Amazon Mining Holding Plc (TSX VENTURE: AMZ) ("Amazon" or the
"Company"), is pleased to announce the receipt of a positive
Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA" or the "Scoping Study") from
SRK Consulting ("SRK") and ECM S/A Projetos Industriais ("ECM") on
Amazon's wholly-owned Cerrado Verde project ("Cerrado Verde" or the
"Project") located in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The PEA evaluated the
technical and the financial aspects of the mine operation and
beneficiation facility. The Scoping Study assumed open pit mining
and pyrometallurgy process for the production of ThermoPotash
product.
The Study supports Amazon's positive outlook on Cerrado Verde's
value and represents a significant milestone toward full
development of the Project. Amazon took a conservative base case
approach to the Scoping Study, limiting the production rate to 1.1
Mt per year of ThermoPotash at 8.34% K2O. ECM estimates that with a
production rate of 1.1 Mt per year and the inferred resource base
of 105 million tonnes at 10.3% K2O determined by Coffey Mining, the
Project has a projected life of around 100 years, 40 years was
assumed for the analysis. Amazon also evaluated a second scenario
with a production rate of 2.2 Mt per year.
The results of the study for the 1.1Mt production rate scenario include:
-- Estimated Project Capital Cost of US$155.3 million, plus $23.3 million
in contingency and $18.2 million of pre-construction costs
-- Estimated Operating Cost (including production, work force, and variable
costs) of US$37.01 per tonne plus estimated marketing and administrative
costs of US$4.79 per tonne for a total cost of US$41.80 per tonne of
ThermoPotash
-- Net Present Value of US$455.4 million at a 10% discount rate
-- Net Present Value of US$339.1 million at a 12% discount rate
-- Estimated after-tax and royalty Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 32.9%
-- Payback of the initial Capital Expenditure: 2.38 years
The results of the study for the 2.2Mt production rate scenario include:
-- Estimated Project Capital Cost of US$218.4 million, plus $32.8 million
in contingency and $18.2 million of pre-construction costs
-- Estimated Operating Costs (including production, work force, and
variable costs) of US$32.12 per tonne plus estimated marketing and
administrative cost of US$4.24 per tonne for a total cost of US$36.36
per tonne of ThermoPotash
-- Net Present Value of US$858.1 million at a 10% discount rate
-- Net Present Value of US$652.6 million at a 12% discount rate
-- Estimated after-tax and royalty Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 40.2%
-- Payback of the initial Capital Expenditure: 1.87 years
The Scoping Study assumed a constant US Dollar-Brazilian Real
exchange rate of $1USD=$1.8BRL and constant petroleum coke and
limestone pricing of R$310 per ton and R$15 per ton, respectively.
Also, the cash flow projections exclude the cost of financing. Mine
life was assumed at 40 years. Income tax calculations did not
include any loss carry forwards.
The Scoping Study utilized the weighted average
delivery-adjusted sales prices of US$151.82/t and $133.23/t for the
1.1 and 2.2Mt, respectively, based on the independent market study
conducted by Agroconsult Consultoria & Marketing. (Please refer
to the news release on October 26, 2010.) The Marketing Study
assumed an FOB Vancouver potash (KCl) price of $400/t long
term.
With the encouraging results of the Scoping Study, the Company
will continue to study the feasibility of the Project led by Mr.
Pedro Ladeira, Vice President of Engineering and Mr. Mauricio
Sampaio, Vice President of Operations. President & CEO,
Cristiano Veloso, said "We are very pleased with the results of the
study. Based on cement production cost estimates, we had previously
estimated the operating costs before marketing and administrative
costs to be approximately $53 per tonne. This study lowers the
estimates by 30% to $37 per tonne. Also, the total capital
expenditure associated with the development of the Project is well
within the range of our expectations and is significantly lower
than other potash projects under development." Mr. Sampaio added,
"Our strategy to incorporate ThermoPotash in NPK removes much of
the adoption risk, as 90% of all fertilizer in Brazil is sold as an
NPK formulation. The Study's projected low operating costs combined
with the strong ThermoPotash prices estimated by Agroconsult should
secure future profitability with first production slated for early
2013."
The Company will file a NI 43-101 PEA report of the Study on the
Cerrado Verde project with Canadian securities regulators within 45
days of this release. The PEA will be available on SEDAR at
www.sedar.com, and also on the Company's website.
Conference Call
A conference call to discuss the results of the Scoping Study
has been scheduled for Wednesday, November 3, 2010 at 10:00 am ET
(7:00 am PT). Conference Call details can be found below:
Toll-free US / Canada +1 (800) 200-6965
Brazil 0800 891 1814
United Kingdom 0800 032 3502
Rest of the World +1 (646) 216-7221
Participant Code 978133#
Qualified Persons
Neal Rigby of SRK Consulting is the Principal author of the
Technical Report and incorporated the results of the Resource
Estimate prepared by Porfirio Cabaleiro Rodrigues of Coffey Mining.
