Latitude Resources plc (formerly Latin American Copper) is an AIM listed (trading symbol: LTR) exploration and entrepreneurial mining finance boutique. The company has five copper-gold projects and one copper-molybdenum project in the highly prospective Chilean Coastal Belt and is specifically exploring for IOCG (Iron Ore Copper Gold) type targets.
In addition to its exploration activities, the company intends to seek capital appreciation through a combination of active shareholding of private and public mineral resource companies as well as generating a fee based income from consulting services. The firm currently holds a 13% shareholding in Western Goldfields, a company that is bringing the Mesquite mine in California into production. Latitude also owns 18% of Romarco Minerals, details of which can be seen in the September 13th 2005 news release.
The experienced and diverse management team of Latitude Resources has a demonstrated track record of discovery and wealth creation for shareholders.
Latitude Resources plc
25 May 2006
Latitude Resources plc
Latitude Resources Announces Inferred Resource Estimate for Filipina Grande
Deposit in Chile
Latitude Resources plc (LSE:LTR) ('Latitude' or 'the Company') is pleased to
announce that the Company has completed an in-house resource estimate for the
Filipina Grande deposit, which has established an Inferred Mineral Resource of
over 27 million tonnes containing 545 million lbs of copper.
Inferred Resources*,**, Tonnes Grade Grade Grade Contained
*** Copper
Million Copper Gold Iron Million
tonnes(Mt) (%) (g/t) (%) Pounds (Mlbs)
Oxide
(0.2% Cu cut-off)
Mina Grande 11.2 0.64 0.14 - 157
Sulphide
(0.4% Cu cut-off)
Mina Grande 7.02 0.92 0.29 18.54 142
Caminada 8.80 1.27 0.32 19.32 246
Total Sulphides 15.82 1.12 0.31 18.97 388
Inferred Resources: Total Contained Copper, Filipina Grande Project = 545
Million lbs
* Source: These estimates and this announcement has been reviewed and approved
by Barry D. Rayment BSc., PhD, Latitude's senior non executive Director, a
Mining Geologist of more than 30 years standing and a member of the SME.
** Standard: Inferred Resource estimates comply with the JORC standard
definitions
*** This asset is wholly owned by Latitude and so the table represents both the
gross and the net attributable estimates.
Martyn Konig, CEO of Latitude, commented:
"The Board is much encouraged by this in-house resource estimate that strongly
supports the premise that Filipina Grande hosts a potentially economic resource.
Coupled with the favourable results from preliminary metallurgical testing of
the oxides, the estimate indicates significant progress at one of the Company's
lead projects."
The resource estimate was generated using the company's own expertise, utilising
standard polygonal estimation methodology, incorporating data from the following
sources:
3 Latitude drill campaigns totalling 10,000 metres, both diamond drilling
(4,000m) and reverse circulation (6,000m), between September 2004 and
January 2006
Reconnaissance and/or sampling or historic production data of numerous
small scale artesanal mines
Extensive geophysical programs, detailed geological mapping
Historical drill data from Rio Tinto (1990 - 1992) , Las Cenizas (1994)
and ENAMI (1998)
The Filipina Grande project is located in the central coastal region of Chile
south of the Candelaria (Phelps Dodge) and Mantos Verde (Anglo American) copper
mines. Expenditure by Latitude on Filipina Grande, from the acquisition of the
project in 2003 to date, totals US$1.4 million dollars.
Oxide Mineralisation
The oxides generally occur close to surface in the Mina Grande target area,
which lies in the northern portion of the Filipina Grande project. The oxide
bodies extend from surface, or close to surface, and reach an average depth of
approximately 70 metres.
Samples of these oxide bodies returned encouraging results from preliminary
metallurgical testing which was announced in March this year indicating that the
mineralised material would be amenable to treatment by acid leaching, a
relatively cheap process route. Further test work will be carried out over the
coming weeks to better evaluate the recovery characteristics of the oxides.
Sulphide Mineralisation
The sulphide bodies occur in all target areas within the Filipina Grande
project, and tend to be elongate, linear zones controlled primarily by
structures. The average true width of the sulphide bodies is in the order of 6
metres, varying from 2.5 metres to 14.25 metres wide. They range in depth from
100 metres to 600 metres below surface; the most important mineralised zone
occurs between 100 metres and 350 metres depth.
