Battery Mineral Resources Corp. Announces Community and Social Initiatives at the Punitaqui Project in Chile
Battery Mineral Resources Corp. Announces Community and Social
Initiatives at the Punitaqui Project in Chile
Vancouver, British Columbia – (Feb 6, 2023) – Battery Mineral Resources Corp.
(TSXV: BMR) (OTCQB: BTRMF) (“Battery” or “BMR” or the “Company”) is very
pleased to announce that it has completed agreements with the Comunidad Agricola
Potrerillos Alto (“Potrerillos Community”) and the Comunidad Agricola Punitaqui
(“Punitaqui Community”).
The Potrerillos Community is nearest in proximity to BMR’s Cinabrio mine assets and
the agreement will allow for surface exploration consisting of a ground magnetic
survey, geological mapping, and sampling to identify potential new targets on
grounds for which the Potrerillos Community has surface rights to . The agreement
gives BMR personnel and its contractors the permission to access and conduct agreed
upon surface work. The agreement also allows BMR to drill the potential targets to
be defined within the first stage of exploration. These areas to be explored have not
been previously examined, and ground magnetic surveys have been successfully
used in the area as a first step to locating possible new target mineralization. Battery
will hire members of the Potrerillos Community to assist in these endeavours at
market rates of remuneration. BMR will now be able to follow up on any encouraging
exploration results.
To support aid and improve the local community, BMR has also agreed to fund the
construction of a water well for the people of Potrerillos. The well will directly benefit
the people of Potrerillos for many years to come. Water sourced from this new well
will be solely for members of the community for personal usage, replacing the current
situation of water being trucked in to supply their community water reservoir. This
new well will not only increase the amount of available water, but also lower the costs
by eliminating the trucking of water that is currently taking place.
In addition to these new endeavours, BMR will continue to support the payment for
the services of the individual in charge of the school nursery of the Cordillera de
Potrerillos Alto School as it has been doing since September 2022.
BMR is in the process of establishing a community engagement and meeting office at
the Punitaqui copper processing plant site to be staffed by individuals at the expense
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of the Company. The office will allow for all persons in the direct area of influence of
our operations to liaise in-person with Battery, at their convenience. The company
hopes to have this new office in place in the coming weeks.
Other Agreements and Community Items
As previously reported, BMR has been working closely with Integratio Mediação Social
e Sustentabilidade (“ Integratio”), a socio -environmental management, strategic
relationship, and stakeholder engagement consultant group operating for over 17
years and based in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Integratio and BMR have jointly completed
a policy and strategy report that includes guidelines and standards for future social
and community engagement and reporting. This policy is the foundation for positive,
proactive, and mutually beneficial engagement and partnership with the local
communities.
In addition, the company has agreements in place with the Punitaqui Community for
surface right access to the Punitaqui copper processing plant and tailings areas and
also the Dalmacia copper deposit to the south . Further to these surface rights
agreements, BMR has agreed to a specific schedule with the municipality of Punitaqui
regarding ore haulage from Cinabrio to Punitaqui copper processing plant. Out of an
abundance of caution and for the safety of all concerned, the company agreed to limit
the ore haulage from the Cinabrio and San Andres deposits to our Punitaqui copper
processing plant to certain hours of the day and evening, and to reduce the frequency
of trucking prior to and after school hours to minimize traffic in t he area. This
agreement was accomplished in collaboration with both the Chilean Environment
Assessment Service (“SEA”) and the people of the Punitaqui Community during the
submission of the Company’s Environmental Impact Declaration (“DIA”).
Battery CEO Martin Kostuik states: “We are delighted to have reached these mutually
beneficial agreements with both the communities of Potrerillos and Punitaqui. The
agreement with the community of Potrerillos emphasises the strong regard we have
for our neighbours nearest the Cinabrio mine complex and our commitment to engage
constructively with all the Company’s stakeholders. This agreement will also allow
BMR to potentially discover new mineralized areas on our claims near the Cinabrio
mine complex. The agreement with the Punitaqui Community is very important
because it succinctly addresses their main concerns surrounding the re -start of
operations at Punitaqui. BMR strives to develop productive, ethical, and transparent
relationships with our surrounding communities, and we view it as our duty to our
shareholders and communities to promote sustainable growth supported by safe, and
socially responsible business practices while developing long-term resources. We look
forward to greatly advancing our relationship s with the people of Potrerillos and
Punitaqui as we continue working diligently to restart our Punitaqui copper mine in
the coming months of early 2023.”
