Preliminary Results
Amur Minerals Corporation
26 March 2007
26 March 2006
Amur Minerals Corporation
('Amur' or 'the Company')
AMUR MINERALS CORPORATION (AIM: AMC)
PRELIMINARY FINANCIAL RESULTS - YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2006
Highlights for the year ending 31 December 2006
• Successful admission to trading on AIM raised US$7 million capital
• Completed third field season on the Kun-Manie nickel-copper licence,
including 54 drill holes (3,224 metres).
• Resource estimate increased to 254,500 tonnes Ni and 73,000 tonnes Cu.
• Increased in ground valuation to $100 million USD.
• Discovery and confirmation of the Maly Krumkon zone with drilling as
well as the identification of other drill targets established.
• Award of the Anadjakan copper-gold exploration licence.
Chairman Robert W. Schafer commented: 'As expected, 2006 was an incredibly
exciting year. The Admission to AIM gave us the capital not only to expand
operations at Kun-Manie, but also to look at and acquire additional new
opportunities.
'We expanded the resource by 21% and increased the valuation by 43% at Kun-Manie
and have initiated a prefeasibility study that we anticipate to complete ahead
of our original schedule in 2007. Given the strength of our project portfolio,
balance sheet and strengthened nickel prices, the Board remains confident that
2007 will show further success.'
ENDS
The full Chairman's Statement and Preliminary financial information are
attached. The published Annual Report will be posted to shareholders and
available as a download file by 2 May, at www.amurminerals.com.
Enquiries:
Amur Minerals Corp. RBC Capital Markets Parkgreen Communications
Robin Young Andrew Smith Victoria Thomas
CEO Martin Eales
+44 (0) 7981 126 818 +44 (0) 20 7029 7881 +44 (0) 20 7851 7480
Chairman's Statement
Last year, I said that 2006 would be a very exciting year. I am pleased to
report that, 2006 exceeded our expectations both in and out of the field. We
markedly expanded the potential of our Kun-Manie nickel and copper project,
while adding new projects.
2006 in Review
Last year was Amur's third field season on our flagship property Kun-Manie where
we expanded both the size of the resource and its associated value. Using a
local drilling contractor, we completed 54 diamond core drill holes containing a
total of over 3,200 metres. The primary focus of the drill programme was within
the Vodorazhdelny and Ikenskoe areas, with scout holes completed in the newly
discovered area of Maly Krumkon. This work increased the overall geological
resource from 46.1 million tonnes to 54 million tonnes of mineralisation. With
the increased drilling density, we now have resources in the JORC compliant
Measured category and significantly increased the Indicated resource base as
well. This obviously has increased our confidence in the ability to ultimately
convert these resources into minable reserves as we advance the project towards
a production decision.
In addition, we not only identified additional drill targets in and around Maly
Krumkon and Ikenskoe located along our primary exploration target, the Krumkon
Trend. We also discovered a new exciting target area, Yan Hegd, located to the
north of the main trend.
During the course of the year, we conducted preliminary assessment of the
geological resources to determine the potential to open pit mine Vodorazhdelny,
Ikenskoe and Maly Krumkon. This work was conducted by SRK Consulting, who have,
as a result, embarked on a prefeasibility study of the potential of the
Kun-Manie project. In summary, 2006 was a year of significant accomplishments
at Kun-Manie, which provides a further foundation for successful development.
As we set out in our AIM admission document dated 10 March 2006, it is the
directors' intention to implement a corporate growth strategy beyond the
confines of Kun-Manie by securing mineral exploration properties which have
solid exploration potential leading the potential production. Throughout the
year we reviewed opportunities either to acquire already licensed properties or
to apply for new licences, and, in keeping with this strategy, we have been
awarded two new licences.
In August 2006, we were awarded the Anadjakan copper-gold licence, located in
the Khabarovsk Krai. The Anadjakan licence covers an area of 250 square
kilometres and is readily accessible by maintained roads with abundant
infrastructure located nearby. We will conduct our first field season at
Anadjakan in 2007.
In February 2007, we acquired the Kustakskaya licence at auction. The licence
is a 20 year combined exploration and production licence covering an area that
is an eastward extension of the Krumkon Trend into the Khabarovsk Krai. Over
the next twelve months, we will continue our focused acquisition strategy to
build a portfolio of projects for the group.
Outlook for 2007
As we publish these results and our annual report is going to press, we have
already signed a contract for drilling and related exploration works at
Kun-Manie in 2007. We are confident in our ability to increase the resource by
at least another 50,000 tonnes of contained nickel this year. Our
prefeasibility study of Kun-Manie will be completed by early summer, in time to
serve as useful input to guiding the drilling programme. In addition, we are
mobilising for reconnaissance work at Anadjakan that is designed to delineate
drill targets for the future. We will be reviewing the data we have received on
Kustakskaya to craft our exploration programme for the 2008 field season. In
short, we have demonstrated our ability to successfully work in Russia and to
meet or exceed the objectives stated in our Admission document of March 2006,
and we are confident in continuing our success in 2007.
Robert W. Schafer
23 March 2007
Copies of audited accounts will be sent to shareholders by 2 May 2006. Copies
of the annual report and accounts will be made available on the Company's
website www.amurminerals.com.
