Quarterly Activity Report
28/04/2006 8:01am
UK Regulatory
RNS Number:0897C
Gippsland Limited
28 April 2006
GIPPSLAND LIMITED
QUARTERLY ACTIVITY REPORT
HIGHLIGHTS
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
* IFC mandated as lead debt arranger for 40Mt Abu Dabbab tantalum project
* IFC equity investment option in Gippsland
* Outstanding Wadi Allaqi gold exploration results
- Mineralised zone up to 75 metres wide with
- Strike length >770 metres
*Wadi Allaqi drilling in progress
- Intersection of encouraging zones of quartz veining, carbonate alteration
and sulphide mineralisation below ancient gold workings
- Gold analytical results due early May '06
* UK share placement raises A$2.8 million
* Building of Management Team
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ABU DABBAB PROJECT FINANCE MANDATE
During the January to March quarter the Directors of Gippsland Limited
("Gippsland" or "the Company") announced that the International Finance
Corporation ((A)) ("IFC"), a member of the World Bank Group, has been mandated
as Lead Debt Arranger for Gippsland's Abu Dabbab Tantalum-Tin Project (the
"Project") in Egypt.
The Project cost estimate as at November, 2005, based on the Feasibility Study
completed by Lycopodium Engineering Ltd in November 2004, is approximately US$90
million, including capital costs (2Mtpa processing plant, mining fleet, haul
roads, power plant, employee accommodation and general infrastructure) and
financing costs during the construction period. The targeted debt component is
60% (US$55 million) of the project costs. The debt financing will be raised via
a combination of an IFC A-Loan, an IFC B-Loan and parallel financing from other
Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and Export-Credit Agencies (ECAs).
The fees payable by Gippsland to the IFC in respect of its arranging role
include the issuance of 2,250,000 fully paid ordinary Gippsland shares in 3
tranches of 750,000 each in lieu of up front cash appraisal fees to be charged
by the IFC.
The balance of the financing of the Project is to be raised through equity
financing of approximately US$35 million, with potential IFC participation.
US$2 MILLION IFC EQUITY INVESTMENT IN GIPPSLAND
Pursuant to the Mandate, the IFC has been provided with a 90-day option to
subscribe for US$2M of new fully paid ordinary share equity capital in
Gippsland. If the IFC exercises its option then this equity investment by the
IFC in Gippsland shall be effected by way of the issue of 25 million new fully
paid ordinary Gippsland shares at a price of US$0.08 (approx. A$0.108 /
UK#0.046) per share to raise US$2 million (approx. A$2.69 / UK#1.14 million)
cash for Gippsland.
The 25 million shares issued to the IFC will each have an attaching free
unlisted option having an exercise price of A$0.135 (approx. UK#0.057) and a
life of six (6) years. Gippsland may require the IFC to exercise 12.5 million of
these options in the event that Gippsland shares trade at a weighted average
price equal to or greater than A$0.20 (approx. UK#0.085) for a period of 20
trading days, or relinquish the 12.5 million options.
The issue of the 25 million shares and 25 million options to the IFC is subject
to the execution of an equity subscription agreement mutually acceptable to the
IFC and Gippsland.
The issue of the 25 million shares and 25 million options to the IFC is also
subject to Gippsland shareholder approval which shall be sought at an
Extraordinary General Meeting of Gippsland shareholders to be held on 16 May
2006.
FURTHER US$3 MILLION IFC EQUITY INVESTMENT IN GIPPSLAND
Gippsland has also granted to the IFC a first right of participation to invest
an additional US$3 million at the time of and on the same terms as are offered
by Gippsland when raising the equity component of the Abu Dabbab project capital
cost. IFC will have 30 days within which to exercise this pre-emptive right.
The issue of these shares to the IFC is subject to Gippsland shareholder
approval which shall be sought at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Gippsland
shareholders being held on 16 May 2006.
WADI ALLAQI GOLD EXPLORATION
During the quarter Gippsland completed further mechanical trenching at Wadi
Allaqi where the previous sampling ended within mineralisation. The trenching
confirmed and expanded the high-grade gold results obtained during previous
sampling work.
SEIGA
Trenching undertaken at Seiga has confirmed the results of earlier trenching
programmes as well as significantly expanding the width and strike length of the
Seiga gold mineralisation.
Trenches CP1 and CT2 have identified a mineralised zone 75 metre wide including:
* 8 metres @ 7.7g/t Au
* 20.3 metres @ 7.4g/t Au
* 43 metres @ 3.57g/t Au
Trench CP6 situated 62m north of trench CP1 has identified a mineralised zone
50m wide including:
* 31 metres @ 4.34g/t Au
* 14.5 metres @ 2.65/t Au
Trenches excavated the north and south of CP1 extended the overall strike length
of mineralised zone (> 1g/t Au) from 250m to over 770m.
The 3 most southern trenches CT7, 6 & 8) located 260m, 420m and 460m
respectively south of trench CP1 contained wide intersections of low grade but
anomalous gold values.
