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3rd
November 2004
Reletting of Copeton Shaft contract
The
Company has terminated its present contract for the sinking of its shaft
at Copeton. The shaft will be completed from its current depth of 45.5
metres to its programmed target horizon of 50 metres by grouting the poorly
consolidated sediments present over this interval.
This technique involves drilling holes into the sediments and pumping
cement under pressure through these holes and into the surrounding rocks.
When set, the cement consolidates the sediments, enabling completion of
the shaft through a 1.5 metre thick zone of cemented rock. Conventional
shotcrete lining will then be applied to the shaft walls.
The Company is calling new tenders for
the completion of the shaft, and is holding an onsite meeting for interested
tenderers late next week.
Peter
Kennewell,
Managing Director
26th October 2004
Upper Hunter Shire Council consent: Gloucester Ruby Project
The
Company is pleased to announce that consent was given yesterday by the
Upper Hunter Shire Council to its development application for the Gloucester
Ruby Project. This follows the approval given by the Gloucester Shire
Council last week.
Cluff now has all required local government approval to proceed with its
Phase 2 mining operations under the agreement with CPH Limited. This will
involve processing up to 250 tonnes of gravels per day, and aims to establish
the mine as a world class source of natural Australian ruby.
The issue of several state government licences, the terms of which have
already been set, and lodgement of a Mine Operation Plan will be necessary
before mine operations commence. The Company is preparing the necessary
documents at present.
The feasibility of future larger scales of operation and marketing will
be assessed during Phase 2.
Peter
Kennewell,
Managing Director
21st October 2004
Development
consent for Gloucester Ruby Project
Operating
conditions determined by Department of Environment and Conservation, Department
of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, and the Gloucester
and Upper Hunter Shire Councils and proposed to be included in the Development
Consent are acceptable to the Company.
Because the project
falls into both the Gloucester and Upper Hunter Shire Council areas, a
similar recommendation by the Upper Hunter Shire is required before joint
Development Consent for the project can be granted. Consideration of consent
to the project is proposed by Upper Hunter Shire Council on 25 October.
The Councils are proposing common operating conditions to their consents.
Should the Councils
jointly approve Development Consent, it would be granted quickly. The
issue of several licences and lodgement of a Mine Operation Plan will
be necessary before mine operations commence. The Company is preparing
the necessary documents at present.
Peter
Kennewell,
Managing Director
9th September 2004
Diamond shaft sinking continues at Copeton
Two
dewatering bores have been completed immediately north and south of the
Companys exploratory shaft for diamonds at Copeton, and have been
equipped with pumps. Both are thirty centimetres in diameter, and contain
gravel packed around twenty centimetres of screening, which extends for
eight metres from the top to the bottom of the gravels being dewatered
and evaluated.
Pumping has been continuing for the last week and a half, and the water
level has been dropping approximately half a metre per day. The sands
have now been dewatered to the top of the pump, and sinking of the shaft
through the dewatered sands and into the underlying granite basement will
recommence on Monday.
The shaft is presently at 42 metres, and granite basement is at approximately
50 metres depth. Gravels extracted over this interval will be processed
through the Companys plant at Copeton to determine their diamond
content.
Peter
Kennewell,
Managing Director
20th
August 2004
Diamond bulk sampling, Collas Hill
Bulk
samples CH 20 and CH 21, comprising sands from Collas Hill, have been
processed at the Companys Mount Ross processing plant. Results are
below:
| Sample
Number |
Tonnes |
No
of diamonds |
Weight
of diamonds |
Grade |
| CH
20 |
100 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
| CH
21 |
80 |
2 |
0.43
carats |
0.54
ct/100 t |
CH 20
did not include the basal material in the sands, whereas CH21 included
both basal material and overlying sands. The two diamonds recovered were
yellow in colour, and rounded in shape, typical of stones from Collas
Hill. Further mapping of the old mine reopened by the sampling will be
undertaken to determine whether underground sampling is warranted.
The Mount Ross plant has been refurbished in preparation for samples from
the Copeton shaft, and was successfully commissioned on the Collas Hill
samples.
The Copeton shaft has encountered a small inflow of water from poorly
consolidated sands and gravels at 43 metres depth, which has delayed shaft
sinking progress. This is despite pumping for some weeks from a previously
drilled dewatering bore with screening accessing water at the base of
the sediments.
Rather than progress under wet conditions, two additional dewatering bores,
each only a few metres from the shaft and with screening letting water
flow laterally from the total eight metre thickness of the loose sediments,
will be completed this week. These will allow pumping of the water from
the area surrounding the shaft, and will facilitate the metal casing of
the shaft being lowered shortly with minimum problems.
