From the last MD&A (November 2013)
posted on
Dec 03, 2013 05:20PM
Black Horse deposit has an Inferred Resource Now 85.9 Million Tonnes @ 34.5%
Available on Sedar. We all know this, but it is always interesting to have the synthesized, up-to-date company's view, esp. when expressed with such clarity... GLTA.
"OUTLOOK
The management of KWG continues to be encouraged in its view that the Company’s assets will prove to be catalytic in the development of mining in the Ring of Fire. It is our opinion that the chromite deposits of the Ring of Fire may have a combined life equal to an amortization period appropriate for the cost of an infrastructure asset such as a railroad; perhaps 100 years or more. When that term is combined with the present historic low cost of the capital required to construct such an undertaking, the unit cost for projected usage can be quite modest when compared to all available alternatives. We continue to believe that these financial imperatives can be combined with an informed mobilization of indigenous people’s support, to achieve rationally funded infrastructure development for the area’s mineral tenants.
The grant of an easement to construct a roadway over the Company’s claims may only be issued with its consent. That consent was sought and declined. It was declined because the consideration offered did not include either a plan to mine the Big Daddy deposit for which, in part, the claims were acquired and assessed; or, compensation of an adequate value instead. The claims provide egress with which to make the Big Daddy deposit economic by enabling its production to access markets. The Company can earn a market share with its portion of Big Daddy production, whereas the deferral of that production to favour another deposit with that exclusive egress will irrevocably lose that opportunity to the other deposit. The Company was advised that it was therefore not unreasonable to withhold its consent in the circumstances and for the compensation offered. The Mining and Lands Commission was asked to determine whether that is the case, or not. In a decision released September 10, 2013 the Mining and Lands Commission dismissed the application for an order to grant an easement over the Company’s claims without its consent. The decision has been appealed to the Divisional Court of Ontario and it is expected that the appeal will be adjudicated in early 2014.
The Company has advised the Ministry of Mines and Northern Development that it will maintain that any Order in Council that may be sought to exempt contiguous mineral claims from the requirement that their production be processed to final art in Canada, may only extend to mineral claims in which the Company has an interest. The Company has entered an option agreement under which it may earn up to an 80% joint venture interest in the Black Horse chromite occurrence. Programs completed under the option agreement will enable the Company to determine the feasibility of mining the Black Horse chromite, with which export markets might then be developed by egress over the contiguous claims acquired for that purpose.
In testing chromite ore from the Black Horse occurrence, it was discovered that its reduction to metallics was possible with the use of natural gas under controlled circumstances. A patent has been applied for in advance of further testing to commercialize this direct reduction method of refining chromite into metallic chrome. The method holds significant promise of enabling the chromite of the Black Horse occurrence to earn a considerable share of the market for chrome inputs amongst 5 stainless steel makers, due to the much lower refining cost of the method when compared to refining chromite to charge ferro chrome in electric arc furnaces."