TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 04/11/12 -- Lundin Mining Corporation (TSX: LUN)(OMX: LUMI) ("Lundin Mining" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a purchase option agreement (the "Option Agreement") to acquire an 80% interest in the Touro copper project located in northern Spain (the "Project") owned by two private Spanish companies (the "Vendors"). The Option Agreement gives Lundin Mining an exclusive option (the "Option") until October 1, 2012, subject to extension, to purchase an 80% interest in the Project, pending satisfactory completion of due diligence, including confirmatory and step-out drilling and other technical work currently being conducted by the Company.
The Option Agreement provides that:
-- Lundin Mining may earn an 80% interest in the Project by paying Euro
EUR60 million (the "Purchase Price"), payable as follows:
-- Euro EUR10 million on the exercise of the Option
-- Euro EUR30 million when Lundin Mining makes a construction decision,
subject to adjustment if the construction decision extends past 18
months from Option exercise
-- Euro EUR20 million on the start of commercial production
-- Upon the exercise of the Option, Lundin Mining and the underlying owners
will form a new joint venture company which will own all of the assets
of the Project, of which Lundin Mining will be an 80% shareholder and
Operator of the Project
-- Upon a decision to construct, Lundin Mining will fund 100% of the
Project costs, with those costs repayable preferentially with interest
from surplus operating cash flows before other distributions
-- Lundin Mining will be granted options to purchase additional lands owned
by one of the Vendors should such lands be required for the Project
Mr. Paul Conibear, President and CEO of the Company, commented, "We are very pleased with the signing of the Option Agreement on the Touro copper project in northern Spain. We believe the project has the potential to be rapidly advanced and we are well on our way to making a decision on the option, having mobilized several drill rigs onto the property earlier this year. In addition to easy access to known mineral resources exposed in three pre-existing open pits, much of the copper mineralization within the Touro property is nearly flat lying, at or near surface. The project also benefits from significant modern, local and regional infrastructure in Galicia, an autonomous community with a rich mining heritage and pro-business attitude. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners to advance the project to the next stage."
The Touro Project
The Touro Project consists of 205 mining claims encompassing 57.4 square kilometers, and is located in La Coruna province of the Galicia region, in northwest Spain. Copper-gold mineralization is characterized by strongly disseminated to semi-massive and rarely massive sulphides comprised of a simple, coarse-grained assemblage of pyrrhotite, an iron sulphide, and chalcopyrite, a copper-iron sulphide, locally associated with some gold. The copper-gold mineralization is hosted within a generally shallow dipping layered succession of metamorphic rocks, the mineralized layers commonly ranging between 10 metres and 60 metres thick and known to exist close to surface over several square kilometres across the Touro property.
The Touro Project was previously fragmented into two separately owned parts, the core property formerly known as the Arinteiro Mine with a 6,500 tpd concentrator that was operated during the 1970s and early 1980s by Atlantic Copper and a surrounding, contiguous exploration property, held during this period by Penarroya. Open pit copper mining ceased in 1986 due to depressed copper prices, and a large construction company related to one of the Vendors acquired the properties and have operated it as an aggregate business for many years. Uniquely, this property has not received any exploration or mineral resource study work since copper operations were closed. Lundin Mining believes the opportunity exists to define and expand a significant mineral resource at Touro. Recently, initiatives by the underlying Vendors has enabled consolidation of disparate mineral and surface access rights into a cohesive land and mineral license package consisting of at least 7 mineralized zones which are all open to resource expansion by step-out exploration drilling.
A historical resource estimate, non-compliant to National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"), of 196 million tonnes grading 0.39% Cu, based upon a cut-off grade of 0.2% Cu, exists for the Project. Lundin Mining has initiated a drill program consisting of both confirmatory and step-out drilling focussed on both copper and gold potential with the intention of preparing a NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate as soon as practicable. Metallurgical test work and preliminary technical studies are being conducted in parallel to drilling to support a decision regarding the Option.
About Lundin Mining
Lundin Mining Corporation is a diversified Canadian base metals mining company with operations in Portugal, Sweden, Spain and Ireland, producing copper, zinc, lead and nickel. In addition, Lundin Mining holds a development project pipeline which includes an expansion project at its Neves-Corvo mine, as well as an equity stake in the world class Tenke Fungurume copper/cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo which is currently undergoing a major expansion.
On Behalf of the Board,
Paul Conibear, CEO
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain of the statements made and information contained herein is "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the Ontario Securities Act. Forward-looking statements 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, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties relating to foreign currency fluctuations; risks inherent in mining including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected geological formations, ground control problems and flooding; risks associated with the estimation of Mineral Resources and Reserves and 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; the potential for and effects of labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties with or shortages of labour or interruptions in production; actual ore mined varying from estimates of grade, tonnage, dilution and metallurgical and other characteristics; the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, commodity price fluctuations; uncertain political and economic environments; changes in laws or policies, foreign taxation, delays or the inability to obtain necessary governmental permits; and other risks and uncertainties, including those described under Risk Factors Relating to the Company's Business in the Company's Annual Information Form and in each management discussion and analysis. Forward-looking information is in addition based on various assumptions including, without limitation, the expectations and beliefs of management, the assumed long term price of copper, nickel, lead and zinc; that the Company can access financing, appropriate equipment and sufficient labour and that the political environment where the Company operates will continue to support the development and operation of mining projects. 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.
Contacts:
Lundin Mining Corporation
Sophia Shane
Investor Relations North America
+1-604-689-7842
Lundin Mining Corporation
John Miniotis
Senior Business Analyst
+1-416-342-5565
Lundin Mining Corporation
Robert Eriksson
Investor Relations Sweden
+46 8 545 015 50
www.lundinmining.com
