Last checked at 27 Oct 2009 07:00
60 St James's Street, London SW1A 1LE, United Kingdom
Telephone: + 44 (0)20 7629 7772 Facsimile: + 44 (0)20 7629 7773
E mail: griffin@griffinmining.com
MINING LICENCE APPLICATION STATUTORILY COMPLETED, LODGED AND ACCEPTED
27th OCTOBER 2009.
Griffin Mining Ltd ("Griffin" or "the Company") has had its formal application for a new mining licence to mine below the 1300 level accepted (number 100000222220090369) and is now working on having that application approved within the statutorily stipulated 28 working day period. A new JORC compliant updated mineral resource estimate will be announced upon the granting of the new mining licence.
Further, the Caijiaying zinc-gold mine has returned to profitability in the quarter ended 30th September 2009 having processed 114,233 tonnes of ore to produce 6,783 tonnes of zinc, 1,351 ounces of gold, 38,019 ounces of silver and 218 tonnes of lead. This follows 33,152 tonnes of ore being processed in June immediately after recommencement of operations following the suspension of production in the first 5 months of 2009.
In further developments, work will shortly commence on improving ventilation and other underground work to facilitate access to the lower levels of the mine in anticipation of being permitted to extract ore from below the 1300 level. Upgrade work continues with the installation of a second primary ball mill, new crushing circuit, tailings dam uplifts and construction of a new tailings dam to facilitate production increases in 2010.
Exploration work is being undertaken with, inter alia, a 950 metre surface drilling programme over the Ershilli Naobao target approximately 2.5 kilometres to the east of the existing mine at Zone III. Underground drilling has recommenced from Zone III, 1.5 kilometres to the south towards the undeveloped ore deposits at Zone II.
Chairman's Statement
"Although the delays in obtaining a permit to mine below the 1300 level have been frustrating, I have been very happy with the performance of Caijiaying since the recommencement of operations. With the benefit of the maintenance work, cost reviews and ore block re-modelling undertaken earlier this year, performance since recommencement of production, coupled with the increase in the zinc price, has enabled Caijiaying to return to profitability."
Further information
Griffin Mining Limited
Mladen Ninkov - Chairman Telephone: +44(0)20 7629 7772
Roger Goodwin - Finance Director
Investec Investment Banking:
Gerard Kisbey-Green Telephone: +44 (0)20 7597 5167
Stephen Cooper +44 (0)20 7597 5104
Griffin Mining Limited's shares are quoted on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange (symbol GFM). The Company's news releases are available on the Company's web site: www.griffinmining.com