Ann: Board changes, page-15

Its time to cut costs to the bone but in a responsible manner. All the assets and infrastructure at the mine, processing and accommodation sites should be secured and maintained. For the most part this is just roadways, tailings dam, accommodation and office assets. When the Graphite / Graphene markets do eventually turn and prospective investors/financiers again inspect the Assets they can't be shown an abandoned dream. What infrastructure is there has got to be kept in top condition. Local labor is cheap so this shouldn't cost much. The security of the assets is paramount. Thieving from construction or mine site's in not just an African problem but Australian as well, the best by far are in the U.K. where were it an Olympic sport they would get gold medals every time.

Battery stored power is the future. Whatever recipe they use to make these batteries, graphite will be a big part of the mix.
With more development of Graphene the more we learn about it. Weight for weight Graphene is 200 the strength of steel. Graphene could make Carbon fiber look old hat. In the future we may see aircraft fuselages and car bodies made from Graphene not to mention superconductors and entire batteries made from the most part Graphene.

BAT hasn't secured the finances needed to go forward but many other proposed Graphite mines are in the same boat. Will this make the expected shortage of Graphite come sooner than later? Many of the big automotive producers are still pushing forward with more battery or hybrid cars. A lot of legislation has gone through in Europe mandating electric vehicles not far in the future. In China the pollution from petrol and diesel powered vehicles is choking the populations in their big cities. In America north and south they have the similar problems. Mexico City has chronic air pollution.

If we have to sit and wait for the Graphite demand to catchup then so be it. Maybe for the reasons I have mentioned it will catchup like a tidel wave.

BAT has got to make what money that it has left in the bank last a year and a half or maybe two. Spend money on the locals keeping everything nice and shiny not on fat cats doing jack shite.