29 May 2024
("Tertiary" or "the
Company")
HALF-YEARLY REPORT
2024
Tertiary Minerals ("Tertiary" or the "Company")
plc is pleased to announce its unaudited interim results for the
six-month period ended 31 March 2024.
Six
Month Operational highlights:
Tertiary continues to develop its portfolio of
copper and precious metal exploration projects in Zambia and
Nevada, USA.
Zambia
The Company now has interests
in five copper exploration projects in Zambia.
Konkola West Copper
Project
·
Earn-in and joint venture agreement signed with KoBold Metals
Resources ("KoBold") and Mwashia Resources Limited
("Mwashia").
·
KoBold is committed to drilling two deep holes to test the
Konkola West basin for projected deep extensions to the world class
ore-shale deposit being mined at the adjacent
Konkola-Lubambe-Musoshi mines.
·
Drilling of the first hole is progressing well and has
potential to deliver transformative results for the
Company.
Jacks Copper Project
·
Planning for the dry exploration season well underway with
further drilling budgeted to follow up on favourable 2022 drilling
and soil sampling results.
Mukai Copper
Project
·
Joint Venture negotiations underway with drilling planned for
the coming season.
Mushima North
Copper Project
·
Induced Polarisation ("IP") survey initiated to assist drill
testing of C1 and A1 targets this dry season (May to November).
Drill planning is at an advanced stage with quotes received and
forest approvals in place.
Mupala Copper Project
·
Environmental Project Brief now approved and exploration
consent received from local Chief, clearing the way for exploration
to start. Soil sampling programme is planned to validate historical
copper soil anomalies.
Corporate
·
The Company has signed a new joint venture agreement (the
"JVA") with local partner Mwashia to consolidate ownership of the
Jacks, Mukai and Mushima North exploration licences into a single,
new Zambian company, Copernicus Minerals Limited ("Copernicus"),
owned 90% by Tertiary's 96% owned subsidiary, Tertiary Minerals
(Zambia) Limited ("TMZ"), and 10% by Mwashia.
·
Ministerial consent has been granted for JVA and licence
transfers to Copernicus pending tax clearances.
Nevada, USA
Brunton Pass
Copper Gold Project
·
IP and Resistivity geophysical survey has defined a coherent
electrical chargeability anomaly over total target strike length of
700m.
·
IP anomaly typical of sulphide mineralisation prospective for
copper and/or gold extends through all IP survey lines.
·
Chargeability anomaly is spatially related to previously
identified copper-mercury-arsenic soil anomalies and copper and
mercury-arsenic (+/-gold) mineralised outcrops and
trenches.
·
Chargeability anomaly is a high priority drill target for
epithermal gold and/or porphyry copper mineralisation.
Sweden
·
Storuman Fluorspar Project contains combined Indicated and
Inferred Mineral Resources of 27.7 million tonnes grading 10.2%
fluorspar.
·
Mining Inspectorate is re-examining its 2019 decision not to
grant the exploitation concession following Government's annulment
of this decision and has recently advised that a new decision will
be made quickly.
·
The Company has made a further submission to the Mining
Inspectorate in support of this new decision, highlighting the EU
critical minerals status of fluorspar as a battery
mineral.
FINANCIAL
SUMMARY FOR THE SIX-MONTH PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH
2024:
·
Operating Loss of £269,661 comprises:
o Revenue of
£77,385; less administration costs of £312,671 (which includes
non-cash share-based payments of £19,664).
o Pre-licence and
reconnaissance exploration costs totalling £33,798.
o Impairment of
deferred exploration asset totalled £577.
·
Total Group Loss of £269,485 after crediting interest income
of £176.
·
Project expenditure of £85,903 was capitalised during the
six-month period.
Funding and
Cash Position:
·
In November 2023 and February 2024, the Company completed
fundraisings with Peterhouse Capital Limited raising £150,000 and
£375,000 respectively before expenses.
The Company's closing cash (and cash equivalent)
position at the end of the period was £251,135.
Chairman's
Statement
I am pleased to present our Interim Report for
the six-month period ended 31 March 2024 and a summary of our
principal exploration and corporate activities exploring for copper
and precious metals in Zambia and in Nevada, USA.
Copper is very much in the news with copper
prices breaching the US$10,000 per tonne mark and some pundits
predicting much higher copper prices to come. This, of course, is
driven by copper's importance as the key green energy
transition metal used in renewable power generation and electric
vehicles where its properties of electrical conductivity,
efficiency, ductility and recyclability make it virtually
irreplaceable.
The Company's focus is currently on the Konkola
West Project which lies adjacent to and covers projected, deep,
down dip extensions to the Lumambe-Konkola mining complexes where
KoBold Metals ("KoBold") is also developing the Mingomba deposit
with backing from Silicon Valley investors and where Vedanta has
announced a US$1 billion investment into the Konkola copper mine.
