Marakand Minerals Share Discussion Threads

[nobull] 04/5/2006 10:29

I hope Turkey JV with +nav is not negated by No akjilga with minus x million ounces of Sliver off the Resource figure. I repsect the professionalism of those that have taken the decision to sell or partially sell. The idea of having Korean investors foisted on us is abhorrent (spelling?). It is almost as if we are being used to fund inprovements in diplomatic and commercial ties between Sourth Korea and Uzbekistan. Of course if the Zinc price were low, the reported favour being granted to South Korea wouldn't be one. I have perhaps been naive.

[greg the grinch] 03/5/2006 19:00

sittin and waiting

turkey jv soon with +nav?

[cezary] 03/5/2006 10:55

Apparently the rumours about Akjilga are being investigated.

[pecker1] 03/5/2006 10:54

GS,

FWIW, I think the remaining MKD shareholders will soon be made an offer so that OXS can effectively delist MKD and save admin and regulatory costs. If the Koreans want in then they might want a slice of OXS and no doubt RAB could be persuaded to part with a "strategic stake" for a price. If the Koreans also come up with the Khandiza project finance then OK - should avoid hedging.

I'm sure a deal can be arranged but what the terms will be is anybody's guess!
As Bill is also a major OXS shareholder, I am confident he will do the best deal he can in the circumstances.

[giant steps] 03/5/2006 10:35

dixi - sometimes best to ignore 'rumour mill', confirmation will do just fine

I think OXS move on MKD is shrewd; if it helps secure the JV deal so be it.
Project(s) are so big, plenty to go round for all.

Intersting to see someone has just sold 25K MKD at 26p
(that's 78p in OXS money) impatience never rewards.

[dixi] 03/5/2006 10:26

GS - I know what you mean - the uncertainty can add a bit of 'edge' to investing - but I have felt like this before, followed by the feelings of doom when it all goes t*ts up, sort of tarnishes the excitement for a while!

Fortune favours the brave and all that, but I expect the cautious will always be better off in the end!!


Agree about AGF - but the Uzbeks may meddle there also, assuming they are starting to meddle with MKD as rumoured.

[giant steps] 03/5/2006 10:11

Think MKD have positioned themselves very well.

I have no problem with 'the mystery', makes investing more fun !

Trew just getting on with the job. Pleased EUG resolved for a cheaper price,
now expect to hear some news on J and K.

In the meantime Amantaytau cashflows must be awesome, hedge completed last yr
at $350, now an extra $300 is worth thinking about.

[dixi] 03/5/2006 10:10

nobull - as a longterm holder of both OXS and MKD I have to agree that the board need to make quite clear to all shareholders - both private and institutions - exactly what the game plan is and where this is all going politically. On the OXS thread I think a reply from OXS simply passed off all the recent info we are seeing as rumour and without fact as far as OXS are concerened. Either the stories are all made up by Interfax etc or they are fed rubbish by the local governments - but to what end?

Either OXS are not up with current events or they are being told/choosing to stay quiet by/for the governments concerned.

Must admit to being pretty fed up with all the smoke and mirrors now!

AIMR - gone well today up over 20% this am :-)

[nobull] 03/5/2006 10:02

The shares now seem to be a bet on whether the importance of a legal title to "exclusive rights" overcomes the U. Government's reported wish to reward South Korea in some way with a share of the action in Khandiza at our expense. This is outside my competence to judge. The directors appear to have expressed their vioew by their actions: coverting to OXS? Time for some answers from the company?

[cezary] 03/5/2006 08:11

is it the North or South koreans??

[thescoop] 02/5/2006 23:40

If the Koreans really are being forced upon us in a JV, then we can consider the licence as an almost certainty, else why are the Uzbeks bothering? LOL!

[phillis] 02/5/2006 16:03

Let me know if there is a proper market in these please

[giant steps] 02/5/2006 15:27

Phillis - i still like the MKD risk/reward, will hold and add

I understand your argument for liking OXS and have bought these directly

On the passage of time, i'm now considering MKDW

[phillis] 02/5/2006 15:11

Selling 3 Mkd still doesn't buy 1 OXS

GS - you must think that MKD has a greater than 50% chance of being granted a licence.
How do you see these odds moving with the passage of time?

[giant steps] 02/5/2006 14:17

ad1967mc - at least the EUG deal takes away some uncertainty !

Yes, still plenty of intrigue on other matters.

[ad1967mc] 02/5/2006 14:06

The 153k was not mine. By the way, I like the deal OXS announced this morning and I'm a little surprised by the lack of reaction. I guess investors are trying to work out whether OXS did the right thing in coming back to the table. The market hates uncertainty and OXS/MKD have had more than their fair share in recent times.

[giant steps] 02/5/2006 13:52

ad1967mc - i assume that was your 153K

Still believe OXS will go stronger and pull MKD thru', but then it's our
difference of opinion that makes the investing world go round !

All the best, see you back on the RDG thread.

[ad1967mc] 02/5/2006 13:43

After a period of reflection I have reluctantly sold my MKD shares. Khandiza remains an excellent project and should MKD take it into production the upside is huge. But when investing I put a lot of emphasis on management and in this respect MKD has been a big disappointment to me. Right or wrong, I no longer have faith that they have the shareholders best interests in mind. The lack of clarity around Khandiza and Akjilga licensing is difficult and frankly out of their control. I can deal with that. But the lack of clarity about OXS and their intentions is not. That I can't deal with, so I'll take my profits and run.

Good luck to all holders and should the picture resolve itself, I may be back - though probably at price levels much higher than today.

[nobull] 02/5/2006 12:33

Thanks , I'll need it. President "I'm a dinner Jacket" doesn't look like he will back down on the nuclear issue. Perhaps I will look at AIMR again. All the best.

[dixi] 02/5/2006 12:21

Best of luck!

[dixi] 02/5/2006 11:47

nobull - you checked out AIMR for zinc????

[nobull] 02/5/2006 11:18

If anyone here is interested in other zinc projects (fully accepted that only total fruitcakes like myself would dream of investing in Iran at times like these) but I got a reply from URL to my query (and "low cost" in this context refers to the company's claimed production cost of 600$ a tonne if the mine ever gets built) (the complaint about overpaying refers to the overcharging by the MM's here compared with the price of the ASX listed shares, using the middle exchange rate):

5/2/2006 4:23:03 PM - Concern
Shareholder Comment:

Concern I will be remunerated less than other shareholders for taking the same
risks...

As a London-based investor who has recently bought shares in your company on
the AIM market, I am a bit alarmed I may have overpaid for your shares. You
appear happy to offer some of my "upside" entitlement to (favoured?) investors
like RAB Capital at my expense. (Options or warrants with a low exercise price
that suck off some off potential future profits I should have without getting back any
obvious benefit?) Please advise how giving away part of my future NPV entitlemnt
to RAB capital at a knock-down price helps me?

I am also concerned the grades at Mehdiabad seem low compared with
Marakand's Khandiza project in Uzbekistan: I don't understand how we can be a
"low cost" producer with such grades. What would the recoverable zinc metal
resource be if the cut-off grade was 4%? Thanks.
Union Resources Reply:

You have to appreciate that the agreement with RAB was entered into prior to listing on AIM and when the share price was at a level much lower than it is today.

The recoverable metal resource at 4% Zn would be substantially less than the 11 million we have quoted and hence a 2% cut off is more appropriate.

It is the massive size of the operation, the conversion to metal at site and the low cost energy that combine to make Mehdiabad a low cost producer.

KIND WISHES

ROB