AMUR MINERALS CORPORATION AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2006
(Amounts in '000s US Dollars)
Notes 31 December 2006 31 December 2005
NON-CURRENT ASSETS
Capitalised exploration costs 6,275 3,915
Property, plant and equipment 12 11
Total non-current assets 6,287 3,926
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents 2,999 2,042
Other receivables 61 252
Total current assets 3,060 2,294
Total assets 9,347 6,220
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Trade and other payables 15 1,710
Total current liabilities 15 1,710
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Share capital 5,557 15
Share premium 10,424 10,108
Share options 472 -
Accumulated losses (7,121) (5,613)
Total shareholders' equity 9,332 4,510
Total liabilities and shareholders'
equity 9,347 6,220
AMUR MINERALS CORPORATION AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT
FOR THE year ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2006
(Amounts in '000s US Dollars)
Note Year ended 31 Year ended 31
December 2006 December 2005
Administrative expenses (1,388) (863)
Partnership agreement termination - (667)
Operating loss (1,388) (1,530)
Investment provision (110) -
Share based payments (224) -
Foreign currency exchange gain/(loss) 143 (37)
Bank interest received 71 9
Loss before tax (1,508) (1,557)
Taxation - -
Loss for the year (1,508) (1,557)
Loss per share: basic & diluted USD (0.02) USD (200.72)
Adjusted loss per share: basic & diluted USD (0.02) USD (0.05)
AMUR MINERALS CORPORATION AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2006
(Amounts in '000s US Dollars)
Year Year
ended ended
Note 31 December 2006 31 December 2005
Cash flow from operating activities:
Net Loss before Taxation (1,508) (1,557)
Adjustments to reconcile loss before tax to net cash used
in operating activities:
Depreciation 9 8
Share based payment - 67
Grant of carried equity shares 224 -
Investment income (71) (9)
Investment provision 110 -
(Increase) in accounts receivable (60) -
(Decrease)/increase in accounts payable (660) 322
Net cash used in operating activities (1,956) (1,169)
Cash flow from investing activities:
Exploration expenditure (2,581) (2,343)
Purchase of property, plant and equipment (10) (8)
Interest received 71 9
Investment (110)
Net cash used in investing activities (2,630) (2,342)
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from issue of share capital 6,433 5,086
(Repayment of) / proceeds from prepaid share capital (125) 459
Financing costs associated with share issues * (765) (117)
Net cash from financing activities 5,543 5,428
Net change in cash and cash equivalents 957 1,917
Cash and cash equivalents brought forward 2,042 125
Cash and cash equivalents carried forward 2,999 2,042
Material non-cash transactions
Financing costs satisfied by the issue of shares - 125
Proceeds from issue of shares retained by broker 686 -
Expenses paid by broker (686) -
* Includes commissions paid on financing raised and costs associated with
listing.
AMUR MINERALS CORPORATION AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2006
(Amounts in '000s US Dollars)
Share Share
Notes capital premium account Accumulated losses Share options Total
Balance at 31 December 2004 4 2, 089 (4,056) - (1,963)
Net loss for the year - - (1,557) - (1,557)
Shares issued 11 - - - 11
Premium on shares issued - 5,275 - - 5,275
Premium on share options - 3,045 - - 3,045
Costs associated with issue -
of share capital - (301) - (301)
Balance at 31 December 2005 15 10,108 (5,613) - 4,510
Net loss for the year - - (1,508) - (1,508)
Shares issued 7,128 - - - 7,128
Premium on shares issued - 316 - - 316
Premium on share options - - - 472 472
Costs associated with issue -
of share capital (1,586) - - (1,586)
Balance at 31 December 2006 5,557 10,424 (7,121) 472 9,332
Notes to the preliminary statement of results for the year ended 31 December
2006
1. Basis of preparation
The financial information has been prepared in thousands of United States
Dollars in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ('IFRS').
The accounting policies applied in preparing the financial information are
consistent with those adopted and disclosed in the Group's accounts for the year
ended 31 December 2005.
2. Loss per share
Basic loss per share is based on a loss of $1,508 thousand (2005: loss of $1,557
thousand) and a weighted average number of shares in issue of 80,796,286 (2005:
split adjusted 31,026,419). The diluted loss per share has been calculated on
the same basis as basic loss per share because the effect of the potential
ordinary shares (share options) reduces the net loss per share and is therefore
anti-dilutive.
3. Publication of unaudited information
The financial information set out above has not been audited.
The consolidated income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement and
associated notes have been extracted from the Company's 2006 financial
statements, which will be submitted to the board for approval on or about 15
April 2007. The report and accounts will be posted to shareholders by 2 May
2007.
4. Annual General Meeting
The company's Annual General Meeting will be held at 20 Voznesensky Periulok,
Building 3, 125009 Moscow, Russian Federation on 28 May, 2006 at 12:00 pm.
5. Dividends
The directors do not recommend the payment of a dividend for the period.
6. Qualified person review
The information contained in this announcement has been reviewed and approved by
the CEO of Amur, Robin Young. Mr. Young is a Geological Engineer (cum laude)
who is a qualified person for the purposes of the AIM Guidance Note for Mining,
Oil and Gas Companies. Mr. Young is Chief Executive Officer of Amur Minerals
Corporation and has over 31 years experience in mineral exploration, resource
management and mining. Mr. Young is a Qualified Professional Geologist, as
defined by the Toronto and Vancouver Stock Exchanges.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange