Arizona Mining Strengthens Hermosa-Taylor Development Team

Arizona Mining Inc. (TSX: AZ)(“Arizona Mining” or the “Company”)  is pleased to announce it has added four senior technical staff to the operations team in Tucson in pursuit of executing its plans to develop the world-class Hermosa-Taylor zinc-lead-silver deposit in Santa Cruz County, Arizona.
“The extensive experience and expertise of these individuals will be invaluable in taking our project forward and building on the progress we have made under Don Taylor’s strong leadership,” said Jim Gowans, President and CEO. “As we advance through the feasibility and permitting process, we look forward to further optimizing Hermosa-Taylor with a focus on maximizing the long-term value of the project for all stakeholders.”
Richard Lock, P. Eng, has been appointed as Senior Vice President and Project Director. Mr. Lock has more than 20 years of experience in project management, development and operations for large companies including Rio Tinto, Western Potash, DeBeers and Anglo American. He has been involved with projects including Rio Tinto’s Resolution and Keystone projects and its Bingham Canyon and Diavik mines, and most recently was project director at Yara International’s potash project in Ethiopia. Mr. Lock has a Bachelor of Science in Mine Engineering from University College Cardiff and is a registered professional engineer in Canada.
John Barber, PE, has been appointed as Vice President, Mining. Mr. Barber has more than 40 years of experience in underground mine operations, engineering, and project management. He has also been responsible for mine construction and production, as well as feasibility and optimization studies, for several large underground operations and projects, including Freeport-McMoRan’s Deep Ore Zone and Big Gossan Mines at Grasberg, Rio Tinto’s Resolution and Oyu Tolgoi projects, and Lundin Gold’s Fruta del Norte project. Just prior to joining Arizona Mining, he served as Technical Director – Underground Mining at Amec Foster Wheeler. Mr. Barber has a Bachelor of Science (Cum Laude) in Mining Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and is a registered Professional Engineer in several states including Arizona.
Ryan Hoel has been appointed as Vice President, Logistics/Construction. Mr. Hoel is an experienced mining professional with 18 years of experience in transportation logistics, mine operations, operational readiness, procurement, and business development and improvement with resource companies including New Gold, Rio Tinto and Lundin Mining. Mr. Hoel has a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and an MBA from Westminster (Gore School of Business).
The Company has also engaged metallurgical consultant Greg Sharp, who has more than 40 years of experience in process development and design, engineering and construction, operation of mineral processing plants and metallurgical research and development. Mr. Sharp developed the metallurgical processes for Tahoe Resources’ Escobal project in Guatemala, a 4,500 ton per day underground lead-zinc-silver mine with froth flotation recovery similar to that envisioned for the Hermosa-Taylor Deposit. He will be instrumental in overseeing feasibility level metallurgical test work, finalizing the process flow sheet and building the plant at Hermosa-Taylor. Mr. Sharp received a Bachelor of Science in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Idaho.
About Arizona Mining
Arizona Mining Inc. (an augustagroup company) is a mineral exploration and development company focused on the exploration and development of its 100%-owned Hermosa Project located in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. The Taylor Deposit, a zinc-lead-silver carbonate replacement deposit, has a resource of 8.6 million tons in the Measured Mineral Resource category grading 4.2% zinc, 4.0% lead and 1.6 opt silver, or 9.7% ZnEq, plus 63.8 million tons in the Indicated Mineral Resource category grading 4.5% zinc, 4.4% lead and 1.9 opt silver, or 10.6% ZnEq, and 38.6 million tons of Inferred Mineral Resources grading 4.4% zinc, 4.2% lead and 3.1 opt silver or 11.6% ZnEq, all reported in accordance with NI 43-101 guidelines utilizing a 4% ZnEq cutoff grade. The Taylor Deposit remains open to the north, west and south over land controlled by the Company and will be aggressively drilled to test the limits of the resource. The Company’s other project on the Hermosa property is the Central Deposit, a silver-manganese manto oxide project.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
Certain information contained in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward looking statements including statements with respect to the Company’s intentions for its Hermosa Project in Arizona, including, without limitation, performing additional drilling, a resource update, permitting and a feasibility study on the Taylor Deposit. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as may, will, seek, anticipate, believe, plan, estimate, budget, schedule, forecast, project, expect, intend, or similar expressions.
The forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions which, while considered reasonable by Arizona Mining, are subject to risks and uncertainties. In addition to the assumptions herein, these assumptions include the assumptions described in Arizona Mining’s management’s discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2016 (“MD&A”). Arizona Mining cautions readers that forward-looking statements involve and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements and forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results, performance or achievement. These risks, uncertainties and factors include general business, economic, competitive, political, regulatory and social uncertainties; actual results of exploration activities and economic evaluations; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; changes in project parameters; changes in costs, including labour, infrastructure, operating and production costs; future prices of zinc, lead, silver and other minerals; variations of mineral grade or recovery rates; operating or technical difficulties in connection with exploration, development or mining activities, including the failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; delays in completion of exploration, development or construction activities; changes in government legislation and regulation; the ability to maintain and renew existing licenses and permits or obtain required licenses and permits in a timely manner; the ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms in a timely manner; contests over title to properties; employee relations and shortages of skilled personnel and contractors; the speculative nature of, and the risks involved in, the exploration, development and mining business; and the factors discussed in the section entitled “Risks and Uncertainties” in the MD&A.
Although Arizona Mining has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual performance, achievements, actions, events, results or conditions to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking information, there may be other risks, uncertainties and other factors that cause performance, achievements, actions, events, results or conditions to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Unless otherwise indicated, forward-looking statements contained herein are as of the date hereof and Arizona Mining disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.