Petaquilla

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.

Petaquilla’s board of directors and management would like to thank Ms. van Baarsen for her dedicated and attentive work.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA — (MARKETWIRE) — 12/02/10 –

Petaquilla Minerals Ltd. (TSX: PTQ) (OTCBB: PTQMF) (FRANKFURT: P7Z) (“Petaquilla” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Ezequiel Sirotinsky as Chief Financial Officer of the Company.

Mr. Sirotinsky, a Certified Public Accountant, was formerly Director of Finance for Silver Standard Resources, Inc., where he was responsible for the administration and finance aspects of their Mina Pirquitas Project in Argentina, and Administrative and Finance Manager for AngloGold Ashanti Limited’s Cerro Vanguardia Project, a gold and silver mine, where, among other responsibilities, he was involved in reporting and accounting management, treasury and cash management, risk management, business planning and strategy development, and tax planning.

The Company welcomes Mr. Sirotinsky as Chief Financial Officer. His experience garnered from holding senior finance positions within other mineral producing companies will benefit the Company in its next steps to becoming a mid-tier gold producer.

Mr. Sirotinsky replaces Ms. Julie van Baarsen as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer. Petaquilla’s board of directors and management would like to thank Ms. van Baarsen for her dedicated and attentive work and wishes her well in her future endeavors.

About Petaquilla Minerals Ltd. – Petaquilla Minerals Ltd. is a gold producer operating its gold processing plant at its 100% owned Molejon Gold Project in Panama. The plant utilizes three ball mills and a carbon-in-pulp processing facility. Anticipated throughput for the project during the first year of commercial production is estimated to be 2200 tonnes per day. The Molejon mine site is located in the south central area of the Company’s 100% owned 842 square kilometer concession lands, a region known historically for its gold content.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of PETAQUILLA MINERALS LTD.

Richard Fifer, Executive Chairman of the Board

Petaquilla employees drink water from rivers nearby the mine to show that there is no contamination

Carlos Salazar – Petaquilla

RAMOS Torrera Lineth – El Siglo
Representatives of the Petaquilla Gold mine rejected the arguments of farmers and environmentalists about the pollution of the Coclesito river and to prove it they bathed in the water and even drank water directly from river.
Carlos Salazar, in the presence of the media, bathed in the river with his
son and public relations representative Fernando Rodriguez. “Petaquilla is accused of having polluted rivers, mainly Coclesito without scientific evidence, and have alarmed the people to later interview them.” said Salazar.
842 square Km is mine Molejon 300 thousand cubic meters has the tub.
He stated that the mining company is not using seven tons of cyanide and is not destroying the water sources in the region, as stated by the environmentalists.   He explained that in the operational phase they have taken advantage of the high level of rainfall, which increased levels of the tub of tailings, to say that there was spill, which is not true.
They also argued that theoretically the mine consumes 1800 cubic meters of water a day because the tub has a pumping capacity of 45 cubic meters per hour, but as rain fills it, they do not get to use 45 cubic meters, or much less 1800 per day.
Salazar said that Coclesito water can be consumed, although environmentalists accuse Petaquilla of having contaminated the water.
Leak
They say there is no danger to the level of landslide tubs
Location
They are in District Molejon Donoso
Research
Ancon and Anam take samples of water from nearby rivers
History shows that of 100 applications for exploration, two become
mines and so Panama at its best will have 6-7 mines, which would have a
surface of 3.500 to 4000 hectares, equivalent to 40 square kilometers, said Salazar.
It was a challenge without proof
The environmental Raisa Bainfield said she saw no evidence that Salazar was drinking water from the affected rivers.    “That bathing and drinking water from the rivers has no merit. That was will determine whether there is contamination or not is a committee of national experts that investigates the mine, and I say international because the government is biased in this issue, “said Bainfield, while trying to establish her theory that the mine is detrimental to the community.

Petaquilla – News,  The current market for aggressive gold traders is a record high of $1,261 reached in late June

Aug 26, 2010

Gold prices are closer to an all-time high despite a relatively strong dollar. One ounce of gold currently goes for $1,236 in early evening New York trade. (Aug 25)

Gold closed Tuesday at $1,230.40 after a Monday close of $1,225.90. At one point in early morning New York NYMEX trade Tuesday, gold traded as low as $1,210.

The current market for aggressive gold traders is a record high of $1,261 reached in late June. A break of this level would probably produce a run up toward $1,300, a price most have forecasted to arrive at some point in the remaining months of 2010.

Gold continues higher as equity traders monitor the Dow Jones Industrial average, which is trying to maintain the 10,000 plateau.

The price of gold has been moving steadily higher since finishing a moderate pullback in July of $1155. A call for $1300 an ounce of gold has been on going for some time now.