Qtr report end 31.12.04 Pt 1

Centamin Egypt Limited 31 January 2005 CENTAMIN EGYPT LIMITED ('Centamin' or the 'Company') ACN 007 700 352 QUARTERLY REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2004 CORPORATE ACTIVITES During the quarter, significant structural and operational changes continued to occur within the Egyptian bureaucracy which should have a positive impact on the mineral sector. His Excellency, Sameh Fahmy, the Minister for Petroleum in Egypt has now formally assumed responsibility for the management and development of the mineral resource sector. During the quarter a new division was created within the Ministry, dedicated to the advancement of the mineral resource sector. Numerous working meetings have been held with representatives of this group and also with the Minister himself and, as a consequence, we believe that the operational environment has significantly improved. The Petroleum Ministry presently manages in excess of thirty commercial relationships with international companies such as Shell, Amoco, British Gas and Pennzoil and is actively involved in large project financing transactions relating to oil and gas infrastructure whereas the previous Ministry had no such commercial experience. With the transfer of responsibility for the development of the mineral exploration and mining sector to the Petroleum Ministry, the Egyptian Geological Survey and Mining Authority (EGSMA) has been renamed the Egyptian Mineral Resource Authority (EMRA). Further commercial change occurred in December with the appointment of Dr Sherif Sousa as Chairman of EMRA. Dr Sousa was formerly the Chairman of Rasheed Gas, a large Egyptian public company. Company representatives have subsequently met several times with Dr. Sousa and can report that the relationship with EMRA is now one of co-operation and commercial understanding. The Company believes that negotiations to permit a resumption of exploration and development activities at the Sukari Gold Project are in their final stages. • Eastern Desert Concession (the 'Concession') - Legal Actions As a consequence of the major political and economic changes being implemented by the Egyptian Government, the Company has, as a matter of policy, requested that the decision on the action currently before the Centre for Arbitration, be temporarily deferred to allow for amicable negotiations with EMRA to take place to resolve the dispute commercially between the parties. • EGSMA/EMRA - Status Report Following the publication of comments made by Mr Abdul El Hassan Abd El Raouf Soliman, the previous Chairman of EGSMA on the EGSMA website relating to the matters before the Court and the Centre, the Company wrote to Mr Soliman requesting him to formally withdraw or correct his comments on the basis that they were false and misleading. As no withdrawal or correction was forthcoming at the time, a penal action for false accusations was filed by the Company's subsidiary Pharaoh Gold Mines NL against Mr Soliman under Article 305 of the Egyptian Penal Code. We are pleased to report that during the quarter the comments were removed from the EMRA website and as such the company is now reviewing its position with respect to the action. • Sukari Project - Status Report The Sukari project is the most advanced gold project in Egypt and will be the country's first gold producer in the modern era. As such, the Company understands that it is important to seek resolution to all matters in a non-confrontational and co-operative manner wherever possible. The Company remains fully committed to helping develop a significant gold mining industry in the country. Although this approach has taken significantly more time than anticipated, we believe it has and will provide for an even more supportive framework in which to contract with the Government during the lead up to and through project construction. The Company is resolved to continue to abide by both the spirit and intent of the Concession Agreement. Seven drill rigs remain on site at Sukari ready to resume the task of completing infill and extension drilling. Tenders have been received for contract drilling on the resumption of activities at site and the Company is presently finalising contract details. Metallurgical samples have been assembled and are ready for shipment to Australia as part of the Bankable Feasibility Study into the development of a 4 to 5 million tonne per annum processing facility. For Centamin Egypt Limited Josef El-Raghy Managing Director 31 January 2005 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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