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Transcript of Amazon Mining Holding
AMZ : TSX-V
www.amazonplc.com
AMZ : TSX-V
Innovative Potash Fertilizer for Brazil’s Growing Market
Edition V
AMZ : TSX-V
Disclaimer
2
This presentation contains certain “forward looking statements”, which include but is not limited to,
statements with respect to the future financial or operating performance of Amazon Mining Holding Plc (the
“Company”), its subsidiaries and its projects, statements regarding use of proceeds, exploration prospects,
identification of mineral reserves, costs of and capital for exploration projects, exploration expenditures,
timing of future exploration and permitting, requirements for additional capital, government regulations of
mining operations, environmental risks, reclamation expenses, title disputes or claims, and limitations of
insurance coverage. Forward looking statements can generally be identified by the use of words such as
“plans”, “expects”, or “does not expect” or “is expected”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”,
“intends”, “forecasts”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates” or variations of such words or phrases or state that
certain actions, event, or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might”, or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be
achieved”. Forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors
which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different
from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by said statements. There can be
no assurances that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events
could differ materially from those anticipated in said statements. Accordingly, readers should not place
undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
AMZ : TSX-V
AMZ : TSX-V
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• Listed in the Toronto Stock Exchange (AMZ : TSX-V)
• 31,899,304 shares outstanding
• 34,949,990 fully diluted shares
• ~C$18m cash available
• Owns high grade, open pit-able, Potash deposit
• 105.1Mt @ 10.3% K2O of Potash inferred resources
• 15 Bt of geological potential
• Location of Cerrado Verde
• 200 km from Brazil’s largest fertilizer distributiondistrict
• 300 km radius from 30% of local Potash demand(approx $1 billion annually)
• Preliminary Economic Assessment results:
• Estimated Capex: US$196.8m
• Estimated Opex: US$41.80/t
• Estimated Potash production: 2013
AMZ : TSX-V4
Shares Issued 31,969,970
Options 2,912,135
Warrants 208,686
Diluted 35,090,791
52 week: Hi/Lo C$9.25/C$0.93
3-month daily average volume: 110,406
Market Cap (at $8.00) C$256 million
Cash Position ~C$17 million
Debt $0
AMZ : TSX-V
Share Price
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Management
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Cristiano Veloso President, CEO
• 10 years experience; Brazilian entrepreneur and founder of Amazon Mining; ex Banco do Brasil S/A, CEMIG; LL.MInternational Business Law (UEA, UK), Law (UFMG, Brazil) & Business Management (ETFG/MG, Brazil)
Maurício Sampaio Vice President Operations
• 30 years experience; ex President of Brazilian Agribusiness Association; Operations and Marketing Director for BungeFertilizantes, largest fertilizer distributor in Brazil; Operations Director for Fertiza (acquired by Mosaic/Cargill); Agribusinessadvisor to Accenture and CJ Company; Marketing Consultant for Tortuga Cia Zootécnica Agrária; MBA in Agribusiness (USP,Brazil)
Pedro Ladeira Vice President Engineering
• 17 years experience; ex Operations Director at Cementos Minetti; Process and Production Manager for Holcim Brazil;Manufacturing Engineer at Rhodia-Ster; MBA in Business Administration (Fundação Dom Cabral, BH); B.A.Sc., ChemicalEngineering (UFMG, MG). Completing a Masters in Technical Co-Processing, Chemical Engineering (UFMG, MG)
Jed Richardson Vice President Corporate Development
• 10 years experience; ex Mining Analyst with Sprott/Cormark Securities and RBC Capital Markets, Mining engineer with AlcanAluminium; B.A.Sc., Mining Engineering (University of Toronto, Canada)
Ysao Munemassa Exploration Manager
• 41 years experience; ex BP Minerals, VALE, Union Carbide, INCO, Teck Cominco, Newmont Gold; Geologist (USP, Brazil)
Dr Derek Fray Metallurgical Consultant
• 45 years experience; University of Cambridge Professor & Director of Research, Chairman of Royal Society of Chemistry;Committee member of Royal Academy of Engineering, Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining; PhD (London University),M.A. (Cambridge University)
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Independent Directors
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Peter Gundy Chairman
• MSc Economics (London School of Economics, UK), LL.B. (McGill University, Canada), B.A. (University of Western,
Canada); Former appointments include; Chairman of Neo Materials Technologies Inc. (1992-2008); Vice President of
Brascan Inc; Executive Vice President, Finance of Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Limited and Chairman of
Renaissance Securities Inc. Currently co-proprietor of Veritprop Ltd. In Toronto.
