7 May 2015
AMUR MINERALS CORPORATION
(AIM: AMC)
Industrial and Potable Water Allotment
Amur Minerals Corporation ("Amur" or the "Company"), the exploration and development company focused on base metal projects located in the Far East of Russia, reports it is has obtained a 112 square kilometer water allotment adjacent to the planned mill site at its Kun-Manie nickel copper sulphide project. The water allotment area will be examined using various geophysical survey methods and subsequently drilled to determine the source(s) from which water will be drawn to process the proposed production of 6.0 million tonnes of ore per annum and to provide potable water to support a 1,000 person operation. The key highlights related to the newly acquired allotment follow:
· Approximately 15 kilometers long, the allotment includes the Maia River and eight of its drainages located south of the production area for which the Company has applied.
· Thirty-three geophysical profiles will be generated to determine throughout the allotment and the depth of the stream and river gravels which are the source for water will be determined. These surveys will also provide valuable information in establishing the permafrost limits and depths.
· Based on the geophysical survey results, approximately 20 holes totaling 2,000 meters of drilling will be completed to verify the extent, amount and location from which water can be sourced.
· The detailed plan is presently being compiled for the Company for submission to the local governmental agencies in Blagoveshchensk, Amur Oblast Region.
· The first stage will also include monitoring of the river and stream flow beginning in late 2015 and shall be continued through the winter. Winter activities will include assessment of ice formation, its thickness and the impact on availability of water for operation.
· No significant costs will be incurred during the first phase of the programme which will be conducted during the remainder of this calendar year.
The water allotment has been obtained in advance of the award of the production licence. This has been undertaken to allow the Company to continue advancement of the project while simultaneously incurring a minimal cost. The geophysical work will be led by the Company's Chief Geophysicist.
Robin Young, CEO of Amur Minerals Corporation, commented:
"Whilst we await the Russian Government's award of the production licence, Amur continues its concerted effort to advance the project wherever possible. This basically consists of desktop studies utilising our existing staff thereby incurring little cost. By undertaking a series of tasks such as this, we are moving the project forward and limiting delays. We are also now in the process of identification of sand and gravel required for construction, limestone sources, and metallurgical coal availability. By completing these types of tasks now, Amur is moving the project forward. Presently, we anticipate a four month field season this year during which we anticipate the completion of up to 6,000 meters of infill drilling."
Enquiries:
Company Amur Minerals Corp. |
Nomad and Broker S.P. Angel Corporate Finance LLP |
Public Relations Yellow Jersey |
Robin Young CEO |
Ewan Leggat Katy Birkin |
Dominic Barretto Kelsey Traynor |
+44 (0) 79 8112 6818 |
+44 (0) 20 3470 0470 |
+44 (0) 77 6853 7739 |
Notes to Editors
The information contained in this announcement has been reviewed and approved by the CEO of Amur, Mr. Robin Young. Mr. Young is a Geological Engineer (cum laude) and is a Qualified Professional Geologist, as defined by the Toronto and Vancouver Stock Exchanges. An employee of Amur for 10 years, previously Mr. Young was employed as an independent consultant with Fluor Engineers, Fluor Australia and Western Services Engineering, Inc. during which time his responsibilities included the independent compilation of resources and reserves in accordance with JORC standards. In addition, he was the lead engineer and participant of numerous studies and projects requiring the compilation of independent Bankable Studies utilised to finance small to large scale projects located worldwide. Mr. Young is responsible for the content of this RNS that has included information derived by SRK, RPM, SGS and Amur's staff of professionals.
For further information, see the Company website at www.amurminerals.com.
The 2015 Design Basis
The current design basis as of Q1 2015 consists of a single simple concept. As the ore is sulphidic in character, a saleable nickel - copper concentrate is to be generated for subsequent sale and smelting on the international market. Conventional open cast and underground mining will source ore to the flotation plant is planned. The flotation concentrate will be trucked from the site over a 320 kilometre road for delivery to the rail head at Ulak located on the Baikal Amur railroad in the Amur Oblast Region. From there, it will be transported by rail to a commercial smelter.
The project requires a substantial amount of water for industrial usage for dust suppression, crushing, grinding and flotation of the ore. Potable water is also required to support a camp capable of supporting 1,000 staff.