I'm sorry but the following statement doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

Liberty aims to produce 500,000 tons of ore a year by 2010, which is about 500 tons of nickel. Production from McWatters underground mine is scheduled for November 2009.

The simple math is 500,000 tons ore per year x 1% grade = 5,000 tons of nickel per year.

Obviously the 1% is a combination of Redstone 2.4% and McWatters 3.93% and McWatters 0.72%. Initially I would assume higher than 1% as they are going for the 3.93% grade first.

If they mean we will be processing ore at the rate of 1,369/tpd X 365days = 500,000 tpy by January 1, 2010. Then to say we wil be processing 500 tons of nickel from now to year end is plausable.

Yet if that is so, consider

1. 500tpd ore x 30days x 3.93% x 85% recovery = 501 tons of nickel

2. 200tpd ore X 120days x 2.4% x 85% = 489 tons of nickel

I just don't like the wording of the sentence in the article, it is misleading.