Petaquilla Minerals Ltd. (TSX:PTQ)(OTCBB:PTQMF)(FRANKFURT:P7Z)(the “Company”) is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Petaquilla Gold, S.A., a signatory of the International Cyanide Management Code (the “Code”), has been audited by a lead auditor and a technical expert as part of the final process to become certified by the International Cyanide Management Institute (“ICMI”).

Companies that are signatories to the Code must have their operations audited by an independent third party to demonstrate their compliance with the Code. In this regard, Petaquilla Gold, S.A., once certified by the ICMI, will join only 14 other gold mining companies worldwide possessing this certification.

Within the next two months the technical expert will conclude a final review of the Company’s Molejon Gold Project to confirm compliance with minor recommendations prior to submitting the final report to ICMI for issuance of the official certification.

The ICMI was established to administer the Code, to promote the Code’s adoption and implementation, to evaluate its implementation, to manage the certification process and to make information on safe cyanide management practices widely available.

The Code is a voluntary industry program covering the manufacture, transport and use of cyanide in the gold mining industry. The Company supports the promotion of responsible management of cyanide used in gold mining for the purpose of enhancing the protection of human health and reducing the potential of environmental impacts.

About Petaquilla Minerals Ltd. Petaquilla is a growing, diversified gold producer committed to maximizing shareholder value through a strategy of efficient production, targeted exploration and select acquisitions. The Company operates a surface gold processing plant at its Molejon Gold Project, located in the south central area of its 100% owned 842 square kilometre concession lands in Panama – a region known historically for gold content. In addition, the Company has acquired 100% of the Lomero-Poyatos project located in the northeast part of the Spanish/Portuguese (Iberian) Pyrite Belt and several other exploration licenses in Iberia.

One of the premises that remained latent during the visit of the Richard Fifer and Duke of Veragua, Cristobal Colon de Carvajal to Panama is the great tourist potential of Panama, but above all the fact that its sites are characterized by offering a unique product, away from those who sell themselves as a mass product.

This was a recurring subject addressed by the General Director of the Public Companies of the Autonomous Region of Extremadura in Spain, Jaime Ruiz Peña, made during a trip to Panama, as part of the tour carried out by Colon de Carvajal, who chairs the Castilla de Oro Foundation of Spain.

These comments were issued by Mr. Ruiz Peña amazed by what he saw during his tour of the Fort of San Lorenzo, located at the mouth of the Chagres River, silent witness of glorious epochs of the colonial period, characterized by raids to the city by corsairs and pirates.

“There are two options: to opt for mass tourism or for tourism which pays off for unique things and this is a unique product. I say this from the experience of intensively knowing a network of accommodation spots in Extremadura, such as small hotels”, he added.

He emphasized on the good conditions available at the structures of San Lorenzo, where there is good space for enabling the right accommodations. Additionally, it also contains history, attractive for any tourist coming from anywhere in the world.

“This is not the same Fort of San Lorenzo taken twice by the British and which was occupied by the pirate Sir Francis Drake”, he also explained.

Mr. Ruiz Peña said he has visited the Military Tatto festival, a 90 minutes presentation that has as main setting the Edinburgh Castle, and where the mixture of music, entertainment and theater, in an exhibition which bring together thousands of people.

“Imagine a show, with Spanish and British people full of tourists going crazy on the same site where centuries ago these events took place”, he stated.

The Fort of San Lorenzo is one of the oldest Spanish forts of America which protected the river entrance to the ancient Panama City, located in the Pacific.

Its construction began in 1598 by order of King Philip II and was completed three years later.  The plans for the fortress were designed by the Italian engineer Juan Bautista Antonelli.

El Siglo / Nacion

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Editorial Department of El Siglo

The Republic’s President, Martin Torrijos, accompanied by the president of the Petaquilla Foundation, Yanethe de Fifer, inaugurated the new headquarters of the Municipal Palace, during the celebration of the 159th Anniversary of La Pintada district’s Foundation, which cost goes up to 270 thousand dollars and was contributed by  Grupo Petaquilla, as a part of its corporate and social responsibility program.

