re: bmx/apg Hi Eccoi,
from talking to the company, reading reports, research and hot copper posts I like others have come to the following conclusions.
As you may or may not knowAPG has developed the technology to :
1) Remove the cro3 from mineral sands in the Murray Basin. All Murray Basin (MB) sands are contaminated with cro3. To have an acceptable saleble product the level of cro3 must be below .4%. Naturally the better the material the better the price. The APG technology has been tested on ALL sands in the Basin and can get the cro3 level to.1%. BMX have a license with APG to remove the cro3 and other contaminents. APG will receive a royalty once BMX start production
2) APG can Produce a quality synthetic rutile of 98%+Tio2 from MB deposits while at the same time being the only one that is enviromentally freindly, having capital costs 25% less than other methods, operating costs 30% cheaper than other methods while producing a Tio2 that is of the highest standard. The quality demands the highest price of over $600/t This is where the real money is and that is why ILU, TOR and Kerr McGee are the key players in the world. Cristal have been for some time looking for a high grade syn rutile.
3) Both (1) and (2) above can go in line with another technology called the EARS process. This takes the hydrochloric acid used and waste and turns it into pellets that can be sold for other applications.
APG will license processes (1) and (3) but will not license (2). JV only!
APG announced 6mths ago deal with CRL/ILU. Part of that deal allows Iluka to negotiate for JV using APG technology on other projects....any guesses which one?
APG also mentioned large transaction being negotiated. Many feel it is Cristal for the following reasons...
1) Cristal want/need a high quality Synthetic Rutile.
2) Cristal was talking to APG long before Everett did and long before Cristal and BMX hooked up. All good but without a deposit (cristal or APG) neither could move forward.
3) Cristal conducted test work at the APG pilot plant last year as did BMX
4) Cristal have a deposit (BMX) but no technology.
5) If it is Cristal (many think it is) how would it be structured??? BMX would have to be involved some way or another.
APG have been developing its technology for a number of years but have failed to secure a major as a backer. Ticor did but the Indian Gov canned the deposit.
Of late many including ILU have tested at the Newcastle plant and as a result a deal between ILU and APG emerged which included ILU taking 10% of APG at 30% above market once the feasability is complete which will be in about three months time. The problem is APG wanted funding for the feasability which ILU would not provide and the next three months is the most expensive part.
Of course if another major snatched the technology from ILU things will get interesting.
Remember when ILU purchased the Basin Minerals deposit they said that they will use the NewGen technology. This bluff worked on those who do not know the technical side of Syn Rutile but those who do know that it will not work on the MB sands and it produces a black sludge that the greens will not have a bar of. If it did work why has ILU tried to secure the APG technology for other deposits
SGW and RZM did lots of testwork and it was rumoured of a JV not long before they went under.
If you were to beleive that a deal is 3 - 6 weeks away and it is Cristal then the question is which company has the greatest leverage short term. APG or BMX
APG, ILU, RZM, TOR, SGW and Basin Minerals have been associated for a long time but many think the next major announcement will secure its future.(funding and a backer)
I hold plenty of BMX and APG.
Cheers
ps.....in answer to your question....yes
BMX
bemax resources limited