All persons are Qualified Persons, independent of Amazon Mining
within the meaning of section 1.4 of NI 43-101, SRK Consulting has
reviewed and approved the technical information within this news
release.
The preliminary assessment includes inferred mineral resources
that are considered too speculative geologically to have the
economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to
be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that
the preliminary assessment will be realized. Mineral resources that
are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic
viability.
About SRK Consulting
SRK Consulting is an independent, international consulting
practice that provides focused advice and solutions to clients,
mainly from earth and water resource industries. For mining
projects, SRK offers services from exploration through feasibility,
mine planning, and production to mine closure. Formed in 1974, SRK
now employs more than 1,000 professionals internationally in 38
permanent staffed offices on 6 continents.
About ECM
ECM, founded in 1984, is a Brazilian engineering company with
extensive experience in developing multidisciplinary industrial
projects of all sizes, including project design for the minerals
and mining industry, from feasibility studies to plant
commissioning. ECM has about 550 employees and has been involved in
significant mining projects over the past decade in Brazil.
About Amazon
Amazon Mining is a mineral exploration and development company
founded by Brazilians in 2005. The company is focused on the
development of the Cerrado Verde project. Cerrado Verde is a source
of potash rich rock from which Amazon plans to produce a
slow-release, non-chloride, multi-nutrient, fertilizer product.
Amazon Mining is a UK public company with shares listed on the TSX
Venture Exchange since November 2007.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Amazon Mining Holding
Plc, Jed Richardson, Vice President of Corporate Development.
Cautionary Language and Forward Looking Statements
THIS PRESS RELEASE CONTAINS CERTAIN "FORWARD LOOKING
STATEMENTS", WHICH INCLUDE BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, STATEMENTS WITH
RESPECT TO THE FUTURE FINANCIAL OR OPERATING PERFORMANCE OF THE
COMPANY, ITS SUBSIDIARIES AND ITS PROJECTS, STATEMENTS REGARDING
USE OF PROCEEDS, EXPLORATION PROSPECTS, IDENTIFICATION OF MINERAL
RESERVES, COSTS OF AND CAPITAL FOR EXPLORATION PROJECTS,
EXPLORATION EXPENDITURES, TIMING OF FUTURE EXPLORATION AND
PERMITTING, REQUIREMENTS FOR ADDITIONAL CAPITAL, GOVERNMENT
REGULATIONS OF MINING OPERATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS, RECLAMATION
EXPENSES, TITLE DISPUTES OR CLAIMS, AND LIMITATIONS OF INSURANCE
COVERAGE. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS CAN GENERALLY BE IDENTIFIED BY
THE USE OF WORDS SUCH AS "PLANS", "EXPECTS", OR "DOES NOT EXPECT"
OR "IS EXPECTED", "ANTICIPATES" OR "DOES NOT ANTICIPATE", OR
"BELIEVES", "INTENDS", "FORECASTS", "BUDGET", "SCHEDULED",
"ESTIMATES" OR VARIATIONS OF SUCH WORDS OR PHRASES OR STATE THAT
CERTAIN ACTIONS, EVENT, OR RESULTS "MAY", "COULD", "WOULD",
"MIGHT", OR "WILL BE TAKEN", "OCCUR" OR "BE ACHIEVED". FORWARD
LOOKING STATEMENTS INVOLVE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN RISKS, UNCERTAINTIES
AND OTHER FACTORS WHICH MAY CAUSE THE ACTUAL RESULTS, PERFORMANCE
OR ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE COMPANY TO BE MATERIALLY DIFFERENT FROM ANY
FUTURE RESULTS, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED BY
SAID STATEMENTS. THERE CAN BE NO ASSURANCES THAT FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS WILL PROVE TO BE ACCURATE, AS ACTUAL RESULTS AND FUTURE
EVENTS COULD DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE ANTICIPATED IN SAID
STATEMENTS. ACCORDINGLY, READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE RELIANCE ON
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS.
Readers are cautioned not to rely solely on the summary of such
information contained in this release and are directed to the
complete set of drill results posted on Amazon's website
(www.amazonplc.com) and filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and any
future amendments to such. Readers are also directed to the
cautionary notices and disclaimers contained herein.
NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES
PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX
VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR
ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
Contacts: Amazon Mining Holding Plc Cristiano Veloso President
& Chief Executive Officer +44 (0) 20 8133 7607 +44 (0) 20 7405
7773 (FAX) cv@amazonplc.com Amazon Mining Holding Plc Jed
Richardson VP Corporate Development +1(416)866-2966 +1(416)866-8829
(FAX) jed@amazonplc.com www.amazonplc.com
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