Jan 2 2014
New Millennium Iron Corp. ("NML" or the "Corporation") today provided an update on the progress of the Taconite Project Feasibility Study ("TFS"), which is being jointly undertaken by Tata Steel Limited ("Tata Steel") and NML, and financed by the parties on a 64% - 36% basis, respectively.
NML announced on November 28, 2013 (NR 13-27) that it intended to release the NI 43-101 compliant results of the feasibility study as prepared by Met-Chem Canada, a firm qualified as an Independent Qualified Person. These results are now expected in January, 2014 and are based on the Study Manager's feasibility study report to an accuracy of +/- 15% covering the technical aspects for mining, process, power supply, transportation, pelletizing, materials handling and with the estimates for project completion, capital and operating costs.
NML has prepared the financial models for the project based on the Study Manager results, including after tax results. NML, after consultation with Tata Steel, decided recently to engage an internationally recognized firm of financial experts to review the financial models and assumptions to give more assurance of the results. This work is expected to be completed by mid-January, 2014.
Once complete, the study results will be reviewed at the NML Board level for approval prior to release of the results in a news release to be followed by filing of the Technical Report on Sedar within 45 days.
Dean Journeaux said, "We believe that the results are positive and considering the size and investment for this large project and its infrastructure made up of the Ferroduct and port terminal handling facilities, the infrastructure portion will be ideal for specialized long term financing at competitive interest rates and it was determined that these options should form part of the study parameters."
About New Millennium
The Corporation controls the emerging Millennium Iron Range, located in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and in the Province of Quebec, which holds one of the world's largest undeveloped magnetic iron ore deposits. In the same area, the Corporation and Tata Steel Limited ("Tata Steel"), one of the largest steel producers in the world, have advanced a Direct Shipping Ore ("DSO") Project to the production stage, from which commercial sales will soon begin. Tata Steel owns approximately 26.3% of New Millennium and is the Corporation's largest shareholder and strategic partner.
Tata Steel exercised its exclusive option to participate in the DSO Project and has a commitment to take the resulting production (see news release 10-16 dated September 14, 2010). The DSO Project is owned and operated by Tata Steel Minerals Canada Limited ("TSMC"), which in turn is 80% owned by Tata Steel and 20% owned by NML. The DSO Project contains 64.1 million tonnes of Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves at an average grade of 58.8% Fe, 21.0 million tonnes of Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources at an average grade of 59.2% Fe, 10.3 million tonnes of Inferred Resources at an average grade of 58.3% Fe and about 25.0 - 30.0 million tonnes of historical resources that are not currently in compliance with NI 43-101 (see news release 09-03 dated February 11, 2009, news release 09-05 dated March 4, 2009, news release 09-16 dated December 9, 2009, news release 10-12 dated July 8, 2010 and news release 12-14, dated May 31, 2012). A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves, the Corporation is not treating the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves and the historical estimate should not be relied upon.
The Millennium Iron Range currently hosts two advanced projects: LabMag contains 3.5 billion tonnes of Proven and Probable reserves at a grade of 29.6% Fe plus 1.0 billion tonnes of Measured and Indicated resources at an average grade of 29.5% Fe and 1.2 billion tonnes of Inferred resources at an average grade of 29.3% Fe (see news release 06-13 dated July 5, 2006 and news release 07-11 dated July 17, 2007); KéMag contains 2.1 billion tonnes of Proven and Probable reserves at an average grade of 31.3% Fe, 0.3 billion tonnes of Measured and Indicated resources at an average grade of 31.3 % Fe and 1.0 billion tonnes of Inferred resources at an average grade of 31.2% Fe (see news release 09-01 dated January 16, 2009). Tata Steel also exercised its exclusive right to negotiate and settle a proposed transaction in respect of the LabMag Project and the KéMag Project (see news release 11-09 dated March 6, 2011).
The Millennium Iron Range now hosts other taconite deposits. The first is the Lac Ritchie property located at the north end of the Range. The initial 2011 drilling of 40 holes in this property revealed Indicated Resources of 3.330 billion tonnes at an average grade of 30.3% Fe, and Inferred Resources of 1.437 billion tonnes at an average grade of 30.9% Fe (see news release NR 12-11, dated April 02, 2012).
Two other taconite deposits are located south of the LabMag deposit in the Millennium Iron Range. The initial 2012 drilling of 23 holes in the Sheps Lake property and of 50 holes in the Perault Lake property revealed Indicated Resources of 3.580 billion tonnes at an average grade of 31.22%, and Inferred Resources of 795 million tonnes at an average grade of 30.56% (see news release NR 13-04, dated February 11, 2013).
The Howells Lake - Howells River North deposit is located between the LabMag and KéMag deposits, and evidences mineral continuity in the Range. The 2011 and 2012 drilling of 11 holes in the Howells River North property and of 45 holes in the Howells Lake property, revealed Indicated Resources of 7.631 billion tonnes at an average grade of 30.39% Fe, and Inferred Resources of 3.310 billion tonnes at an average grade of 29.83% Fe (see news release NR 13-15, dated May 23, 2013).
The Corporation's mission is to add shareholder value through the responsible and expeditious development of the Millennium Iron Range and other mineral projects to create a new large source of raw materials for the world's iron and steel industries.
For further information, please visit www.NMLiron.com, www.tatasteel.com, www.tatasteelcanada.com, and www.tatasteeleurope.com.
Dean Journeaux, Eng., and Thiagarajan Balakrishnan, P. Geo., are the Qualified Persons as defined in National Instrument 43-101 who have reviewed and verified the scientific and technical mining disclosure contained in this news release.