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OM HOLDINGS LIMITED
(ARBN 081 028 337)
(Malaysian Registration No. 202002000012 (995782-P))
Incorporated in Bermuda
No. of Pages Lodged: 09
26 October 2021
ASX Market Announcements
ASX Limited
4th Floor
20 Bridge Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Dear Sir/Madam
SEPTEMBER 2021 QUARTERLY PRODUCTION AND MARKET UPDATE
The Board of OM Holdings Limited ("OMH" or the "Company") is pleased to provide the following update.
HIGHLIGHTS
OPERATING PERFORMANCE
SMELTING: OM Materials (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd (75% owned smelter in Samalaju, East Malaysia)
- Production output for the quarter ended 30 September 2021 of 33,453 tonnes of ferrosilicon ("FeSi"), 59,307 tonnes of manganese alloys (silicomanganese ("SiMn")) and 34,542 tonnes of manganese sinter ore
- A total of 23,894 tonnes of FeSi and 43,856 tonnes of manganese alloys were sold during the quarter ended 30 September 2021
- Entry applications for new foreign employees are being gradually approved by Government authorities on a case-by-case basis. However given the pace of approvals and long lead time to mobilize the new workforce due to additional COVID- 19 protocols, it is anticipated that the impeded inflow of new foreign workers is unlikely to alleviate the temporary workforce shortage in the short-term due to employee home leave rotations commencing in Q4 2021. Production plans in and after Q4 2021 will potentially decrease before gradually ramping up to full production in 2022, subject to constraints beyond the Company's reasonable control
- Loan repayments of US$4.8 million (approximately A$6.5 million) were made to project finance lenders during the quarter ended 30 September 2021
EXPLORATION AND MINING: OM (Manganese) Ltd (100% owned Manganese mine in Bootu Creek, Northern Territory, Australia)
- Manganese ore production of 230,566 tonnes with an average grade of 27.98% Mn for the quarter ended 30 September 2021
Singapore Office: | 1 | |
10 Eunos Road 8, #09-03A | Malaysian Registered Office: | |
Singapore Post Centre, Singapore 408600 | Unit 30-01, Level 30, Tower A | |
Tel: 65-6346 5515 Fax: 65-6342 2242 | Vertical Business Suite Avenue 3 | |
Email address: om@ommaterials.com | Bangsar South, No.8, Jalan Kerinchi | |
Website: www.omholdingsltd.com | 59200 Kuala Lumpur | |
Malaysia |
ASX Code: OMH | Bursa Code: OMH (5298)
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OPERATING PERFORMANCE (CONT'D)
- Manganese ore shipments for the quarter ended 30 September 2021 were 143,847 tonnes with an average grade of 27.96% Mn
- Based on current estimates, it is anticipated that all mining operations will be concluded in Q4 2021 with processing activities continuing with the remaining ore feedstocks
- The Ultra Fines Plant ("UFP") produced 4,736 tonnes with an average grade of 27.91% Mn for the quarter ended 30 September 2021
SMELTING: OM Materials (Qinzhou) Co Ltd ("OMQ") (100% owned smelter and sinter plant in Qinzhou, Guangxi Province, China)
- OMQ produced 11,183 tonnes of manganese alloys, 7,520 tonnes of manganese sinter ore and sold 16,512 tonnes of manganese alloys for the quarter ended 30 September 2021
MARKETING, TRADING AND MARKET UPDATE
- 492,954 tonnes of ores and alloys were transacted in the period from 1 July 2021 to 30 September 2021 as compared to 743,461 tonnes from 1 April 2021 to 30 June 2021, which represented a quarter-on-quarter decrease of 34% mainly due to a decrease in ores traded from Tshipi and OMM
- World crude steel production during July and August 2021 was 334.1 million tonnes, which represented a 4.1% increase as compared to the same period in 2020, signaling a continuous recovery from the pandemic
- Price of 44% Mn ore closed at US$5.22/dmtu CIF China at the end of September 2021, marginally increasing from US$5.15/dmtu CIF China at the end of June 2021
- FeSi prices surged from US$1,920 to US$4,150 per metric tonne CIF Japan while SiMn prices remained strong at US$1,615 per metric tonne CIF Japan at the end of September 2021 according to S&P Global Platts
COVID-19 EMERGENCY AND RESPONSE
- The Company continues to prioritise the safety and well-being of employees across all its operations and the surrounding communities whilst maintaining operational resilience in its key business areas. Ongoing improvements in the business continuity plans implemented allows for flexibility in response to the constantly changing environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the quarter ended 30 September 2021, all eligible employees at OM Sarawak were fully vaccinated