Trench CT7 intersected 24m at 0.93g/t Au while CT8 intersected 16m at 0.65g/t
Au.
UM SHASHOBA
At the Um Shashoba prospect located 6km to the south-east of Seiga, the
trenching identified anomalous (>0.1g/t) gold values associated with shearing
over a strike length of 500m. The northern and southern extension of this shear
zone is masked by colluvial sediments which will be tested by drilling. The
trenching revealed a hardpan layer below colluvial sediments at around 1 metre
depth which would have posed a severe challenge to the ancient miners exploring
for extensions to the exposed mineralisation. These extensions will be tested by
lines of drill holes.
Previous sampling of wall rocks adjacent to ancient workings gave a best result
of 11.9m at 2.22g/t Au including 2m at 4.19g/t Au.
UM TIUR
A small number of trenches (8, totalling 227.4m) were completed to identify the
line of lode. Access for the excavator was poor and the main area of interest
could not be tested. The trenching did however expose the shear zone hosting the
main Um Tiur mineralisation some 1.5km south of the dormant Um Tiur mine.
WADI ALLAQI DRILLING PROGRAMME IN PROGRESS
During the quarter, the Company arranged the importation into Egypt of a new
multipurpose drill rig to undertake a drilling campaign to systematically test
Seiga and all of the Company's 9 Wadi Allaqi prospects
Most encouragingly, the 14,000 metre drilling programme currently in progress
has intersected wide zones of quartz veining, carbonate alteration and sulphide
mineralisation below the ancient Seiga workings. Initial drilling analytical
results are expected to be available early May 2006.
The drilling programme is expected to confirm the extension at depth of the
highly encouraging surface gold results achieved to date.
GEOLOGICAL GRAPHICS
Geological graphics associated with this QUARTERLY REPORT may be viewed in the
INVESTOR RELATIONS section of the Gippsland website.
UK SHARE PLACEMENT
During the quarter Gippsland completed a placement of 24 million fully paid
ordinary shares to UK institutional investors at a price of 5 pence
(approximately 11.8 Australian cents) per share raising the sum of UK#1,200,000
(approximately A$2.84 million) before costs.
The funds raised under this placing will be employed to expand Gippsland's
management team including key positions in finance, operations, project
management, metallurgy and geology as the Company moves from an exploration
company to a world scale mining operation.
In addition the funds raised will be used to continue the exploration of the
Company's Wadi Allaqi gold projects in anticipation of confirming a JORC
compliant resource, subject to drilling results, during 2006.
BUILDING OF MANAGEMENT TEAM
During the quarter, Gippsland received an excellent response to its
advertisements for financial and management executives for the development of
the Abu Dabbab project. Appointments are expected to commence during the coming
month of May.
AGUERO DISPUTE
During the quarter the Company announced that a settlement had been reached with
respect to the dispute with Alex Aguero. The terms of the settlement do not
involve any admission of liability by Gippsland and include the issue of 3.6
million Gippsland fully paid ordinary shares to Aguero and 2.4 million Gippsland
fully paid ordinary shares to the litigation funder who financed Aguero in this
matter. Gippsland Directors consider the resolution of the matter to be a sound
commercial outcome for the Company.
EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
On 16 May 2006 Gippsland will hold an Extraordinary General Meeting of
Shareholders to consider and, if thought fit, to pass the resolutions listed in
the Notice of Meeting mailed to shareholders on 14 April 2006.
RJ (Jack) Telford
Executive Chairman
For further information please contact:
Jack Telford
Gippsland Limited
www.gippslandltd.com
Tel: +61 (0)8 93898611
jtelford@gippslandltd.com
Laurence Read / Leesa Peters
Conduit PR
Tel: +44 (0)20 7429 6605
leesa@conduitpr.com
laurence@conduitpr.com
Les Polden / Luke Cairns
Hoodless Brennan Plc
Tel: +44 (0)20 7538 1166
L.Polden@HBcorporate.com
L.Cairns@HBcorporate.com
Note: In accordance with Listing Rule 5.6 of the Australian Stock Exchange
Limited, the geological information in this report that relates to Exploration
Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves is based on data compiled by Dr John
Chisholm, a Fellow of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Dr
Chisholm who is an Executive Director of Gippsland Limited with over 25 years
experience in the mineral industry including the evaluation of exploration data,
mineral resources and ore reserves, has consented to the issue of the
information in this report in the form and context in which it appears.
--------------------------
(A) Established in 1956, IFC (www.ifc.org) is the largest multilateral source
of loan and equity financing for private sector projects in the developing World
where it promotes sustainable private sector development primarily by financing
private sector projects, assisting private companies, financing in international
financial markets whilst providing advice and technical assistance to businesses
and governments. Its strong shareholder base, triple-A ratings, and the
substantial paid-in capital base allows the IFC to raise funds for its lending
activities on favourable terms in the international capital markets.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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