MONTREAL, QUEBEC-(Aug. 11, 2009) -
Freewest Resources Canada Inc. (TSX VENTURE:FWR) (the "Company") is pleased to provide the following update on diamond drilling activities recently completed on its wholly-owned McFaulds property (the "Property"). The Property, consisting of 1,036 hectares, comprises one of three properties in which the Company is currently exploring, on its own and in strategic joint-venture agreement arrangements in the "Ring of Fire" metals district.
Since the start-up of drilling in early July, a total of 25 drill holes have been completed comprising 8660 metres, targeting both nickel-copper-platinum group element (PGE) targets as well as the Black Thor chromite zone.
NICKEL-COPPER-PGE TARGET DRILLING: One of the priority areas for nickel-copper-PGE mineralization is in the northern portion of the Property immediately adjacent to the north claim boundary shared with Noront Resources Ltd. Based on geological evidence, this locale on the Freewest property known as the AT12 Extension, occurs on the same contact at the base of the ultramafic intrusion (Ring of Fire ultramafic intrusion) and statigraphically underlying granodiorite as at AT12 on the Noront property. At AT12, Noront has announced some significant drill intercepts including 122.9 metres grading 0.56% Nickel, 0.29% Copper and 1.06 grammes per tonne Platinum and Palladium (including a higher grade section of 5.5 metres yielding 2.38% Nickel, 3.05% Copper, 0.92 grammes per tonne Platinum and 2.62 grammes per tonne Palladium). An additional hole completed by Noront on the AT 12 Extension, situated on the shared north claim boundary between Freewest and Noront, returned an intercept of 4.5 metres grading 1.41% Nickel, 0.45% Copper, 0.44 grammes per tonne Platinum and 2.38 grammes per tonne Palladium in drill hole NOT-2G18 along the same basal contact (see Noront news release dated January 23, 2009).
To test this favorable contact on the Property, the Company completed 2 drill holes situated about 100 metres to the south of Noront's drill hole (NOT-2G18). Drill hole BT-09-62 intersected disseminated (1-5%) pyrrhotite with subordinate chalcopyrite and pentlandite over 50 metres in ultramafic rocks close to the granodiorite contact. Within the broad zone of disseminated sulphides, are local concentrations of heavier pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and pentlandite up to 30%, over narrower widths of 2.4 and 4.0 metres, respectively. A deeper hole on the same section, BT-09-67, returned a similar thickness of disseminated sulphides as in BT-09-62, again situated at the ultramafic intrusion-granodiorite contact. These sulphide intercepts represent the same mineralized zone intersected by Noront in drill hole NOT-2G18 and possibly correlate with AT12 mineralization.
The Company is encouraged by the substantial thicknesses of disseminated sulphides seen in both drill holes within a known favorable geological setting. Future drilling will continue to test the basal contact of the ultramafic intrusion along strike to the southwest, in efforts to locate feeder zones, depressions or embayments that could potentially host massive sulphide mineralization. A number of gravity highs and electromagnetic anomalies (conductors) closely associated with the basal contact of the ultramafic intrusion provide priority targets for diamond drilling follow-up. Down-hole Pulse EM surveys will be completed shortly on drill holes BT-09-62 and 67 in efforts to locate nearby sources of more massive mineralization.
BLACK THOR DRILLING: Recently completed diamond drilling on the Black Thor chromite occurrence has been in-fill in nature, utilizing drill holes spaced 100-metres and 50-metres apart, along its current 2600-metre strike length. Previously completed drilling, up to the end of April 2009, had been largely completed at 200-metre centres over this strike length (see Freewest news release dated June 2, 2009). An additional 19 drill holes have been completed to provide this fill-in data.
All of the 19 drill holes returned significant thicknesses of good-quality chromite mineralization. Highlighting the recent drilling are thick intervals of massive chromite including intercepts of 49.9 metres (BT-09-52), 49.0 metres (BT-09-74), 38.6 metres (BT-09-69), 37.2 metres (BT-09-73), 33.4 metres (BT-09-55), 33.4 metres (BT-09-60), 24.2 metres (BT-09-58), 21.4 metres (BT-09-75) and 21.0 metres in drill hole BT-09-54. The average thickness of massive chromite seams yielded in this round of drilling is 17.3 metres. Although assays have yet to be received for these drill holes, in general, chromite zones exhibit excellent continuity along strike and to depth. In addition to the massive intervals, several intervals of semi-massive mineralization and intermittent banded mineralization returned thicknesses of up to 44.1 metres and 80.0 metres, respectively. The details of the chromite intercepts from the drilling reported herein are summarized in the following table.
