Last checked at 12 Aug 2008 12:08
12 August 2008
CHURCHILL MINING PLC
("Churchill" or "the Company")
APPOINTMENT OF TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Churchill Mining PLC is pleased to announce the senior management appointment of John L. Clayton as Technical Director for the Company, concentrating on the project development of the East Kutai Coal Project in Kalimantan, Indonesia.
John will be based in Indonesia and manage the feasibility study at East Kutai Coal Project, along with a leading engineering firm. John was previously Project Manager on the Banpu Coal Port expansion at Bontang in Indonesia and Project Manager at PT Suprabari Minerals, where he set up the expansion phase and development of a new coal mine in Central Kalimantan, along with all engineering and associated infrastructure.
John has over 38 years experience in all aspects of infrastructure, mechanical maintenance, electrical and civil engineering in the mining industry. He has international experience in all facets of operations including project management, facilities maintenance, construction and commissioning of infrastructure and utilities.
His experience includes working as Senior Project Manager for the Rio Tinto Yandi Expansion in Western Australia and Senior Global Project Manager for Halliburton ESS across Egypt and Northern Africa. John has also worked in numerous mining and oil and gas operations across Australia, Kazakhstan and the Middle East.
John is a qualified Mining Engineer, a Professional Member of the Facilities Management Association of Australia Ltd and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management.
Churchill Mining's Managing Director Paul Mazak commented:
"We are pleased that Churchill has attracted a Technical Director of such high calibre and strong international project management experience. John has local expertise and in-country knowledge which is suited to Churchill's operations. We believe his appointment will strengthen the Churchill team which will lead and manage the East Kutai Coal Project through to production."
ENDS
Enquiries:
| Churchill Mining Plc Managing Director - Paul G. Mazak +62 81510539186 / + 62 21 39832398 paul.mazak@churchillmining.com | Pelham Public Relations Candice Sgroi +44 (0)207 743 6376 Candice.Sgroi@pelhampr.com |
Notes to editors
Churchill Mining Plc listed on AIM in April 2005. The appointment of John L. Clayton is a senior management appointment with the title Technical Director but is not a main Board appointment.
East Kutai Coal Project
In May 2007 Churchill announced a sales agreement had been entered into to purchase a 75% interest in the East Kutai Coal Project from PT Techno Coal Utama. Churchill has now extended the size of the project by 200 square kilometres by acquiring a 75% interest in the abutting tenements to the west of EKCP from the Investmine Group of Indonesia. Exploration and resource drilling continue along with scoping and pre-feasibility work.
This initial JORC Resource Statement defining 250 Mt of coal resources more than doubled the amount of coal expected by the end of Q1 2008 and a review of the target coal resource is being completed to see if the goal of 500Mt of coal by the end of 2008 should be increased.
Drilling now continues to define the 1st potential mining area at the project.
Sendawar - CBM
The Sendawar CBM project in Kalimantan, Indonesia, covers more than 800 square kilometres of prospective ground and lies in close proximity to two operating open-cut coal mines. The project is located approximately 50km from the Mahakam River.
During Churchill's coal exploration programme, data collected during geophysical and resitivity work, along with data collected from previous oil and gas exploration in the area, indicated that the area was highly prospective for Coal Bed Methane. Churchill (70% of the CBM project) along with its Indonesian partner RMU (30%) were granted Indonesia's first CBM JEA license in September 2007. The CBM project has the potential to host Gas-in-Place of 5.6 trillion cubic feet. Churchill is currently conducting further studies on the CBM project before starting detailed field work.
South Woodie Woodie
Given the increased prospectivity of South Woodie Woodie and Churchill's increasing focus on its Indonesian coal and coal bed methane projects, the Company sold 80% of the project to Australian company Spitfire Resources Limited ("Spitfire").
Spitfire, which listed on the ASX on the 12th December 2007, has the option to purchase the remaining equity in the project but must spend AUD$1.5 million on exploration. Aside from its large shareholding in Spitfire, Churchill also retains a price-indexed mining royalty over the South Woodie Woodie project.
The South Woodie Woodie project covers approximately 490 square kilometres (with a further 899 square kilometres under application) in the East Pilbara region of Western Australia, and sits approximately 400km southeast of Port Hedland in the highly prospective Pilbara manganese province. Spitfire has identified multiple drill targets and shall begin its new drill programme shortly.
In March 08 Spitfire announced that it had secured the strategic support of the diversified Norwegian-based industrial, trading and metals & alloys group, Tinfos AS ("Tinfos"), as its new major shareholder via a share placement.