MONTREAL, QUEBEC,
CANADA--(Feb. 29, 2008) - Mackenzie I. Watson, President and CEO of Freewest
Resources Canada Inc. (TSX VENTURE:FWR) (the "Company") is
pleased to provide an update of exploration activities currently ongoing at
its Clarence Stream property (the "Property"). The Property
comprising 11,296 hectares, is located close to infrastructure, 70
kilometres southwest of the City of Fredericton and 10 kilometres east of
the Mount Pleasant tin-tungsten-molybdenum-indium deposit in Charlotte
County, southwestern New Brunswick.
DIAMOND DRILLING
Diamond drilling completed early in 2008, continues to test the deeper
levels below a number of gold zones comprising the Proximal deposits. Specifically,
the drilling is testing a one-kilometre portion of the gold-bearing
high-strain zone at the -200 and -300metre-levels, in the locale of the
Central Zone.
Highlighting the recent results is an intercept of 7.98 g/t gold over 12.00
metres (10.00 metres true width) in drill hole CS08-272. This interval was
re-assayed utilizing the screen metallics method, returning an assay of
8.72 g/t gold over 12.00 metres. Hole CS07-271, drilled from the same
location as CS08-272, yielded an intercept of 4.22 g/t gold over 5.00
metres at the -225 metre-level. A 100-metre step-out hole, CS08-273,
returned an intercept of 7.11 g/t gold across 5.00 metres at the -230
metre-level. The complete drill results are summarized in Table 1.
(1)Assays performed by ALS Chemex of Val d'Or, Quebec using the fire assay
method using 30 grams of prepared sample
Diamond drilling completed in late 2007 (see Freewest news release of
October 3, 2007) and that to date in 2008, have successfully defined a new
gold zone known as the Deep Zone (Figure 1). The Deep Zone has yielded
significant, ore-grade intercepts over a 250-metre strike length and a
height of 100 vertical metres. Gold mineralization occurs in quartz veins
hosted within deformed gabbro and microgranite dikes and sills intruding
biotite-cordierite hornfels. It remains completely open-ended along strike
and to depth (Figure 1).
A longitudinal section illustrating the Deep Zone intersections (Figure 1)
comprises part of this news release and is posted on the Freewest website
at www.freewest.com.
METALLURGY
Bench-scale testing of diamond drill core from the Central Zone, the
largest of the Proximal deposits, was completed by CANMET Mineral
Technology Branch of Natural Resources Canada. The testing indicates a head
grade of 8.00 g/t gold and that an overall recovery of greater than 90.6%
is achievable through gravity separation and cyanidation of Central Zone
ore.
Gold recovery tests were also completed for the AD Zone, the most prominent
of the Distal deposits. The tests reveal that the head grade of the AD Zone
is 6.48 g/t gold and that an encouraging 90.4% of the gold can be recovered
by gravity separation and cyanidation of the ore.
Due to the significant antimony of the AD Zone, additional testing was
performed by floatation methods to allow for the recovery of antimony
minerals without hindering the recovery of gold. A very high recovery of
92.0% was obtained for antimony and gold by floatation, yielding a rough
scavenger grade of 17% antimony and 54.0 g/t gold at this recovery. With
further floatation testing, it is anticipated that the recovery and grade
of the concentrate will substantially increase for both antimony and gold.
MINERAL RESOURCES
An updated 43-101 compliant mineral resource estimate is currently being
completed by our consultants, Scott Wilson Roscoe Postle Associates (Scott
Wilson RPA). The results of the updated mineral resource estimate are
anticipated in the very near future and will be released when available.
FUTURE WORK
Management is very pleased with the reported results and stated:
"Collectively, the recent drill results in combination with the gold
and antimony recovery test work are extremely encouraging and bring us a
step closer to bringing the project to the prefeasibility study stage. With
the discovery of the Deep Zone and the shallow level of drilling completed
elsewhere on the property, we feel very confident that we can increase the
mineral resource to the million-ounce plus range."
Diamond drilling will continue employing 2 drill rigs, through March and
into the spring break-up. It is anticipated that 2 of the drill rigs will
continue to test the depth and strike extent of the Deep Zone while later
in the spring, a third drill may be required to test other gold zones and
satellite gold --soil anomalies. Additional drill results will be released
as they become available.
In October 2007, Freewest signed an agreement with Rockport Mining Corp on
the Clarence Stream property. Under the agreement terms, Rockport may earn
a 30% interest in the Property by spending $3,000,000 on exploration on or
before October 2008. They may earn an additional 20% interest (50% cumulative)
by spending $4,500,000 on exploration on or before October 2011.. Upon
Rockport earning a 50% interest, it may elect to earn an additional 15%
(65% cumulative) by funding the property through to a feasibility study..
Rockport also undertakes on a best-efforts basis, to assist Freewest in
financing its share of capital costs required for production, as outlined
in the feasibility study. Rockport Mining Corp. is a well-funded St.
Andrews-based mineral exploration company.
Rockport will be funding an aggressive first-year, $3,000,000 exploration
program at Clarence Stream in 2008, under the operatorship of Freewest. The
prime objective is to increase the project's resource mineral resource to
the million- ounce plus level at an accelerated rate.
Glen Lutes, P. Geo. (New Brunswick) is the qualified person on-site at the
Clarence Stream property. Donald Hoy, P. Geo. (Ontario) Vice President of
Exploration and a Director of Freewest Resources Canada Inc. is responsible
for the preparation of this news release.
Freewest is a well-funded mineral exploration company exploring for gold
and base-metals within Eastern Canada. Corporate information can be
accessed on the Internet at http://www.freewest.com
Freewest's shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol
FWR.
The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this.
For more information, please contact
Freewest Resources Canada Inc.
Mackenzie I. Watson
President and CEO
514-878-3551 or 1-888-878-3551
514-878-4427 (FAX)
info@freewest.com
http://www.freewest.com
or
Rockport Mining Corp
Henry A. Miller
Chief Executive Officer
506-529-8206
506-529-8595 (FAX)