Page 28 - gmj144-July-Sept-mag-web

DIGGERS & DEALERS PREVIEW REFINING THE GOLD STANDARD
The ABC
of gold refining
After intensely managing the blood, sweat and
tears of exploration, mining and processing,
the last thing gold miners want is to worry
about final leg of the gold journey, refining and
sales. They want a trusted, experienced partner
who can deliver superior financial outcomes.
Through the management team at its new
Perth office, independent Australian refiner
ABC Refinery delivers exactly that.
abcrefinery.com
Part of Pallion – Australia’s largest independent precious metal services
group of companies – ABC Refinery’s share of the Australian gold
refining market has grown steadily in recent years as miners warm to its
ability to offer competitive commercial terms, innovative processing and
access to global precious metals markets.
While the corporate name may be new to many miners, the faces
behind the operation are very familiar. In Joe Metcalfe (Treasurer)
Nishan Kodituwakku (Deputy Treasurer) and Michael Dymock (Senior
Dealer) ABC Refinery has a combined 50 years’ experience in precious
metals trading, financing and bullion distribution both in Australia and
internationally.
That experience is playing a key role in ABC Refinery establishing itself
on Western Australia’s vibrant gold mining landscape.
“The three of us have been servicing that industry as a team for more
than 15 years,” Metcalfe, the ex Deputy CEO at Perth Mint says. “That
is an indication of the level of service and commitment we have to the
industry.
“The distribution business models we built at AGR Matthey and ANZ
Bank was highly successful, and we are doing it again with ABC Refinery.
We have the track-record of building global distribution businesses for
gold and silver and there is the opportunity to implement that again
from the ground up at ABC.”
For Kodituwakku, experience breeds trust and reliability, ingredients
gold producers require in refining partners.
“Miners are able to navigate operational challenges on many fronts –
whether that is exploration, mining or processing – but they ultimately
only have one source of revenue.” he says. “We are trying to work with
producers and emphasise how important it is for cash flow and revenue
to focus on this end of the process. Its vital they understand as much as
possible and get the best deal out of that.”
Metcalfe, Kodituwakku and Dymock previously held similar roles at The
Perth Mint, and before that worked together at AGR Matthey Refinery (a
partnership between Newmont Mining, Johnson Matthey and The Perth
Mint) and were instrumental in building the ANZ Bullion for ANZ Bank.
The depth and diversity of those roles means ABC Refinery can offer
unparalleled support to miners.
“We have a unique set of skills across the entire refining and trading
supply chain which customers can call on at anytime,” Dymock says,
pointing to Kodituwakku’s knowledge across the entire gold production
process.
“Nishan will say he’s primarily a trader but given his knowledge about
many aspects of financial markets and the gold industry, he is essentially
a one-stop shop for customers. He takes ownership of the entire process,
whether that is selling, producing, refining or agreements. He is available
24/7 for a chat with clients, so it is a full end-to-end service we provide.”
After leaving ANZ Bullion, the trio joined The Perth Mint where they
brought together disparate businesses and operations to create