Dr Getulio Lamartine de Paula Fonseca• B.Sc., Economy (Uni. Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil); Brazilian Deputy Minister of Environment (1994); Former
appointments include; General Director National Department of Power & Water Supply; Executive-Secretary (IndustrialDevelopment Council) Industry & Commerce Ministry; Served as a member of the advisory boards of Vallourec &Mannesmann, Siderbrás, Usiminas Mecânica, CPRM & Ferbasa; Acted as a consultant to Klabin S/A, Abrafe, Bank ofMontreal, Samarco (CVRD/BHP), KLM Aerocarto, Alcoa, Cataguazes-Leopoldina, Odebrecht, Abrace, Acesita & CBCC –Dow Corning.
Dr Henrique Brandão Cavalcanti• B.Eng., Civil Engineering (McGill University, Canada); Former appointments include Brazil’s Minister of the Environment
(1994), Deputy Minister of Mines Energy (1967-69), Deputy Minister of Interior (1969-74). Has held senior posts atElectrobras, Brazilian Steel Corporation, International Environmental Bureau in Geneva and CAEMI. Has RepresentedBrazil at the United Nations and World Health Organization.
Dr Renato Gomes• LL.B., (Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil), LL.M., (London School of Economics, UK),
PhD. Candidate (Georgetown University, USA); Director of the ABCI Institute (Brazilian International Trade Scholars) andresearcher at Georgetown University, where his work focuses on the Brazilian government, its development agenda, andforeign investment. Lawyer and member of Brazilian and Portuguese Bar Associations.
AMZ : TSX-V
“Supermarket to the World”
• Brazil has almost 20% of world’sundeveloped potential arableland
• The great agricultural frontier isBrazil’s Cerrado, or Savannahaway from the Amazon forest
Cerrado
Amazon
Brazil
South America
• Brazil has world’s largestrenewable fresh water reserve
• Climate allows for multiple cropsduring the year
7
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Brazil US Russia China India
Mill
ion
s o
f H
ecta
res
Undeveloped Potential Arable Land
Available
Planted
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, UN
1
NOTE1 “The Miracle of Cerrado” The Economist , August, 26, 2010
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Potash is a Problem
8
Brazil’s Increasing Agribusiness
• Brazil is the world’s fastestgrowing potash consumer
• Brazil’s poor soils and crop mixmake potash a very importantnutrient
Dependency on Imported Potash
• Potash ranks in the top ten ofBrazilian imports by dollar value(2008 #6, 2009 #10)
• Brazilian government targets2020 to be fertilizer-independent
• Brazil is to be ranked #1 globallyfor potash imports in 2020 at7.15 million tonnes of K2O** Source: FERTECON report (FERTECON, 2009, /15/).
Rest of Imports,
92%
Insecticides, 1%
Potash, 2%
NPK, 1%Nitrogen,
2%Phosphate, 1%
Sulfur, 1%
Brazil 2008 Total Imports (US$173.2BB)
69% 75%
45%
93%
31% 25%
55%
7%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
NPK Total Nitrogen Phosphate Potash
Import vs. Domestic Fertilizer Supply
Import Domestic
AMZ : TSX-V
Location of Cerrado Verde
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Market
• Approximately 58% ofBrazilian demand forfertilizer is locatedwithin Minas Geraisand adjacent states
• Potash is importedmainly from Canadaand Russia
Infrastructure
• Paved highways
• Rail (Campos Altos)
• Electricity
• Natural Gas
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100km of Potash at surface
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Verdete Slate
• Glauconite and Sericite are Potash mineralsoccurring at surface
• Potassium rich rock (“Verdete”) is distributedover an area approximately: 100km x 6km x20m to 80m thick
• Potentially billions of tons of rock gradinggreater than 10% potassium
• Potential Mining Operation: open pit, friablerock, no overburden
• Initial NI 43-101 Inferred Resource of 105.1million tonnes grading 10.3% using 7.5% cut-off (see March 8, 2010 release)
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Strong Project Economics
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Production Rate 1.1Mtpy 2.2Mtpy
NPV (10%) US$455.4m US$858.1m
NPV (12%) US$339.1m US$652.6m
IRR 32.9% 40.2%
Operational Cost US$41.80/t US$36.36/t
CapExContingencyPre-constructionTotal CapEx
US$155.3m US$23.3mUS$18.2m
US$196.8m
US$218.4mUS$32.8mUS$18.2m
US$269.4m
Payback 2.38 years 1.87 years
NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment Completed
• PEA studied open pit mining andpyrometallurgy process to create theThermoPotash product
• (see October 28, 2010 release)
Potential Cost Savings• Integration of natural gas discovered
