Taseko Mines


Taseko Mines Limited is a mid-tier copper producer located in British Columbia, Canada. It operates Gibraltar Mine, the second largest open-pit copper mine in Canada, and is in the planning stages for several other mines including the Prosperity Mine, Harmony, and Aley. All production is sold at non-hedged market based prices. The market capitalization currently is roughly 740 million dollars.

Company history

Operations: Large open pit mine with production ranging from 80-110 million lb copper per year at a cost of $1.20 per lb mined once phase II expansion has been completed.
Reserves: 2.4 billion pounds of copper and 69 million pounds of molybdenum
Timeline:
The property includes 85 square km in south central British Columbia. A large copper and gold mineralization has been defined on the property containing around 5.3 billion lb copper and 13.3 million oz of gold. The feasibility for the mine was completed on September 25, 2007 and the environmental review process began in July 2008.
Operations: Large open-pit copper and gold mine with projected production of 108 million lb per year and 247,000 oz of gold per year for 20 years.

Reserves

Cost: ~800 million
In 2009, proven reserves for the mine were 481 million tonnes 0.46 gram per tonne of gold and 0.26 per cent copper. Probable reserves were estimated at 350 million tonnes grading 0.35 gram per tonne of gold and 0.18 per cent of copper.

Timeline

The Harmony property is located on Graham Island, the largest island of the Haida Gwaii archipelago, within the Queen Charlotte Islands, off the coast of British Columbia. The property contains a low-grade gold mineralization that can only be mined profitably at historically high gold prices. Teseko has yet to explore this property and values the property at $1 on its balance sheet as of September 2004.
Status: Exploration asset
Reserves:
Cost: No projects pending
projects pending: N/A
Timeline
The Aley asset contains Niobium, a rare metal used in the production of special steel alloys that are corrosion resistant. Currently only 2 mines in the world produce the rare metal. The spot price of this metal has risen significantly in the last 5 years, from has low as $6.70 per lb in 2004 to ~$24.00 currently . The property is located near the shore of the lake, about 30 kilometers from the Camp. The price of
Status: Exploration asset
Reserves: A feasibility study has not been completed thus-far. The resource estimates are 330-500 million lb with recoveries of which 65% may be recovered
Cost: N/A feasibility study not completed
Timeline
March 31, 2008September 30, 2007June 2007September 2006
Current Assets-
Cash and equivalents66,41637,63644,30689,408
Restricted Cash-4,4004,400-
Marketable Securities and investments14,85018,542--
Accounts Receivable12,20912,02116,2039,342
Income Taxes Receivable6,344---
Advances to Related party-807--
Inventory22,72418,05812,74424,218
Prepaid expenses8391,0692,6411,221
Current portion of promissory note7232,0861,2382,157
124,10594,61997,907149,447
Restricted Cash-4,4004,400-
Reclamation Deposits35,46833,39632,65332,004-
Promissory Note73,05872,35072,12871,009
Property, plant and equipment221,821176,898136,84343,445
458,852337,263339,531297,461

March 31, 2008September 30, 2007June 2007September 2006
Current Liabilities-
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities27,03230,43520,64621,961
Advances from related party118---
Current portion of deferred revenue1751751,0951,225
Current portion of royalty obligation7232,0861,2382,157
Income taxes payable-6,57313,1663,985
Current portion of future income taxes-807--
29,97644,58935,22547,862
Income taxes25,47824,64522,52321,058
Royalty obligation62,59063,33063,82564,632
Deferred revenue9631,0501,0941,225
Convertible debt43,38341,00842,17342,775
Site closure and reclamation cost14,33417,44119,86418,975
Future income taxes35,67121,5405,591-
212,395213,603190,295196,527