Peter
Kennewell,
Managing Director
25th
June 2004
Diamond shaft commences at Copeton
Sinking
of the shaft to evaluate the inferred resource of 500,000 carats of diamonds
(200,000 tonnes at 250 carats per hundred tones) on the Copeton diamond
field has commenced. The shaft head frame has been installed, the reinforced
concrete shaft collar completed, and the shaft sunk to six metres with
the first steel liner in place.
The contract for sinking the shaft was awarded to Craigs Mining Services.
The shaft will be a circular steel lined shaft, which is safer to sink
and more stable in the soft ground conditions expected at the base of
the sediments. The shaft will be 2.4 metres in diameter, and will use
6 metre long cylindrical steel liners which are subsequently lowered into
the shaft and welded together to produce a continuous shaft lining. This
method, developed by Craigs Mining Services and recently used successfully
at the Chariot Mine (NT), is protected by an international patent application.
Sinking will be mainly by jackpick, with some blasting envisaged during
the initial Stage 1. Broken material will be removed from the shaft by
vacuum ore lift, and ventilation will also be provided by this method.
It is proposed that the shaft will be sunk initially to a depth of approximately
52 metres below surface, with the last few metres of lining safely secured
and grouted into the hard granite bedrock.
At approximately 50 metres below surface, an exploratory crosscut and
drive will be established over a total development length of about thirty
metres. This development will be 2.2 metres high by 2.0 metres wide, into
which arched steel sets and timber lagging will be installed as required.
On completion of the level development, the shaft will be deepened to
57 metres in the granite.
Stage 2, if implemented, would entail establishment of a plat (open area)
at about 57 metres depth with adequate clearance to allow rail and timber
access. A development drive 2.2 metres high and 2.0 metres wide would
extend from this, and vertical rises 1.2 metres square would be excavated
upwards to the previous development level at 50 metres depth. These rises
would enable systematic and safe sampling of the rocks from this level.
Subsequent shaft deepening to 61 metres would be necessary.
Peter
Kennewell,
Managing Director
21st
May 2004
Values of Gloucester Rubies
The
Company has become aware of an article written in Australian Jeweller
magazine (May 2004 issue) which gives specific information with regard
to the values of rubies mined by the Gloucester Ruby Project. The Company
feels this information to of interest to the sharemarket, and a transcript
of the relevant section of the article is reproduced below:
GEMS AN INDUSTRY UNFOLDING by Deborah Yonick
NEW SOURCES
Meanwhile, phase one of a three-phase mining project is complete for Australias
first major ruby deposit. Located in New South Wales, on a property owned
by media mogul Kerry Packer, the mine is being developed under agreement
with Cluff Resources Pacific, which had been digging test trenches on
the land since 1999. Packers company, Consolidated Press Holdings
Limited (CPH), purchases all mined corundum and processes and markets
the stones through an exclusive agreement with New York Citybased
gem cutters and dealers Manning International.
"Our goal is to develop the deposit as a single source of highly
refractive, very clean, completely untreated natural fancy colour sapphire
and ruby," says Gerry Manning of Manning International. He also notes
that distribution will be highly selective. Colours range from white to
pink to red in three grades wholesaling from US $45 to US $800 a carat.
Further enquiries as to the value of the rubies are referred to www.premacut.com,
the website for the cutting factory contracted by CPH to cut the Gloucester
ruby and sapphire. This displays a pricelist for the wholesale purchase
of natural ruby and sapphire of the cut and quality to which the Gloucester
Ruby Project aspires. The prices indicated on the site are consistent
with Mr. Mannings statement.
The value of any gemstone is dependent on the four Cs of colour, clarity,
cut and carat. Despite the world class cutting standards achieved by Premacut,
there is a large variation in the other three characteristics within the
Gloucester gemstones, and accordingly values vary greatly from stone to
stone. As part of Phase 2 operations, which have recently commenced, Manning
International is now classifying over 200,000 gemstones cut during Phase
1 to determine the proportions which fall into each value category. When
completed, and the results known, the question of the average value of
these gems will have been answered. CPH is also actively working on a
plan to place the stones in the wholesale jewellery market.
Peter
Kennewell,
Managing Director
5th May 2004
Final payment of $150,105 for Phase 1 production received from
CPH Limited
The
Company is pleased to advise the receipt today of a $150,105 payment from
CPH Limited, with respect to the most recent parcel of gemstone concentrate
delivered to CPHs processing and marketing operation.