KoBold now believes that the nearby Mingomba Project will become
one of the world's top three high-grade copper mines.
A conditional agreement was signed with KoBold
allowing KoBold to earn-into Konkola West in December 2023 and
KoBold began drilling soon after the satisfaction of conditions
precedent for various Ministerial approvals which occurred in
April. The first of two planned drill holes is now well underway
and on my visit to the drill site last month, it was clear that no
expense or effort is being spared by KoBold to make this
exploration work a success. Drilling is progressing well and so far
the stratigraphy being intersected is consistent with that seen in
the adjacent mines. We are unable to predict the depth at which the
"ore-shale" might be found due to variations in thickness and
dip/strike of the overlying units across the basin, but we don't
expect the first hole to be completed before mid-June and
analytical results will only be available some time after
that.
In the meantime, we are gearing up to drill on
our Mushima North and Jacks copper projects this summer and autumn.
This will include a programme of geophysics at Mushima North
to help focus the drilling at the C1 and A1 copper soil anomalies
and pitting at Jack's to better discriminate anomalies there. Drill
quotes have been obtained and forest access permits have been
granted.
At Mukai we have interest from other parties
which may lead to a joint venture agreement, but we will also be
seeking to ensure that drilling takes place this dry season
regardless of the outcome of these discussions.
In February, we signed a conditional joint
venture agreement with local partner Mwashia to consolidate
ownership of the Mushima North, Jacks and Mukai exploration
licences (the "Licences") into a single, new Zambian company,
Copernicus Minerals Limited ("Copernicus"), now owned 90% by
Tertiary's 96% owned subsidiary, Tertiary Minerals (Zambia) Limited
("TMZ"), and 10% by Mwashia. The JV agreement and transfer of the
licences to Copernicus has now received Ministerial consent and
transfer of the licences to Copernicus is pending tax clearance.
This new agreement simplifies our corporate structure in Zambia and
creates a vehicle by which the partners can better consider joint
venture approaches from third parties on the Licences.
We also recently reported that all consents have
now been received to allow us to commence exploration at our new
Mupala Project where a recent review of historical exploration and
mine development on adjacent areas by majors such as First Quantum
Minerals and Anglo American highlights the prospectivity of the
Licence. The Licence was granted to the Company in
competition with several other applicants, including Anglo American
Corporation which has now started exploration that will include
diamond drilling on adjacent licences.
Our exploration in Nevada, USA, has taken a
backseat to our work in Zambia but work continues on our lead
project there, Brunton Pass, where we recently reported encouraging
results from a geophysical survey. The IP anomaly defined by this
survey is large and present over the full 700m length tested by the
survey and all the results from our previous rock, soil and trench
sampling all vector towards this anomaly which is now a compelling
drill target for the discovery of an epithermal gold and/or
porphyry deposit.
In Sweden, following the Government's decision
to annul the Mining Inspectorate's decision to refuse grant of an
exploitation concession for the Storuman Fluorspar Deposit, we are
awaiting a revised decision. In April, the Company made a further
submission to the Mining Inspectorate in support of this new
decision, highlighting the EU critical minerals status of
fluorspar, an important battery mineral used in the manufacture of
LiPF6, the main salt used in lithium-ion battery
electrolytes. Whilst there is no specific deadline, the
Mining Inspectorate has recently advised that it intends to make
its decision as soon as possible.
Our Storuman Fluorspar Project contains combined
Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources of 27.7 million
tonnes grading 10.2% fluorspar in a mineral deposit designated as
being of National Interest in Sweden.
Our activities during the period have been
funded through existing cash resources and two share placings with
joint broker Peterhouse Capital Limited that raised a total of
£525,000 before expenses.
In 2024, we expect to reap the benefits of the
foundations laid in 2023 when we carried out generative exploration
across all of our projects in Zambia aimed at identifying drill
targets. The strategic location of our Zambian projects places
Tertiary at the heart of Zambia's mining boom and we look forward
to providing updates on our exploration season as it
unfolds.