CORPORATE
- As at 8 October 2021, a total of 88,151,946 shares were listed on Bursa Malaysia and 650,471,391 shares listed on the Australian Securities Exchange
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SMELTING
OM MATERIALS (SARAWAK) SDN BHD ("OM Sarawak")
OM Sarawak owns a Ferroalloy Smelting Plant in the Samalaju Industrial Park in Sarawak, Malaysia (the "Plant"). The Plant consists of 8 main workshops with a total of 16 units of 25.5 MVA furnaces, of which 10 units are allocated for the production of FeSi and 6 units are allocated for the production of manganese alloys. The Plant has a design capacity to produce approximately 200,000 to 210,000 tonnes of FeSi and 250,000 to 300,000 tonnes of manganese alloys per annum. The Plant also consists of a sinter plant that has a design capacity to produce 250,000 tonnes of sinter ore per annum.
Commercial operation
As at 30 September 2021, 12 out of 16 furnaces were in operation with 6 furnaces producing FeSi and 6 furnaces producing manganese alloys. Of the remaining 4 FeSi furnaces, 2 furnaces were idled for the purpose of conversion to produce manganese alloys, while the other 2 furnaces were idled for the conversion to produce silicon metal.
Sep | Jun | 9 months | |
2021 | 2021 | YTD | |
Quarter | Quarter | 2021 | |
Tonnes | |||
Production | |||
Ferrosilicon | 33,453 | 23,057 | 94,925 |
Manganese Alloys | 59,307 | 37,691 | 154,134 |
Manganese Sinter Ore (commissioning phase) | 34,542 | 14,223 | 71,591 |
Sales | |||
Ferrosilicon | 23,894 | 30,331 | 79,254 |
Manganese Alloys | 43,856 | 50,948 | 145,800 |
Manganese Sinter Ore (trial production) | - | - | 7,132 |
Subsequent to the approval to resume operations in early July 2021, FeSi and manganese alloys production volumes increased by 45% and 57% respectively as compared to the prior quarter, while sinter ore production volume increased by 143% during trial production for the quarter ended 30 September 2021, as the sinter plant awaits technical commissioning.
During the quarter ended 30 September 2021, sales volumes for both FeSi and manganese alloys decreased by 21% and 14% respectively compared to the previous quarter. This was mainly attributed to the lower inventory of finished goods available for shipment due to the temporary suspension of the Plant at the end of the previous quarter.
With the Malaysian Government shifting into an endemic COVID-19 phase, restrictions for interstate and international travel for Malaysian residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19 have been lifted. Foreigners' entry into Malaysia however remain subject to various considerations depending on the travellers' country of origin and the respective mandatory safety procedures prior to and upon entry into Malaysia.
Entry applications for new foreign employees are being gradually approved by Government authorities on a case-by-case basis. However given the pace of approvals and long lead time to mobilize the new workforce due to additional COVID-19 protocols, it is anticipated that the impeded inflow of new foreign employees is unlikely to alleviate the temporary workforce shortage in the short-term due to employee home leave rotations in Q4 2021. Production plans in and after Q4 2021 will potentially decrease before gradually ramping up to full production in 2022, subject to constraints beyond the Company's reasonable control.
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Loan repayments of US$4.8 million (approximately A$6.5 million) were made to the project finance lenders during the quarter ended 30 September 2021.
The final performance testing of the sinter plant and equipment installation works for the furnace conversion project have been deferred to 2022 due to the absence of onsite experienced contractors. Continuous engagement with relevant authorities to manage the immigration approval processes for the contractors are underway. If applications are approved by the end of 2021, the abovementioned projects are likely to be completed by the end of Q2 2022, taking into consideration the upcoming Christmas and Lunar New Year festive seasons in December 2021 and February 2022 respectively.
