Amazon Mining Holding Plc (TSX-V symbol: “AMZ”) ("Amazon”
or the “Company”) reported its unaudited interim consolidated financial
statements for the three month period ended June 30, 2010 and provides
the following corporate update.
During the three-month period ended June 30, 2010, Amazon incurred a
net loss of $1,094,372 compared to a net loss of $1,035,230 for the
three-month period ended June 30, 2009. The larger loss in the second
quarter of 2010 was due to exploration expenditure write-offs related to
the decision not to continue the Caximbo and Mimoso projects. Amazon
currently has a working capital position of approximately $5.4MM. The
Company maintains a strong cash position and continues advancing the
Cerrado Verde Potash project (“Cerrado Verde project”)
President and Chief Executive Officer, Cristiano Veloso said; “We
have been heavily engaged in the Cerrado Verde project. Its many
activities are coming together to yield what promises to be an important
potash fertilizer extracted and processed in Brazil’s agricultural
heartland. We are glad to announce independent engineering studies are
progressing well and the pilot plant should produce enough ThermoPotash
to start field tests during the coming growing season to start in
September."
Preliminary Economic Assessment
Independent Engineering work began on the Preliminary Economic
Assessment (“PEA or Scoping Study”) for the Cerrado Verde project in
July, 2010. The work is being completed jointly by ECM.S.A - Projetos
Industriais and SRK Global Mining Consulting. The delay in initiating
the study occurred as management sought the best engineering company for
the work and put team members in place to oversee the work. Amazon is
pleased with the pace and quality of the work so far, and hopes to have
results to share with investors early Q4 2010.
Corporate
The addition of Mauricio Sampaio to Amazon’s team as Vice President
Operations (see press release dated June 9, 2010) marked an acceleration
in work on the development of the Cerrado Verde project. Mr. Sampaio
has taken a leading role in establishing ThermoPotash’s distribution
strategy and expanding agronomic trials. During 2008, the company had
moved to an outsourcing model for much of the technical functions to
reduce costs and maximize flexibility. The advancement of the Cerrado
Verde project has prompted the company to move away from the consultant
model and strengthen its in house team to prepare for project
construction and further product development.
Pilot Plant Operation
Amazon has been manufacturing trial versions of its proposed
ThermoPotash product since March 2010. Trials have been instrumental in
adapting Pyrometallurgical process, which had previously been done in an
electric arc furnace, to the lower cost rotary kiln. In recent months,
Amazon run extended trials of the pilot plant, manufacturing three to
four tonnes per day for two day periods, to study the process, refine
the product composition and provide material for agronomic test work.
Agronomic Test Work
As evidenced by results produced in August (see release dated August
11, 2010), Amazon is in the midst of lab scale testing of preliminary
ThermoPotash products. To date, the company has received excellent
results from solubility tests and nutrient availability tests. Tests are
also being conducted to demonstrate ThermoPotash’s resistance to
leaching and how effective ThermoPotash is on reducing limestone
requirements to reduce the acidity of soil. For both tests it should
compare quite favourably to KCl, which is known to leach away in heavy
watering, and increases soil acidity with application. Thus far work has
progressed under the supervision of Professor Gaspar Korndorfer at the
University of Uberlandia, in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
The Company has entered into an agreement with the University of
Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil, to complete a full slate of tests required
to register the ThermoPotash product as a fertilizer in Brazil. The
goal is to complete the requirements and register the product in Q3
2011. Amazon intends to deliver its first shipments of test material to
development partners in Minas Gerais state; ArcelorMittal (see release
dated September 23, 2009), Sekita Agribusiness (See release dated March
22, 2010) and EMBRAPA (See release dated August 4, 2009), in time for
Brazil’s main growing season, which starts in September. Expectations
are that initial results from the field test could be available in Q1
2011. Plans for tests with Agrifirma and other partners away from the
Company’s base of operations in Minas Gerais, Brazil will wait until the
company has hired a full-time agronomist to oversee and compile all of
the data collected from the plots.
Geological Work
During Q2 2010, Amazon completed a 300m drill program at the Tucano
Project in Bahia, Brazil, to maintain its claims. The drill holes were
assayed for only vanadium and the results were poor. Historical work
suggests that Tucano is host to potentially economic grades of vanadium
and uranium, uranium was not assayed for as it remains a controlled
mineral in Brazil. Amazon’s management believes in the economic
potential of the property. Work at Cerrado Verde pre-empted work planned
at Amazon’s Madeira Gold project in Amazonas, 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 Cerrado Verde project. Cerrado Verde is source of a 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 Toronto Stock Exchange since November 2007.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Amazon Mining Holding Plc, Jed Richardson, Vice President of Corporate Development
For additional information please contact:
Cristiano Veloso, President & Chief Executive Officer
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8133 7607; Fax: +44(0)20 7405 7773; Email:
cv@amazonplc.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
OR
Jed Richardson, VP Corporate Development
Tel: +1(416)866-2966; Fax: +1(416)866-8829; Email:
jed@amazonplc.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.amazonplc.com
Cautionary Language and Forward Looking Statements
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. 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.
The potential grades detailed in this release are conceptual in
nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral
resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the
targets being delineated as a mineral resource.
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.