SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
FORM 6-K
Report of Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the month of April, 2008
Commission File Number 001-32748
CORRIENTE RESOURCES INC. |
(Translation of registrant's name into English) |
520 - 800 West Pender Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA V6C 2V6 |
(Address of principal executive offices) |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F
£ Form 40-F QIndicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): £
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): £
Indicate by check mark whether by furnishing the information contained in this Form, the registrant is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes £ No Q
If Yes is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82-_______________
DOCUMENTS INCLUDED AS PART OF THIS REPORT
Document | |
1. |
News release, dated April 3, 200 8 |
Disclosure statements as required by |
||
|
For Immediate Release |
April 3, 2008 |
TSX: CTQ, AMEX: ETQ |
UPDATED FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR MIRADOR SHOWS ATTRACTIVE STARTER
PROJECT
WITH MAJOR COPPER GROWTH POTENTIAL
Project to produce 130 Million pounds of copper annually
VANCOUVER, CANADA, April 03, 2008 Corriente announces that an updated Feasibility Study Technical Report ("FS") has been completed for the companys 100% owned Mirador Project ("the Project") in southeastern Ecuador. The FS projects an average of almost 130 Million pounds of annual copper production for the Project and shows a projected initial capital cost of approximately US$ 399 Million and approximately US$ 19 Million in working capital, which would be spent over a two year construction period prior to the start of production. The FS calls for daily throughput of the concentrator facility of approximately 30,000 tonnes per day, which is a material improvement over the original Feasibility Study results released by the company in April 2005, which planned for 25,000 tonnes per day.
Mr. Ken Shannon, CEO of Corriente stated, "The Company is pleased that its efforts to continue to refine the economics of the starter project at Mirador are meeting with success and each iteration of the project shows increasing value for shareholders and stakeholders. Combined with our Panantza San Carlos project, Corriente now has a fully stocked pipeline of near term and longer term projects from which to build a significant copper producer from the ground up."
Highlights
520 800 West Pender Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6C 2V6
T (604) 687-0449 F (604) 687-0827 Email copper@corriente.com
Resources
Total estimated resources for the Mirador Project (excluding Mirador Norte), at a 0.4% copper cut-off, are as follows:
Category |
Tonnes |
Cu% |
Cu (lbs) |
Au oz |
Ag oz |
Measured |
52,610,000 |
0.65 |
753,000,000 |
360,000 |
2,770,000 |
Indicated |
385,060,000 |
0.60 |
5,134,000,000 |
2,380,000 |
18,760,000 |
Measured & Indicated - total |
437,670,000 |
0.61 |
5,887,000,000 |
2,740,000 |
21,530,000 |
Inferred |
235,400,000 |
0.52 |
2,708,000,000 |
1,250,000 |
9,900,000 |
The mine plan for the FS utilized 181 Million tonnes or approximately 41% of the overall Measured and Indicated Resource contained within the Mirador deposit. Mineral resources at the adjacent Mirador Norte project have not been included in the FS.
Total estimated resources for Mirador Norte, at a 0.4% copper cut-off, are as follows:
Category |
Tonnes |
Cu% |
Cu (lbs) |
Au oz |
Indicated |
171,410,000 |
0.51 |
1,921,000,000 |
489,000 |
Inferred |
45,820,000 |
0.51 |
513,000,000 |
101,000 |
Mining
Ore and waste quantities were generated from a 3-D model of the deposit. The FS resource at Mirador of 181 Million tonnes was arbitrarily restricted in this starter project FS and with infrastructure changes, the portion of Mirador resources that could be available for mining would significantly increase (see Table above). The LOM strip ratio is estimated to be 0.81 (waste):1(ore).
Processing
The process plant is a conventional concentrator that would process 30,000 tonnes per day of copper ore containing 0.62% Cu, 0.20g/t Au and 1.63 g/t Ag over the life of the mine. The plant has been specifically designed to allow a doubling of throughput to 60,000 tonnes per day by twinning the process circuit beside the existing layout. Several major components of the flow sheet are already sized to cope with such an expansion, including the crusher and main ore conveyor.
The copper concentrate produced is expected to average 30% Cu. The concentrate would be transported via a 418 km highway to a dedicated bulk materials port at Machala that is included in the planned mine infrastructure. The Corriente port site was granted approval for an Environmental Impact Assessment, as announced by the company on December 10, 2007.
Infrastructure
The existing Amazon highway system comes within six kilometres of the Project site and local gravel roads will require upgrading to improve mine access. The conceptual design of the FS calls for a 111 km, 230 kV transmission line to be constructed to connect directly to the main electrical grid at Sinincay.
520 800 West Pender Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6C 2V6
T (604) 687-0449 F (604) 687-0827 Email copper@corriente.com
Socio-Economic
The principal needs of the local communities and government are employment and infrastructure development. Extensive migration of residents within Ecuador and abroad has occurred because of the poor local job market. The company has been working on a program of dialogue over the last six years with the local communities and government to ensure that any development at Mirador is sensitive to their needs and fits with the requirement that projects are environmentally and socially responsible.
Construction
The estimated cost to build the 30,000 tonne per day plant and associated infrastructure is US$ 418 Million, including working capital of approximately US$ 19 million. Labour is estimated at 2.7 Million man-hours of direct construction work and mine pre-development. The execution period to allow for long lead-time items for the Project is estimated to be 36 months total, which includes a construction period of approximately 24 months.
Copper Price Sensitivity
The Project base case uses a long term copper price assumption of US$ 1.75/lb. Holding all other costs and prices constant, varying copper prices provides the following table. These results highlight the strong economics of the Project at various copper prices up to US$ 3.00/lb, a level which is significantly less than current spot market price for copper.
