Horizonte Minerals Plc: Community Development Work

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwired - Sept. 28, 2017) - Horizonte Minerals Plc, (AIM:HZM)(TSX:HZM) ('Horizonte' or 'the Company') the nickel development company focussed in Brazil, is pleased to report on its recent social investment activities at its 100%-owned Araguaia nickel project ('Araguaia' or 'the Project'). 

Horizonte has launched a rural literacy development programme in schools located close to the Project. Additionally, the Company has implemented a sexual health campaign as part of an ongoing public health programme in the Municipality of Conceição do Araguaia, which is the largest community around the Project area.

Highlights

• Selected schools within the project area were provided with new libraries, education equipment and furniture;
• The literacy programme implemented by the Company has benefited over 600 students in the rural areas of the Conceição do Araguaia community; and,
• Horizonte hired an experienced non-governmental organisation (NGO) to kick-off a sexual health programme, which in its initial campaign, reached over 1,500 students and community members in Conceição do Araguaia.

Horizonte's CEO, Jeremy Martin, commented;

"The communities close to Horizonte's Araguaia nickel project are some of the Company's most important stakeholder groups. Horizonte is committed to supporting these communities and our recent investment in the literacy and health programmes marks the beginning of this commitment.

"Horizonte remains focussed on developing and maintaining these strong partnerships as we progress Araguaia into Brazil's next major nickel producing mine."

Literacy Initiative

The initiative aims to promote literacy and engagement in education within Araguaia's direct area of influence. Importantly, the targeted schools received renovated libraries, with new education equipment and furniture including: bookshelves, tables, chairs, audio equipment and an array of new books to meet the needs of all reading levels from kindergarten to high-school aged readers. The schools that benefited are within 5-10 kilometres of the planned Araguaia pits and processing plant. The Company also partnered with teachers and the local government as part of this programme.

The new libraries were inaugurated in the presence of Conceição do Araguaia's Minister for Education; the school directors; and Horizonte's Sustainability Manager, Katie Millar, in addition to students, parents and teachers. 

Sexual Health Campaign, Conceição do Araguaia

Horizonte promoted its first sexual health campaign in the Conceição do Araguaia community. The initial campaign was led by specialist consultants of the Barong NGO, which has been acting as a sexual health advocate for over 22 years in Brazil. The attendees included pre-adolescents, adolescents and young students from five schools and two public universities.

In addition, the campaign included community awareness presentations at public events on the theme of sexually transmitted disease prevention. The initiative is supported by the local government's Department of Health, Tourism and Environment of Conceição do Araguaia. This campaign marked the beginning of an ongoing health partnership between Horizonte and the community, as part of the broader community development plan.

Social Investment Programme

Horizonte is committed to creating sustainable value for our key stakeholder groups, including our local communities and governments. Throughout the Araguaia project's lifetime, Horizonte will focus its community contributions into three main categories: economic development; social development; and care & respect for its community. 

Further details are available on the Company's website: http://horizonteminerals.com/uk/en/responsibility/ 

Lastly, as part of the Company's permitting programme with the State Government's environment agency, to obtain the construction licence for the Araguaia project, Horizonte is establishing a local government development programme in consultation with local residents and the elected governments of Conceição do Araguaia and Floresta do Araguaia communities.

For further information visit www.horizonteminerals.com.

About Horizonte Minerals:

Horizonte Minerals Plc is an AIM and TSX-listed nickel development company focussed in Brazil, which wholly owns the advanced Araguaia nickel laterite project located to the south of the Carajás mineral district of northern Brazil. The Company is developing Araguaia as the next major nickel mine in Brazil, with targeted production by 2020.

The Project has good infrastructure in place including rail, road, water and power.

Horizonte has a strong shareholder structure including Teck Resources Ltd. 17.9%, Lombard Odier Asset Management (Europe) Limited 14.11%, Richard Griffiths 14.5%, JP Morgan 8.4%, Hargreave Hale 6.4% and Glencore 6.4%.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the potential of the Company's current or future property mineral projects; the success of exploration and mining activities; cost and timing of future exploration, production and development; the estimation of mineral resources and reserves and the ability of the Company to achieve its goals in respect of growing its mineral resources; and the realization of mineral resource and reserve estimates.
Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to risks related to: exploration and mining risks, competition from competitors with greater capital; the Company's lack of experience with respect to development-stage mining operations; fluctuations in metal prices; uninsured risks; environmental and other regulatory requirements; exploration, mining and other licences; the Company's future payment obligations; potential disputes with respect to the Company's title to, and the area of, its mining concessions; the Company's dependence on its ability to obtain sufficient financing in the future; the Company's dependence on its relationships with third parties; the Company's joint ventures; the potential of currency fluctuations and political or economic instability in countries in which the Company operates; currency exchange fluctuations; the Company's ability to manage its growth effectively; the trading market for the ordinary shares of the Company; uncertainty with respect to the Company's plans to continue to develop its operations and new projects; the Company's dependence on key personnel; possible conflicts of interest of directors and officers of the Company, and various risks associated with the legal and regulatory framework within which the Company operates.

Although management of the Company 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 statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

Contact

Horizonte Minerals Plc
Jeremy Martin (CEO) / David Hall (Chairman)
+44 (0) 20 7763 7157
www.horizonteminerals.com

Tavistock (Financial PR)
Jos Simson / Barney Hayward / Emily Fenton
+44 (0) 207 920 3150