RIMOUSKI, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - July 5, 2012) - Puma Exploration (TSX VENTURE:PUM) announces the results of the first seven holes of the 2012 Nicholas-Denys drilling program in New Brunswick targeting the high-grade zones of silver and gold within the Hach� lens area.
Highlights include:
- Drill intersection of 446 g/t Ag, 1.54 g/t Au, 2.2% Pb and 5.8% Zn over 6.4 m within the main Hach� lens, including a high grade zone of 820 g/t Ag, 2.70 g/t Au, 3.5% Pb and 3.4% Zn over 3.0 m in hole FHA12-04;
- Discovery, in hole FHA12-07, of a new silver and gold rich zone grading 579 g/t Ag, 1.42 g/t Au, 3.7% Pb and 5.8% Zn over 1.9 m, located in a distinct sulphide lens (Hach� West) at the south-west extension of the main Hach� lens;
- Persistant gold mineralization drilled near surface and grading 1.1 g/t Au over 17.5 m including a higher grade zone of 2.8 g/t Au over 5.0 m.
The main Hach� lens
The drilling program hit the targeted high grade silver and gold zone in hole FH12-04, which intersected semi-massive to massive sulphide mineralization over 15.1 meters grading 195 g/t Ag, 0.74 g/t Au, 1.0% Pb and 2,6% Zn. It includes a higher grade zone of 820 g/t Ag, 2.70 g/t Au, 3.5% Pb and 3.4% Zn over 3.0 m.
The sulphide zone intersected in FH12-04 is one of the richest silver zones intercepted to date on the property. Previous holes drilled by Puma cut similar high grade zones and defined the richest zone of the main Hach� lens.
Table 1: Selected Puma's holes drilled in the main Hach� Lens rich zone
So far, the rich zone of the Hach� lens has been followed by drilling over 75 meters laterally and to a vertical depth of 55 meters and remains open at depth and toward East. Drill hole FH12-04 is located at the eastern end of the actual rich zone which corresponds to the intersection of the NW-SE transverse faults and the regional N070� sulphide horizon. The sulphide horizon is followed on the property for a strike length of more than 10 km. Similar rich zones have been drilled at Shaft and Pinetree lenses from 2006 but the previous drilling programs were not designed to test that model.
The Hach� West lens
The drilling program also confirmed the presence of a distinct sulphide zone located 30 meters south-west of the Hach� lens. Holes FHA12-02 and FHA12-07 intersected the Hach� West lens which has been followed by drilling over more than 100 meters laterally and to a vertical depth of 140 meters and remains open at depth. This sulphide lens is composed of semi-massive sulphide mineralization with an average thickness of 3 meters.
Hole FHA12-07, collared at the western extension of the Hach� West lens, intersected a high grade silver and gold zone similar to the rich zone hit at the main Hach� lens. The new rich zone in that hole grades 280 g/t Ag, 0.70 g/t Au, 1.8% Pb and 2.8% Zn over 4.0 meters and includes a very high grade zone of 579 g/t Ag, 1.42 g/t Au, 3.7% Pb and 5.8% Zn over 1.9 meter.
Table 2: Selected Puma's holes drilled at the Hach� West Lens
Nicholas-Denys 2012 drilling program
The drilling program at Nicholas-Denys included 11 holes for a total of 1,375 meters. Seven (7) holes for 1,005 meters were collared at Hach� lens area and consisted of infill and step-out hole designed to target the high-grade silver and gold zones within the Hach� lens and the presence of any new rich zones. The table 3 shows the results of the seven (7) holes drilled at the main Hach� lens. The four (4) other holes for 370 meters drilled were located at the Dante lens 2011 new discovery and results are pending.
''All the holes drilled in the Hach� area succeeded to intersect significant silver-gold-zinc mineralization and upgraded significantly the understanding of the silver and gold rich zone targets for the entire project. Following the new discovery in the Hach� area, a stripping and trenching program is planned to discover the Hach� West lens at surface and new targets defined during the current drilling program." Note Marcel Robillard, Puma's President.
Table 3. Results from the current drilling program at Hach� lens
About Puma Exploration
Puma Exploration is a Canadian mineral exploration company with advanced precious and base metals projects in Canada. The Company's major assets are the Nicholas-Denys Silver Project and Turgeon Copper Project in New Brunswick and the Little Stull Lake Gold Project in Manitoba. Puma is actually focusing its exploration efforts in New Brunswick, Canada, which has been ranked the best place in the world to conduct mining exploration by the 2012 Fraser Institute Survey. New players such as Trevali Mining Corporation which has initiated production at the Halfmile Mine and Votorantim and which is developing the Murray Brook Deposit are now very active in the area.
Learn more by clicking here: www.pumaexploration.com
The contents of this press release were prepared by Dominique Gagn�, a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. The samples were analyzed at the ALS Chemex laboratory in Val d'Or using the atomic absorption and ICP methods. There is not enough drilling data presently available to determine the shape and true width of the mineralized zone. Neither 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 release.