1st Quarter Results to 30 September 1999
Ormonde Mining PLC
30 November 1999
ORMONDE MINING PLC
RESULTS FOR THE QUARTER ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER, 1999
30 November 1999 Shares on Issue: 43,917,841
Press Release Fully Diluted: 43,917,841
Irish Stock Exchange Share Price: 7 cents
Vancouver Stock Exchange (OMP) Market Cap: EUR3.07 M, C$4.63M
Ormonde Mining Plc ('Ormonde') has today released its financial results for
the quarter ended 30 September, 1999.
Ormonde, in common with most other junior exploration companies, has had a
difficult year during 1998/99. Pressure on metal prices continued with a
subsequent knock-on effect on share prices. Equity raising remained difficult
and the need to conserve funds resulted in a world-wide cut-back in
exploration and development activity.
Fortunately metal prices firmed during the third quarter of 1999. The
decision by the European central banks to formalise their gold sales, and,
particularly their decision to control the gold available for leasing, has had
an immediate beneficial impact on the gold price. We would expect to see a
continuing firming trend in the gold price over the next couple of years.
The stock markets have reacted favourably to this change, but it will take
some time to shake off the recent adverse sentiment and see the full effect of
this change reflected in the markets and particularly in the junior
exploration sector. However the critical fact is that the gold market has
bottomed and the industry cycle is starting on the upward swing.
The earlier adverse market conditions have forced Ormonde to curtail its
activities towards the middle of 1999. However significant advances were made
in Tanzania during the first half of the year.
The initial reconnaissance drilling programme was carried out on the Mgusu
property where a 271,000 ounces inferred gold resource was defined by earlier
drilling. This property lies adjacent to the multi-million ounce deposits
presently being evaluated and developed by Ashanti at Geita and Kukuluma and
Ridge 8 by Anglo American. Four of the seven targets at Mgusu were subjected
to first-pass rotary-air-blast (RAB) drilling. Results from three of these
targets were disappointing, but the drilling on Mgusu III revealed that gold
mineralisation is present in this area. Follow-up drilling is warranted on
this target in addition to the drilling required on the other untested Mgusu
targets.
Exploration activity on the Bukoli property, Lake Victoria Goldfield, during
1998/99 consisted of two programmes of reconnaissance drilling along a 3.3km
long mineralised zone. The results to date have been very encouraging with
several holes encountering economic widths and grades of gold mineralisation,
including 21m at 2.04 grams per tonne (g/t), 8m @8.75g/t, 5m @3.51g/t and 13m
@ 1.68g/t. However the holes were very shallow, generally less than 40m deep,
and the lines were widely spaced. Much tighter spaced deeper holes will be
required to allow us to establish the economic potential of this area.
Exploration activity continued elsewhere in Tanzania, at the Ikoka, Karumwa,
Mrangi, Ikina, and Chunya projects, but at a lower level then we would have
wished.
The programme and prospects for 1999/2000 are at this time of writing not
finalised, reflecting the interim stage of a number of commercial and funding
opportunities currently being assessed by Ormonde. Corporate activity on
project acquisitions is also finally on the increase and in the last quarter
we have been very active in pursuing some interesting opportunities. Now that
the gold price has recovered and the gold equity markets are showing some
signs of life, your Directors expect to be in a position to raise funds and
enter into other transactions which should lead to a step up in the company's
activities.
In the interim we have completed a joint venture on our Siga Hills, Karumwa
and Magamba properties in Tanzania and we are presently negotiating a second
joint venture on other licences. At this point the company has farmed out
almost half of its Tanzanian portfolio of properties.
Overall we believe that 1999/2000 has the makings of a turnaround in the
company's fortunes. We look forward to the millennium.
Financial Results
Profit and Loss Statement for the quarter ended 30 September, 1999 and the
balance sheet at that date is appended.
Desmond J. Burke
Managing Director
ORMONDE MINING PLC
CONSOLIDATED PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT
FOR THE 3 MONTHS ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 1999
3 Months Ended Year Ended 3 Months Ended
30/9/1999 30/6/1999 30/9/1998
IR£ IR£ IR£
Unaudited Audited Unaudited
Administrative expenses _ (27,036) _
Write-down of exploration costs _ (26,477) _
OPERATING LOSS _ (53,513) _
Other income - 2,410 1,365
___________________________________
GAIN/ (LOSS) ON ORDINARY
ACTIVITIES BEFORE TAXATION - (51,103) 1,365
Taxation _ _ _
GAIN/ (LOSS) ON ORDINARY
ACTIVITIES AFTER TAXATION - (51,103) 1,365
Profit & loss account
brought forward - (deficit) (4,574,420) (4,523,317) (4,523,317)
_____________________________________
Profit & loss account
carried forward - (deficit) (4,574,420) (4,574,420) 4,521,952)
_____________________________________
Gain/ (Loss) per share - (0.0013p) 0.004p
The Group has no recognised gains or losses other than those reflected in the
profit and loss accounts above.
ORMONDE MINING PLC
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
AS AT 3 MONTHS ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 1999
3 Months Ended Year Ended 3 Months Ended
30/9/1999 30/6/1999 30/9/1998
IR£ IR£ IR£
Unaudited Audited Unaudited
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible Assets 20,458 20,458 26,966
Intangible Assets 2,134,712 2,038,596 1,455,199
_____________________________________
2,155,170 2,059,054 1,482,165
_____________________________________
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors 6,239 10,804 7,248
Cash at bank and on hand 3,061 69,385 78,779
_____________________________________
9,300 80,189 86,027
_____________________________________
CREDITORS: (Amounts falling
Due within one year) (138,620) (113,393) (31,600)
_____________________________________
NET CURRENT ASSETS/(LIABILITIES) (129,320) (33,204) 54,427
_____________________________________
NET ASSETS 2,025,850 2,025,850 1,536,592
_____________________________________
CAPITAL AND RESERVES
Called-up share capital 2,195,890 2,195,890 1,816,391
Share Premium Account 4,398,673 4,398,673 4,236,446
Capital reserve 5,707 5,707 5,707
Profit & loss account (4,574,420) (4,574,420) (4,521,952)
_____________________________________
2,025,850 2,025,850 1,536,592
_____________________________________
Supplementary Information
1. Break down of expenditures for the quarter ended 30 September
1999
Quarter ended Year ended
30/9/1999 30/6/1999
IR£ IR£
Description Unaudited Audited
Field Exploration 28,229 345,562
Field Supplies 2,288 50,491
Field geology - 28,297
Option and government fees 23,988 144,444
Travel, accommodation 496 34,744
Legal fees - 16,015
Telephone, fax and postage 673 16,601
General 40,442 76,877
___________________________
96,116 713,061
============================
Directors' fees and other emoluments 17,750 77,235
There were no other payments made to parties not at arm's length from the
issuer.
2.
(a) No options have been granted in the period under review
(b) No additional shares issued
3.
(a) Authorised share capital: 100,000,000 ordinary 5p shares
Issued share capital: 43,917,841 ordinary 5p shares at
the end of period
(b) No options, warrants or convertible securities are
outstanding.
(c) Total number of shares in escrow: 8,435,691
(d) Directors: Desmond J Burke
Michael J Donoghue
Hugh W Mc Cormack
David O'Beirne
For further information please contact :
Desmond J. Burke Esq
2 St. Canice's Court
Dean Street
Kilkenny City
Kilkenny
Ireland
Tel: 353-56-52411
Fax: 353-56-52433