys. (will prob drop like a stone as a result!)

ps Smiler/Flasher, 1 bought 500 worth of fogl too - missed the bottom but still look cheap to me

like the look of Western Zagros Resources too.... on the TSX and in Kurd controlled N.Iraq but lots of potential to go boom (both ways....)

Sounds good ajcc ;) I do like the potential of GPN, and FOGL !

chinese dont give damn about present nickel stockplie. china only give damn about 20 year supply story. china need nickel for next 20 year and dont want to let bhp and crony extort them on high price. china build gpn project and get 10% of world nickel supply for self. hahahahahah, that china strategy for world domination. you stupid westerner never understand china strategy. that what make us strong.

so in the possible words of a 'china man' this will go ahead. IMO. but idont think the risk reward is quite there yet, best to wait for some movement IMO.

china should leave tibet alone and stop torturing them in their own barbaric and disgusting way.
china should stop sending arms to mugabe.......and stop giving arms to burma....and darfur

the chinese authorities are a brutal and evil regime

There is movement and its Down KP !! ajcc how low ?