During the celebration, the Executive’s Chief emphasized the joint effort was made by the Petaquilla company, traders of the region, civilians and local governments that united to accomplish the inauguration of the new headquarter of  the Mayor’s Office in La Pintada.

On the other hand, the president of the Petaquilla Foundation, Yanethe de Fifer, stated that the inauguration of this project is part of the company’s policy regarding the corporate responsibility just as the social one, for which they will continue to willingly support the government with health programs and school nutrition, building and improvement of schools, rural hospitals, roads and streets, agricultural production, reforestation, beautification, and specially the “Warm Foods” program where 97 schools of the region with more than 5 thousand children from the provinces of Veraguas, Coclé and Colon, are fed daily.

LA PRENSA/ FRIDAY,MARCH 10th 1995

Julio Cesar Aizprùa
La Prensa

The mining industry will invest around 60 million dollars in Panama this year, while in the Latin American region that investment will reach 50 billion dollars.
Richard Fifer and Julio Benedetti, president of the Mining Chamber of Panama, said yesterday that mining is “taking off” in this country, where there are already three operating mines, three other projects in the feasibility study and about 30 explorative studies.
The gold mines of Remance and Santa Rosa, located in the province of Veraguas are currently operating in the country, as well as the manganese mines at Cerro Viejo in the province of Colon.
While acknowledging that not all the projects will become a reality, the interviewee mentioned that in the coming years mining will be one of the most significant contributors to the Panamanian economy.

Last year, mining investment was 40 million dollars, while this year there is a projected investment of 60 million dollars, he said.
Asked about the real possibilities offered by mining in Panama, Benedetti said that since historical times, this country has been an important mining center, going as far as to found a city, the city of Nata de los Caballeros, to provide supplies to mines that had been working on the north side of the province of Veraguas.
Then, with the discovery of mines in Peru and elsewhere in South America, Panama became another center for onward transfer of minerals.

What happened, explains Benedetti, “is that there was a lack of Panamanians with knowledge and technological skills to identify the sites.”
The president of the Mining Chamber of Panama participated yesterday as a speaker at the mining forum that is taking place in this capital, as part of the commercial exhibition EXPOCOMER ’95, held at the ATLAPA Convention Center.
The forum includes representatives of companies from Canada, the United States and the governments of Honduras, Nicaragua, Chile and Colombia.
Recently the president of the Canadian company Metall Mining Corporation, Klaus Zeitler, said that although the mineral wealth of Panama is among the largest in the world, the country must offer policies that promote investment in mining, or else investors could go elsewhere.

Zeitler said that only a genuine desire on the Government´s part along with the appropriate actions will persuade mining companies to invest in Panama.
Panama is not “El Dorado” but the current economic situation in combination with a competitive mining code and policies designed to attract mining investments, will develop a thriving mining industry in the country”, he said.
“In a global economy”, he continued, “competition for capital is intense and if governments do not create a favorable climate for investment and improve their competitive position in mining, investors will look elsewhere”.
The investor referred to the interest that Canadian companies such as Metall Mining, Teck Corporation and Adrian Resources have in Cerro Petaquilla project between Coclé and Colon.
Both Petaquilla and Cerro Colorado have large deposits of copper, gold, silver and molybdenum.

At that time, Zeitler said that this mining district would have an annual production of 100 thousand tons of copper contained in 400 thousand tons of concentrate, while adding that this amount constitutes one quarter of the average annual consumption.
The largest copper mines produce between 300 thousand and 500 thousand tons of copper contained in 1 to 1.6 million tons of concentrate.
The Petaquilla gold production is estimated at 57 thousand ounces, while the largest deposits produce between 90 and 900 thousand ounces.
Zeitler, who said that Petaquilla would produce an average of 60 thousand tons of copper per day, said the return on investment on this project would be 10% while in other major projects carried out in Argentina, for example, the return is 25%.
However, the president of Metall Mining assures you that Petaquilla has some natural advantages, such as low cost of transportation, due to the short distance that is travelled to get to the mine.

