Kenmare Preliminary Results

Kenmare Preliminary Results For the year ended 31 December 2005 25 April 2006 Chairman's Statement Dear Shareholder, I am very pleased to report that during 2005 Kenmare has achieved excellent progress in the development of the Moma Titanium Minerals Project in Mozambique. Construction activity is over 80% complete and the Project Contractor, a joint venture between Multiplex Limited and Bateman BV, indicates that by the end of 2006 the plant will be ready for handover to Kenmare. We achieved several significant milestones during the year, including the successful shipping of the wet concentrator and minerals separation plants from Western Australia to Mozambique using a number of specialised, ocean-going barges. The landing and off-loading of these plants at Moma was also completed without incident and they are currently being reassembled with good progress to date. The permanent accommodation village is complete and currently houses a large number of construction workers. Later this year, as the number of construction workers decreases, the housing will become available to Kenmare's own operations staff. The air strip is busy with an air charter twice weekly transporting workers in and out of Moma. Two suction cutter dredges, our principal mining equipment, arrived in Durban ahead of schedule. One has been delivered to Moma and is being assembled and the other is currently being transported to site. Construction of the product transportation barge is underway in Singapore. The jetty, for export of product, is ahead of schedule. The start-up mining pond containing the re-assembled concentrator plant and dredges is scheduled to be filled during the third quarter of 2006 using fresh water from nearby Lake Mavele. This will be supplemented, if necessary, by water from boreholes which have also been drilled. The 170 km overhead power transmission line linking the Mozambican grid at Nampula to the Moma site is almost complete and will be energised in June 2006. We have already hired the core management team for the ongoing operation of the mine. We are delighted by the calibre of people that have joined us and injected their enthusiasm and experience into making Moma a great success. All of the operations team have specific experience relevant to our task. The key objective for Kenmare in the coming months is the successful delivery of the mine within the existing envelope of project financing. Everyone in the Company is focused on this demanding task. We are looking forward to taking charge of the mine and the moving into production. I was delighted to announce recently the results from our resumed exploration drilling programme. Total resources at Moma have increased from 72 million tonnes to 101 million tonnes of ilmenite plus valuable co-products zircon and rutile, which have also increased to 7.8 million and 2.7 million tonnes respectively. This increase makes Moma one of the largest exploitable titanium feedstock and zircon deposits in the world. We continue to make progress on the marketing of Moma production and are pleased to report that we concluded further ilmenite sales during the past year. Discussions are also ongoing with a number of other customers for the uncommitted production and we anticipate entering further sales agreements in the run-up to mine commissioning. The market outlook for titanium minerals, ilmenite and rutile, is positive, buoyed by strong growth in all end use sectors. The pigment sector, which is by far the largest component of demand, is forecast to grow at an average compound annual rate of 3% until at least 2015. A principal driver of this growth is China, which currently relies almost exclusively on sulphate-route technology utilising sulphate grade ilmenite as its feedstock. This strong demand is putting upward pressure on ilmenite prices and is expected to continue due to limited new supply. The titanium metal sector is also growing strongly due to the resurgence in demand from the aerospace industry, as is the welding electrode sector due to the recent shipbuilding boom. Demand for zircon continues to be very robust with price increases of 20% expected in 2006, following on from similar increases in 2005. The continuing strong demand from the ceramics sector, most notably from China, coupled with limited new supply, is expected to see these tight market conditions for zircon sand prevail in the coming years. The financial results for 2005 have been prepared in accordance with the Group's policies under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Construction costs capitalised during the year amounted to US$113.7 million while mineral exploration and project development costs deferred amounted to US$42.6 million. To fund the expenditure, loan disbursements amounted to US$164.7 million at the year end. Kenmare is committed to a programme of ongoing improvement in all areas of its corporate responsibility. In line with our view of the importance of these issues, Kenmare's safety performance is a key Board meeting agenda item, together with the progress of the social initiatives being undertaken by the Moma Development Association. In July 2005, I was pleased to announce that Dr Chris Gilchrist, Kenmare's Chief Operations Director, was elected as an Executive Director of the Board. I look forward to taking over the plant from the Contractor and, while realising that it is a huge task, also look forward to a smooth ramp-up of production to our anticipated steady state levels and subject, inter alia, to market demand, targeting subsequent expansion of the Moma Project. Charles Carvill Chairman For more information: Kenmare Resources plc Michael Carvill, Managing Director Tel: + 353 1 671 0411 Mob: + 353 87 674 0110 Conduit PR Ltd Leesa Peters Tel: +44 (0) 207 429 6600 Mob: + 44 (0) 781 215 9885 Murray Consultants Ltd Elizabeth Headon Tel: + 353 1 498 0300 Mob: +353 87 989 7234 www.kenmareresources.com KENMARE RESOURCES PLC PRELIMINARY UNAUDITED RESULTS GROUP INCOME STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2005 2005 2004 US$'000 US$'000 Revenue - - Operating gains/ (expenses) 2,861 (588) Operating profit/ (loss) 2,861 (588) Finance income 1,838 611 Profit before tax 4,699 23 Income tax expense - - Profit for the year 4,699 23 Attributable to Equity holders 4,699 23 Earnings per share: Basic 0.72c 0.01c Earnings per share: Diluted 0.61c 0.01c KENMARE RESOURCES PLC PRELIMINARY UNAUDITED RESULTS GROUP BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2005 2005 2004 US$'000 US$'000 Assets Non-Current Assets Deferred Development Expenditure 104,228 61,662 Construction in Progress 187,721 73,983 291,949 135,645 Current Assets Receivables 1,787 