This brings the total of payments received by Cluff from CPH Limited for
production from phase 1 of operations at the Gloucester Ruby Project to
$294,042.
The first payment of $34,730 for phase 1 production was received in early
November 2003, and several more have been received since, as Cluff progressively
mined then delivered the gemstone concentrate to CPH: $14,039 in late
November, $47,215 in December, and $47,953 in January 2004.
Once mining resumes under stage 2 of the agreement, CPH Limited will continue
to receive the production and reimburse Cluff for the gemstones. The ruby
deposit occurs on EL 5336 held by NSW Gold, a 100% subsidiary of the Company.
It is subject to a business arrangement with Consolidated Press Holdings
by which Cluff Resources Pacific NL will receive 20% of the net profits
from sale of gemstones marketed by CPH. CPH purchases the gemstones from
Cluff at production cost plus 10%.
Peter
Kennewell,
Managing Director
3rd
May 2004
Security Purchase Plan
The Company
has established a Security Purchase Plan for its shareholders, in order
to allocate further funds towards the successful development of its current
projects.
The Plan is open to all current shareholders, and provides them with the
opportunity to purchase listed shares in parcels from a minimum of $250
up to a maximum of $5000.
The letter accompanying the Plan documents is shown below:
Dear
Shareholder,
SECURITY PURCHASE PLAN
(Formerly the Share Purchase Scheme)
The Company has planned a vigorous work program for the coming year, with
three projects aiming to produce a positive cash flow in the near future.
The exercise of options in December provided the Company with funds to
complete its diamond exploration shaft at Copeton, to continue production
and sales of the rubies from the mining program at Gloucester, and to
meet administrative costs for the next twelve months. Little surplus funds
will remain.
Your Directors are not satisfied with this situation. They feel that in
order to progress the Company beyond this, and into a faster growth track,
there needs to be additional effort put into ensuring both a reliable
cash flow, and a complementary and well directed exploration effort. This
exploration aims to demonstrate the blue sky potential of our projects.
A consistent thrust on both these fronts will, we feel, ensure a rising
share price over the coming year.
Accordingly we are again implementing the Companys security purchase
plan to raise funds to ensure these aims are met.
We will be offering for sale an additional 10% of the Companys ordinary
shares at 2.5 cents each. This is at a 20% discount on the average trading
price for the five days prior to the announcement of the offer. We remind
shareholders that this is strictly on a "first come first served"
basis, and that previously some applicants have missed out due to high
demand. Accordingly we recommend that shareholders apply as early as possible
to avoid disappointment.
The Board is discussing underwriting of the first $1.5 million dollars
of the Plan, and an agreement on normal underwriting terms is expected
shortly. If finalised, this underwriting will ensure that the funds are
available, and that the aggressive development and exploration program
proposed will go ahead.
It is intended that money raised will not be spent on administration,
as these costs have already been budgeted for the next twelve months.
All funds are planned to be directly spent on the development and exploration
projects. If the diamond test shaft at Copeton is successful, additional
prospecting drives will be necessary to more fully evaluate the deposit.
If the deposit is suitable for smaller scale mining, a headframe will
be necessary, and an additional shaft will be sunk for safety and ventilation
reasons. A new diamond bearing horizon has been located on the Bingara
diamond field, and further testing of this is necessary to demonstrate
the potential of the field to contain a large diamond resource.
Whilst the Gloucester ruby processing operation has been upgraded over
the last few months, two large six wheel drive trucks will need to be
purchased to ensure the increased throughput. As well as production activities,
the Company needs to continue the exploration program to locate primary
sources for the Gloucester rubies, both around the area being mined at
present, and throughout the surrounding region, where Cluff will be entitled
to an increased 50% of the net profits from marketing by CPH.
Following the imminent grant of mining leases at our 100% owned sapphire
mining project at Anakie, a test program will be fast tracked and a production
plant established onsite. Although much of the necessary equipment is
already owned by the Company, a crew will need to establish the plant,
and operate it until a saleable parcel of sapphire has been produced and
sold, and the mine is profitable.
Your Board looks forward to an exciting twelve months.
Yours faithfully,
Peter Kennewell,
Managing Director
22nd April 2004
Cluff and CPH proceed to Phase 2, Gloucester Ruby Project
The Company
has achieved a major milestone in the successful progression to Phase
2 of its Gloucester Ruby Project. Consolidated Press Holdings Limited
has advised the Company that it will proceed with a Feasibility Study
for a large scale ruby mine.
