Metro Mining steps up bauxite marketing with China appointment

Metro Mining has appointed the former Chairman for Traxys China and Comalco executive Norman Ting to assist with marketing of the Bauxite Hills Project on Cape York, north of Weipa to alumina refineries.

Ting has over thirty years of experience and contacts in Asia trading bauxite to fall back on which is useful as Metro Mining positions it Bauxite Hills project to commence production in 2016.

Bauxite is projected to be supply challenged within two years given the ban by Indonesia on export of unprocessed minerals which caught bauxite in its net.

Providing a vast opportunity for Bauxite Hills, with China's Xinfa Group sitting on a 7.8% shareholding and also assisting in finding off takers for bauxite to move the advanced project into production.

The Mine Plan includes a JORC Ore Reserve, identified to date, of 12.1 million tonnes Direct Shipping Ore at 49.2% total alumina and 7.4% reactive silica.

The Project Pre-Feasibility Study was based on a 21 year mine life, producing up to 2 million tonne per annum of Direct Shipping Ore from a total Resource of 61.5 million tonnes.

The simple bauxite mining operation would look to haul the ore to a barge load-out facility at the Skardon River where it will be transported approximately 12 kilometres offshore then transhipped into bulk carriers for export to overseas customers.

All told, Metro Mining is in a highly advantageous position in the right commodity with a project maturing at the right time to meet market demand.