SMELTING
OM MATERIALS (QINZHOU) Co Ltd ("OMQ")
Production and sales from the Qinzhou smelter and sinter plant for the quarter ended 30 September 2021 are summarised below:
Sep | Jun | 9 months | ||
2021 | 2021 | YTD | ||
Quarter | Quarter | 2021 | ||
Tonnes | ||||
Production | 16,087 | 35,867 | ||
Manganese Alloys | 11,183 | |||
12,160 | 21,989 | |||
Manganese Sinter Ore | 7,520 | |||
Sales | ||||
Manganese Alloys | 16,512 | 14,635 | 34,566 | |
Manganese Sinter Ore | - | - | - | |
Production |
During the quarter ended 30 September 2021, OMQ produced a total of 11,183 tonnes of manganese alloys and 7,520 tonnes of manganese sinter ore. Production volumes for manganese alloys and manganese sinter ore decreased by 31% and 38% respectively compared to the previous quarter due to power rationing and production curbs imposed by the government authorities in China.
Sales
During the quarter ended 30 September 2021, OMQ secured sales of 16,512 tonnes of manganese alloys. Manganese sinter ore production was utilised as feed for the production of manganese alloys and not sold.
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EXPLORATION AND MINING
OM (MANGANESE) LTD ("OMM")
Production at the 100% owned Bootu Creek Manganese mine (the "Mine") for the quarter ended 30 September 2021 is summarised below:
Sep | Jun | 9 months | ||
Unit | 2021 | 2021 | ||
2021 | ||||
YTD | ||||
Quarter | Quarter | |||
Mining | ||||
Total Material Mined | bcms | 736,401 | 1,695,819 | 4,417,460 |
Ore Mined - tonnes | dt | 324,720 | 339,880 | 910,259 |
Ore Mined - Mn grade | % | 19.81 | 20.70 | |
20.58 | ||||
Production | ||||
Lumps - tonnes | dt | 187,708 | 164,734 | 508,589 |
Lumps - Mn grade | % | 26.86 | 26.83 | 26.76 |
Fines/SPP/UFP - tonnes | dt | 42,858 | 39,057 | 136,526 |
Fines/SPP/UFP - Mn grade | % | 32.86 | 33.36 | 33.46 |
Total Production - tonnes | dt | 230,566 | 203,791 | 645,115 |
Total Production - Mn grade | % | 27.98 | 28.08 | 28.18 |
Sales | ||||
Lumps - tonnes | dt | 111,202 | 162,891 | 408,179 |
Lumps - Mn grade | % | 26.54 | 27 | 26.63 |
Fines/SPP - tonnes | dt | 32,645 | 65,938 | 145,879 |
Fines/SPP - Mn grade | % | 32.78 | 33.89 | 33.77 |
Total Sales - tonnes | dt | 143,847 | 228,829 | 554,058 |
Total Sales - Mn grade | % | 27.96 | 28.79 | 28.51 |
Mining
During the quarter ended 30 September 2021, a total of 0.74 million bcms of material was mined including 324,720 tonnes of ore at a grade of 20.58% Mn.
The total material mined during the current quarter was lower compared to the quarter ended 30 June 2021 due to the completion of mining at the Chugga Far North F pit, focus of mining moving to the Shekuma 8 pit and the allocation of mining resources to the backfilling of the Yaka 4 pit void.
The backfilling of the Yaka 4 pit void is part of OMM's rehabilitation obligation with a current completion deadline of 1 December 2021. A total of 0.5 million bcms was backfilled during the quarter ended 30 September 2021.
Processing of run of mine feed stocks will continue, with the ore from the Shekuma 8 pit being heavily affected by ground water.
Based on current estimates, it is anticipated that all mining operations will be concluded during the quarter ending 31 December 2021, with processing activities continuing with remaining ore feedstocks.
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OM Holdings Limited published this content on 26 October 2021 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 12 November 2021 18:55:12 UTC.