By: Prensa Latina / 8-6-2011

The mining company Petaquilla Gold delivered 193 thousand 700 dollars to the Municipal Council of the District of Donoso today, in respect to royalties in presence of the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Roberto Henriquez.

Thus, the mining company complies with the stipulated Panamanian laws of delivering part of their royalties from production, to the people that live where their concessions are established and that correspond to the Government.

Rodrigo Esquivel, president of Petaquilla Gold, and Richard Fifer Carles while delivering the check to the mayor Feliciano Villarreal, expressed the company’s will to continue contributing to the sustainable development of the communities and guarantee the environmental security with the use of cutting-edge technology.

The General Director of the Public Business Sector of Extremadura, Jaime Ruiz Pena, committed to the regional Panamanian authorities to support the feasibility study for the realization of special “boutique hotels” which consists on restoring old buildings and transform them in high-end inns and lodges.

Ruiz Pena’s statement was given during a lunch meeting with the Governor of Colon, Pedro Rios; businessman Richard Fifer-Carles; and the municipalities of Montijo and Calobre, Veraguas; Santa Maria, Parita; Pese and Los Pozos, Herrera; Tonosi and Pedasi, Los Santos; and Aguadulce, Cocle; who traveled to Spain to observe the country’s expertise in the development of tourism in the regions of Extremadura and Andalucia.

Ruíz indicated that the institution he presides has experience in this type of tourism as they currently have seven hotels with these characteristics in the Region Autonoma of Extremadura, reason why they support the Panamanian government’s decision to develop this project.

The tour is part of the initiative of the Castilla del Oro Foundation, created by Richard Fifer, which counts with the sponsorship of the Panamanian Tourism Authority who is trying to promote rural tourism in the country, taking advantage of the historical bonds that join us to the Mother Land, Spain.

The San Lorenzo Fort in Colon, the Belen Fort and the old Custom building in Portobelo, are a few of the touristic locations in Panama that could serve as the pilot for the development of this project.  They all count with a rich history and are very attractive.

Before this commitment acquired by the director of the Public Business Sector of Extremadura, the company held a conference with the authorities from the provinces of Panama regarding the comparative advantages achieved with the implementation of informational technologies to develop urban and mostly rural regions of any country, since this tool helps the companies improve their competitiveness and their penetration of national and international markets.

Ruiz Pena, along with his team and Richard Fifer, explained that the Center of Excelencia de Software Libre, promoted by the Junta de Extremadura, is a reference center in the subject of software development quality that also acts as a dynamic element and diffuser of Software Libre, which allows the transfer knowledge and advice to companies in the region and to the ones they request collaboration from, without the need of paying for a license or the use of this system.  This will help to save economic resources that could be used in other areas of need of the population.

Concesiones por un total de 27 mil 241 hectáreas se han concedido este año para extraer oro y otros metales a empresas mineras, informó la Dirección de Recursos Minerales del Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias.

Los permisos de extracción de este año, que se han otorgado a Cuprum Resources Corp. Y Aurífera del Sol, entre otras, representan un aumento sustancial en comparación al 2005, cuando no se registraron permisos.

A Recursos Minerales también han acudido otras compañías como la de Richard Fifer que solicitan concesiones por un total de 117 mil 884 hectáreas de las provincias de Veraguas, Herrera, Panamá Colón, Los Santos y la Comarca Ngobe Buglé.

Entre las empresas que recibieron su condición de “elegibilidad” y tienen sus documentos en trámite están Aurum Exploration, Inc, Aurífera El Sol, S.A., Oro Gold de Panamá, S.A. Compañía Minera Clif-ton, S.A. y Miramar Mining Corp.

Una fuente de la Dirección explicó que en esta etapa las personas afectadas o interesadas pueden presentar objeciones debidamente fundamentadas contra alguna solicitud.

LA PRENSA / MARTES 15 AGOSTO DE 2006

Mario A. Muñoz