Upgrades Lontra Ni Project

Horizonte Minerals PLC
22 April 2008

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

22 April 2008



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

        Further Drilling Results from Nickel Discovery at Lontra, Brazil

Horizonte Minerals plc, the AIM listed exploration and development company
focused on Brazil and Peru, is pleased to announce further encouraging nickel ('
Ni') and cobalt ('Co') values at its priority 22,556 hectare Lontra Nickel
Laterite project in the Carajas Mineral Province of Northern Brazil. Positive
results have been received following the re-analysis of auger drill samples,
returning ore grade results averaging up to 1.5% Ni with Co values on average
10% higher than original analysis.

Highlights

  • Follow-up 2,000m auger drilling at Raimundo generating significant Ni
    grades
  • Re-analysis of samples from the Raimundo anomaly returned up to 1.66% Ni
    indicating potential for major discovery
  • Best interval averaging 1.5% Ni over 4m - ending in mineralisation
  • Co values on average 10% higher than original analysis
  • Ongoing auger drilling programmes continue to extend the known zones and
    test new Ni targets
  • Resource definition drilling programme to commence in May 2008

Horizonte CEO Jeremy Martin said, 'These are excellent results and underpin the
Board's belief that the Lontra project has the potential to host an economic
nickel deposit. The majority of holes analysed from the shallow auger drilling
programme ended in Ni mineralisation, demonstrating that the first 6 to 10
metres of the laterite material contain good Ni grades. A further two target
areas are currently being drilled with results due imminently.

'Our exploration activities are progressing well with three teams in the final
phase of a regional shallow auger programme. The surface dimensions of the soil
and auger anomalies indicate space for a significant resource at Lontra.  A
50-hole diamond drilling programme is due to commence May 2008 to test the depth
potential of the target areas and allow us to start working towards resource
definition.'

Detailed Information

Results have been received for 12 samples previously reported with an upper
limit of 1% Ni during the first phase auger drilling programme.  This was the
upper limit (10,000ppm or 1% Ni) of ICP geochemical analysis used during the
exploration phase. The samples were re-submitted to ACME Analytical Laboratories
Ltd ('ACME') for re-analysis using an ore grade process specifically used for
lateritic nickel ores.

The results seen in Table 1 highlight the drill hole geochemical data and
demonstrate surface leaching typical of this region, with grades indicating a
clear trend of increase with depth.

Table 1: Results of ore grade re-analyses for samples previously reported with
an upper limit of 1% Ni - combined with ICP data for the respective holes. Note
all holes are vertical.

   Drill Hole    From       To     Interval   Ni     Co      Av. Ni grade
               (metres)  (metres)  (metres)
    LON_AG209    0.00      2.00      2.00    0.09% 0.013%
                 2.00      4.00      2.00    0.15% 0.045%
                 4.00      6.00      2.00    0.74% 0.080%    8m @ 1.0% Ni
                 6.00      8.00      2.00    1.43% 0.071%
                 6.00      8.00      2.00    1.42% 0.071%
                 8.00      10.00     2.00    0.98% 0.040%
                 10.00     12.00     2.00    0.80% 0.029%
    LON_AG211    0.00      2.00      2.00    0.18% 0.030%
                 2.00      4.00      2.00    0.19% 0.033%
                 4.00      6.00      2.00    0.40% 0.058%
                 6.00      8.00      2.00    0.77% 0.081%    8m @ 1.0% Ni
                 8.00      10.00     2.00    0.78% 0.078%
                 10.00     12.00     2.00    0.88% 0.083%
                 12.00     14.00     2.00    1.53% 0.070%
    LON_AG214    0.00      2.00      2.00    0.14% 0.040%
                 2.00      4.00      2.00    0.25% 0.068%
                 2.00      4.00      2.00    0.25% 0.070%
                 4.00      6.00      2.00    0.73% 0.052%    8m @ 1.0% Ni
                 6.00      8.00      2.00    1.34% 0.043%
                 8.00      10.00     2.00    0.88% 0.031%
                 10.00     12.00     2.00    0.98% 0.023%
     LON_AG220   0.00      2.00      2.00    0.26% 0.060%
                 2.00      4.00      2.00    0.37% 0.087%
                 4.00      6.00      2.00    0.59% 0.123%
                 6.00      8.00      2.00    1.17% 0.133%    5m @ 1.2% Ni
                 8.00      10.00     2.00    1.32% 0.083%
                 10.00     11.00     1.00    1.19% 0.074%
    LON_AG232    0.00      2.00      2.00    0.17% 0.044%
                 2.00      4.00      2.00    0.16% 0.049%
                 4.00      6.00      2.00    0.38% 0.068%
                 6.00      8.00      2.00    1.45% 0.055%    6m @ 1.4% Ni
                 8.00      10.00     2.00    1.46% 0.046%
                 10.00     12.00     2.00    1.42% 0.039%
    LON_AG273    0.00      2.00      2.00    0.09% 0.035%
                 2.00      4.00      2.00    0.10% 0.047%
                 4.00      6.00      2.00    0.16% 0.080%
                 6.00      8.00      2.00    0.54% 0.077%
                 8.00      10.00     2.00    1.34% 0.061%    4m @ 1.5% Ni
                 10.00     12.00     2.00    1.66% 0.049%

