Last checked at 29 Jan 2020 07:55
8th Floor, Royal Trust House, 54-56 Jermyn Street, London. SW1Y 6LX, United Kingdom
Telephone: + 44 (0)20 7629 7772 Facsimile: + 44 (0)20 7629 7773
E mail: griffin@griffinmining.com
Operational Update Re: Coronavirus
29th January 2020
Griffin Mining Limited ("Griffin" or the "Company") announces the following update concerning operations at the Caijiaying Mine in light of restrictions imposed by various levels of government of the People's Republic of China in relation to the recent Coronavirus outbreak.
Pursuant to past normal operational practices, mining operations are suspended at the Caijiaying Mine during the lunar Chinese new year festivities. This year those operations were suspended on the 22nd January 2020. Milling operations continued throughout the period with stockpiled ore. Mining operations were due to recommence on the 29th January 2020.
In the interim, due to travel restrictions imposed by the Central Chinese authorities, the Company's mining contractor has been unable to recommence activities at the Caijiaying Mine due to a complete quarantine of Zhejiang Province, the home Province of the majority of the mining contractor's staff, to which they returned during the lunar festivities. It is expected the mining contractor will have enough staff on site to begin mining operations between the 4th to 6th February. Milling activities will remain ongoing until all stockpiles have been depleted. This is expected to occur in the next 4 days after which, following a mill servicing, normal full mining and milling should resume.
No occurrence of the Coronavirus has been found or recorded at the Caijiaying Mine. In addition, the Company has instituted severe entry restrictions into the Caijiaying Mine including temperature and history screening prior to entry, decontamination of all possible surfaces and extensive new sterilization practices. It also seems clear that Caijiaying has benefited from being more than 1,300 kilometres from the epicenter of the Coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei Province.
The Company's Chairman Mr. Mladen Ninkov commented, "The Company has lived through 2 prior viral occurrences in China, namely the Avian flu and the SARS virus, and survived and prospered. Although tragic for all the families and countries affected, this too is expected to pass and the Company will be prepared to begin operations as soon as it can feasibly do so."
Further information
Griffin Mining Limited:
Mladen Ninkov (Chairman)
Roger Goodwin (Finance Director & Company Secretary) Telephone: +44 (0)20 7629 7772
Numis Securities Limited (Nomad and Broker) Telephone: +44 (0)20 7260 1000
John Prior
Alamgir Ahmed
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