nearby instead of pet coke for heatingfuel source
• Utilization of Amazon’s limestonedeposits in lieu of purchasing at marketprice
• Removal of ICMS1 value-added taxes
Pilot plant rotary kiln at Phoster Tecnologia de Aglomerações
NOTE1 Tax on the Circulation of Goods, Interstate and intercity Transportation
and Communication Services
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US$41.80/tonne
Process and Operating Costs
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$18.45
•Energy
•petroleum coke, electricity
$2.35
•Raw Materials
•limestone
$8.91•Labour
$1.80•Maintenance
$5.50•Equipment Operation
$1.76•Marketing
$4.79
•Non-Operating Expenses
•administration, marketing
Estimated Operating Cost (1.1mtpy)ThermoPotash Production Process1. Mining
• Verdete Slate comes from open pit and thelimestone comes from suppliers in thesurrounding area or Amazon quarry
2. Grinding
• Verdete slate and limestone are ground byupright rod mill
3. Mixing
• The ground verdete and limestone are mixedand 4% moisture is added
4. Pelletization and Drying
• Material is rolled into pellets by discpelletizers, and dried by exhaust gas from therotary kiln
5. Rotary Kiln and Quenching
• After drying, pellets go into the rotary kiln tobe heated to 1250oC and rapidly cooled
6. Packaging of ready ThermoPotash product
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Marketing Study
• Agroconsult conducted anindependent market study tounderstand potential sale price andmarket size of ThermoPotash
• The prices were derived exclusively onhow blenders can optimize NPKformulas using ThermoPotash andkeep raw material costs equal
• Delivery-adjusted price (in blue)adjusts for delivery costs to theblenders in the state and inter-statetaxes(See October 26, 2010 release)
Highlighted MarketAnnual Market Potential: 4,359,267 tonnesPotential Sale Price: US$179.47/t1
Delivery-adjusted Price: US$122.20/t1
Pricing Estimates
Minas Gerais896,051t/y
$182.31$160.04
Sao Paulo722,513t/y
$131.77$90.92
Bahia325,181t/y
$141.61$93.98
Parana778,171t/y
$131.01$63.68
Goias495,687t/y
$142.64$112.98
Mato Grosso895,043t/y
$189.85$130.13
Mato Grosso do Sul246,621t/y
$179.47$122.20
Cerrado Verde
NOTE1 Weighted-average of the highlighted market
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Incorporated into NPK
ThermoPotash part of Existing Blends
• Potential to replace 581,236 tonnesof imported KCl in the region
• With no change to final fertilizerapplication quantities or techniques
Porto de Santos
Benefits to farmers• Provides potash in a slow release
form• Provides substantial doses of other
macronutrients• Reduces limestone use for pH
correction
Benefits to blenders• Overseas imports price is set 2
months before it arrives at facility,plus possible port delays
• 60% of fertilizer consumptionoccurs in 4 month window
• Long haul transport creates finepowder out of granules unsuitablefor application
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Benefits of ThermoPotash
3.2 3.4 2.6
21.0
0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0
Fertilizer
Limestone
MM tonnes
Brazil Fertilizer vs. Limestone Consumption 2009
K2O P2O5 N -
Nutrient Availability Tests (See August 11, 2010 release)
• Tests showed that ThermoPotash providedstatistically equivalent nutrients to plants asKCl
• Calcium and magnesium were available toplants, two key macronutrients not availablein KCl
Limestone Replacement Tests (See October 14, 2010
release)
• Brazilian farmers used 21 million tonnes oflimestone to correct soil pH levels
• Salt-based fertilizer such as KCl makes soilmore acidic
• Every tonne of ThermoPotash used reduceslimestone required by 490 kg
Kg/ha of K2O KCl ThermoPotash
0 0.04 0.04
200 0.25 0.24
400 0.41 0.38
Measured K2O levels in sandy soil as a function of potassium source
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Benefits of ThermoPotash
16
896
614
882
1416
0 250 500 750 1000 1250 1500
Uttar Pradesh(plains), India
Shandong, China
Iowa, USA
Minas Gerais, Brazil
Rainfall (mm/yr)
Average Annual Rainfall
Slow and Controlled Release (See October 15, 2010 release)
• High rainfall in Brazil makes slow release fertilizers more useful, as the slowrelease fertilizers are not easily dissolved and washed away by water
• Resin tests confirmed the slow release properties of ThermoPotash• 25% of the available potash released in the sandy soil• 40% of the available potash released in the clayey soil
• The market for slow releasefertilizers is established and growingworldwide• Producers enjoy a 30-70%