Copper Price |
NPV |
IRR |
US$/lb |
US$ million |
% |
|
8 ( % discount rate) |
|
|
After Tax |
|
$1.50 |
116 |
12.6 |
$1.75 |
265 |
17.7 |
$2.00 |
427 |
22.8 |
$2.25 |
592 |
27.5 |
$2.50 |
758 |
32.0 |
$2.75 |
923 |
36.3 |
$3.00 |
1,089 |
40.4 |
In general, the FS indicates that the Project is more sensitive to copper revenue and less sensitive to capital cost, gold price or operating cost fluctuations.
The cost estimates and financial analyses set out above are subject to important qualifications, assumptions and exclusions, all of which are set out in the FS. In order to fully understand these figures, the NI 43-101 Technical Report referred to below should be read in its entirety.
The FS study was completed by a team of in-house staff and external engineering consultants, including SNC-Lavalin Chile S.A., Merit Consultants International Inc., Hoffert Processing Solutions Inc. and Knight Piésold Ltd. The full NI 43-101 Technical Report will be available on SEDAR within 45 days of this announcement.
The Qualified Person for the above disclosure is John Hoffert, P. Eng.
520 800 West Pender Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6C 2V6
T (604) 687-0449 F (604) 687-0827 Email copper@corriente.com
Current Activity at Mirador
Work at the site is currently focused on the continuation of activities related to the Environmental Impact Assessment Amendment ("EIAA"). A work force of approximately 50 people is currently upgrading infrastructure at the Project for the required EIAA activities. Work is continuing on new home construction in the nearby village of Tundayme as part of the program of relocating several local residents away from the area of proposed mining activity at Mirador. Studies on local hydropower options are being carried out as part of a long-term development plan for energy needs at Mirador. A new office has been opened in the canton capital of El Pangui,, which will serve as the regional headquarters for work on the Mirador Project.
Next Steps at Mirador
Over the next three months, the work force at Mirador is expected to double as work starts on technical studies which are part of the EIAA program. In addition the company is working with the Government of Ecuador to define the terms of an Investment Contract. The Government has indicated a timeline for this process that would see completion in mid-2008. According to Mr. José Serrano, the Sub-Secretary of the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, "The Ministry is in dialogue with the companys Ecuador subsidiary, Ecuacorriente S.A., about designing agreements that permit a development at Mirador that entail benefits for all sectors involved."
Panantza San Carlos Project
Corriente is in the process of securing a partner for the companys US$ 1.3 Billion Panantza San Carlos project approximately 40 km to the north of Mirador, as announced by the company on January 31, 2008.
At US$ 1.75/lb copper, this project has an after-tax Net Present Value of US$ 1.2 Billion at an 8% discount rate, and an after-tax Internal Rate of Return of 19.7%. Corriente has executed Confidentiality Agreements with multiple parties who are engaged in preliminary project data review.
Following completion of the data review, the company plans to move to an in-country due diligence process. During this phase of due diligence, Corriente will work with CORPEI, which is the Ecuadorian Corporation for Exports and Investments Promotion.
According to CORPEI President, Mr. Ricardo Estrada, "CORPEI considers the Panantza San Carlos project an unprecedented opportunity for Ecuador to gain investors competitive with those of other large mining countries in Latin America. The Government is aspiring to initiate responsible mining and a new era of development based on mineral resources and for these reasons, CORPEI is prepared to work together with the company to advance this project."
ABOUT CORRIENTE
Corriente is moving towards construction of a starter operation at its Mirador copper-gold operation. Mirador is one of the few new, sizeable copper projects available for near-term production. Corriente controls a 100% interest in over 62,000 hectares located within the Corriente Copper Belt, Ecuador. The Belt currently contains four copper and copper-gold porphyry deposits: Mirador, Mirador Norte, Panantza and San Carlos, as well as six additional copper exploration targets. Corriente is currently in discussions with a number of potential partners about participation in the companys Panantza San Carlos project.
520 800 West Pender Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6C 2V6
T (604) 687-0449 F (604) 687-0827 Email copper@corriente.com
"Ken Shannon" Kenneth R. Shannon For further information, please contact Mr. Dan Carriere,
Senior Vice-President, Certain statements contained in this News Release announcing
the updated Feasibility Study for Mirador constitute forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. Forward-looking statements include among other things, statements
regarding projected production rates and capital costs, estimates regarding
copper prices, mineral resources and anticipated grades and internal rates of
return. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts
and that are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause
actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the
forward-looking statements, including risks related to the exploration stage of
the companys projects; market fluctuations in prices for securities of
exploration-stage companies; uncertainties about the availability of additional
financing; uncertainties related to fluctuations in copper prices; the
possibility that Corriente may change its plans with respect to one or more
properties; and other risks and uncertainties described in the companys Annual
Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2007, and registration
statement on Form 40-F filed with Canadian securities regulators and the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission, respectively. Although we believe the
expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, results
may vary, and we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity,
performance or achievements. 520 800 West Pender Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6C 2V6 SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report
to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
CEO and President
at (604) 687-0449 or see our web site at www.corriente.com.
T (604) 687-0449 F (604) 687-0827 Email copper@corriente.com
CORRIENTE RESOURCES INC. | ||
(Registrant) | ||
Date: April 3, 2008 | ||
By: |
/S/ DARRYL F. JONES | |
Name: Darryl F. Jones | ||
Title: Chief Financial Officer |