Griffin Mining - golden future! http://www.basemetals.com/

GFM deserves a new thread after todays AGM. For the first time the venue was packed with shareholders, a tribute to the interest and support the company has for what the Board has achieved. For those unable to be at the meeting here are some of the points I noted which may interest folk on this BB.

Production: dry and wet testing now completed and zinc concentrate comes through the smelter next week. Zinc price on the LME is currently $1300/ton. GFM is being offered $1700/ton at the mine gate. This premium reflects the demand and difficulty local industry has in sourcing this basic metal ( As an aside the chairman reported that zinc is not easily and efficiently extracted as a recycled metal so newly mined zinc is always required). Cost of production is $595/ton ($700/ton if all depreciation costs are included). Labour costs are $1000/worker pa cf an Aussie underground worker of $130,000/worker pa. Apparently the 20m.pa worker migration from agricultural to industrial jobs means that there are queues of applicants wanting jobs at the mine; wage inflation is not an issue. 240+ employees on site to run the mine on a 24/7 basis.
Production can be increased w/o further investment for a throughput of 400,000 tons of ore pa; An increase to 500,000tons pa would require further investment of between $1m and $2m . All plant has been purposely over-engineered to ensure capacity can rise reliably and with back-up facilities (eg 3 boilers, 2 of which are back-up)
H&S is to world stds., setting an example to the rest of the Chinese mining industry which has a poor record currently because of the number of small private mines.

Reserves: 14.5years supply on current zone rising to 25 years in zone 3. Chairman showed an independent report which believes that the closure of many existing zinc mines is now producing a supply gap which will continue to improve the zinc price cycle to year 2012.

Profits: No problems known or foreseen to the repatriation of profits. However the chairman stated that the profits might achieve more for shareholders if the company uses these for further exploration and possibly buying back the companys shares. The latter move might help resolve the current shorting problem where it is thought that between 6 or 7 million shares are currently being shorted. This move could have a highly geared effect on increasing the share price and help deter the shorters/stock bashers from further activity.

Exploration: Chairman says company will be drilling a further 18,000m over the coming summer months and in his personal view he expects the company to steadily move towards becoming a gold mining concern, with some of the profits from the zinc smelting funding that work. An RC rig which costs 33% of the cost of a diamond drilling rig has been brought on to site.
Future exploration areas always being looked at + changes in Chinese Ministry of Land & Resources policy towards funding means that GFM will likely be offered many more prime government held assets in the near future.

Personal view is that GFM is a well and responsibly run mining company which is now likely to really grab a lot more attention as the profits start to flow as of next week. I am sure others on this BB at the meeting can fill the gaps where I have missed anything.

Yes and the company has in excess of $200 million dollars in the bank....that's why even with zinc only at $2300 per ton... I cannot believe how low the sp is !

Big boys buying Griffin Mining up 9.25p still lots to come from this one should be 1+ as said by required $200 million dollars and lots of gold to sell .

Griffin Mining up 11.00p (16.79%) in 2hr trading.

Griffin Mining now trading @ 13.00p (19.85%) up.

What a great day. All 5 of my "Miners" have become "Majors" this morning

Griffin Mining now trading @ 14.50p (22.14%) up @ mid-day .

Griffin Mining now trading @ 81.00p up 15.50p (23.66%) can see this @ 90p+ tomorrow.

nice close to the day trading 81.50p ....16.00p (24.43%) up on the day how bad is that fill ther should be more to come tomorrow ..........let's hope ;-))

GONE BACK UP TO 81.5 THIS MORN @9.32AM SEE UP MOVE UP FUTHER BACK TOWARDS ITS OLD YEAR HIGH

That would be nice - yesterday was not too surprisingly for profit taking - the future looks good.

Results very soon....hoping to see increased production.....and an increased dividend....would be nice to see 5c this year at least and the possibility of an interim dividend to be announced later.....! (dream on required field ).

Climbing at long last....well overdue !

GFM also starting there next leg up todays 88p to buy 87.5p to sell a lot of ? on the sp mm buy some up. looking strong for 90p + today..........;-)

i bought on monday micky......i'm up 5p already

it's looking good but will look better above 1 were i'm @...............this should be at 1.30p all day long still mm like to play so let them... they have to work as well ........;-)

next stop 93p then blue skys above .............





Powered by IST's

Final results due soon, sales may not meet market expectations due to moratorium on sales of zinc concentrate towards the end of 2007.However they should pay a final dividend as promised at the time of their last interim statement, although they will probably want to conserve cash resources needed to develop the new mine.

Nice day for my miners except MRP and LRL - GFM and AUL are both making steady progress which is the way I like it

GFM ,, 91.50p .........3.50p (3.98%) up on the day looking good for 94p before testing barrier ...........some good news would be welcome and then 1.11p next stop........................;-)

great finish to the day set up for agood start tomorrow i think...........3.50p up could be back in the bule soon ...............;-)