Alkane Resources Ltd (ALKEF)

[Hockmir]

Alkane article in The Australian

By:Robin Bromby
From: The Australian
April 25, 2011 12:00AM

IAN Chalmers set out in the 1990s to pursue any metal that could make money, but within a single geographic area.

That turned out to be the part of NSW around the city of Dubbo, and now Alkane Resources (ALK) is a multi-commodity play that can be run from one project office.

The project that has lit a fire under its share price of late is the Dubbo zirconium-rare earth-niobium deposit, mainly for its rare earths but the others are not to be sniffed at.

It has been a long haul for Chalmers. A quick check shows this writer was reporting on the zirconium-rare earth play back in the late 1990s, and only now is it getting close to the final lap. And the smell of cashflow is in the air with one of Alkane's gold projects gearing up.

Alkane has been getting attention not only for being one of only three rare-earth plays on which production is planned in the next three years -- the others being Lynas Corp (LYC) and Arafura Resources (ARU) -- but its deposit contains a healthy level of the more valuable heavy rare earths, including dysprosium and terbium. In mid-March, those elements were fetching $US517 a kilogram and $US810/kg respectively, compared with light rare earths lanthanum and cerium at $US96/kg.

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Less attention has been paid to the other Alkane projects. There are the wholly owned Tomingley gold project and the joint-venture with Newmont Mining at McPhillamys with an inferred resource of 2.96 million ounces of gold and 60,000 tonnes of copper.

During the week, Alkane also announced the discovery northeast of Wellington, NSW, of a copper-gold target. To illustrate the degree to which the Dubbo zirconium, rare earth and niobium project dominates investor attention, last month RBS Equities analysts carved up their ALK valuation of $2.74 a share, attributing $2.31 of that to Dubbo and just 2c to Tomingley.

RBS saw Tomingley as marginal and needing a sustained gold price above $US1500 an ounce to justify development, along with a substantial hedging position as protection.

Now gold is above $US1500/oz and during the week Alkane said it had mandated Credit Suisse to arrange a project loan for Tomingley of $45 million and hedge 163,000oz of future production.

The only real problem is the intention of the new NSW government to abolish the planning provision (Part 3A) that gives the minister rights to override council decisions for major projects. Both Dubbo and Tomingley have been approved under Part 3A, but local councils support both projects anyhow. It just could mean a few months of extra delay

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/long-haul-for-alkane-to-pay-off/story-e6frg9ex-1226044204005