Vantage Goldfields Limited (VGO) –Increasing Production to ~50,000ozpa

• In April/May 2010, Vantage Goldfields Ltd (VGO) expects to raise A$30m in an IPO (led by Shaw Corporate) for its wholly owned subsidiary, Eastern Goldfields SA, resulting in 224m shares on issue at a nominal price of A$0.40c for a market cap of A$89m.
• VGO’s main assets are all in the Barberton region of Eastern South Africa, and comprise of the operating Lily underground gold mine (that is undergoing a mill expansion to ~400,000tpa), recommissioning the Barbrook mine and plant complex, and exploration over ~165sq km of the Barberton Greenstone belt (including the old Worcester gold mine).
• The Barberton Greenstone Belt is comparable to the typical greenstone gold mine deposits of WA, yet it has not been subjected to standard Australian geological exploration techniques. For example, although it supported ~350 mines in its heyday and produced >10moz, no one has ever flown aeromag there, which is 101 basic geology in Australia. VGO intends to fly helicopter aeromag in JQ 2010.
• VGO initially mined Lily as an open-cut at ~2.2g/t and ~10,000ozpa for ~5 years, before declining underground in June 2007 and switching to full underground production in January 2009. Recognising the need to upgrade the plant, Barbrook was acquired providing greater production potential to ~50,000ozpa.
• VGO had intended to expand earlier, but were caught in the GFC limiting the ability to raise finance, until now. During that period VGO undertook studies and examined the capability of bringing Barbrook back into production, while exploration found depth extensions to the old Worcester gold mine (NW of Barberton, on a classic NW/SE structure).
• There appears to be significant upside potential for VGO in the Barberton Greenstone Belt of South Africa.