Great Western Minerals Group's LCM Receives Rare Earth Metal Making Environmental Permit
SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN -- (Marketwire) -- 03/05/12 -- Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. ('GWMG' or the 'Company') (TSX VENTURE: GWG)(OTCQX: GWMGF) is pleased to announce that GWMG's wholly owned subsidiary Less Common Metals ('LCM'), located in Birkenhead, United Kingdom, has been granted its environmental permit to carry out electrolytic production of rare earth metals at LCM's new Hooton Park location.
The permit, issued by the United Kingdom Environment Agency, enables LCM to produce rare earth metals in accordance with the highest of national environmental, health and safety standards.
Ian Higgins, Managing Director, Metals and Alloys at LCM said, 'The detailed design and production of the first two metal making cells, which have now been received by LCM, was carried out by a leading United Kingdom-based foundry technology company. The initial trials of the metal making system are scheduled to commence in May 2012. Our plan is to have six cells in full operation by the end of 2012 at a level of production that will fully supply the requirements for LCM's recently commissioned strip casting furnace.'
Jim Engdahl, President and Chief Executive Officer of GWMG said, 'The process of fused salt electrolysis of rare earth oxides to metals increases the existing metal and alloy making capability at LCM into bulk production of metals, principally for the permanent magnet alloy business. This represents one more step toward GWMG being the most fully integrated rare earth company in the world. That, in turn, translates into additional self-sufficiency for our production cycle and certainty of supply for GWMG's global customers.'
Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. is an integrated Rare Earths processor. Its specialty alloys are used in the battery, magnet and aerospace industries. Produced at the Company's wholly owned subsidiaries Less Common Metals Limited in Birkenhead, U.K. and Great Western Technologies Inc. in Troy, Michigan, these alloys contain aluminium, nickel, cobalt and Rare Earth Elements. As part of the Company's vertical integration strategy, GWMG also holds 100% equity ownership in Rare Earth Extraction Co. Limited, which owns a 74% equity interest in the Steenkampskraal Mine. In addition to an exploration program at Steenkampskraal, GWMG also holds interests in four active Rare Earth exploration and development properties in North America.
Certain information set out in this News Release constitutes forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements (often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as 'expect', 'may', 'could', 'anticipate' or 'will' and similar expressions) may describe expectations, opinions or guidance that are not statements of fact and which may be based upon information provided by third parties. Forward-looking statements are based upon the opinions, expectations and estimates of management of GWMG as at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or outcomes to differ materially from those anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements. Those factors include, but are not limited to the successful construction, commissioning and operation of the separation facility, refurbishment activities and reliance on third parties to meet projected timelines, the results of the exploration program at Steenkampskraal, a resource estimate and commencement of production at Steenkampskraal, satisfaction of the conditions precedent with respect to GWMG's offtake agreement, receipt of all required approvals (including those relating to the commencement of production at the Steenkampskraal mine) and risks, uncertainties and other factors that are beyond the control of GWMG, risks associated with the industry in general, commodity prices and exchange rate changes, operational risks associated with exploration, development and production operations, delays or changes in plans, risks associated with the uncertainty of reserve or resource estimates, health and safety risks and the uncertainty of estimates and projections of production, costs and expenses. In light of the risks and uncertainties associated with forward-looking statements, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward-looking information. Although GWMG believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements set out in this press release or incorporated herein by reference are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. The forward-looking statements of GWMG contained in this News Release, or incorporated herein by reference, are expressly qualified, in their entirety, by this cautionary statement and the risk factors contained in GWMG's current annual information form available at www.sedar.com.
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.
Contacts:
Great Western Minerals Group Ltd.
Jim Engdahl
President and Chief Executive Officer
(306) 659-4500
209 Robin Crescent
Saskatoon SK, S7L 6M8
Great Western Minerals Group Ltd.
Dwight Percy
Manager of Investor Relations
(306) 659-4516
info@gwmg.ca
www.gwmg.ca
