Final Results
Red Rock Resources plc
17 December 2007
Red Rock Resources plc
('Red Rock' or the 'Company')
Final results announcement year ended 30 June 2007
Dated: 17 December 2007
Chairman's statement
Dear Shareholders
This third annual report has some positive progress to report, but much needs to
be done to take advantage in the coming year of the opportunities which are now
before the Company.
Summary
The Company reports the following developments during the year to 30 June 2007:
• Share price increase from 1.25p to 3.5p
• £1,358,375 before expenses raised from share placings, in August 2006
and January-February 2007 at 2p and in June 2007 at 3p
• Agreement to sell uranium assets to ASX-listed Retail Star Limited
• Exercise of Jupiter Mines Ltd option over Mt Ida and Mt Hope iron ore
tenements
• Exploration and studies over manganese deposit at Chiwefwe.
Exploration
Manganese exploration was concentrated on the Company's newly acquired Zambian
licence. Manganese prices, until the end of the period when they doubled as a
result of Chinese demand, were stable to soft during the year - although most
other metals saw price strength. This meant that the Company's 695 sq km of
licence applications in the East Pilbara manganese field of Western Australia
were not perceived by the market as exciting. With rising labour, raw material
and transport costs and by virtue of the fact that the licence area is exposed
to a harsh climate and is in a remote location, margins looked as if they might
be inadequate on a new project. Even Consolidated Minerals Ltd, a large
producer in the area, seemed increasingly to be seen as an incipient nickel and
copper play rather than a manganese company. Therefore, although we believed
strongly in the fundamental argument for manganese and in Chinese demand as the
key driver, in the short term a smaller project from an area with a production
history, cheap labour, and with good infrastructure might be easier to progress,
and so Zambia rather than western Australia was the focus.
Early in the year we began mapping and sampling at our 400 hectare manganese
project at Chiwefwe, near Mkushi in Zambia. This was followed by a 15 hole
shallow RAB drill programme to test for good grade mineralisation extending to
depth. The results enhanced our understanding of the deposit, and some holes
ended in mineralisation. The grades encountered were variable, as were those
from a sampling programme on the several thousand tons contained in old
stockpiles on site. A scoping study was carried out by CSA Consultants Ltd ('
CSA'), which concluded that production was likely to be practicable and
economic, provided that reliance could be placed on the assumptions made on
tonnage and grade.
In order to improve our understanding of the geology and identify drill targets
for the drill campaign recommended by CSA, Aurum Exploration Ltd were engaged to
carry out further mapping and sampling of the licence and the surrounding area.
This exercise was completed during June 2007. The study identified significant
new mineralisation in additional areas, but as there was a six month moratorium
imposed by the Zambian Government on new licence applications from 1 July 2007
to 1 January 2008, while the Ministry's systems are computerised, the Company
considered it prudent to make no public statements pending application by the
Company for these new areas in the New Year.
During the year geophysical interpretation and limited sampling was carried out
on the Company's uranium licences in the Northern Territory, and initial
exploration was carried out at the Company's Mt Alfred uranium-iron ore licence.
Other
On 28 May 2007 Jupiter Mines Ltd ('Jupiter') exercised the option granted on 23
May 2006 over the Mt Ida and Mt Hope iron ore tenements in Western Australia.
A$250,000 was paid and 4,617,178 Jupiter shares will be issued to the Company,
which in addition retains a 1.5% production royalty.
On 9 May 2007 Retail Star Limited ('Retail Star'), a Company listed on the
Australian Stock Exchange (ASX:RSL), agreed Heads of Terms to acquire 100% of
Orion Exploration Pty Ltd, owner of Red Rock's Northern Territory uranium
assets, and of certain other uranium interests, including any uranium interests
held in Malawi that might be transferable and the uranium rights at the Mt
Alfred licence.
We entered an agreement with private Chinese parties in Zambia on manganese
processing. This group ran into trouble as a result of the poor environmental
performance of their plant. We also identified safety issues at the plant,
which has been periodically shut down by the authorities. We have conducted a
study on the plant and have concluded that correct operation would not be
difficult to implement. We therefore continue to negotiate a revised agreement
allowing us to operate the plant and produce ferromanganese. There can be no
certainty these discussions will be successful, but we remain hopeful of an
early and positive resolution.
Post-balance sheet events
Further issues of stock on 2 July 2007 at 3p per share and on 22 November 2007
at 2.5p per share strengthened the Company's balance sheet by raising £825,000
before expenses.
The transaction with Retail Star was completed, and as a result Red Rock holds
80,000,000 shares (15.5%) in Retail Star, as well as 20,000,000 options with an
exercise price of 2.5 cents each and an expiry date of 30 June 2008.
A further 60,000,000 Retail Star shares will be issued to Red Rock in
consideration of the Malawi licences being issued to or transferred to Retail
Star.
Red Rock has appointed two directors to the board of Retail Star and recruited
Ian Scott, former Geology Manager and Chief Geologist at the Olympic Dam mine,
as Managing Director. Ian Scott has extensive uranium experience and we welcome
him to the group. With his expertise, we have hopes of building Retail Star
into a significant player in the uranium exploration market.
Recent work has been carried out by the Company at Mt Alfred, testing for
uranium at the eastern end of Lake Barlee on behalf of Retail Star, and sampling
for iron ore in the areas lying along strike and in some cases adjacent to the
sites of recently announced discoveries by our northern neighbours Iron Mountain
Ltd and Mindax Ltd. Results from this sampling of the banded iron formation
horizons are awaited.
