VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA–(May 8, 2012) – First Graphite Corp. (TSX VENTURE:FGR) (the “Company†or “First Graphiteâ€) is pleased to announce the following additions to the Company’s existing management team and the establishment of a technical advisory board. These additions to the First Graphite team will provide the technical, regulatory and administrative experience necessary to rapidly advance the Henry Project, as well as the other graphite projects within the company’s portfolio.
The following additions have been made to the Company’s management team:
Vida Ramin, MPA
Senior Manager, Strategic and Public Affairs
Ms. Ramin has a decade of experience with the public, private and non-profit sectors developing and implementing programs and policies, as well as providing strategic advice to executive management, on a diverse range of complex and multi-faceted land and resource management issues. In addition to holding a Master of Public Administration (with a resource policy specialization), she has completed undergraduate programs in both Geography and Environmental Science and Applied Management. Before joining First Graphite Corp., Ms. Ramin managed a TSX-listed company’s Canadian mineral exploration projects and was responsible for, among other things, strategic planning and communications, regulatory affairs and external relations. Prior to that, she worked for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources as its Manager of Lands and Aboriginal Policy.
Alan J. Wainwright, Ph.D., P.Geo.
Exploration Manager
Dr. Wainwright is an economic geologist with mineral exploration and research experience in North America, South America and Asia. Alan has worked on generative, evaluation and target delineation campaigns in world-class mineral districts with a number of exploration firms and senior mining companies since 1999, and holds B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from McGill University, University of Toronto and The University of British Columbia, respectively. Alan completed his Ph.D. on the super-giant porphyry Cu-Au deposits at Oyu Tolgoi (Ivanhoe Mines; Mongolia), and was a senior member of the Kaminak Gold Corp. discovery team at Coffee (breccia-hosted Au; Yukon). Dr. Wainwright is accredited by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia.
The following additions have been made to the Company’s Technical Advisory Board:
Dan Jody Dahrouge, P. Geo
Mr. Dahrouge is a professional geologist with over 20 years of experience in both Canada and internationally. He has managed all types of mineral projects, from grassroots exploration to mine development and production. Since 1988, he has successfully owned and operated Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd., a private Edmonton-based consulting firm, which manages exploration and development programs for both junior and senior mineral resource companies. A graduate of the University of Alberta’s Geology program (BSc. 1988) and Computing Science program (Sp.C 1993), Mr. Dahrouge is a registered professional geologist in both Alberta and British Columbia.
Daniel MacNeil
Daniel MacNeil holds a B.Sc. from St. Francis Xavier University and a M.Sc. from the University of British Columbia. He has been involved in mineral exploration since 2001 and has experience with gold, nickel, and lead-zinc exploration and development. Daniel began his exploration career with Anglo American where he was involved in lead-zinc exploration in the Selwyn Basin, and nickel exploration in the Thompson and Cape Smith Nickel belts. Daniel spent 7 years with Barrick Gold Corp. where he assisted with advanced exploration in and around the world-class Eskay Creek (British Columbia), Round Mountain (Nevada), Hemlo (Ontario) and Donlin Creek (Alaska) gold deposits and managed generative and target delineation exploration projects in Canada and the United States. Prior to working for Barrick, Daniel held the title of Senior Geologist, an internal technical role for Cardero Resource Corp. where he provided technical assistance to Peruvian gold and base metal exploration projects and Canadian coal projects.
Graphite
Graphite is a polymer of carbon that comes in three naturally occurring forms – flake, amorphous, and lump. All three are found in metamorphic as well as igneous rocks, varying by grade, particle (mesh) size and moisture content. Graphite exhibits a number of characteristics, which make it a high value industrial mineral with a broad range of applications: it is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity, is resistant to strong acids and thermal shock, is a lubricant, is refractive and has the highest natural strength and stiffness of any known material.
The total worldwide graphite market is currently estimated to be US$12 billion. At present, the largest end use markets for graphite are the steel and automotive industries. However in recent years, emerging markets, including green energy development (fuel cells, solar energy and nuclear power) and batteries (lithium-ion and vanadium-redox) are creating the potential for incremental increases in demand. Meanwhile, the closure of a number of natural graphite mines in China, the world’s largest producer, is reducing world-wide supply.
About First Graphite
First Graphite Corp. is a Vancouver-based mineral exploration company focused on the development of graphite projects in Canada. The company currently has three graphite properties led by its flag ship project, the Henry Graphite property, located near the Deep Bay Graphite Mine in north-eastern Saskatchewan, Canada.
This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words “expectsâ€, “plansâ€, “anticipatesâ€, “believesâ€, “intendsâ€, “estimatesâ€, “projectsâ€, “potential†and similar expressions, or that events or conditions “willâ€, “wouldâ€, “mayâ€, “could†or “should†occur. Although First Graphite Corp. 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 realities may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of First Graphite Corp.’s management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, First Graphite Corp. undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management’s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
First Graphite Corp.
Andrew Mugridge
Corporate Development
(604) 689 2881