During the work program, Cluff will continue mining operations on CPHs
property at the increased throughput rate, and CPH will purchase Cluffs
gemstones under the current arrangement, at production cost plus ten percent
margin. When sold, CPH will account to Cluff for 20% of the net proceeds
of the marketing of the stones.
The study will review the Mining and Processing Operations to determine
the most appropriate production rate, mining methods and costs. It will
also assess in detail the Gem and Jewellery Marketing scenarios, and the
cost of developing this market. An Environmental Management Plan will
also be completed.
The Feasibility Study will determine the viability of proceeding to Phase
3 of the Agreement, which comprises full scale mining, processing, gemstone
production and marketing.
CPH will initially pay for the study, but it will be amortised over the
mine life if CPH and Cluff decide to proceed with full scale mining operations.
It will be carried out by consultants in conjunction with both companies.
Peter
Kennewell
Managing Director
21st
April 2004
Dewatering bore commences at Copeton Diamond Shaft
Drilling
of both the ten inch-wide dewatering bore and the pilot hole for the fifty
metre diamond evaluation shaft at Copeton has commenced, and is expected
to be completed this week. Dewatering of the diamond bearing ground to
ensure safe working conditions will then commence, and is expected to
take several weeks.
Development Consent to sink the shaft has been acknowledged by Guyra Shire
Council, and a pumping licence for the bore granted by DIPNA. The shaft
site has been cleared and leveled, the Mining Lease resurveyed, and an
access road established by the Companys newly appointed site production
manager. Site visits by short listed tenderers are in progress, and the
contract for shaft sinking is expected to be awarded in May.
Sinking of the shaft will commence as soon as the gravels at the bottom
of the shaft have been dewatered. Once a portable head frame and other
necessary equipment is on site, the Company expects that the contractor
will complete the shaft within a few weeks.
An inferred resource of 500,000 carats of diamonds (200,000 tonnes at
a grade of 250 carats per hundred tones) that was prospected early last
century is being re accessed to recover a parcel of large gem quality
diamonds for evaluation. The shaft will also determine the nature of the
deposit, its grade and thickness, and assist in determining future mine
production methods.
Diamond bearing rocks recovered from the shaft will be processed in the
Companys operating trommel and jig plant, less than two kilometres
away at Mount Ross.
Peter
Kennewell
Managing Director.
8th
April 2004
Cluff takes 100% interest in Queensland Sapphire Project
The
Company is pleased to announce the acquisition of an 100% interest and
control of its previously 50%-owned Queensland Sapphire Joint Venture.
The $250,000 buyout
of the 50% share previously owned by Junior Mining Pty Ltd gives full
operatorship to the Company. The purchase includes over 80 hectares of
mining leases and mining lease applications over sapphire bearing ground,
the dry processing plant used in the previous operations, together with
a scraper, small trucks and other associated processing equipment.
Strengthening the
Company's decision is the recent finalisation of more than four years
of negotiations to establish and implement an Indigenous Land Use Agreement
over the Queensland Sapphire Gemfields. The agreement means that many
sapphire mining lease applications throughout the gemfields which have
been stalled for years are now being granted. It is expected that the
field will spring to life after several years’ inactivity, as private
operators, as well as Cluff, are able to access new ground.
The previous Cluff/Junior
Mining Joint Venture produced 1,440,232 carats of rough sapphire over
a period of 2 years. This production came from within 26 hectares of leases
which had been intermittently mined by underground and open cut methods
in an irregular and undocumented manner over the past hundred years, meaning
that most ground processed by the previous Joint Venture consisted of
remnants of old workings. Whenever virgin (unmined) ground was extracted,
the grade was relatively consistent at about twelve grams of corundum
per cubic metre over thicknesses greater than one metre, and with better
quality stone.
An inferred resource
of corundum has not yet been calculated for the 54 hectares of unmined
areas included in the purchase, as access for prospecting is not allowed
until the Indigenous Land Right Agreement has been implemented. These
unmined areas are expected on average to carry similar grades and wash
thicknesses to the above. The public road between the towns of Sapphire
and Rubyvale, which separates the Company’s mined and unmined areas
(see attached diagram), was worked for sapphire and corundum during the
1980’s, reputedly carrying good grades. The restoration included
the present bitumen road, and was paid for from the sale proceeds as a
condition of mining.
Production and sale of rough sapphire and corundum is planned as soon
as practicable, once test pitting has confirmed the extent of the resource.