Future prospects
Metals demand will continue to be strong, as the demand from developing
economies, such as China and India continues. Iron ore is the largest volume
metal commodity, and demand will track the economic growth of these economies.
China already accounts for about 50% of world iron ore demand. Manganese is
indispensable and non-substitutable for steel production, and economically
significant deposits of metallurgical grade manganese are, at current prices,
difficult to find.
Recently, manganese and iron ore prices have been strong, and consensus
expectations for 2008 are for a further rise in contract prices. The bid battle
for Consolidated Minerals Limited, and the pending listing of Spitfire Resources
Limited on the Australian Stock Exchange, have focussed attention on the East
Pilbara manganese province where we have so strong a position. At the same time,
the Eastern Goldfields area of the Yilgarn craton of Western Australia, where we
have most of our iron ore interests, has become topical since September as our
various neighbours have begun sampling and drilling, and produce good results.
We have signed native title agreements for our Oakover manganese properties, and
will begin geophysical exploration soon after grant. We continue to make
progress in Zambia with our negotiations, and expect a number of developments by
early 2008.
Meanwhile, we await results from our iron ore sampling and from our neighbours'
drilling in the Yilgarn, and expect to start our own drill programme when those
results are back.
We listed with high hopes for our two main commodities and two main areas; it
has taken two years, but perhaps the world is coming round a little to our way
of thinking. It is up to us to use the next year to convince it.
Andrew R. McM. Bell
Chairman
13 December 2007
The following are extracts from the financial statements for the year ended 30
June 2007 which have been audited by Chapman Davis LLP
Consolidated profit and loss account
for the year ended 30 June 2007
Year ended Year ended
30 June 2007 30 June 2006
£ £
Turnover 551,652 -
Cost of sales (200,461) -
Gross profit 351,191 -
Exploration costs (245,207) (58,455)
Administrative expenses (415,343) (133,652)
Currency profit/(loss) 18,038 (5,100)
Operating loss (291,321) (197,207)
Interest receivable 7,170 4,224
Interest payable (5,579) -
Loss on ordinary activities before taxation (289,730) (192,983)
Tax on loss on ordinary activities - -
Loss on ordinary activities after taxation (289,730) (192,983)
Loss per share (0.15) pence (0.13) pence
All of the operations are considered to be continuing.
Statement of recognised gains and losses
For the year ended 30 June 2007
Year ended Year ended
30 June 2007 30 June 2006
£ £
Deficit on revaluation of current asset (5,948) -
investments
Loss recognised directly to equity (5,948) -
Loss for the financial period (289,730) (192,983)
Total recognised losses for the year (295,678) (192,983)
Consolidated balance sheet
As at 30 June 2007
30 June 2007 30 June 2006
£ £
Fixed assets
Investments 26,250 26,250
Current assets
Debtors 1,080,013 26,416
Cash at bank 220,347 101,021
Current asset investments 513,900 15,491
Exploration properties 935,353 972,290
2,749,613 1,115,218
Creditors - amounts due within one
year
(293,609) (38,417)
Net current assets 2,456,004 1,076,801
Total assets less current 2,482,254 1,103,051
liabilities
Share capital and reserves
Called-up share capital 235,481 166,679
Share premium account 2,665,486 1,141,988
Share option reserve 82,581 -
Other reserves (5,948) -
Profit and loss account (495,346) (205,616)
Equity shareholders' funds 2,482,254 1,103,051
Company balance sheet
As at 30 June 2007
30 June 2007 30 June 2006
£ £
Fixed assets
Investments 26,251 26,251
Current assets
Debtors 1,731,433 141,002
Cash at bank 209,103 79,106
Current asset investments 513,900 15,491
Exploration properties 466,455 971,888
2,920,891 1,207,487
Creditors - amounts due within one
year
(293,609) (40,543)
Net current assets 2,627,282 1,166,944
Total assets less current 2,653,533 1,193,195
liabilities
Share capital and reserves
Called-up share capital 235,481 166,679
Share premium account 2,665,486 1,141,988
Share option reserve 82,581 -
Other reserves (5,948)
Profit and loss account (324,067) (115,472)
Equity shareholders' funds 2,653,533 1,193,195
Consolidated cash flow statement
for the year ended 30 June 2007
Year ended Year ended
30 June 2007 30 June 2006
£ £
Net cash outflow from operating activities (607,974) (460,871)
Cash outflow before financing (607,974) (460,781)
Financing 727,300 561,802
Increase in cash in the year 119,326 101,021
The financial information set out above does not constitute statutory accounts
as defined in section 240 of the Companies Act 1985.
The balance sheet at 30 June 2007, the profit and loss account, and the cash
flow statement for the year then ended have been extracted from the Company's
statutory financial statements upon which the auditor's opinion is unqualified
and does not include any statement under Section 237 of the Companies Act 1985.
Copies of the report and financial statements will be posted to Shareholders no
later than 20 December 2007 and will be available for a period of one month
thereafter from the Company Secretary at 115 Eastbourne Mews, Paddington London
W2 6LQ
Alternatively, the report may be downloaded from the Company's website,
www.rrrplc.com
Enquiries:
Andrew Bell 0207 402 4580 Red Rock Resources plc Chairman
or
07766 474849
John Simpson 020 7512 0191 Blomfield Corporate Finance Ltd Nominated Adviser
Ron Marshman /
John Greenhalgh 020 7628 5518 City of London PR Limited Public Relations
This information is provided by RNS
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