WTM REPORTS 40.75 METRES GRADING 1.88 g/t GOLD, 18.29 g/t SILVER FROM SAMPLING OF HISTORIC DRILL CORE AT LLUVIA DE ORO, MEXICO
Second hole yields 10.85 metres grading 3.30 g/t gold, 65.03 g/t silver
(Vancouver, November 6, 2008) West Timmins Mining Inc. (TSX: WTM) (the "Company") today reported gold and silver results from sampling of five drill holes, initially drilled in 1985 but only sampled over narrow intervals at that time, from the Company's Lluvia de Oro Project in Chihuahua, Mexico. The reported results significantly extend the gold mineralized intercepts in two key holes and continue to enhance the potential of the project to host both high-grade gold-silver mineralization and bulk tonnage gold targets.
Hole CRM-02 returned 40.75 metres grading 1.88 g/t gold and 18.29 g/t silver. This intercept is centred on a 4.35 metre high-grade interval which returned 14.49 g/t gold and 59.80 g/t silver in sampling reported by the Consejo de Recursos Minerales ("CRM" - now the Mexican Geological Survey). Hole CRM-02 terminated in anomalous gold-silver mineralization approximately 35 metres above the level of the historic high-grade Cuauht�moc mine workings (see Figure below; WTM News Release 08-24, Sept. 9, 2008).
Drill hole CRM-01, collared 70 metres vertically higher in the sequence and 110 metres northeast of hole CRM-02, returned 10.85 metres averaging 3.30 g/t gold and 65.03 g/t silver. At the core of this interval is a CRM reported intercept of 6.00 metres grading 5.52 g/t gold and 109.60 g/t silver.
All five holes from the 1985 program are characterized by relatively poor core recoveries from narrow diameter drill cores and were terminated above the level of the historic high-grade workings. Holes CRM-03 and -04 were drilled to test gold-silver mineralized veins lying to the northeast of the historic workings and terminated in volcanic rocks well above the favourable host sequence.
The higher grade intercepts reported by CRM from holes CRM-01 and -02 were re-sampled by quartering the remaining drill core. However, in both cases, less than 65% of the original core interval was available for sampling indicating either very poor core recovery, sampling losses or removal of key intervals by the previous investigators. In hole CRM-01 only 64% of the interval between 110 and 116 metres remained to be sampled and quartering of this core returned 6.00 metres (109.65-115.65 metres) grading 3.35 g/t gold and 184.35 g/t silver, including a 0.50 metre intercept of 18.30 g/t gold and 608.00 g/t silver. Only 59% of the core from the CRM reported intercept in hole CRM-02 remained and returned 3.27 g/t gold and 53.92 g/t silver over 3.90 metres (46.10-50.00 metres).
Two bulk samples, together totalling 259.10 kilograms (570 lbs), collected from the underground workings in the Cuauht�moc adit, are currently being processed and assayed by Hazen Research of Denver, Colorado. Results from analysis of the bulk samples will better define the nature of the gold distribution in the Lluvia de Oro system and the optimal methodology for future assaying in advance of planned diamond drilling by WTM.
WTM's Lluvia de Oro Project is located in southern Chihuahua, Mexico, less than 30 kilometres to the east of Goldcorp's El Sauzal open-pit gold deposit. In 2007 El Sauzal was the largest gold producer in Mexico and Goldcorp's lowest cost producer (source: Goldcorp 2007 Annual Report). Lluvia de Oro is one of the highest grade former gold producers in North America with historically reported average production grades of 95 g/t (2.8 oz/ton) gold and 865 g/t (24.8 oz/ton) silver. WTM is in the process of purchasing a 100% interest in the Lluvia de Oro Project from the Mexican Geological Survey which has held the Project in the National Mineral Reserve since 1972.