To date the Black Thor chromite zone has been drill tested over a 2600-metre strike length (from drill section 500N to 3100N) and to a maximum vertical depth of about 400 metres. It currently remains open-ended along strike and to depth (see Figure 1). Drill results will be released as they become available.
The Company is currently completing preliminary mineral characterization and geometallurgical testing on Black Thor and Black Label chromite samples in order to determine the physical and chemical characteristics of the ore, the ore quality and ultimately mineral recoveries. Preliminary results of same should be forthcoming shortly.
FREEWEST-NORONT JOINT-VENTURE PROPERTY: In other developments, Freewest is currently planning a fall exploration program on the 55.8 hectare property jointly held by Freewest Resource Canada Inc. and Noront Resources Ltd. The joint-venture property (FWR-NOT JV) covers a prominent bull's eye-shaped magnetic feature resembling the magnetic anomaly associated with the Eagle One deposit situated some 7 kilometres to the southwest of the former. The circular magnetic feature on the FWR-NOT JV property is also coincident with a conductor defined by an AeroTEM II airborne geophysical survey and a series of weak conductors recently defined by a moving-loop ground TDEM (Time Domain Electromagnetic) survey.
It is envisaged that an initial exploration program will involve the completion of limited surface Pulse Electromagnetic surveys (by Crone Geophysics and Exploration Ltd.) over the magnetic feature, to be followed by preliminary shallow drilling of the target. Once the geological setting has been established deeper drilling and borehole Pulse EM surveys may be warranted. It is anticipated that the surface Pulse EM survey will be completed within the next few weeks with initial drilling slated for late September.
INDEPENDENT QUALITY CONTROL AND ANALYTICAL PROTOCOL: A thorough quality control program has been implemented for the McFaulds project including grouping samples into batches of 35 into which are added 2 certified reference material standards, 2 field blanks composed of barren drill core and a field duplicate. Coarse reject and pulp duplicates also from part of the Quality Control program. The Company is confident that all assays reported in this news release have passed rigorous control guidelines as set out by Freewest's independent Quality Assurance/Quality Control person.
All samples were submitted to Activation Labs (Actlabs) of Ancaster, Ontario for analyses. The samples were analyzed for multi-elements using a 4-acid digestion followed by ICP analyses. Gold, platinum and palladium were assayed by the Fire Assay method on 30 grams of prepared sample. For higher grade chromium analyses (greater than 1%), the samples are analyzed by the Neutron Activation method wherein they are irradiated prior to final reading. This method yields analyses in percent for elemental chromium, Cr2O3 and elemental iron. Additional information on the analytical techniques employed can be accessed on the Actlabs website at www.actlabsint.com.
Additional quality control measures have also been recently adopted for Cr and Fe including the insertion of a certified reference material SARM 8, purchased from Mintek in South Africa. This quality control method provides a check for high-grade chrome samples yielded by INAA analyses provided by Actlabs.
Donald Hoy, P. Geo. (Ontario),Vice President of Exploration and a Director of Freewest Resources Canada Inc. is the Qualified Person (under National Instrument 43-101) on the McFaulds project and is responsible for the preparation of this news release.
Freewest is a well-financed mineral exploration corporation with over C$6.0 million in working capital. It is actively exploring for gold, base-metals and chromite within eastern Canada. Corporate information can be accessed on the Internet at 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 news release. CONTACT INFORMATION:Freewest Resources Canada Inc.
Mackenzie I. Watson
President and CEO
(514) 878-3551 or 1-888-878-3551
Fax: (514) 878-4427
info@freewest.comhttp://www.freewest.com or
Bay Street Connect
Michael D'Amico
Investor Relations
(647) 500-6023
or
AGORACOM
Investor Relations
FWR@freewest.comhttp://agoracom.com/ir/freewest