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VANCOUVER, April 12 /CNW/ --
VANCOUVER, April 12 /CNW/ - Curis Resources Ltd. (TSXV: CUV) announces
that it has awarded Tucson, Arizona-based M3 Engineering a contract to
conduct a feasibility-level study on final design, engineering, capital
and operating costs for the Florence Copper Project.
As a world class copper process design engineering company, M3
Engineering is well positioned to lead the Florence Copper Project's
feasibility study. Their over 25-years of experience and expertise in
architecture, engineering and construction management is in line with
other consultants and experts retained by Curis Resources. M3 won the
prestigious 2005 AISC Engineering Award for Excellence in the $10
million to $25 million category.
"We are very pleased to have M3 join the Florence Copper Project. Their
extensive knowledge and experience in the industry combined with their
background in copper recovery projects will be of great benefit," said
Michael McPhie, President and CEO of Curis Resources Ltd. "All
companies in competition for this contract were from Arizona and
retaining M3 supports the company's Local Procurement Policy, as well
as continuing to build our world-class engineering team responsible for
the near term development of the Florence Copper Project."
As an integral part of the Florence Copper Project's feasibility study,
M3 Engineering will be working with other contractors to complete
trade-off studies, complete engineering designs, and to establish
detailed capital and operating costs required to develop and operate
the Project over the anticipated 19-year operating life.
Curis completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) on the Florence
Copper Project in September 2010. A copy of that report is available
on the company's web site at www.curisresources.com. "The PEA clearly indicated that the Florence Project is an extremely
attractive copper project with robust economics and a sound development
plan," commented McPhie. "It is our objective to continue to de-risk
the project by taking the engineering to the next level. Moving ahead
immediately to a feasibility level assessment such as this with the M3
team is an important step in maintaining the overall schedule for
project development."
Specifically, the work of M3 will look at completing engineering
documents, undertaking feasibility level estimates for both capital and
operating costs to a +/- 15 percent threshold. In addition to the work
of M3, the Company has also retained the Phoenix, AZ office of Brown
and Caldwell to undertake a review of the overall copper extraction
plan and Knight Piesold Consulting Engineers of Tucson, AZ/Vancouver,
BC to complete project geotechnical, water treatment and water
impoundment designs.
Project Status
i. Project Permitting
On January 31, 2011 Curis submitted a comprehensive application to the
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to amend the
Company's existing Aquifer Protection Permit (APP) for the Florence
Copper Project. The submission of this application formally began the
ADEQ amendment review process. The submitted application cleared the
first stage of consideration in mid-March by satisfying an
"Administrative Completeness Review". The application is now
proceeding through a detailed technical review. Once completed, ADEQ
will issue draft permit conditions and solicit public input on these.
The other major operating permit required for the Florence Copper
Project is an Underground Injection Control (UIC) Permit that is issued
by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As with the APP, the UIC
permit for the full commercial operation of the Florence Copper Project
was granted to former owner BHP Copper Inc. in 1998 after their
successful completion of an in-situ recovery production test at the
site. Curis has now applied for the amendment and re-issuance of the
UIC for the Florence Project. All required documentation for a review
of the UIC permit for the project was submitted to the EPA on March 25,
2011 and are now under review.
Curis is also working with the Town of Florence on a revision to the
Town's General Plan and the re-zoning of a portion of the Company's
1,342 acre property to support the in-situ recovery and processing of
copper. Discussions with the Town of Florence planning staff and
management have been ongoing in this regard for the past several months
and are proceeding well. The Company will submit an application to
amend the General Plan in mid-May and approval, following consideration
by the Planning and Zoning Commission and Florence Town Council, is
anticipated in November of this year.
