The first direct ship laterite nickel ores from Perth-based Rusina Mining Limited"s Philippines project will be exported this month.

The ore has been sourced from Rusina's flagship Acoje project on the island of Luzon. It is being mined, marketed and exported under the Australian company's 50:50 profit sharing partnership with major Philippines contractor, DMCI Holdings.

Rusina managing director Robert Gregory says the maiden nickel shipments pave the way for Rusina to achieve its short-term objective of generating a no-risk cashflow while it continues to prove up its major objective, the higher grade but deeper saprolite nickel mineralization at Acoje.

The initial shipment of direct shipping ore (DSO) tonnes has been stockpiled at a DMCI constructed, purpose-built nickel export port at Santa Cruz. It is part of a 50,000 tonne bulk sample from the surface laterites. The DSO program will gradually be ramped up to one million tonnes per annum for the next five years.

"The direct ship consignments offer high margins, even at current nickel prices of US$28,650 per tonne, and will open a trade corridor that is just two days sailing to China," Robert Gregory says.