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Details of the Agreement with Potrerillos
To complete the geological tasks described above, the company will have a period of
up to 12 weeks from the commencement of work. In addition to the surface geological
work to be completed by BMR on the ground held by the Potrerillos Community, the
Company funding is specifically for the exclusive construction of a well for the
collection of groundwater for the use of the Potrerillos Community. The construction
and operation of the well will be at the exclusive expense and risk of the Potrerillos
Community.
Upon completion of the exploration work described above, BMR shall identify an area
of interest within the Potrerillos Community land, which will be the subject of a
possible lease for the purpose of continuing the exploration work. The Potrerillos
Community shall assess the proposed area and may exclude parts of the land selected
by BMR, which shall accept the exclusion of the areas designated by the Community.
Once the surface area of interest has been agreed upon, the parties will sign a surface
rights contract with a rental price per hectare, for each year of lease. The lease term
will allow for five years for BMR to carry out exploration work and rent will be paid
monthly. At the time of signing the lease , BMR will pay advance rent. This advance
will be deducted from the monthly rent resulting from applying the value of the annual
rent by the final number of hectares that BMR will require. The Community will
allocate the upfront payment to the purchase of equipment for the water well referred
to above.
About Battery Mineral Resources Corp.
Battery Min eral Resources is a battery mineral s company providing shareholders
exposure to the global mega -trend of electrification while being focused on growth
through cash-flow, exploration, and acquisitions in favourable mining jurisdictions.
Battery Mineral’s mission is the discovery, acquisition, and development of battery
metals (namely cobalt, lithium, graphite, and copper), in North America, South
America and South Korea, to become a premier and responsible supplier of battery
minerals to the electrification marketplace. BMR is currently pursuing a near -term
resumption of operations of the Punitaqui Mining Complex, a past copper -gold
producer, in the Coquimbo region of Chile. BMR is the largest mineral claim holder in
the historic Gowganda Cobalt -Silver Camp in Ontario, Canada, and continues to
pursue a focused program to build on the r ecently announced, +1 -million-pound
high-grade cobalt resource at McAra. In addition, Battery Mineral owns 100% of ESI
Energy Services, Inc. (including ESI’s wholly owned USA operating subsidiary,
Ozzie’s, Inc.), a profitable mainline pipeline and renewable energy equipment rental
and sales company with operations in Alberta, Canada and Arizona, USA. Battery
Minerals Resources is based in Canada and its shares are listed on the Toronto
Venture Exchange under the symbol “BMR” and on the OTCQB under the symbo l
“BTRMF”. Further information about BMR and its projects can be found on
www.bmrcorp.com.
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For more information, please contact:
Martin Kostuik, CEO
Phone: +1 (604) 229 3830
Mars Investor Relations
+1 (604) 335-1976
Harbor Access Corp.
475-477-9402
Twitter: @BMRcorp_
www.bmrcorp.com
Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the
policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this
press release.
Forward Looking Statements
This news release includes certain “forward -looking statements” under applicable
Canadian securities legislation. 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. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs,
opinions and projections of the Company on the date the statements are made and
are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered
reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic,
competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both
known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be
materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may
be expressed or implied by such forward -looking statements and the parties have
made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such
factors include, without limit ation, the ability of the Company to obtain sufficient
financing to complete exploration and development activities, risks related to share
price and market conditions, the inherent risks involved in the mining, exploration
and development of mineral prope rties, the ability of the Company to meet its
anticipated development schedule, government regulation and fluctuating metal
prices. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward -looking
statements. Battery undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise
any forward -looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of new
information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.