Quality Control and Assurance
Geochemical results reported herein are from halved, and locally quartered, diamond drill core sampled by the Company and by CRM. Sampling by the Company was conducted on site by trained personnel employed by consulting firm Minera Cascabel S.A. de C. V. on behalf of West Timmins Mining. Sealed samples were transported to ALS-Chemex's preparation facilities in Hermosillo, Mexico. Samples were assayed for gold by standard fire assay-ICP finish with a 30 gram charge. Samples additionally underwent 34 element ICP-MS analysis. Gold assays in excess of 3.0 g/t gold were re-assayed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish to determine reproducibility and achieve greater accuracy. Silver values in excess of 100 ppm were re-analyzed by fire assay. For quality control purposes blank, duplicate and analytical control standards were inserted into the sample sequence at irregular intervals. Duplicate samples showed variations of up to 256% for gold assays within the mineralized sample population, indicative of a pronounced "nugget effect" for gold. Silver values showed significantly less variation.
Sample results reported by CRM from the 1985 drill program were from halved, AQ (1.5 cm) drill core from the 1985 drill program on the Lluvia de Oro Project. Samples from the CRM programs were assayed at CRM's laboratory facilities in Mexico. Analysis for gold and silver are reported as having been completed by standard fire assay techniques. No systematic quality control program was undertaken by CRM. Quartering and analysis of the remaining core by the Company from intervals assayed by CRM returned gold values lower, and silver values higher, than those reported by CRM . The inconsistencies in the assays are attributed to a combination of a pronounced nugget effect indicated by WTM sampling, poor core recoveries and the fact that less than 65% of each of the mineralized intervals sampled and reported by CRM was available for sampling by the Company due to some combination of losses during the original CRM sampling program or removal of certain intervals from the core delivered to the Company. In all cases intervals identified as being strongly anomalous in gold and silver by CRM returned strongly anomalous gold and silver values in sampling by WTM. This is consistent with previous results from the Project including the repeating of similar vintage CRM underground sampling at Lluvia de Oro, previously announced by the Company (WTM News Release 08-24, Sept. 9, 2008).
Mr. Darin Wagner (M.Sc., P.Geo), the Company's President, has acted as non-independent qualified person for this news release. The qualified person has visited the project site, examined the sampling procedures and quality control measures employed by the Company, reviewed the available data from the historic sampling completed by CRM, reviewed the duplicate sampling procedures and results and has verified that there were no significant analytical discrepancies with respect to the quality control samples submitted for analysis along with the drill core samples collected by the Company.
About West Timmins Mining Inc. (www.westtimminsmining.com):
WTM is focussed on the exploration and development of district-scale gold and related base metal projects in the major gold camps of North America. A 22,000 metre drill program targeting the recently discovered high-grade gold mineralization on the Company's Thunder Creek JV Property in Timmins is currently underway and is anticipated to continue through the second quarter of 2009. WTM also has five exploration projects in Mexico, highlighted by the Monta�a de Oro Project in Sonora, Mexico where the Company is testing the La Dura Copper Porphyry discovery and the Lluvia de Oro Gold-Silver Project in Chihuahua, Mexico. West Timmins Mining is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol WTM.
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On behalf of the Board of West Timmins Mining Inc.
"Darin W. Wagner"
Darin W. Wagner President and Chief Executive Officer
For further information contact: Darin W. Wagner, President & CEO West Timmins Mining Inc., Vancouver Tel: (604) 685-8311 / Toll Free: (866) 685-8311 E-mail: info@westtimminsmining.com
Mr. John Toporowski, Manager Investor Relations West Timmins Mining Inc., Vancouver Tel: (604) 685-8311 / Toll Free: (866) 685-8311 E-mail: jtoporowski@westtimminsmining.com OR info@westtimminsmining.com
The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this news release, which has been prepared by management.
For further details on West Timmins Mining Inc. please refer to prior disclosure at www.sedar.com. The securities described in this press release have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or under any U.S. state securities laws, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent an exemption from such registration requirements.
This press release contains forward looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities regulation, including statements regarding the future activities of the Company. Forward looking statements reflect the current beliefs and expectations of management and are identified by the use of words including "will", "expected to", "plans", "planned" and other similar words. Actual results may differ significantly. The achievement of the results expressed in forward looking statements is subject to a number of risks, including those described in the Company's annual information form as filed with the Canadian securities regulators which are available at www.sedar.com. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward looking statements.
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