Nickel laterites are a residual form of nickel mineralisation derived from a
process of uplift, weathering, and secondary enrichment of a host ultramafic
rock, typically of a composition ranging from harzburgite to dunite. Through
leaching and chemical exchange occurring over millions of years, concentrations
of nickel, cobalt, and iron are formed in varying quantities through the
laterite profile. A typical lateritic profile has a zone of leaching near the
surface, which reflects the ongoing process of remobilisation of the crucial Ni
and Co elements to deeper levels within the lateritic profile. At deposits
within the same district and with similar geologic settings, this leached zone
can vary from 0m to 50m and averages 10.5m at the Serra da Tapa deposit operated
by Xstrata located to the north of the Lontra project.

Background to the Project

The Lontra Laterite project is a 50/50 Joint Venture between Horizonte and a
private Brazilian company.  Lontra is situated in the Araguaia mobile belt,
which flanks the eastern margin of the Carajas Mineral Province of northern
Brazil.  This is circa 80km south of the major lateritic Ni project operated by
Xstrata at Serra da Tapa (inferred resource of 60Mt at 1.63% Ni and 0.06% Co)
and 7km northwest of the adjoining Vila Oito project, where Teck Cominco
currently has a drilling programme underway. Recent results released for the
Teck-Cominco drilling at Vila Oito indicate the top of high-grade mineralisation
is often intersected at depths of in excess of 10m and in some cases over 20m.

Horizonte initially identified a number of priority Ni targets at the Lontra
Project following a regional stream sediment sampling programme in the first
quarter of 2007. This was followed by regional soil sample programmes over the
seven target areas, which identified the drill targets.

Sampling, assaying, and QA/QC

These 1% upper limit samples were re-analysed using the ACME Laboratories 4
NILAT methodology for lateritic nickel ores, which encompasses a total
determination and mass balance accounting for the major rock forming elements.
The analytical tests report 21 elements of which the crucial Ni, Co, MgO, FeO
and SiO2 are presented below.

Table 2: Results of re-analysis of over limit Ni values by the 4 NILAT method.

    AUGER       Utm E      Utm N     FROM   TO    INTERVAL    Ni     Co    MgO   Fe2O3   SiO2
                  m          m        m      m       m        %      %      %      %      %
  LON_AG209    664760     9143600     6      8       2       1.43   0.08   5.7    57.3   14.8
                         Duplicate    6      8       2       1.42   0.09   5.7    57.7   14.6
  LON_AG211    664600     9143600     12    14       2       1.53   0.09   3.2    52.2   14.5
  LON_AG214    664780     9144000     6      8       2       1.34   0.05   19.9   35.2   26.2
  LON_AG220    664780     9144400     6      8       2       1.17   0.12   3.9    62.2   11.9
                                      8     10       2       1.32   0.07   17.6   37.4   24.3
                                      10    11       1       1.19   0.06   23.1   29.4   29.3
  LON_AG232    664360     9140300     6      8       2       1.45   0.07   3.5    57.0   14.8
                                      8     10       2       1.46   0.06   5.5    51.7   19.4
                                      10    12       2       1.42   0.05   8.4    45.0   23.7
  LON_AG273    664360     9130800     8     10       2       1.34   0.06   5.4    50.2   16.6
                                      10    12       2       1.66   0.06   7.1    46.8   19.3

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 ACME 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 seven 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]

Jeremy Porter/Laura Littley             Fairfax I.S. PLC                Tel: [phone]

Hugo de Salis/ Felicity Edwards         St Brides Media & Finance Ltd   Tel: [phone]



Notes to Editors:

Horizonte Minerals plc is an AIM listed exploration and development company with
a portfolio of gold, nickel, silver, lead and zinc projects in producing mineral
districts in Brazil and Peru.  It has three primary projects working towards a
resource definition including the 22,556 hectare Lontra nickel project situated
in the Araguaia mobile belt, which flanks the eastern margin of the Carajas
Mineral Province of northern Brazil, the silver-zinc-lead project El Aguilia in
Peru, located in the historic mining district of Cerro de Pasco and the 300 sq
km Falcao gold project located near the Lontra project. In addition it has a
generative pipeline of early stage projects in development.

The Company is focused on generating and rapidly advancing exploration projects
before joint venturing them with a major mining company to further develop the
projects and provide mid-term cash flow, which can be fed back into the business
and its other projects.  This model was proven in December 2007 when Horizonte
signed an option agreement with Troy Resources (ASX:TRY), to operate and develop
its Brazilian Tangara gold project by expending a total US$2.8 million on
exploration and development as well as a royalty payment on production.


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