Drilling Report

Horizonte Minerals PLC
18 October 2006



        Horizonte Minerals plc / Index: AIM / Epic: HMZ / Sector: Mining



18th October 2006



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

                   Hits Multiple High Grade Silver Intercepts


Horizonte Minerals plc, the AIM listed exploration and development company
focused on Brazil and Peru, is pleased to announce results from the initial 5
holes of the 11 hole core drilling programme completed on its 100% owned El
Aguila silver-lead-zinc-gold project, located in the Cerro de Pasco mining
district, central Peru.  All the holes reported here returned economic
intersections within zones of pervasive mineralisation and alteration.


Highlights


•        DDH1        7.75 meters grading 101.9 g/t Ag with 1.23% Pb and 1.09% Zn
•        DDH2        2.25 metres grading 285 g/t Ag with 7.91% Pb and 9.90% Zn
•        DDH3        4.03 metres grading 229 g/t Ag with 4.77% Pb and 5.00% Zn
•        DDH4        10.43 metres grading 173 g/t Ag with 1.39% Pb and 1.22% Zn
•        DDH5        13.73 meters grading 137 g/t Ag with 2.65% Pb and 3.14% Zn


The Company has drilled 11 holes totalling 1,350 metres with results for the
remaining holes due shortly.  The aim of the programme was to test the lateral
and vertical continuity of the Veta Norte and Veta Sur polymetallic replacement
structures.  These drill results confirm the data received from the surface and
underground sampling programme completed in July 2006, which indicated
substantial widths of mineralisation adjacent to the Veta Norte and Veta Sur.
The drill confirmation of the high sulphidation replacement style mineralisation
similar to that of the Cerro De Pasco ploymetallic mine is significant for the
tonnage potential of the project.



El Aguila is hosted within a hydrothermal breccia pipe below silicified Pucarra
Limestone, which is the main host rock to the producing polymetallic mines
around the Cerro de Pasco district.  Mineralisation occurs in the form of
massive sulphide and stockwork veins with associated mineralised hydrothermal
breccia.



Two holes were drilled off Pad 1; HM-DDH1 at -50(o) and HM-DDH2 at -70(o) to
test the part of the system at the 4,230 metre level. HM-DDH1 intersected 4
zones of Ag-Pb-Zn mineralisation with the best zone being 7.75 metres from 76.25
metres down hole grading 101 g/t Ag with 1.23% Pb and 1.09% Zn.  HM-DDH-2 also
hit a number of silver zones with the best being 2.25 metres from 115.93 meters
down hole grading 285 g/t Ag with 7.91% Pb and 9.9% Zn which correlated with 3
metres grading 141 g/t Ag in HM-DDH-1. These two holes confirmed the depth
continuity of the Veta Norte and Veta Sur systems to 120 metres depth from
surface.



Drill holes HM-DDH3 at -50(o) and HM-DDH4 at -70(o) sited off Pad 2 were drilled
50 metres along strike from Pad 1 and at an elevation of 4,260 metres. HM-DDH-3
intersected an interval of 14.13 metres at 25.92 meters down hole grading 145. g
/t Ag with 2.52% Pb and 2.45% Zn including the interval of 4.03 metres with 229
g/t Ag with 4.77% Pb and 5.00% Zn.  HM-DDH-4 confirmed the extension of the Veta
Sur to 120 metres depth where it returned 10.43 metres from 46 meters down hole
grading 173 g/t Ag with 1.39% Pb and 1.22% Zn.



HM-DDH-5 drilled at -50(o), was sited approximately 180 metres to the east of
HM-DDH-1 at an altitude of 4,288 metres intersected the Veta Sur.  The entire
drill hole from surface to end of hole intersected 57.95 meters grading 64 gt/t
Ag with 1.43% Pb and 1.92% Zn, the mineralised zone being much wider than
expected.  The hole also returned a high grade interval of 3.23 metres from
53.37 meters down hole grading 238 g/t Ag with 3.97% Pb and 2.97% Zn.