Profits from this production are intended to exceed the administrative
costs of the Company, enabling funds raised from shareholders in the future
to be applied directly to exploration and development projects.
Peter
Kennewell
Managing Director.
24th
February 2004
Gloucester Ruby Project - Larger rubies recovered from Trench 4
area
The Company
has completed the processing of 120 tonnes of ruby bearing gravels from
the Trench 4 area.
The concentrate recovered from this section revealed rough gemstones of
a much larger size than the recently excavated ruby pit area. Ruby grade
was lower than from the pit area, at 4.7 carats per tonne, however there
was a larger proportion of facet quality gemstone. The largest stone recovered
was a 10.8 carat low quality corundum, and large gem quality sapphires
were also found. Some of the larger stones recovered are shown.
|
Weight
(carats)
|
Colour
and Description |
Quality |
|
10.8
|
Deep
red, some internal fracturing |
Corundum |
|
3.6
|
Red,
translucent |
Cabachon/Corundum |
|
8.1
|
Deep
green sapphire, no fractures |
Facet
gem quality |
|
5.7
|
Deep
blue sapphire, semi-translucent |
Cabachon |
|
6.3
|
Green/yellow
sapphire, dog's tooth shape |
Facet
gem quality |
|
5.4
|
Green/yellow
sapphire, no fractures |
Facet
gem quality |
The
gemstones from this area appear to be derived from a different source
to those contained in the upper terrace gravels, and are thought to originate
from a large depression in the upper reaches of the Gummi River. A Statement
of Environmental Effects and application for approval for bulk sampling
in this depression is in preparation.
Development Applications and an Environmental Impact Statement for the
Gloucester Ruby Project have been lodged with the local Councils, and
a meeting was held last week on site to allow the various organisations
charged with approving the operation to familiarise themselves with the
proposed affected areas, discuss any environmental concerns, and to observe
the mining methodology. After approval of Development Consent and lodgment
of the bond, the Company's plant will be permitted to increase its throughput
from 150 tonnes per day at present to its full capacity of 250 tonnes
per day.
Peter Kennewell
Managing Director
23rd January 2004
Reopening of Trench 4, Gloucester Ruby Project
The Middle
Terrace near Trench 4, from which the largest rubies were obtained during
the bulk sampling program, is to be reopened and a 120 tonne bulk sample
taken. 15 and 11 carat flawed rubies, together with four gem quality rough
stones larger than seven carats were obtained from Trench 4. Over 30%
of the rubies recovered were larger than 4.5 mm in size. When processed,
this bulk sample is expected to yield about 500 carats of larger rubies,
many of which will be suitable for use in CPH Ltd's marketing program
as feature stones.
Development Applications and an Environmental Impact Statement for the
Gloucester Ruby Project have been lodged with the local Councils, and
are currently being considered. A Notice of Intention to Mine Privately
Owned Mineral, relating to the mining agreement previously signed with
CPH Ltd, has also been lodged with the Department of Mineral Resources,
and a suitable bond is being assessed. After approval of Development Consent
and lodgment of the bond, the Company's plant will be permitted to increase
its throughput from 150 tonnes per day at present to its full capacity
of 250 tonnes per day.
Sufficient gravels have been included in these applications to allow mining
for about three years. Further environmental approvals will be necessary
for larger scale production, and application for these will be considered
when economics and possible mining methods have been determined.
The ruby
deposit occurs on EL 5336 held by NSW Gold, a 100% subsidiary of the Company.
It is subject to a business arrangement with Consolidated Press Holdings
by which Cluff Resources Pacific NL will receive 20% of the net profits
from sale of gemstones marketed by CPH. CPH purchases the gemstones from
Cluff at production cost plus 10%.
Peter Kennewell
Managing Director
13th
January 2004
Sale of $117,000 cut sapphire parcel in New York
The Company
is pleased to advise the sale of a large parcel of cut sapphire in New
York. The parcel consisted of around 25,000 carats of blue and green sapphire
mined from our Queensland operations. A wide variety of colours and sizes
were represented in the parcel, the majority consisting of small round
and oval cuts (less than 0.5 carats in weight).
The A$117,000 sale was negotiated with a large US-based company which
operates a broad network of home shopping channels. The company has purchased
the parcel with a view to making jewellery and promoting the sapphires
as a distinctive natural Australian gemstone. It is anticipated that this
approach will establish these sapphires as a new product in
the minds of consumers in the USA, and could lead to ongoing sales and
higher prices for our production in the future.
Scott
Enderby
Company Secretary
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