"The process for amending and re-issuing of existing operating permits
for the Florence Copper Project is advancing as originally
anticipated," said Curis President & CEO Michael McPhie. "Our goal now
is to continue to work with ADEQ, EPA, the Town of Florence and the
other relevant government agencies to advance a timely review of the
Florence Copper Project's proposed development plans."
ii. Preparing for Phase 1 Production Test
Following the successful completion of project permitting and approvals
that is anticipated in the fourth quarter of this year, it is the
Company's intention to immediately begin development of a 12 - 14 month
Production Test at the project site. Work has already begun on
sourcing a suitable pilot scale Solvent Extraction/Electrowinning
(SX/EW) plant and preparing detailed engineering plans and cost
estimates for this phase of the project.
"Plans are on track to begin the development of the first phase of the
Florence Copper Project by the end of this year," McPhie commented.
"The intent is to begin producing pure copper cathode at Florence in
mid-2012 and to use the production test to optimize and refine project
engineering to support the development of the full commercial scale
facility."
iii. Community Outreach
Coincident with work to advance permitting for the Florence Copper
Project, the Company continues to implement a comprehensive community
engagement and stakeholder outreach program in Central Arizona. Curis
acknowledges the importance of building and maintaining strong
relationships with the Town of Florence, local landowners and other
project stakeholders.
On April 4, 2011 the Company held a Project Open House in the Anthem
neighborhood of Florence. Approximately 230 people attended the open
house which included presentations by company staff and consultants as
well as the presentation of poster boards and information material that
described the project, in-situ recovery technology, environmental
protection measures being employed by the company and the economic
opportunities associated with the development of the Florence Copper
Project.
In addition to these open houses, the Company has a community office in
downtown Florence, hosts regular site tours of the Florence Copper
Project facilities, operates a Visitors Centre on site that allows
interested citizens of Florence and surrounding communities to learn
more about the project, and maintains an up-to-date website for project
news, information and events at www.florencecopperproject.com. Curis also has a strong community affairs presence and participates in
and supporting a number of community-oriented organizations.
"The Florence Copper Project is a multi-generational development and we
want to be seen by the local community as being a positive contributor
to the quality of life of the residents who live here," McPhie said. "We take our responsibility for stewardship of the environment
seriously, and believe the significant economic opportunities
associated with the development of this project have the potential to
provide meaningful benefits to the Town of Florence and the State of
Arizona for generations."
For more information about the Florence Copper Project and its projected
economic impacts and benefits to the local community, please go to www.florencecopperproject.com.
About Curis
Curis Resources Ltd. is a mineral development company, the major
shareholder of which is Hunter Dickinson Inc. Curis is focused on the
acquisition, development and operation of high-quality next-generation
copper properties in progressive jurisdictions around the world. It is
currently focused on advancing its 100% owned Florence Project in
Arizona USA to production.
For more project-level information, sign up for the Florence Copper
Projects' e-Newsletter.
About HDI
Hunter Dickinson Inc. (HDI) is a diversified global mining company with
a 25-year history of mineral development success. From its head office
in Vancouver, Canada, HDI applies its unique strengths and capabilities
to acquire, develop, operate and monetize mineral properties that
provide consistently superior returns to shareholders.
Michael McPhie
President & CEO
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provide (as
that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange)
accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This release includes certain statements that may be deemed
"forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other
than statements of historical facts, that address exploration drilling,
exploitation activities and events or developments that the company
expects are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes
the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based
on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future
performance and actual results or developments may differ materially
from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking
statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration
successes, continuity of mineralization, uncertainties related to the
ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and title and delays due
to third party opposition, changes in government policies regarding
mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, and continued
availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or
business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements
are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or
developments may differ materially from those projected in the
forward-looking statements. For more information on the Company,
investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings
that are available at www.sedar.com.
To view this news release in HTML formatting, please use the following URL: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2011/12/c3341.html
p For further details on the Company, please visit a href="http://www.curisresources.com"www.curisresources.com/a or contact Susie Bell, Manager of Investor Relations, at (604) 684-6365 or within North America at 1-800-667-2114. /p