RNS Number:1512L
ATH Resources plc
18 April 2005

Press Release                                                      18 April 2005

                               ATH Resources plc

                       ("ATH Resources" or "the Company")

               Planning Application for Skares Southern Extension

ATH Resources plc, one of the UK's largest coal producers, today announces that
it will be submitting a planning application this week to mine a further 350,000
tonnes of coal from its Skares Road site ('Skares') near Cumnock in Ayrshire.
The 46 hectare extension is situated on the site's southern boundary and will
form an integral part of the next phase of operations at Skares.  Coal will be
extracted from the same sequence of coal seams occurring throughout the rest of
the Skares site and will service power generation, industrial and domestic
markets.

This follows the submission of an application in February 2005 to mine 500,000
tonnes from The Company's Laigh Glenmuir project in the vicinity of its
Garleffan site. It is the second of three applications which the Company
anticipates making during the first six months of 2005.  In addition, the
Company is continuing to seek and progress other opportunities to develop the
business within the sector.

Tom Allchurch, Chief Executive of ATH Resources plc, said: "The Skares Southern
application will provide a useful addition to the 810,000 tonnes already
consented in the next phase at Skares which, with the improved coal market
conditions, will secure production and employment for 90 people at the mine
until October 2008".

                                    - Ends -

For further information:
  ATH Resources
  Tom Allchurch, Chief Executive           Tel: +44 (0) 1302 760 462
  tom@ath.co.uk                                        www.ath.co.uk

Media enquiries:
  Abchurch
  Justin Heath                              Tel: +44 (0)113 390 6389
  Henry Harrison-Topham                    Tel: +44 (0) 20 7398 7702
  justin.heath@abchurch-group.com             www.abchurch-group.com

Notes to Editors:

ATH Resources is an AIM-listed operator of opencast coal mines in the UK with
its current two operational mines, Skares Road and Garleffan, located near New
Cumnock, East Ayrshire in Scotland.  The Company is currently the third largest
producer of coal in the UK producing approximately 1.6 million tonnes per annum.
  Coal was used to generate 34.7 per cent of the UK's electricity in 2003 and
the Company holds coal supply contracts with four of the UK's main electricity
generating companies.

The management team has been in place since 1998. It acquired the rights to
operate (and subsequently acquire) the Skares Road mine with support from The
Alchemy Plan and Bank of Scotland.  Following ATH Resource's incorporation in
October 2003, and backed by a follow on investment from The Alchemy Plan, the
Company acquired the Garleffan mine in November 2003.

In addition to the Skares Road and Garleffan mines, the Company also has a
number of other coal mining projects in Scotland and two through its French
subsidiary, SRMMC including a series of six existing coal concessions in
south-central France, covering an area of 36km2 with an estimated resource of
approximately 4.5 million tonnes of recoverable coal.

ATH Resources listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in June 2004
under the symbol ATH.L


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END

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