1. A mineral deposit estimated to contain 1,635,000 tonnes of ore has been delineated by Lee Mining Company. The Company has made an investment of $140,000,000 to recover the ore for a selling price of $360 per tonne. The Company has a minimum required rate of return of 21% on capital projects, an effective tax rate of 32%, and a depletion allowance of 11% of annual revenues. The ore is expected to be produced and sold at a rate of 291,000 tonnes per year and the operating expenses exclusive of depletion expenses are $54,000,000 per year. The Company uses the straight line depreciation method. Complete the following Table. Plot a graph of the internal rate of return (IRR) vs operating costs. Discuss your results. (14 points)

Sensitivity of Rate of Return (IRR) to Operating Costs for a Mining Project
Var. From Exp Value (%)	Operating Costs ($000,000)	Rate of Return (%)
-20
0	54.00
20