Appoints Senior Metallurgical Advisor

RNS Number : 5047X

Horizonte Minerals PLC

16 February 2012

 



Horizonte Minerals plc / Index: AIM and TSX / Epic: HZM / Sector: Mining

16 February 2012

Horizonte Minerals plc ('Horizonte' or 'the Company')

Appoints Senior Metallurgical Advisor

Horizonte Minerals plc, the AIM and TSX quoted exploration and development company focused in Brazil, announces the appointment of Dr. Phillip Mackey as Senior Metallurgical Advisor.  His appointment further strengthens Horizonte's development team as the Company advances its flagship Araguaia Nickel project ('Araguaia') located south of the Carajás mining district of north central Brazil.

Dr. Mackey is a consulting metallurgical engineer with over forty years' experience in non-ferrous metals processing with a particular focus on nickel and copper sulphide smelting and nickel laterite processing.  He has worked for leading producers of nickel including Falconbridge and Xstrata and throughout his career he has been involved in a number of nickel sulphide projects and later on nickel laterite projects at various stages of the development cycle from laboratory testing and pilot plant operations to commercial scale processing.  Dr. Mackey's extensive experience has seen him take projects from the start-up stage, through the feasibility stages and into the processing and production of non-ferrous metals.  During his career, he played a leading role in the development of the Noranda Process, the world's first commercial continuous copper smelting and converting process, having worked at the Horne smelter in Canada in the 1970s and later holding the position of Programme Manager between 1980 and 1990.  Dr. Mackey is a Member and Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy as well as the Metals and Minerals Society USA.  He has also authored or co-authored over 100 publications regarding metallurgy with a particular focus on nickel and copper.

Commenting, Horizonte CEO, Jeremy Martin said, "I am delighted to welcome Phillip to our growing team.  His world class expertise in metallurgical processing, especially in the nickel arena, will be invaluable to us as we progress the Araguaia Nickel Project towards the feasibility stage.  It has been an exciting start to the year for Horizonte as we announced our new resource for Araguaia, and with a further strengthened team behind us I look forward to updating shareholders on our progress."

**ENDS**

For further information visit www.horizonteminerals.com or contact:

Jeremy Martin	Horizonte Minerals plc	Tel: [phone]
David Hall	Horizonte Minerals plc	Tel: [phone]
Dominic Morley	Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited (Nomad and Broker)	Tel: [phone]
Joanna Weaving	finnCap Ltd (Joint Broker)	Tel: [phone]
Felicity Edwards	St Brides Media & Finance Ltd (PR)	Tel: [phone]
Sebastian de Kloet	Horizonte Minerals plc Canadian Investor Relations	Tel:    [phone]

About Horizonte Minerals:

Horizonte Minerals plc is an AIM and TSX listed exploration and development Company with a portfolio of nickel and gold projects in the Carajas District of Brazil.  The Company is focussed on creating value by generating and rapidly advancing exploration projects in tandem with joint ventures with major mining companies, providing mid-term cash flow, which is then used to develop the business and pipeline projects.

Horizonte has two committed major mining partners: Teck Resources Limited, a major strategic shareholder in the Company, and AngloGold Ashanti Limited, a JV partner on the gold portfolio.

Horizonte owns 100 per cent of the advanced Araguaia nickel project located to the south of the Carajas mineral district of northern Brazil.; the project has the potential to deliver a resource with size and grades comparable to other world-class projects in northern Brazil.

In addition, Horizonte and AngloGold Ashanti have a US$5.3 million exploration alliance to generate and develop new and existing gold targets within two areas of Brazil and a further JV with the major whereby AngloGold Ashanti can earn into 51% of the Falcao gold project by expending US$4.5 million over three years with the right to earn a further 19% by taking the project to Pre-feasibility Study.

Horizonte is well funded to accelerate the development of its core projects.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the potential of the Company's current or future property mineral projects; the success of exploration and mining activities; cost and timing of future exploration, production and development; the estimation of mineral resources and reserves and the ability of the Company to achieve its goals in respect of growing its mineral resources; and the realization of mineral resource and reserve estimates. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to risks related to: exploration and mining risks, competition from competitors with greater capital; the Company's lack of experience with respect to development-stage mining operations; fluctuations in metal prices; uninsured risks; environmental and other regulatory requirements; exploration, mining and other licences; the Company's future payment obligations; potential disputes with respect to the Company's title to, and the area of, its mining concessions; the Company's dependence on its ability to obtain sufficient financing in the future; the Company's dependence on its relationships with third parties; the Company's joint ventures; the potential of currency fluctuations and political or economic instability  in countries in which the Company operates; currency exchange fluctuations; the Company's ability to manage its growth effectively; the trading market for the ordinary shares of the Company; uncertainty with respect to the Company's plans to continue to develop its operations and new projects; the Company's dependence on key personnel; possible conflicts of interest of directors and officers of the Company, and various risks associated with the legal and regulatory framework within which the Company operates.

Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

 

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