Aurizon Intersects 12.5 Grams of Gold per Tonne Over 11 Metres at Casa Berardi Confirming Continuity of Zone 120
December 01 2009 - 9:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Shares Listed: Toronto Stock Exchange - Ticker Symbol - ARZ NYSE
Amex: - Ticker Symbol - AZK U.S. Registration: (File 001-31893)
VANCOUVER, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Aurizon Mines Ltd.
(TSX: ARZ; NYSE Amex: AZK) is pleased to report further results
from the current exploration drilling along the recently completed
exploration drift, on the 810 metre level, at its Casa Berardi
Mine, in north-western Quebec. The priority of the current program
is to delineate inferred mineral resources and transfer those
resources to the indicated category by closer-spaced drilling. Part
of the current program is focussed along Zone 120, located between
a vertical depth of approximately 650 and 1,100 metres,
approximately 650 metres east of the West Mine production shaft.
Since the results announced on September 1, 2009, a section
totalling thirteen (13) holes at an average spacing of 25 to 50
metres has been completed, to cover most of the inferred resources
block. Holes were collared from the 810 metre level exploration
drift. The results from these new holes confirm the continuity of
the mineralization encountered in previous holes and confirms
thicknesses over 20 metres in the zone, as in hole CBP-0073 which
intersected 8.1 grams per tonne over 24 metres (true thickness).
The best results were as follows:
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Mineralized Intersections Hole East From To Gold grade True width
(metres) (metres) (metres) (grams/tonne) (metres)
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CBP-0071 12,050 E 183.3 217.8 6.5 30.0
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CBP-0073 12,025 E 147.5 172.7 8.1 24.0
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CBP-0103 12,100 E 276.7 293 12.5 11.0
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The mineralized corridor identified in this area by previous
surface and underground drilling programs (see Aurizon news
releases dated November 10, 2006 and September 1, 2009) is
approximately 400 metres wide and follows a moderate westward
plunge. The mineralized veins, which are several metres wide,
stockworks, and sulphide-bearing structures fill the contact
between folded competent rock units, such as conglomerate, and the
Casa Berardi Fault. "These new holes confirm the continuity in
thickness and grade of the Zone and indicate an excellent potential
to extend the known mineralized limits further to the east and up
dip toward the Principal Zone', said Jeannot Boutin P. Eng., Mine
Geology Superintendant." Outlook A drilling budget of $15 million
for infill and exploration purposes was approved for this year to
complete 40,000 metres of underground and surface drilling and
1,900 metres of underground drift access. Eleven (11) rigs are
active on the property. The new results will be integrated into a
new mineral resources estimate on Zone 120, as of December 31,
2009. Drilling will continue from the 810 metre level exploration
drift to infill the current resources outline and to test possible
lateral and down dip extensions of the gold mineralization. Quality
Control Core assays are performed on core sawed in half, with
standard fire assay procedures and atomic absorption finish.
Certified reference material, duplicate and blanks are inserted in
the sample sequence for quality control. Assay checking on pulp and
coarse reject are carried out on approximately 5% of samples.
Additional information on Quality Assurance and Quality Control
("QA/QC") can be found in the "Technical Report on the Casa Berardi
Mine," dated February 9, 2009, which can be found under Aurizon's
profile on http://www.sedar.com/. Primary exploration assaying was
performed at the mine site laboratory and at Swastika lab in
Ontario. The QA/QC program is performed at ALS Chemex lab in
Val-d'Or. Drill hole planning, implementation and the quality
control program is supervised by Jeannot Boutin, P.Eng, Mining
Geology Superintendant, an appropriately qualified person as
defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Boutin is also
responsible for the scientific and technical information in this
news release. Additional Information One sketch is attached showing
the Casa Berardi mine. All other information previously released,
together with all technical reports on Casa Berardi are available
on the Aurizon website at http://www.aurizon.com/. About Aurizon
Aurizon is a gold producer with a growth strategy focused on
developing its existing projects in the Abitibi region of
north-western Quebec, one of the world's most favourable mining
jurisdictions and prolific gold and base metal regions, and by
increasing its asset base through accretive transactions. Aurizon
shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "ARZ"
and on the NYSE Amex under the symbol "AZK". Additional information
on Aurizon and its properties is available on Aurizon's website at
http://www.aurizon.com/. Forward Looking Statements and Information
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and
"forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable
securities regulations in Canada and the United States
(collectively, "forward-looking information"). The forward-looking
information contained in this news release is made as of the date
of this news release. Except as required under applicable
securities legislation, the Company does not intend, and does not
assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information.
Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to,
statements with respect to estimated mineral resources, anticipated
effects of drill results on the Casa Berardi project, estimated
mineral reserves and timing and expectations of future development,
exploration, mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, and
work programs. Often, but not always, forward-looking information
can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects,
"is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", forecasts",
"intends", "anticipates", or "believes", or the negatives thereof
or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain
actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", or
"will" be taken, occur or be achieved. The forward-looking
information contained in this news release is based on certain
assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable, including,
with respect to mineral reserve and resource estimates, the key
assumptions and parameters on which such estimates are based, as
set out in the technical report for the property, that the current
price of and demand for gold will be sustained or will improve, the
supply of gold will remain stable, that the general business and
economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner,
that financing will be available if and when needed on reasonable
terms and that the Company will not experience any material
accident, labour dispute, or failure of plant or equipment.
However, forward-looking information involves known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual
results, performance or achievements of the Company to be
materially different from any future results, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking
information. Such factors include, among others, conclusions of
economic evaluations, the risk that actual results of exploration
activities will be different than anticipated, that cost of labour,
equipment or materials will increase more than expected, that the
future price of gold will decline, that the Canadian dollar will
strengthen against the U.S. dollar, that mineral reserves and
resources are not as estimated, that actual costs or actual results
of reclamation activities are greater than expected; that changes
in project parameters as plans continue to be refined may result in
increased costs, of unexpected variations in mineral reserves and
resources, grade or recover rates, of failure of plant, equipment
or processes to operate as anticipated, of accidents, labour
disputes and other risks generally associated with mining,
unanticipated delays in obtaining governmental approvals or
financing or in the completion of development or construction
activities, as well as those factors and other risks more fully
described in Aurizon's Annual Information Form filed with the
securities commission of all of the provinces and territories of
Canada and in Aurizon's Annual Report on Form 40-F filed with the
United States Securities and Exchange Commission, which are
available on Sedar at http://www.sedar.com/ and on Edgar at
http://www.sec.gov/. Although the Company has attempted to identify
important factors that could cause actual actions, events or
results to differ materially from those described in
forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause
actions, events or results to not be as anticipated, estimated or
intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking
information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future
events could differ materially from those anticipated in such
statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on
forward-looking information due to the inherent uncertainty
thereof. CAUTIONARY NOTE TO US READERS AND INVESTORS As a British
Columbia corporation, the Company is subject to certain rules and
regulations issued by the British Columbia Securities Commission
("BC Securities Commission"). The Company is required to provide
detailed information regarding its properties including
mineralization, drilling, sampling and analysis, security of
samples and mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates.
Further, the Company describes mineral resources associated with
its properties utilizing terminology such as "indicated" or
"inferred" which terms are recognized by Canadian regulations but
are not recognized by the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission ("SEC"). Cautionary Note to U.S. Readers and Investors
Regarding Mineral Resources The SEC allows mining companies, in
their filings with the SEC, to disclose only those mineral deposits
they can economically and legally extract or produce. The Company
may use certain terms in this document, such as "mineral
resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral
resources" that are recognized and mandated by Canadian securities
regulators but are not recognized by the SEC. This News Release may
use the term "indicated" mineral resources. U.S. readers are
cautioned that while that term is recognized and required by
Canadian regulations, the SEC does not recognize it. U.S. readers
and investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of
mineral deposits in this category will ever be converted into
mineral reserves. This News Release may also use the term
"inferred" mineral resources. U.S. readers are cautioned that while
this term is recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the
SEC does not recognize it. "Inferred resources" have a great amount
of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as to
their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all
or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded
to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred
mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or
pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. U.S. readers and
investors are cautioned not to assume that part or all of an
inferred resource exists, or is economically or legally mineable.
Zone 120
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Length Gold along Grade True Hole East From To the hole (grams/
width (metres) (metres) (metres) (metres) tonne) (metres)
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(m) (m) (m) (m) Au g/t (m)
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CBP-0070 12050 145 153 8 5.6 8.1
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CBP-0071 12050 183 218 35 6.5 30.0
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CBP-0072 12050 272 283 10 4.2 7.5
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CBP-0073 12000 148 173 25 8.1 24.0
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CBP-0074 12000 250 254 5 5.4 4.0
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CBP-0075 12050 301 304 3 3.8 3.0
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CBP-0077 12000 234 245 11 5.2 7.5
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CBP-0078 12050 Assays pending
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CBP-0101 12100 272 298 25 7.6 12.0
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CBP-0103 12100 277 293 16 12.5 11.0
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Holes with an intercept lower than 3 g/t or a metal factor (grade x
width) lower than 10 are CBP-0059, CBP-0060, and CBP-0076.
DATASOURCE: Aurizon Mines Ltd. CONTACT: AURIZON MINES LTD., David
P. Hall, President and C.E.O., Telephone (604) 687-6600, Toll Free:
1-888-411-GOLD, Fax: (604) 687-3932, Web Site:
http://www.aurizon.com/, Email: ; or Renmark Financial
Communications Inc., 2080 Rene-Levesque Blvd. West, Montreal, QC,
H3H 1R6, Barry Mire: ; Maurice Dagenais: ; Media: Valerie Lacasse:
, Tel: (514) 939-3989, Fax: (514) 939-3717
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