Augusta
Resource Corporation (TSX/AMEX: AZC) (“Augusta” or the “Company”) today
announced its 2007 Rosemont Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate. The
Company is pleased to report the updated resource estimate contains 8.4
billion pounds (“lbs”) of copper (“Cu”) equivalent in measured and
indicated resources and 1.9 billion lbs of Cu equivalent in inferred
resources. The estimate also includes a silver (“Ag”) resource for the
deposit, which quantifies approximately 66.5 million ounces (“oz”) of Ag
in measured and indicated resources and 9.3 million oz of Ag in
inferred resources. Copper equivalence is based on prices of $1.25/lb
Cu, $18.00/lb Mo and $8.50/oz Ag, with no applied recovery factors.
The updated resource statement comes
after completing a 20,000-meter infill drill program at Rosemont in
2006, which was focused on upgrading the sulfide copper-molybdenum
resource (543.1 M tons at 0.75% Cu equivalent at a 0.2% Cu cutoff) and
quantifying a new silver resource (543.1 M tons at 0.12 Ag oz/ton at a
0.2% Cu cutoff). In addition the Company conducted a re-assay program of
historic drilling, which combined with new drilling to quantify a
surface oxide copper resource (74.5 M tons at 0.20% Cu equivalent at a
0.1% Cu cutoff). For a more detailed outline of the updated resource
statement, please refer to the tables on page two.
President & CEO Gil Clausen says,
"We are pleased with this increase in measured and indicated resources.
These results will now be evaluated for economic mine designs in the
bankable feasibility study due for completion in the second quarter.
With the sizable increase in our resource estimate to more than 10
billion pounds of copper equivalent, the Rosemont project is proving to
be even more of a strategic domestic asset."
He added, "Copper production in the
United States is declining as the existing major copper deposits in the
southwest become exhausted, yet the United States continues to demand
the products that utilize this strategic metal. This gap between
domestic demand and supply has led to a growing dependency on
substantial imports of copper. In addition, the world's developing
economies find themselves in direct competition for available copper as
their demand continues to increase. These factors, coupled with growing
global security concerns, point to the critical need for new sources of
domestic copper."
A new NI 43-101 report on the Rosemont Property will be available within 45 days on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
TABLE 1
| Cutoff Grade |
Short Tons |
|
|
|
|
%Cu |
lbs Cu |
|
lbs Mo |
oz Ag |
lbs Cu |
| %Cu |
|
%Mo |
|
|
Eq.* |
| Cu % |
(millions) |
|
Ag oz/t |
Eq.* |
(millions) |
|
(millions) |
(millions) |
| |
|
|
|
(millions) |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| MEASURED MINERAL RESOURCES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Oxides: 0.10 |
14.3 |
0.21 |
|
- |
- |
- |
61 |
|
- |
- |
61 |
| Sulfides: 0.20 |
120.4 |
0.55 |
|
0.016 |
0.15 |
0.82 |
1,312 |
|
38.5 |
17.5 |
1,986 |
| INDICATED MINERAL RESOURCES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Oxides: 0.10 |
60.2 |
0.20 |
|
- |
- |
- |
236 |
|
- |
- |
236 |
| Sulfides: 0.20 |
422.7 |
0.49 |
|
0.014 |
0.12 |
0.73 |
4,109 |
|
118.4 |
49.0 |
6,146 |
| TOTAL COMBINED MEASURED AND INDICATED MINERAL RESOURCES |
|
|
|
| Oxides: 0.10 |
74.5 |
0.20 |
|
- |
- |
- |
297 |
|
- |
- |
297 |
| Sulfides: 0.20 |
543.1 |
0.50 |
|
0.014 |
0.12 |
0.75 |
5,421 |
|
156.9 |
66.5 |
8,132 |
TABLE 2
| Cutoff Grade |
Short Tons |
|
|
|
|
%Cu |
lbs Cu |
lbs Mo |
oz Ag |
lbs Cu |
| %Cu |
|
%Mo |
|
Eq.* |
| Cu % |
(millions) |
|
Ag oz/t |
Eq.* |
(millions) |
(millions) |
(millions) |
| |
|
|
(millions) |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| INFERRED MINERAL RESOURCES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Oxides: 0.10 |
30.0 |
0.20 |
|
- |
- |
- |
121 |
- |
- |
121 |
| Sulfides:0.20 |
163.0 |
0.43 |
|
0.007 |
0.06 |
0.55 |
1,386 |
22.8 |
9.3 |
1,777 |
* Copper equivalence is based on prices of $1.25/lb Cu, $18.00/lb Mo and $8.50/oz Ag, with no applied recovery factors.
Qualified Person
Augusta Resource Corporation retained
WLR Consulting, Inc. (WLRC) of Lakewood, Colorado to estimate the
Rosemont mineral resources as a part of a bankable feasibility mining
study that is presently in progress. The mineral resource estimation
work was performed by or under the direction of Mr. William L. Rose,
P.E., WLRC’s Principal Mining Engineer and an independent Qualified
Person under the standards set forth by Canadian National Instrument
43-101.
ABOUT AUGUSTA RESOURCE CORPORATION -
Augusta is a mineral exploration and development company responsibly
advancing the Rosemont copper project in Southern Arizona. The Company’s
Rosemont property is located in Pima County, approximately 50
kilometers southeast of Tucson, Arizona, and contains a potentially
world class open-pit copper/molybdenum/silver (“Cu/Mo/Ag”) deposit.
Augusta has a solid asset base, proven management team, and is committed
to becoming a mid-tier copper producer within five years. The company
is traded on the American Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange
under the symbol AZC.
For additional information please visit www.augustaresource.com or contact:
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
“Gil Clausen”
_________________________
Gil Clausen
President and CEO
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION
Certain of the statements made and
information contained herein and in the documents incorporated by
reference may contain forward-looking statements or information within
the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward looking statements or information within the meaning of the Securities Act (Ontario).
Forward- looking statements or information include statements regarding
the expectations and beliefs of management. Forward looking statements
or information include, but are not limited to, statements or
information with respect to known or unknown risks, uncertainties and
other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or
achievements of the Company, or industry results, to be materially
different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed
or implied by such forward- looking statements or information.
Forward-looking statements or information are subject to a variety of
risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to
differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or
information, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties
relating to the Company’s plans at its Rosemont Property and other
mineral properties, the interpretation of drill results and the
estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the geology, grade and
continuity of mineral deposits, the possibility that future exploration,
development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company’s
expectations, metal recoveries, accidents, equipment breakdowns, title
matters, labor disputes or other unanticipated difficulties with or
interruptions in production and operations, the potential for delays in
exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility
studies, the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and
the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, commodity price
fluctuations, currency fluctuations, failure to obtain adequate
financing on a timely basis, the effect of hedging activities, including
margin limits and margin calls, regulatory restrictions, including
environmental regulatory restrictions and liability, the speculative
nature of mineral exploration, dilution, competition, loss of key
employees, and other risks and uncertainties, including those described
under “Risk Factors Relating to the Company’s Business” in the Company’s
Annual Information Form dated March 1, 2007. Should one or more of
these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying
assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from
those described in forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers are
advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or
information. We do not expect to update forward-looking statements or
information continually as conditions change, and you are referred to
the full discussion of the Company’s business contained in the Company’s
reports filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and
the United States.