Drilling Intersects 4.73% Cu and 2.61 g/t Gold Over 12.8 Metres

VANCOUVER, BC - Imperial Metals Corporation reported results from 2012 Mount Polley mine site exploration at the Boundary zone in British Columbia which continues to demonstrate the discovery potential at this established mining property.

Underground drilling in the Boundary zone workings was initiated in early November to explore and further define mineralization at Zuke zone, which is near but not included in the Boundary zone mineralization currently being prepared for underground test mining. All the drilling from two of the three drill stations at 812 level intersected breccia hosted copper/gold mineralization, confirming continuity and extending the known limits of the Zuke zone. The Zuke zone is currently modelled as two steeply dipping breccia lenses, approximately 8 metres wide, 30 metres high and 75 metres long. The two lenses are separated by a 5 metre wide unmineralized core and are also cut by a post mineral dyke. The post mineral dyke has a strike of 55 and dips 48 to the southeast. Breccias at Mount Polley are normally irregular bodies with no specific orientation, but the Zuke zone breccias have a planar geometry so true thicknesses have been estimated for drill holes that cross the zone.

Drill hole NDU12-196 returned 12.8 metres (estimated true width 8.0 metres) grading 4.73% copper, 2.61 g/t gold and 30.05 g/t silver starting at 22.1 metres, and drill hole NDU12-197 intersected a higher grade interval of 9.66% copper, 6.42 g/t gold and 52.81 g/t silver over 2.8 metres.

Other holes from the first drill station include NDU12-198 which returned 10.0 metres (estimated true width 5.1 metres) grading 3.18% copper, 2.92 g/t gold and 28.29 g/t silver and NDU12-199 which had two distinct intervals, 7.3 metres (estimated true width 6.0 metres) grading 2.47% copper, 1.45 g/t gold and 17.34 g/t silver at 29.4 metres and 7.2 metres (estimated true width 5.8 metres) of 3.10% copper, 0.68 g/t gold and 17.04 g/t silver at 54.4 metres. These holes were expected to define the western end of Zuke breccia, but since all of them intersected mineralization, additional drilling will be required to complete that task.

Drill holes NDU12-203 through NDU12-210 were collared from the second drill station, located at the end of 812 level, and were intended to drill down the length of the Zuke breccia in an attempt to define the eastern limit. Drilling revealed the Zuke zone breccia extends higher and further east than previously modelled. Copper/gold mineralization was intercepted only a few centimetres from the wall of the drift, and therefore the 812 drift is being extended to the east for an additional 60 to 70 metres. Based on drill results it is expected the drift extension will drive through a mineralized section of one of the lenses making up the Zuke zone and will also provide access to the eastern end of the Zuke zone for further drilling