premium on the slow releaseproducts over the price of thenutrients in the regularproducts
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Benefits of ThermoPotash
Potassium Leaching Tests (See December 16, 2010 release)
• Tests established that ThermoPotash (TK) suffers minimal nutrient loss as aresult of leaching, whereas KCl loses 26% under the same conditions
• The superior behaviour of TK over KCl can be explained by its low solubility inwater, which still effectively delivers nutrients to plants
Soil Type KCl(granular)
ThermoPotash(Powdered)
ThermoPotash (granular)
Control (without K)
------------------- K leached, grams per column ----- ----------------
Sandy (15% loamy)
2.31 (26.2%) 0.28 (0.3%) 0.26 (0.0%) 0.26
Clay (40% loamy)
2.09 (26.0%) 0.08 (0.3%) 0.07 (0.1%) 0.06
Source of K – Doses of 300 kg/ha
Note: Figures in parentheses represent the percentage of K from the fertilizer applied that waslost through leaching
AMZ : TSX-V
Time for Something Different
Verdete
0 m
Open Pit Mining
10-13% K2O
2 yrs
$200 million
Energy Costs
Low mining costs
ThermoPotash
Carnallite
500 - 1000m
Solution Mining
10-14% K2O
5-7 years
$1-2 billion
Fluid and Boreholes
Solution Separation
KCl
Sylvinite
1000 - 1500m
Conventional Underground
20-25% K2O
7-10 years
$2-3 billion
Conventional Mining
Flotation Separation
KCl
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Depth
Grade
Time
Cap-Ex
Op Cost
Product
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Apatita Phosphate Project
• Promising drilling results on 2 of 3 prospects identified mineralizedphosphate between 0.01% and 9.57% P2O5 with widths of between 1mand 22m (see release dated November 22, 2010)
• Additional drilling to be completed on 5 additional prospects with a planto establish 43-101 compliant resource estimates on the two prospectsthat have already shown promising results
19
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Apatita Phosphate Zone
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Recent Developments
21
• A patent application has beenfiled in the UK for the productionof conventional potash fertilizers,muriate of potash (KCl) andsulphate of potash (SOP) fromverdete slate
• The technology was developedby Dr. Derek Fray , Professor andDirector of Research at theUniversity of Cambridge, UK
Conventional Potash from Verdete (see December 2, 2010 release)
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Brazilian Government Support
Special Tax Treatment for Cerrado Verde Project (see December 22, 2010 release)
• Secretary of Finance from Minas Gerais State Government has approved a special tax treatment for the Cerrado Verde potash project
• This benefit will reduce capital and operational expenditures for the Company’s proposed ThermoPotash production. In addition, it will reduce sales tax on ThermoPotash itself
• The special tax treatment is defined as:
• Suspension of “ICMS” tax payable on
imports of foreign goods (currently 18%),
on imports of foreign raw materials and
purchases of domestic raw materials
• effective tax load of 4% payable on
sales of ThermoPotash, SOP and KCl
22
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Development Partnerships
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ArcelorMittal to Fund Agronomic Trials (See Sept. 22, 2009 release)
•Agreement represents a first step in developing corporate demand for ThermoPotash.ArcelorMittal has 170,000ha of cultivated eucalyptus forests for charcoal production.
Agrifirma to Undertake Agronomic Trials (See Nov. 24 & Dec. 9, 2009 release)
•Agreement secures real world field trials of ThermoPotash for use in corn and soyplantation, also as part of process for conversion of Cerrado scrubland for commercialcultivation. Agrifirma is a Jersey-based land fund with 42,000ha of farmland in Brazil.
Sekita to Fund Agronomic Trials (See March 22, 2010 release)
•Agreement establishes a relationship with one of the largest Brazilian vegetableproducers. ThermoPotash to be tested in real world conditions for use with variousvegetables. Its farms are located less than 10km from the Cerrado Verde Project.
Included in Sugarcane Fertilizer Taskforce (See August 4, 2009 release)
•ROCKAPL (‘Rock’ Arranjo Produtivo Local) is a collaborative effort between governmentand private enterprise focused on developing fertilizer alternatives for sugarcane destinedfor ethanol production.
Brazil to Fund Metallurgical tests on Verdete (See May 4, 2009 release)
•Brazil’s Centre for Mineral Technology (“CETEM”) agreed to fund and conductmetallurgical tests on Verdete.
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