Patrick L
Cheetham
Executive
Chairman
29 May 2024
Consolidated Income
Statement
for the six-months' period to 31 March
2024
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Six months
to 31 March
2024
Unaudited
|
|
Six
months
to 31
March
2023
Unaudited
|
|
Twelve
months
to
30 September
2023
Audited
|
|
£
|
|
£
|
|
£
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue
|
77,385
|
|
75,944
|
|
181,429
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Administration costs
|
(312,671)
|
|
(294,796)
|
|
(572,604)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pre-licence exploration
costs/impairment costs
|
(33,798)
|
|
(34,237)
|
|
(39,792)
|
Impairment of deferred exploration
asset
|
(577)
|
|
-
|
|
(111,691)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating loss
|
(269,661)
|
|
(253,089)
|
|
(542,658)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest
receivable
|
176
|
|
235
|
|
1,317
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss before income
tax
|
(269,485)
|
|
(252,854)
|
|
(541,341)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income tax
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss for the period attributable to
equity holders of the parent
|
(269,485)
|
|
(252,854)
|
|
(541,341)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss per share - basic
and diluted (pence) (Note 2)
|
(0.01)
|
|
(0.02)
|
|
(0.03)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive
Income
for the six-months' period to 31
March 2024
|
Six months
to
31 March
2024
Unaudited
|
Six months
to
31
March
2023
Unaudited
|
Twelve
months to
30
September
2023
Audited
|
|
£
|
£
|
£
|
Loss for the period
|
(269,485)
|
(252,854)
|
(541,341)
|
Items that could be reclassified subsequently
to the Income Statement:
|
|
|
|
Foreign exchange translation differences on
foreign currency net investments in subsidiaries
|
24,071
|
(44,041)
|
(23,612)
|
Items that will not be reclassified to the Income
Statement:
|
|
|
|
Changes in the fair value of equity
investments
|
(6,038)
|
(3,647)
|
(5,184)
|
Total comprehensive loss for the period
attributable to equity holders of the parent
|
(251,452)
|
(300,542)
|
(570,137)
|
|
|
|
|
Company Registration Number
03821411
Consolidated Statement of Financial
Position
at 31 March 2024
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As at
31 March
2024
Unaudited
|
|
As
at
31
March
2023
Unaudited
|
|
As
at
30
September
2023
Audited
|
|
£
|
|
£
|
|
£
|
Non-current assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
Intangible assets
|
686,298
|
|
603,889
|
|
620,481
|
Property, plant & equipment
|
6,216
|
|
2,476
|
|
3,234
|
Other
investments
|
10,428
|
|
18,003
|
|
16,466
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
702,942
|
|
624,368
|
|
640,181
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
Receivables
|
139,656
|
|
62,857
|
|
114,432
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
251,135
|
|
217,967
|
|
121,813
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
390,791
|
|
280,824
|
|
236,245
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
Trade and other payables
|
(64,440)
|
|
(67,815)
|
|
(69,835)
|
Net current assets
|
326,351
|
|
213,009
|
|
166,410
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Provisions for
liabilities and charges
|
(9,591)
|
|
(13,825)
|
|
(11,496)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net assets
|
1,019,702
|
|
823,552
|
|
795,095
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
Called up Ordinary Shares
|
257,483
|
|
180,251
|
|
198,108
|
Share premium account
|
13,034,938
|
|
12,379,636
|
|
12,599,278
|
Capital redemption reserve
|
2,644,061
|
|
2,644,061
|
|
2,644,061
|
Merger reserve
|
131,096
|
|
131,096
|
|
131,096
|
Share option reserve
|
69,585
|
|
105,931
|
|
88,562
|
Fair value reserve
|
(28,238)
|
|
(20,663)
|
|
(22,200)
|
Foreign currency reserve
|
422,287
|
|
416,428
|
|
436,857
|
Accumulated losses
|
(15,511,510)
|
|
(15,013,188)
|
|
(15,280,667)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity attributable to the owners of the
parent
|
1,019,702
|
|
823,552
|
|
795,095
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
for the six-months' period to 31 March
2024
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Six months
to 31 March
2024
Unaudited
|
|
Six
months
to 31
March
2023
Unaudited
|
|
Twelve
months
to 30
September
2023
Audited
|
|
£
|
|
£
|
|
£
|
Operating activity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
Loss
|
(269,661)
|
|
(253,089)
|
|
(542,658)
|
Depreciation
charge
|
1,093
|
|
768
|
|
1,793
|
Share based payment
charge
|
19,664
|
|
14,145
|
|
17,784
|
Broker fee paid in
shares
|
-
|
|
4,500
|
|
-
|
Impairment of deferred
exploration asset
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
111,691
|
Reclamation
provision
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
(Increase)/decrease in
receivables
|
(25,224)
|
|
209,810
|
|
1,643
|
Increase/(decrease) in
payables
|
(5,395)
|
|
(13,114)
|
|
(11,094)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash outflow from operating
activity
|
(279,523)
|
|
(36,980)
|
|
(420,841)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Investing activity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest
received
Proceeds on disposal of royalty
assets
|
176
-
|
|
235
-
|
|
1,317
156,594
|
Exploration and
development expenditures
|
(85,903)
|
|
(115,162)
|
|
(236,808)
|
Purchase of property,
plant & equipment
|
(4,073)
|
|
(769)
|
|
(2,630)
|
Cash receipt from
disposal of equity investments
|
-
|
|
28,333
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash outflow from investing
activity
|
(89,800)
|
|
(87,363)
|
|
(81,527)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Financing activity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issue of share capital (net of
expenses)
|
495,035
|
|
304,500
|
|
541,999
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash inflow from
financing activity
|
495,035
|
|
304,500
|
|
541,999
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash
equivalents
|
125,712
|
|
180,157
|
|
39,631
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash
equivalents at start of period
|
121,813
|
|
59,414
|
|
59,414
|
Exchange
differences
|
3,610
|
|
(21,604)
|
|
22,768
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents at end of
period
|
251,135
|
|
217,967
|
|
121,813
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes to the Interim Statement
1.
