VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Feb. 15, 2011) - NGEx Resources Inc. (News - Market indication) ('NGEx' or the 'Company') is pleased to provide an update on the significant exploration programs being carried out on its projects in South America and Africa (please see attached maps). The Company's exploration budget is focused on large scale copper, gold, and potash targets that demonstrate the potential for world class discoveries. In total, the Company and its partners are expecting to drill more than 20,000 meters by the end of September, 2011. This is a very significant amount of drilling for a company of our size and we believe that this program can create substantial value for shareholders by defining new mineral resources at our more advanced projects such as Los Helados, or by drilling the initial discovery drill holes on our new projects like the Bada potash project in Eritrea.
Three drill programs are in progress on copper-gold projects in South America with a fourth program scheduled to begin in April. In Eritrea drilling on both base metal and potash projects should start in April. Drilling on all programs is expected to continue through the first half of the year, with results released as they become available. In addition, Teck Resources Limited ("Teck") plans a $4.5 million program on the Company's GJ project in northern BC beginning in June. Around 45% of the approximately $17,000,000 expected to be spent on the company's projects this year will come from its joint venture partners.
SOUTH AMERICA
Los Helados, Chile
Drilling is underway at NGEx's 60% owned Los Helados project located east of Copiapo in Chile's Region 3 where previous drilling defined a porphyry copper-gold system measuring about 1,000 meters by 600 meters and up to 700 meters thick and is open in several directions. The best grades intersected to date are associated with a large hydrothermal breccia located in the southern two thirds of the zone. Drilling this field season will focus on defining the higher grade portion of the system. See attached map for some previously released intercepts.
The prospect has recently been surveyed by deep penetrating IP-Resistivity to define zones of higher grade mineralization and any possible extensions to guide further drilling. Using two drills, the Company has completed approximately half of the initial 10 hole, 7,500 meter drill program to date. It is anticipated that this drill program will be extended with the objective of completing sufficient drilling to permit an initial resource calculation later this year.
Josemaria, Argentina
Drilling is also underway at the Josemaria project, located approximately 15 kilometers east of Los Helados in northern San Juan Province, Argentina. Josemaria has a previously announced NI 43-101 inferred resource of 460Mt @ 0.4% Cu and 0.3 g/t Au. This year's drilling at Josemaria is focused on discovering extensions of the known deposit under post-mineralization cover and testing a strong chargeability anomaly north of the current resource. The current 2,500 meter drill program is funded by JOGMEC who are earning a 40% interest in the project. Approximately 1000 meters have been completed to date.
Filo del Sol, Argentina
A fourth drill is working at the 60% owned Filo del Sol project located approximately 12 kilometers south of Los Helados in San Juan Province, Argentina. Previous drilling at Filo del Sol has identified near surface copper oxides and gold within a large diatreme breccia. Most of the drilling to date has focused on shallow copper sulfate mineralization and deeper copper sulfide in the southern part of the project area. The main copper sulfate mineral, chalcanthite, is water soluble and potentially amenable to low cost heap leaching. Chalcanthite was an important component of copper production from Chuquicamata in the early part of the last century.
A recent review of drill data from Filo del Sol identified several compelling gold targets in the northern part of the project area. An initial 2,000 meter drill program will follow up some of the better gold results from previous drilling and as well as better define the extent of the near surface copper sulfate mineralization. The program will be extended as needed to follow-up any encouraging results.
Colmillos, Chile
Colmillos is an exciting early stage porphyry copper project located east of Ovalle, Chile. Mapping and sampling at Colmillos have defined a 4.3 kilometer trend of tourmaline breccia bodies, local visible copper oxide mineralization and anomalous copper and molybdenum geochemistry. Copper mineralized tourmaline breccias are a common feature of many major porphyry copper systems. An access road has recently been completed and an IP survey is underway. An initial drill program of up to 2,000 meters in 6 to 8 holes is planned for March.
AFRICA
Bada Potash, Eritrea
Initial mapping and geophysical surveying is underway on the Company's recently awarded Bada potash license located approximately 35 kilometers from the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. NGEx's license covers the northern portion of the Dallol evaporite basin which in Ethiopia hosts the historic potash deposits of Musley held by Sainik Coal Company, India and Dallol, held by Allana Resources, Canada. The Eritrean portion of the basin hosts the Colluli potash deposit which is currently being explored by South Boulder Mines of Australia. All three areas are being actively explored with resource estimates recently issued for all three projects. Recent results released by South Boulder Mines highlight the potential for shallow potash mineralization on the Eritrean side of the border. NGEx's license lies approximately 20 kilometers northwest of South Boulder's license and covers the northwest extension of the same basin. Any discovery of potash on the Eritrean side of the border will have significant logistical advantages over deposits on the Ethiopian side because they have much closer access to the Red Sea coast.
NGEx has contracted experienced potash consultants and has begun an initial program of gravity and magnetic surveying to define the basin depth and geometry, to be followed by a reconnaissance diamond drilling program of approximately 1000 meters in three holes. The initial drilling should be completed by the end of April and is expected to provide important information to guide a more extensive exploration program to commence before the end of the exploration season in July.
VMS, Eritrea
The Company holds approximately 650 square kilometers covering prospective stratigraphy near Nevsun Resources' recently commissioned Bisha Mine. The successful development of the Bisha Mine has significantly increased investor confidence in Eritrea. The Company's land position hosts the Hambok Deposit for which an initial NI 43-101 resource estimate was announced in 2009 as well as the high grade Aradaib discovery announced in 2010. Previously released drill results from Aradaib include 13 meters of 3.3% Cu, 5.6% Zn, 1.8 g/t Au, and 46 g/t Ag.
In late 2010 the Company completed a high resolution helicopter- borne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric (VTEM) survey covering the Company's entire land position. The survey was designed to identify volcanic-hosted massive sulfide (VMS) mineralization beneath recent cover. Initial screening of the survey results has highlighted 18 anomalies to be geophysically modeled for massive sulfide bodies. A drill program to test targets generated by the VTEM survey and to follow-up on the positive results from Aradaib is planned for late in the first quarter of 2011. The size of the drill program will be determined once initial follow-up is completed.
CANADA
GJ Project, BC
GJ is a copper-gold project, located in northern British Columbia. The Company has optioned the project to Teck which has the right to earn an initial 51% by spending $12,000,000 by December 31, 2014 and up to a 75% interest by spending an aggregate of $44,000,000 by December 31, 2020. Teck has received internal approval for a $4.5 million exploration program consisting of ground geophysics and up to 5,000 meters of drilling. The objective of the program is to add to the previously reported NI 43-101 compliant resource and to test the potential for high grade copper-gold zones similar to those discovered at Imperial Metals' nearby Red Chris project. Exploration is expected to begin in late June, 2011 and continue through to September.
Dr. Wojtek Wodzicki, P. Geo. (BC), President and CEO of NGEx, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed the technical contents of this release.
To view accompanying maps, click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/NGExProjects.pdf
On behalf of the Board,
Wojtek Wodzicki, President and CEO
