Minemakers’ Managing Director, Andrew Drummond, said:
“The Board of Directors is pleased with the share placement for several
reasons, including:
• the presence of quality institutional shareholders at a significant level on
the Minemakers share register for the first time.
• the raising of adequate funds to secure Minemakers’ capacity to complete
several key tasks, especially that of taking the Wonarah Rock Phosphate
project through to the end of feasibility.”
Warning of world phosphate shortage
Matthew Warren, Environment writer | March 12, 2008
THE exponential growth in global food production has not only sent the price of fertilisers skyrocketing, but could lead to a world shortage of phosphate within decades.
Beyond a temporary market spike driven by richer developing countries and increased supply of biofuels, researchers are warning that the world could face dwindling supplies of phosphate by 2040 unless steps are taken to use it more efficiently and recover it from human waste.
But unlike oil, which can be managed by substituting other sources of energy, there is no substitute for the critical role of phosphate in plant development and production.
Mineral phosphorous fertilisers come from mined phosphate rock found in places such as Christmas Island, Nauru and Morocco, which is the world's biggest exporter of the resource.
"Quite simply, without phosphorus we cannot produce food," says Dana Cordell of the Institute of Sustainable Futures, based in Sydney.
Growth in demand for food in China and India, coupled with increased switching of food crops to biofuels in the US, have increased the demand for fertilisers, raising the world price fourfold in the past year.
Despite the development of phosphate mining at Mount Isa to replace declining supplies from Nauru and Christmas Island, Australia still imports about 75 per cent of its fertiliser.
Ms Cordell is researching the scale of the looming shortage and methods to improve the efficiency of phosphate use.
"There is no global organisation looking at global trends in phosphorus and how we're going to ensure we'll have phosphorus production into the future," she said.
"It's just left to the market, which is looking at a different timeline to what we need."
She is working with researchers in Sweden to use human urine as a source of phosphate by redesigning toilets. It would be siphoned off and stored in tanks for supply to farmers.
I'm interested in the comments about traditional owners. Conscious of the problems RWD have run into, which will be one of the risks here. Hopefully the local owners will negotiate reasonably once the final negotiations for mining are undertaken.WONARAH DRILLING APPROVALS SECURED
DRILLING TO BEGIN ON SCHEDULE
14 March 2008
Minemakers Limited has now received all requisite approvals for its planned reverse circulation (“RC”) and diamond drilling programmes at the Wonarah Rock Phosphate project.
The Company thanks the Traditional Owners and their representatives, the Central Lands Council, and also the Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines for their prompt co-operation and enthusiasm.
The drilling will provide the cornerstone data for the economic and development studies. The RC drilling will mobilise in the first week of April and is aimed at allowing a new JORC compliant resource estimate and to test the potential of the Arrawurra Prospect to be a preferred deposit for fast track development. Diamond drilling will begin in mid April and it will:
• Provide material for the metallurgical testwork programmes.
• Provide geotechnical data for pit design, mining method and costs.
• Provide hydrological information.
• Allow testing of the lower phosphorite unit for which resources have not previously been estimated.
The Company is currently in the logistics phase for the programme and will shortly begin line clearing for drill access.
Hi Willo, the other aspect that I'm interested in is the priority drilling of the Arrawurra Prospect. The prospect is economical how it is with half the current RP price but if they come back with some great grades down there then it should be excellent news for the immediate prosperity of the overall project.That is good news kennas, noticed that this morning ansd thanks for posting it.
The technical selloff this week was a shame, so as you said, I am hoping for a stabilising now, and possibly a return to the placement level would be nice.
A rocky week it's been, as I've stuck in there.
Next news is Wonarah drilling approvals.....
I'm interested in the comments about traditional owners. Conscious of the problems RWD have run into, which will be one of the risks here. Hopefully the local owners will negotiate reasonably once the final negotiations for mining are undertaken.
Would be nice if the sp stabilises with this news and consolidates a bit.
Except for Jabiluka perhaps. I can't work out why Ranger was approved and not the second mine. Perhaps when they realise the royalties will stop?I've never known the Territory black fellas to let any mining get in the way of reaping some royalties...and before all you do gooders get on my back about the black fellas comment, it is not considered by them as a derogitory remark, I know because I live and work with them every day.
ASX ANNOUNCEMENT
FURTHER STRONG INCREASES IN ROCK PHOSPHATE PRICES MINEMAKERS’ WORK PROGRAMMES ARE ON SCHEDULE
17 March 2008
The rock phosphate benchmark Moroccan export price has reportedly increased to US$350-400 per tonne FOB. This is a leap from the $200 per tonne December 2007 price and is a multiple of the $50 per tonne of earlier in 2007.
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