Basis of preparation
The consolidated interim financial information
has been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies that
are expected to be adopted in the Group's full financial statements
for the year ending 30 September 2024 which are not expected to be
significantly different to those set out in Note 1 of the Group's
audited financial statements for the year ended 30 September 2023.
These are based on the recognition and measurement requirements of
applicable law and UK adopted International Accounting Standards.
The financial information has not been prepared (and is not
required to be prepared) in accordance with IAS 34. The accounting
policies have been applied consistently throughout the Group for
the purposes of preparation of this financial
information.
The financial information in this statement
relating to the six-month period ended 31 March 2024 and the
six-month period ended 31 March 2023 has neither been audited nor
reviewed by the Independent Auditor, pursuant to guidance issued by
the Auditing Practices Board. The financial information presented
for the year ended 30 September 2023 does not constitute the full
statutory accounts for that period. The Annual Report and
Financial Statements for the year ended 30 September 2023 have been
filed with the Registrar of Companies. The Independent Auditor's
Report on the Annual Report and Financial Statement for the year
ended 30 September 2023 was unqualified, although it did draw
attention to matters by way of emphasis in relation to going
concern, and did not contain a statement under 498(2) or 498(3) of
the Companies Act 2006.
The directors prepare annual budgets and cash
flow projections for a 15-month period. These projections include
the proceeds of future fundraising necessary within the period to
meet the Company's and the Group's planned discretionary project
expenditures and to maintain the Company and the Group as a going
concern. Although the Company has been successful in raising
finance in the past, there is no assurance that it will obtain
adequate finance in the future. These factors represent a material
uncertainty related to events or conditions which may cast
significant doubt on the entity's ability to continue as a going
concern and, therefore, that it may be unable to realise its assets
and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business.
However, the directors have a reasonable expectation that they will
secure additional funding when required to continue meeting
corporate overheads and exploration costs for the foreseeable
future and therefore believe that the going concern basis is
appropriate for the preparation of the financial
statements.
2.
Loss per share
Loss per share has been calculated on the
attributable loss for the period and the weighted average number of
shares in issue during the period.
|
|
|
|
|
Six months
to 31 March
2024
Unaudited
|
Six
months
to 31
March
2023
Unaudited
|
Twelve
months
to
30 September
2023
Audited
|
|
|
|
|
Loss for the period
(£)
|
(269,485)
|
(252,854)
|
(541,341)
|
Weighted average
shares in issue (No.)
|
2,203,762,645
|
1,340,117,157
|
1,791,815,969
|
Basic and diluted loss
per share (pence)
|
(0.01)
|
(0.02)
|
(0.03)
|
The loss attributable to ordinary shareholders
and the weighted average number of ordinary shares used for the
purpose of calculating diluted earnings per share are identical to
those used to calculate the basic earnings per ordinary share. This
is because the exercise of share warrants would have the effect of
reducing the loss per ordinary share and is therefore not dilutive
under the terms of IAS33.
3.
Share capital
During the six-month period to 31 March
2024 the following share issues took place:
An issue of 125,000,000 0.01p Ordinary Shares
at 0.12p per share, by way of placing, for a total consideration of
£150,000 before expenses (1 November 2023).
An issue of 468,750,000 0.01p Ordinary Shares
at 0.08p per share, by way of placing, for a total consideration of
£375,000 before expenses (12 February 2024).
The total number of Ordinary Shares in issue on
31 March 2024 was 2,574,835,049 (30 September 2023:
1,981,085,049).
4.
Warrants
On 14 February 2024, the Company granted
10,000,000 five-year warrants to subscribe for new Ordinary Shares
to employees and directors of the Company as part of their
remuneration.
The total number of warrants in issue at 31
March 2024 was 69,887,500, with subscription prices ranging from
0.080 to 1.50 pence per share.