VANCOUVER, July 31, 2014 /CNW/ - Coronado Resources Ltd.
(TSX-V: CRD) and (OTCQX: CRDAF) reports
that on July 23, 2014, New Zealand's Minister of Energy and
Resources, Simon Bridges, announced
that Coronado's 100% owned
subsidiary, Lynx Platinum Limited, was awarded five mineral
exploration permits totaling 129,202 acres in the New Zealand
Petroleum and Minerals Platinum 2013 Blocks Offer.
Platinum Group Metals ("PGM") occurrences are common in
New Zealand, and there is
considerable potential for PGM production in New Zealand both from hard rock deposits and
alluvial concentrations. All five permits awarded to Coronado are prospective for PGM discovery
with the Longwood Range area, where Coronado has been awarded two permits, is
considered to be the most advanced area in terms of exploration
undertaken to date.
Numerous publications have included mention of the PGM potential
in the Longwood Range and recent aeromagnetic surveys, fieldwork
and drilling have combined to give a new understanding of the
geology and the potential for significant PGM discovery. GNS
Science geologist, Nick Mortimer,
said the Longwood has what geologists called a "layered gabbro"
similar to those found in platinum-rich areas of South Africa and the
United States.
Details of the permits awarded are summarized as follows. All
five permits awarded reside on the South Island:
Permit
Number
|
Permit
Name
|
Permit
Size
|
MEP 56411
|
Longwood B
|
18,755
acres
|
MEP 56409
|
Longwood C
|
22,652
acres
|
MEP 56410
|
Murchison
E-2
|
29,207
acres
|
MEP 56412
|
Murchison
E-4
|
29,331
acres
|
MEP 56413
|
Murchison
E-5
|
29,257
acres
|
|
|
129,202
acres
|
Initial efforts of the Company will be focused on analyzing all
existing data and conducting the necessary geological and economic
modeling to determine the potential of any commercial mineral
deposits within these permits.
Daniel Brown, CEO of Coronado, commented, "We are pleased to have
been awarded this very exciting opportunity in New Zealand, which is complimentary to our
gold development assets in Montana
and the Company's growing clean power generation business for
industrial and residential customers in New Zealand."
Platinum Group Metals Use and Markets
The suite of metals known as PGM includes platinum (Pt),
palladium (Pd), iridium (Ir), rhodium (Rh), osmium (Os) and
ruthenium (Ru). PGM have become critical to industry because of
their extraordinary physical and chemical properties. The metals
are refractory, are chemically inert even at elevated temperatures
and display excellent catalytic activity. These properties are the
basis for their principal uses: as catalysts in the automotive,
chemical and petroleum refining industries and as
corrosion-resistant materials in the chemical, electrical, glass
and medical and dental industries.
World demand for PGM over the past decade has grown steadily,
especially for palladium, which has been adopted as the standard
for manufacture of auto catalysts. This has had far-reaching
effects since the introduction of stricter pollution controls
in the U.S. and Europe, which has
caused demand for PGM to increase sharply. Since 1997, platinum and
palladium demand has outstripped supply mainly because Russia, the world's biggest palladium
producer, has been unable to meet demand from new production and
has run down its stockpiles. As a result, there has been a strong
move to substitute other PGM for palladium with a consequent sharp
rise in demand and price.
About Coronado Resources
Coronado Resources Ltd. is a
venture company and controlled subsidiary (49%) of New Zealand oil and gas producer, TAG Oil Ltd.
(TSX: TAO) and (OTCQX: TAOIF), and is positioned for growth in the
clean power and natural resource sector. Coronado generates revenues from its 100%
owned and operated power generation business, which provides
electricity to industry and residential customers. The Company is
also exploring for Platinum Group Metals in New Zealand and is developing the Madison Gold
property in Montana, which has
mined high-grade gold and copper since 2008.
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.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:
Statements contained in this news release that are not
historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve
various risks and uncertainty affecting the business of
Coronado. Such statements can
generally, but not always, be identified by words such as
"expects", "plans", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates",
"forecasts", "schedules", "prepares", "potential" and similar
expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may",
"could" or "should" occur.
Forward-looking statements and information concerning the
commercial prospects of the newly acquired permits in New Zealand, mining prospectively and plans in
New Zealand and Montana are based on management's assumptions
using information currently available and include Coronado's expectations regarding the the
proposed development of the permits and anticipated results. In
making the forward-looking statements in this news release,
Coronado has applied certain
factors and assumptions that are based on information currently
available to Coronado as well as
Coronado's current beliefs and
assumptions made by Coronado.
Although Coronado considers these
beliefs and assumptions to be reasonable based on information
currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the
forward-looking statements in this release are subject to numerous
risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future
results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in
such forward-looking statements. Although Coronado has attempted to identify important
factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from
those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other
factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or
intended. There can be no assurance that such information will
prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could
differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on
forward-looking information. Coronado does not undertake to update any
forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable
securities laws.
SOURCE Coronado Resources Ltd.