Drilling at Red Chris Continues to Intercept Long Intervals
VANCOUVER, BC - Imperial Metals Corporation reported results from the fourth and fifth drill holes of the 2009 deep drilling program at the Red Chris copper/gold property in northwest British Columbia. Both holes were drilled to over 1,300 metres depth and returned long intervals of copper/gold mineralization, adding to the evolving model of deep mineralization in the East zone.
Vertical hole RC09-348 was collared approximately 70 metres west and 20 metres north of drill hole (2007) RC07-335 [ref: NR Oct 16/07: RC07-335 returned 1,024.1 metres grading 1.01% copper, 1.26 g/t gold and 3.92 g/t silver]. RC09-348 returned long intervals of mineralization and intersected 1,265.0 metres grading 0.62% copper and 0.82 g/t gold starting at a depth of 42.5 metres below surface. The upper 302.5 metres of RC09-348 are within the current pit design, however the following 255.0 metre interval from 302.5 to 557.5 metres is mineralized, grading 0.87% copper and 0.84 g/t gold.
Deeper in RC09-348 high gold grade mineralization was intersected, similar to the 116.2 metres grading 1.06% copper and 3.11 g/t gold hit in RC09-345 [ref: NR Oct 20/09]. Starting at 725.4 metres, RC09-348 encountered 243.9 metres grading 1.21% copper and 2.41 g/t gold, including a higher grade interval of 1.52% copper and 3.35 g/t gold over 129.9 metres starting at 756.0 metres.
Vertical drill hole RC09-347 is located 65 metres south and 25 metres west of the collar of RC07-335. RC09-347 intersected 1,132.5 metres grading 0.39% copper and 0.46 g/t gold starting at a depth of 108.0 metres. The upper 290.0 metres of RC09-347 is also within the current pit design, but has extended mineralization into the untested area beneath pit design with the next 700.5 metres grading 0.47% copper and 0.59 g/t gold.
The 2009 drill program is continuing with diamond drill hole RC09-349 completed to a depth of 1,501.8 metres, and RC09-350 and 351 in progress at the time of this release. The Company expects to have completed eight holes (RC09-345 through RC09-352) in the current program prior to the winter break. Drilling of the deep East zone and other targets will resume early 2010. When RC09-351 is completed, a 400 metre strike length of the favorable unit in the East zone will have been tested to depth between it and RC09-350.
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