TSX Venture Exchange Symbol: EMR
VANCOUVER, Sept. 20 /CNW/ - Emgold Mining Corporation (EMR-TSX-V)
("Emgold") is pleased to announce that Bill Witte, Emgold's President and CEO,
has presented a case study on the exploration and development of the
Idaho-Maryland Mine to delegates attending the World Junior Mining Congress in
Cape Town, South Africa.
The paper delivered by Mr. Witte outlines Emgold's approach and
activities designed to secure a Conditional Mine Use Permit for the
Idaho-Maryland Mine in Grass Valley, California as well as community relations
initiatives implemented by Emgold to generate local support for the project. A
copy of Mr. Witte's presentation is available on Emgold's website at
www.emgold.com.
The World Junior Mining Congress features presentations by mining
executives from Australia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the US, Canada,
and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The four-day event brings together
junior and senior mining executives, fund managers, financiers and regulators
from around the world to network and conduct business.
Emgold is currently focusing on the permitting, geology and mine planning
for the Idaho-Maryland Mine and the commercialization of its proprietary
Ceramext(TM) technology to convert mine tailings and other siliceous waste
materials into premium ceramic products. A key milestone for Emgold is receipt
of the Conditional Mine Use Permit from the City of Grass Valley, California
on or before the third quarter of 2007. Should Emgold be successful in
obtaining the permit, it will raise the necessary capital to dewater the
existing mine, construct a decline and initiate an extensive underground
diamond drilling exploration/delineation program keying off the historic
intercepts and workings documented in 11 tons of paper records that Emgold has
carefully reviewed and archived from the previous operations at the mine.
Mr. Witte also announced that Emgold, through its wholly owned subsidiary
Golden Bear Ceramics Company ("Golden Bear"), is now producing quantities of
high-quality ceramic tile in its 45,000 sq. ft. Grass Valley pilot and
demonstration plant using modified existing ceramic manufacturing equipment
specially constructed and configured to incorporate key features of the
Ceramext(TM) process. Golden Bear now expects to be able to use more widely
available conventional ceramic manufacturing equipment that is available in
the market place and that can be quickly and cost effectively be modified to
produce a wide variety of value added Ceramext(TM) ceramic products. Golden
Bear's ability to use modified conventional equipment will reduce the time of
Ceramext(TM) plant construction, the capital costs of equipment and accelerate
the full commercialization of the Ceramext(TM) technology in any number of
locations.
Golden Bear has purchased a line of material feeding and forming
equipment that will be used to demonstrate continuous commercial production of
ceramic materials for architectural and construction applications. The
equipment has been shipped to Grass Valley, California and is being installed
and modified to incorporate the Ceramext(TM) process. Once modified and
installed the equipment can produce glazed, unglazed and polished ceramic tile
and Golden Bear will begin to distribute ceramic products for acceptance
testing to standards groups and the architectural community. Golden Bear
projects that it will be producing saleable ceramic products by the end of Q4
2005 and that it will have its first revenue from ceramic sales in Q1 2006.
Golden Bear expects that manufacturing costs may be in the area of
US$150 dollars per ton of product sold, which is very competitive in the
marketplace. Revenues per ton are forecast in the range of US$400 - 600 per
ton.
The Ceramext(TM) process is expected to contribute significant revenue to
the operations of the Idaho-Maryland Mine. The Ceramext(TM) process has global
applicability and can operate independently of the Idaho-Maryland Mine.
Facility operators around the world can create additional income for many
types of mining operations, ash from coal-fired power plants and other
producers of siliceous waste materials such as fines from gravel operations.
The Ceramext(TM) process allows these operations to reduce waste material
handling costs, create a new source of revenue and reduce overall operating
costs. Ceramext(TM) process operators may reduce their mining and/or waste
treatment costs, generate higher earnings and continue to operate profitably
even in times of low commodity prices using ceramics revenue as a hedge. The
current annual global market for ceramic tile is approximately US$50 billion
of which the North American market represents US$6.4 billion.
For more information about Emgold, the Idaho-Maryland Mine, the
Ceramext(TM) process and the Stewart, Rozan and Jazz Properties in British
Columbia, please visit www.emgold.com.
William J. (Bill) Witte, P.Eng.
President and Chief Executive Officer
No regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information
contained in this news release.
This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-
looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of
historical facts, that address future production, reserve potential,
exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or developments that
Emgold expects are forward-looking statements. Although Emgold 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, 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 that actual results or developments may
differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For
more information on Emgold, Investors should review Emgold's filings that are
available at www.sedar.com or Emgold's website at www.emgold.com.