Potential
It should be noted that the oxide and sulphide mineralisation reported is that
which can be defined as JORC compliant Inferred Resources. The Company believes
there are additional target areas within the Filipina Grande project which,
subject to further exploration, could increase the overall size of the
mineralised system in the future, indicating the potential for the project to
develop substantially.
Ongoing Activity
Over the coming four weeks, Latitude will commence a large-scale, systematic
sampling program, to obtain data from all 13 artesanal oxide and sulphide mines
on the property.
This sampling program will give increased control over grade and distribution,
allowing Latitude to better plan the next phase of activity at relatively little
cost.
Glossary of key terms used in the notification
Oxide : Ore or mineralisation where sulphide minerals have broken down to oxides
through exposure to an oxidising agent, such as air or water.
Diamond drilling: A rotary type of rock drill that cuts a core of rock which is
recovered in long cylindrical sections, 2cm or more in diameter.
Reverse circulation drilling: A drilling method in which a rotating bit cuts
rock or compacted earth into fragments, which are pushed upward to the drill
collar by water or fluid mixtures for sampling. Unlike diamond drilling, it does
not provide an intact core for examination or sampling.
Sulphide: Ore or mineralisation composed mainly of sulphide minerals.
For further information please contact:
Martyn Konig, CEO Latitude Resources plc
Phone +44 (0) 207 493 9116
Fax +44 (20) 7493 9118
Email: info@latituderesources.com
Simon Rothschild/Keith Irons
Bankside Consultants
Phone +44 (0) 207 367 8888
simon.rothschild@bankside.com / keith.irons@bankside.com
Copper Gains on Speculation That Demand Will Outpace Supply
May 25 (Bloomberg) -- Copper rose on the London Metal Exchange on speculation that production may not meet demand this year because of strikes and declining output at some mines.
Mexican miners yesterday began a blockade at Grupo Mexico SA's Cananea copper mine, the country's largest. There's been a strike at La Caridad mine, Mexico's second-biggest, for two months. Codelco, the world's No. 1 copper producer, yesterday warned production will decline this year and next. Demand will rise 5.2 percent this year, HSBC Holdings Plc said yesterday.
``The fundamentals of copper are very supportive,'' Roy Carson, a London-based metals analyst at Triland Metals Ltd., which trades on the floor of the LME, said today by phone. ``Codelco will produce less and strikes are still on.''
Copper for delivery in three months on the LME advanced as much as $150, or 1.9 percent, to $7,980 a metric ton. The contract was $140 higher at $7,970 as of 9:26 a.m. in London, taking its gain this year to 81 percent. Copper reached a record $8,800 May 11.
Codelco, which supplies about 11 percent of the world's copper, yesterday said its output this year will be 1.713 million tons, or 0.6 percent less than last year. Production next year will be 1.652 million tons, Codelco forecast.
Copper prices have also gained because of increased interest from hedge, index-tracking and pension funds.
U.S. and European pension funds have shifted about 5 percent to 10 percent of their assets out of stocks and bonds into commodities indexes over the last several years, John Tumazos, a New York-based analyst at Prudential Equity Group, said in an interview yesterday.
Copper Forecast
HSBC, Europe's largest bank by market value, raised its average copper price forecast for this year by 40 percent to $2.80 a pound.
``High metal prices reflect ongoing inflows of speculative money,'' HSBC analysts led by Paul McTaggart said in a report yesterday. The bank estimates about $100 billion will be invested in commodity indexes by the end of 2006, compared with $10 billion at the end of 2003.
Copper inventory monitored by the LME fell 475 tons, or 0.5 percent, to 105,750 metric tons, the exchange said today in a daily report. Stockpiles, which have risen 19 percent this year, are still equal to less than three days of global usage.
Aluminum for delivery in three months rose $10, or 0.4 percent, to $2,750 a ton on the LME. Nickel slipped $400, or 1.8 percent, to $21,600 and lead fell $10 to $1,105. Tin dropped $100, or 1.2 percent, to $8,000. Zinc gained $45, or 1.3 percent, to $3,510 a ton.

Market Cap 16.51m, copper estimated reserve 545m lbs even @ $2USD lb reserve is worth $1090m USD!!