Liberty Restarts Operations
- Re-affirms Production Target for 2012 -
TSX: LBE
TORONTO, April 2, 2012 /CNW/ - Liberty Mines Inc.
('Liberty' or the 'Company') today announced that its mining and milling operations have restarted in Timmins, consistent with the timelines announced previously by the Company.'We are very pleased with the restart of production at our Timmins operations and our ability to execute against plan,' said Chris Stewart, President & CEO of Liberty Mines. 'The restart, which took effect on March 31(st), represents the most important milestone to date under Liberty's new management team. This positive development provides another signal of how we are committed to maximizing Liberty's growth and potential.'
In February 2011, Liberty initiated a plan to temporarily suspend the operations of its Redstone Mill and nickel concentrator. During the past year Liberty has maintained a crew of mechanics and millwrights in the Mill complex to perform refurbishment work. All components of the Mill's circuit have been inspected and required repairs have been completed. Live commissioning of the Mill is currently underway as the company ramps up production over the coming week. With the restart of operations, Liberty expects to produce 4.0 million pounds of payable nickel in 2012.
Related to the commissioning of mill, Liberty also announced that its McWatters Mine has restarted production. Underground contract drillers have been mobilized to site and production blast hole drilling is underway. Underground crews have met the ore production target for March of 15,000 tonnes of ore to surface. Liberty will continue to hire qualified personnel for its mining and milling operations on an as needed basis as production ramps up in early April.
'We are extremely excited by the turnaround that Liberty continues to make,' Mr. Stewart added. 'Our recent progress, combined with our committed team of professionals, paves the way for Liberty to rejoin the ranks of mid-tier nickel producers in Canada. We believe that this momentum will be accelerated as we reach our production and exploration targets throughout 2012.'
About Liberty Mines Inc.
Liberty Mines Inc. is a mid-tier producer of nickel and is focused on the exploration, development and production of nickel, copper, cobalt and platinum group metals from its properties in Ontario, Canada. It owns and operates the only nickel concentrator in the Shaw Dome, a prospective nickel belt region near Timmins, Ontario. With a new management team in place, Liberty is focused on growth initiatives not only through a more aggressive exploration program on its current properties but also through potential acquisition or partnership opportunities beyond its core Timmins area projects.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT
No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. This News Release includes certain 'forward looking statements'. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of Liberty, are forward looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Liberty's expectations are: exploration risks; commodity prices; regulatory approvals; receipt of mining permits and leases; and assumed startup and operating costs detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by Liberty with securities regulators. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any such statement or reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances, except where required by securities regulations. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
Liberty Mines Inc.
CONTACT: Chris Stewart, President & CEO
Liberty Mines
(416) 226-4360
cstewart@libertymines.com
Joe Racanelli
TMX Equicom
416 815 0700 ext. 243
jracanelli@equicomgroup.com