1,557 Cash and cash equivalents 75,520 92,851 77,307 94,408 Total Assets 369,256 230,053 Equity Capital and reserves attributable to the Company's equity holders Called Up Share Capital 54,847 52,923 Share Premium 105,713 99,590 Retained Earnings (17,174) (21,873) Other Reserves 36,373 34,713 Total Equity 179,759 165,353 Liabilities Non-Current Liabilities Bank loans 164,725 54,974 Accrued liabilities and other loans 8,616 1,568 173,341 56,542 Current Liabilities Accrued liabilities 16,156 8,158 Total Liabilities 189,497 64,700 Total Equity and Liabilities 369,256 230,053 KENMARE RESOURCES PLC PRELIMINARY UNAUDITED RESULTS GROUP CASH FLOW STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2005 2005 2004 US$'000 US$'000 Operating Activities Profit/ (loss) for the year 2,861 (588) Adjustment for: Depreciation - 8 Foreign exchange movement 2,095 2,992 Share-based payment expense 166 13 Operating cashflows 5,122 2,425 Increase in receivables (230) (1,467) Increase in accrued liabilities and other 15,045 5,043 loans Net cash from operating activities 19,937 6,001 Investing Activities Interest received 1,838 612 Addition to Deferred Development Expenditure (42,566) (34,192) Addition to Construction in Progress (113,738) (32,369) Net cash used in investing activities (154,466) (65,949) Financing Activities Issue of Ordinary Share Capital 8,047 96,395 Share option reserve 1,495 119 Increase in debt 109,751 54,703 Net cash from financing activities 119,293 151,217 Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash (15,236) 91,269 equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the 92,851 4,574 year Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and (2,095) (2,992) cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the 75,520 92,851 year Additions to Deferred Development Expenditure include loan interest capitalised of US$8,118,000 (2004: US$183,000). NOTES TO THE PRELIMINARY RESULTS Note 1 Basis of Accounting and Preparation of Financial Information The preliminary results have been prepared in US Dollar under the historical cost convention. This is the first year in which the Group has prepared its financial statements under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and the comparatives have been restated from Irish Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (Irish GAAP) to comply with IFRS. The adoption of Share-based Payments (IFRS 2) has affected the amounts reported for the current and prior year. For the year ended 31 December 2004, the change in accounting policy has resulted in a decrease in profit for the year of US$13,000. The Balance Sheet at 31 December 2004 has been restated to reflect share-based payment capitalised of US$119,000 and the share option reserve movement amounted to US$132,000. For the year ended 31 December 2005, the share-based payment expense was US$166,000 and the share-based payment capitalised was US$1,494,000, resulting in a movement in the share option reserve for the year of US$1,660,000 The financial information presented above does not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of the Companies Acts, 1963 to 2005. An audit report has not yet been issued on the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2005, nor have they been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. The statutory accounts for the year ended 31 December 2004 prepared under Irish GAAP upon which the auditors have issued an unqualified opinion, have been filed with the Registrar of Companies. Note 2 Earnings per share The calculation of the earnings and fully diluted earnings per share is based on the profit after taxation of US$4,699,000 (2003: US$23,000) and the weighted average number of shares in issue during 2005 of 656,428,548 (2004: 443,783,213 shares). The calculation of fully diluted earnings per share is based on the profit for the year after taxation as for basic earnings per share. The number of shares is adjusted to show the potential dilution if share options and share warrants are converted into ordinary shares. The weighted average number of shares in issue is increased to 776,731,696 (2004:580,005,907). Note 3 Deferred Development Expenditure The recovery of deferred development expenditure is dependent upon the successful development of the Moma Titanium Minerals Project, which in turn is dependent on the continued availability of adequate funding for the project. The Directors are satisfied that deferred expenditure is worth not less than cost, less any amounts written off and that the Moma Titanium Minerals Project has the potential to achieve mine production and positive cash flows. Note 4 Construction in Progress Construction in Progress represents expenditure under a construction contract for the engineering, procurement, building, commissioning and transfer of facilities at the Moma Titanium Minerals Project in Mozambique. Included in Construction in Progress is property, plant and equipment, acquired for the Moma Titantium Minerals Project, comprising of the Processing and Mining Plant valued at US$41,614,000. Under the transition to IFRS, the Group has elected to use this valuation as the deemed cost as and from 1 January 2005. The recovery of Construction in Progress is dependent upon the successful development of the Moma Titanium Minerals Project, which in turn is dependent on the continued availability of adequate funding for the project. The Directors are satisfied that Construction in Progress is worth not less than cost, less any amounts written off and that the Moma Titanium Minerals Project has the potential to achieve mine production and positive cash flows. Note 5 Capital Commitments The construction contract provides for the possibility of potential cost increases within a limited number of defined cost categories where it is not practicable to establish the costs in advance. The maximum amount payable, other than changes in project scope and provisional sum items, in relation to potential cost increases associated with the defined cost category is US$16.75 million, with any additional amount being for the account of the Contractor. US$16.75 million is arrived at by converting amounts incurred in Euros, Australian Dollars and South African Rand (to the extent that the limit of the Exchange Risk Cover Policy is exceeded) to US Dollars at the following exchange rates: US$1 is equal to A$1.50, ZAR8.00, and Euro 0.86. The Moma Titanium Minerals Project debt commitments are sufficient to cover this potential cost increase, if required. Note 6 2005 Annual Report and Accounts The Annual Report and Accounts will be posted to shareholders in due course. ---END OF MESSAGE---
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