We present the company's interim report for the six months to 31st December 2016. Three months ago in our Annual Report we spoke of the end of the downward cycle in the mineral sectors, and the beginning of a recovery that had been seen since the lows of January and February 2016. The cost reduction measures we were implementing, another theme of the Annual Report, and the continuation of the sector's good performance into the end of the calendar year, have meant that the recovery began to feed through into our published results with these interim figures. The published profit for the six month period was £147,662 compared with a loss of £22,025 for the six months to 31st December 2015. Of greater significance, the total comprehensive profit for the period rose to £7,114,520 against a loss of £109,477 in the comparable period of the previous year. This reflected principally a £6,927,699 partial reversal of prior year impairments in the value of our 1.2% holding in Jupiter Mines Ltd ("Jupiter") which also impacted positively on shareholders' total equity which rose to £16,026,755 from £8,627,235 at 30th June 2016. The reduction in our cost base saw a 39.1% year-on-year reduction in administrative costs for the half year against the year-before period, after a 24.4% year-on-year reduction in the year to June 2016, Better manganese prices allowed the Tshipi é Ntle mine in the Northern Cape province of South Africa to announce in November 2016 a planned distribution to its shareholders equivalent to over half their capital investment in developing the mine. The 49.9% joint venture shareholder, Jupiter, in turn made a distribution to its shareholders: our share of that, US$655,784.80 (approximately £530,700), we received after the period-end in March 2017. A further distribution is expected this year. The distribution was carried out by means of an "equal access buyback" at US$0.40 per share for 6% of the Jupiter shares held by each shareholder, and received 98.01% acceptance. At the 40c price, the value of our holding would be US$10.93m (or approximately £8.85m), and we would hope for (but might not achieve) an equal or higher price-equivalent in a liquidity event for the remainder of our holding, which is anticipated for later this year. Jupiter has since appointed Bank of America Merrill Lynch to progress options for realising shareholder value in 2017: this may include a relisting, or a listing or sale of Tshipi é Ntle. Given the disparity between our market capitalisation on the stock market and the value of this single high quality asset, and the strong possibility of a liquidity event, our nearest and safest way to preserve and increase shareholder value will be to keep costs low and avoid where possible new share issuance as we expect developments at Jupiter to cause before long a natural narrowing of the discount at which we trade. It might be hard for a new investment to offer a return superior to that obtainable from an existing investment. Turning to our other projects , the new owner of our former gold mining interests in Colombia now has a C$24m market value and has broadened its asset base. It announced in February 2017 that the second ball mill at the El Limón mine is now installed and operational, supplementing the first ball mill which gave us some problems and has given the new owner further ones, requiring more and lengthier refurbishment than expected. In our current financial year we have received three royalty payments amounting to US$26,607.16 from El Limón, covering the period to end-December, and hope to get one more, at a considerably higher level, as well as a US$50,000 interest payment, before our books close on 30th June 2017. After c1410 oz of gold production in calendar 2016, the operators forecast a level of production nearly ten times higher in 2017, with a 70%-plus further increase in 2018, so that we look to a substantial increase in our revenues from this source. Our third revenue-producing asset, our 20% working interest in the LM20 and other oil and gas wells in the Shoats Creek field in Louisiana, has failed to produce the expected revenue stream to date as it has not been operated satisfactorily. This is a matter we shall now address, through a more vigorous and proactive approach. We see no reason why it should not perform better. Apart from these three revenue and cash flow-producing interests, and some minor ones, the Company retains some exploration interests and assets in Kenya, Ivory Coast and elsewhere. In Kenya, the company is pursuing an action for judicial review on behalf of itself and its local partner, and until that is resolved is restricted in its activities. This is a matter we shall give renewed attention. The Company is also seeking arbitration on its claim for conversion or early repayment of the US$1m Promissory Note due in May 2018 that was issued to it at the time of the sale of the Colombian assets. Red Rock expects to show continuing satisfactory results in the second half of its financial year and for the full year to 30th June 2017, and, provided that commodity prices remain reasonably stable, should see a pattern of strengthening revenues in the following year. There is also a strong possibility of one or more significant liquidity events over coming months. The Company therefore looks to the future with confidence. Andrew Bell Chairman 22 March 2017 |