      Drill          From       To      Interval       Ag          Pb          Zn
       Hole           (m)       (m)        (m)        (g/t)        (%)         (%)
     HM-DDH1         2.00      10.00      8.00        49.50       2.30        1.21
                     51.25     56.50      5.25       139.19       1.39        0.78
                     76.25     84.00      7.75       101.96       1.23        1.09
                     92.46    106.80      14.34       66.49       1.79        1.53
    Including       103.75    106.80      3.05       139.62       3.63        2.75

     HM-DDH2         2.00      12.30      10.30       43.41       2.25        1.05
                     82.00    102.00      20.00       51.40       1.20        0.90
                    115.93    118.18      2.25       285.00       7.91        9.90

     HM-DDH3         25.92     40.05      14.13      145.10       2.52        2.45
    Including        28.97     33.00      4.03       229.07       4.77        5.00

     HM-DDH4         46.00     56.43      10.43      173.99       1.39        1.22
                     69.57     70.00      0.43       289.00       4.21        2.02

     HM-DDH5         0.00      57.95      57.95       64.22       1.43        1.92
    Including        44.22     47.27      3.05       231.13       5.36        1.97
    Including        53.37     56.60      3.23       238.81       3.97        2.97



Horizonte CEO Jeremy Martin said: 'El Aguila is turning out to be very exciting;
the initial drill results are extremely encouraging, especially as we are
getting mineralisation over extensive widths. Importantly the grades are inline
with producing mines in the Cerro de Pasco district. We are confident once we
receive the results for the remaining 6 holes that on the basis of grade and
most importantly width continuity seen to date, we will be in a position to look
at a releasing a resource statement for El Aguila.  The infrastructure in place
at the project is excellent, we have a granted mining licence and surfaced road
to Cerro de Pasco and the associated process facilities, permitting the fast
track development of this project.



'With this in mind and with the early encouraging results from Tangara in Brazil
and our developing pipeline, Horizonte is in a position to grow through its
focused approach of generative exploration.'



Sampling, assaying, and QA/QC

Procedures adopted by Horizonte in the collection, preparation and storage of
samples from the auger drilling programme, conform to industry-wide best
practice and with chain of custody being observed for all samples. Analysis is
undertaken by ALS Labs at its laboratories in Vancouver, Canada, and the Company
maintains QA/QC on all analytical work via the inclusion of certified reference
materials and field duplicates and blanks, in addition to monitoring of the
laboratory's own internal check-analyses.



The above information has been reviewed and verified by Mr. Jeremy Martin, a
Director and Chief Executive of Horizonte, for the purposes of the Guidance Note
for Mining, Oil and Gas Companies issued by the London Stock Exchange in March
2006.  Mr. Martin, with six years of mining and management experience, graduated
with a degree in geology from the Camborne School of Mines, and an MSc in
mineral exploration from the University of Leicester and is a member in good
standing with the Society of Economic Geologists and the Institute of mining
Analysts.



                                  * * ENDS * *



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

Jeremy Martin/David Hall   Horizonte Minerals plc         Tel: [phone]
David Paxton               Hichens Harrison               Tel: [phone]
Hugo de Salis              St Brides Media & Finance Ltd  Tel: [phone]
John Frain/Fergal Meegan  Davy                            Tel: [phone]

Notes to Editors:

Horizonte Minerals Plc is an AIM listed mineral resources exploration group
focused on the discovery, appraisal and development of gold and base metal
deposits in Brazil and Peru.  The Group has two gold exploration projects in
Brazil, and one silver-zinc-lead project in Peru. The two Brazilian gold
projects, Tangara and Falcao, are located to the south of the highly prospective
Carajas Mineral Province. Both projects cover an area of approximately 300 sq km
and are centred over greenstone belts, with known gold mineralisation. The scale
of these project areas, the overall aerial extent of the mineralised system and
the high density and magnitude of related gold anomalies (identified in river
sediments, surface soils and rocks), indicate the potential for multiple deposit
discoveries. The silver-zinc-lead project is located in the historic mining
district of Cerro de Pasco in Central Peru. Sampling and limited historic
drilling on this project has demonstrated the high grade potential of this
project. The Group has a joint venture with Australian gold producer Troy
Resources NL's 70% owned local subsidiary Sertao Mineracao Ltda to advance its
Goias Velho gold exploration project in Brazil.


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange