Kenmare Resources plc : First Quarter 2013 Prod...

Kenmare Resources plc ("Kenmare" or "the Company")
9 April 2013

First Quarter 2013 Production Update

Kenmare provides the following update of production during the first quarter of 2013:

Production of Heavy Mineral Concentrate (HMC) was 189,800 tonnes (2012 Q4: 157,000 tonnes), up 20.9%.  This was processed into 137,500 tonnes (2012 Q4: 123,600 tonnes) of ilmenite, up 11.2%, and 10,400 tonnes (2012 Q4: 10,700 tonnes) of zircon, down 2.9%, including 4,700 tonnes of a secondary zircon product (2012 Q4: 4,500 tonnes), up 4.0%.  Production for March increased from previous months as the dredge pond comes towards the end of its transition from the low lying Namalope Flats zone onto a raised dunal plateau where it will mine for the coming years.

	January 2013 tonnes	February 2013 tonnes	March 2013 tonnes	Q1 2013 tonnes
HMC	51,400	52,300	86,100	189,800
Ilmenite	31,800	39,300	66,400	137,500
Zircon	3,000	3,500	3,900	10,400

Note: Secondary zircon product included in this table is as follows: January 2,000 tonnes; February 1,700 tonnes and March 1,000 tonnes for a total first quarter of 4,700 tonnes.

48,500 tonnes of ilmenite were shipped during the first quarter of 2013 (2012 Q4: 201,400 tonnes).  This lower level of shipment was due to both low levels of stocks at year end and subdued market demand.  Shipments have picked up in the second quarter, with six scheduled for April and five for May.

Construction activity relating to the development of expanded facilities at Moma is nearing a close, with handover of Wet Concentrator Plant B and the new dredge from the contractor expected in the coming weeks.  The operations team for the new facilities has been participating in staged commissioning of these plants for the last month.  Handover will allow final commissioning, enabling the processing of first ore and the start of production ramp-up.

The markets for titanium feedstocks and zircon remain subdued, but signs of improvement in volume demand in both markets are becoming evident, as demonstrated by increased shipping activity.

For further information, please contact:

Kenmare Resources plc.
Michael Carvill, Managing Director                                           
Tel: [phone]                                                                            
Mob: + 353 87 674 0110                                                            

Tony McCluskey, Financial Director
Tel: [phone]
Mob: + 353 87 674 0346

Jacob Deysel, Operations Director                                             
Tel: [phone]                                                                 
Mob: + 353 87 613 9609                                                            

Virginia Skroski, Investor Relations Manager
Tel: [phone]
Mob: + 353 87 739 1103

Murray Consultants                                                                
Joe Heron                                                                                   
Tel: [phone]                                                                 
Mob: [phone]                                                             

Tavistock Communications
Jos Simson / Mike Bartlett
Tel: [phone]
Mob: [phone]

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Source: Kenmare Resources via Thomson Reuters ONE

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