Wolf11 Dec 2017 10:55
I understand the frustration here, but there really is some absolute nonsense posted from time to time. Someone said recently that the price of Tungsten wouldn't make a difference. Clearly, it makes all the difference. As the price rises, a mine can become profitable even if it is not operating efficiently. If you have low grades, you can still make money.
Wolf are going through a very typical optimisation process, yes it's very painful and I suspect they have realised a lot of their assumptions about the resource were inaccurate. These problems are not insurmountable, it just takes time to get a better understanding of what you have and to make the necessary adjustments. Tungsten is an incredibly hard material, and parts of the plant will wear out far faster than they would on a softer metal. This also seems to catch people out, a strong maintenance plan is needed. The plant will be linear so availability is as key as resource grade.
Nobody wants to hear it but patience is absolutely key. If you still believe in the asset then nothing much has changed. I have no idea about the financial position, but at the end of the day, if the company needs a little bit more to get over the line, then it's hardly going to bankrupt everyone. The massive capital costs are already paid, so you aren't looking at horrible dilution even f they did need money - which I categorically do not know - this isn't a de-ramp.
I do hope that they can get steady state going and take advantage of the current strength in APT pricing!
Best of luck all,
Fats