Significant construction and operations expertise to strengthen project
execution and delivery
Issued Capital: 120,276,976
LONDON, ON, Nov. 29, 2012 /CNW/ - Fortune Minerals Limited (TSX-FT) (OTCQX-FTMDF) ("Fortune" or the "Company") (www.fortuneminerals.com) is pleased to announce that Mike Romaniuk has joined the Company as
Vice President Operations effective November 19, 2012. Mike Romaniuk
brings extensive global engineering, mining and mineral processing
operations and construction experience gained from more than 25 years
in the sector primarily with Xstrata Nickel and Falconbridge. Mike is
based in Fortune's head office in London, Ontario and will oversee
development of the Company's NICO gold-cobalt-bismuth-copper project in
the Northwest Territories ("NT") and Saskatchewan, and the Arctos
anthracite metallurgical coal project ("Arctos") in British Columbia
("BC"). Both of these projects have already been assessed in positive
definitive feasibility studies ("DFS"), have been test mined and pilot
plant processed, and are now in permitting for their proposed
development.
Robin Goad, Fortune's President and CEO commented, "Mike's expertise
managing complex global mining operations through the various stages of
development and construction makes him a timely addition to our team as
we advance toward our goal of becoming a reliable North American
producer of metallurgical coal, gold and specialty metals." "I am
excited to join Fortune and see great opportunity in the development of
Fortune's significant Canadian assets," said Mike Romaniuk, Vice
President Operations of Fortune.
Mike Romaniuk, P.Eng., has degrees in Geological Engineering - Mineral
Processing from the University of Toronto and Mine Geology from
Laurentian University. His prolific career includes more than two
decades of experience within Xstrata Nickel and Falconbridge and senior
positions including Vice President in charge of Sudbury Operations and
its integrated mining, milling and smelting facilities in Sudbury and
the Montcalm mine in Timmins. Mike was also Vice President and Project
Director of the multi-billion dollar Koniambo ferronickel project in
New Caledonia, which included operating centres in Canada, China,
France, New Caledonia, Australia, and Malaysia. As Director of
Projects, Mike oversaw a portfolio of development projects that
included the Nickel Rim mine in Sudbury, the Perseverance mine and mill
in Quebec and Altonorte Smelter expansion in Chile. Prior to his
senior roles with Falconbridge, Mike held various positions in mineral
processing, design engineering, project management, utilities and as
the Commissioning Manager for the Raglan Mine in the Nunavik far north
region of Quebec. Most recently he was President and CEO of Rail-Veyor
Technologies - a bulk material haulage solutions company.
Fortune is also pleased to announce that, further to its press release
dated October 15, 2012, the NI 43-101 compliant technical report for
the updated DFS for the Arctos Anthracite Project in northwestern BC, will be filed today on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and will also be available through the Company's website (www.fortuneminerals.com). Arctos, formerly known as the Mount Klappan project, is a
collaborative international development project by the Arctos
Anthracite Joint Venture ("AAJV") between Fortune (80%) and POSCAN
(20%), the Canadian subsidiary of Korea's POSCO, one of the world's
largest steel producers.
About Fortune Minerals:
Fortune is a diversified resource company with several mineral deposits
and a number of exploration projects, all located in Canada. The
Company is focused on the development of the Arctos Anthracite Project
in BC and the NICO gold-cobalt-bismuth-copper deposit in the NT. As
part of the development of the NICO deposit, Fortune is developing a
metals processing plant ("SMPP") in Saskatchewan to process NICO
concentrates to high value metal products. The Company has acquired and
dismantled equipment from the Golden Giant Mine at Hemlo, Ontario for
relocation to NICO. In addition, the Company owns the Sue-Dianne
copper-silver-gold deposit and other exploration projects in the NT.
Fortune is focused on outstanding performance and growth of shareholder
value through assembly and development of high quality mineral resource
projects.
This press release contains forward-looking information. This
forward-looking information includes statements with respect to, among
other things, proposed production of metallurgical coal, gold and
specialty metals, the proposed development of the Arctos and NICO
projects and the proposed purchase and development of the site for the
SMPP. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and
estimates of management at the date the information is given, and is
subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that
could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those
projected in the forward-looking information. These factors include
the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of
mineral properties, the inherent volatility of metal prices, the risk
that the Company may not be able to arrange the necessary financing to
construct and operate the Arctos coal project, the NICO mine or the
SMPP, uncertainties with respect to the receipt or timing of required
permits for the development of the Arctos project, the NICO project or
the SMPP, the possibility of delays in the commencement of production
from the Arctos project, the NICO project or construction of the SMPP
and other factors. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on
forward-looking information because it is possible that predictions,
forecasts, projections and other forms of forward-looking information
will not be achieved by the Company. The forward-looking information
contained herein is made as of the date hereof and the Company assumes
no responsibility to update or revise it to reflect new events or
circumstances, except as required by law.