ASX Announcement 12 October 2009 Mineral Resources confirms commencement of operations at Nicholas Downs from early 2010 after reaching agreement with Hancock Prospecting
Mineral Resources Limited (ASX:MIN) (Mineral Resources) announces today that it has reached agreement with Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd (HPPL) for the commencement of operations at the Nicholas Downs manganese operation from March 2010. The timetable will see Mineral Resources mobilise processing plant and equipment to HPPLs Nicholas Downs site in January 2010.

Site operations will commence production at a target rate of 40,000 tonnes per month of 40% ferruginous manganese with the first shipments of product expected to sail from Port Hedland in April 2010. Peter Wade, Executive Chairman of Mineral Resources says "this is a major milestone in the development of Mineral Resources relationship with HPPL and a direct result of the significant effort from both parties to move this project forward.

The market is right for additional supply of manganese with the overall world market for steel making materials significantly improving." In 2008, Mineral Resources announced a collaborative agreement with HPPL on the implementation of a manganese processing and export operation at what was then known as the Balfour Downs tenement in the Murchison region of Western Australia.

HPPL has renamed the project in honour of the Nicholas family, Mrs Gina Rineharts mothers family, who were also a pioneering family in the North of West Australia, her father James Nicholas, owning Cobb & Co, and bringing the first camels into the north to enable transportation in dry and rugged areas. About Mineral Resources Limited Mineral Resources Limited is a leading, integrated, Australian based mining services and processing company with operations in contract crushing, general mine services, infrastructure provision and recovery of base metal concentrate for export.

Operations are supplemented by rehabilitation and sale of heavy duty crushing and processing equipment, hire of engineering and crushing fleet plant and workshop manufacture of polyethylene pipe fittings and components. Comprising three long standing core businesses, PIHA Pty Ltd, Crushing Services International Pty Ltd and Process Minerals International Pty Ltd, Mineral Resources Limited has developed a strong reputation for the cost effective delivery of its services and products to the resources and infrastructure sectors. Mineral Resources Limited was admitted to the official list of the Australian Stock Exchange on 28 July 2006. To download the announcement click here. http://esp.gewru.com/download/files/12414/954726/market%20release%20commencement%20of%20operations%20Balfour%20Downs%20121009.pdf For further information contact: Peter Wade Executive Chairman / Managing Director Telephone: (08) 9437 7000 www.mineralresources.com.au David Tasker Professional Public Relations Telephone: (08) 9388 0944 Mobile: 0433 112 936 Email:
This message has been sent to you as a subscriber of the PPR mail service. If you no longer wish to be a part of the service, please email with the word "REMOVE" in the Subject line.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent by David Tasker, PPR (WA) Pty Ltd, Level 1, 588 Hay Street, Subiaco WA 6008 Western Australia to Unsubscribe: http://esp.gewru.com/download/forms/u/99c5710/1519516838.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------------