Shares Listed: Toronto Stock Exchange - Ticker Symbol - ARZ NYSE Amex: - Ticker Symbol - AZK U.S. Registration: (File 001-31893) VANCOUVER, June 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Aurizon Mines Ltd. (TSX: ARZ; NYSE Amex: AZK) is pleased to provide a progress report on exploration activities at its Casa Berardi mine property, in north-western Quebec. In the first quarter underground exploration was centered on the development of an exploration drift at the 810 metre level, east of Zone 113 and south of the Casa Berardi fault. The exploration drift will provide drill access to test the depth extension of Zone 113 and to test the continuity and extension of Zones 118 to 122 and 123-South. To date, 1,091 metres of drifting has been completed, providing drill access 500 metres east of the production shaft. Drilling performed in the vicinity of Zone 113 has confirmed the previous geological interpretation of the Zone and has extended the favourable gold trend 100 metres deeper. To date, nineteen (19) underground holes totalling 5,695 metres have been completed. The best results reported are as follows: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mineralized Intersections Hole East From To Gold grade True width (metres) (metres) (metres) (grams/tonne) (metres) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0885 11,382.5 176.5 190.4 12.7 13.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0692 11,397.5 338.6 353.0 6.1 7.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0886* 11,352.5 160.0 180.1 30.6 20.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0696 11,427.5 208.3 212.8 22.3 3.9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Hole CBW-0886 was drilled within the mineral reserves contour ----------------------------------------------------------------- Geology At Casa Berardi, mineralization is generally closely associated along a 30 to 50 metre wide gold trend, hosting multiple quartz veins and disseminated gold rich sulphide ore bodies, such as Zones 113, NW and Lower Inter, which are currently included in mineral reserves. This gold trend was previously identified down to 850 metres from prior underground drilling. The current program has extended the trend down to the 950 metre level intersecting two mineralized intervals along drill holes. Mineralization did not intersect a large quartz vein similar to Zone 113, but intersected quartz veins, stockworks and disseminated sulphide located along the Casa Berardi Fault (CBF) and also along splays of the fault (S) developed along the contacts of sediments and volcanics and sediments and conglomerates. Results of all drill holes are provided in detailed tables attached to this news release. Outlook Since the recommencement of mining operations at Casa Berardi, the first priority was to confirm the viability of existing mineral reserves, followed by renewing mineral reserves depleted by production and upgrading inferred mineral resources to the indicated category. http://files.newswire.ca/734/Gold_Inventory.doc The 2009 exploration program has been increased in order to test targets outside of the contours of the current mineral resources. The new underground and surface drilling program, which will explore along the west extension of the Lower Inter zone, along the Principal Zone and along the dip extension of the East Mine with the objective of increasing the inferred and indicated mineral resources, will commence in the coming months. Five (5) rigs will be active on the program. Two drill rigs are currently active along the 810 metre level, with a third rig to be added when development of the drift is completed. A total of 40,000 metres of underground and surface drilling and 1,900 metres of underground exploration access drifting at the 810 metre level and south of the Lower Inter Zone should be completed this year. 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 10% 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 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., Mine geology superintendent, 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 area. Detailed results from the additional holes drilled are reported in a separate table. All other information previously released on the Casa Berardi mine is also available on the Aurizon website. http://files.newswire.ca/734/Casa_Berardi.pdf 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 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 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Casa Berardi Fault Length along Gold True Hole East From To the hole grade Width Zone (grams/ (metres) (metres) (metres) (metres) tonne) (metres) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0685 11397.5 183.7 185.0 1.3 4.7 1.0 CBF ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0686 11397.5 193.4 195.6 2.2 6.8 2.0 CBF ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0687 11397.5 221.3 222.0 0.7 12.0 0.5 CBF ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0691 11397.5 205.3 212.8 7.5 2.7 6.1 CBF ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0691 11397.5 279.5 291.0 11.5 0.4 7.5 CBF ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0692 11397.5 338.6 353.0 14.4 6.1 7.2 CBF ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11397.5 CBW-0692 Incl. 340.7 343.5 2.8 30.1 1.4 CBF ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0696 11427.5 208.3 212.8 4.5 22.3 3.9 CBF ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11427.5 CBW-0696 Incl. 210.5 212.8 2.3 42.6 1.8 CBF ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0697 11427.5 231.5 235.8 4.3 3.0 3.2 CBF ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0698 11427.5 256.7 258.3 1.6 23.3 1.2 CBF ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0699 11412.5 336.8 346.9 10.1 0.7 4.5 CBF ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0883 11382.5 173.2 176.1 2.9 13.1 2.8 CBF ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0884 11382.5 181.4 184.8 3.4 4.6 3.0 CBF ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0885 11382.5 176.5 190.4 13.9 12.7 13.2 CBF ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0886 11352.5 160.0 180.1 20.1 30.6 20.1 CBF ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0888 11352.5 192.4 194.6 2.2 2.7 1.8 CBF ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0889 11352.5 210.9 214.0 3.1 3.5 2.7 CBF ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Casa Berardi Fault Splays Length along Gold True Hole East From To the hole grade Width Zone (grams/ (metres) (metres) (metres) (metres) tonne) (metres) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0684 11397.5 157.7 166.8 9.1 3.6 9.0 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0685 11397.5 147.9 156.0 8.1 9.2 7.8 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0686 11412.5 159.1 162.4 3.3 6.5 3.0 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0687 11412.5 164.2 168.6 4.4 6.1 4.0 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0691 11412.5 173.9 181.3 7.4 2.0 5.7 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0692 11412.5 189.9 191.3 1.4 8.4 1.0 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0693 11397.5 217.4 218.9 1.5 4.6 1.0 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0693 11397.5 243.0 247.5 4.5 4.5 3.4 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0695 11427.5 162.5 165.5 3.0 9.0 3.0 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0696 11427.5 161.3 166.2 4.9 10.2 4.8 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0697 11427.5 176.0 182.0 6.0 1.7 4.8 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0698 11427.5 182.0 185.9 3.9 3.4 3.0 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0699 11412.5 197.0 201.5 4.5 3.1 3.0 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0883 11382.5 153.0 156.0 3.0 4.2 2.8 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0884 11382.5 145.5 152.5 7.0 4.5 6.8 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0885 11382.5 142.0 151.5 9.5 4.4 9.3 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0886 11352.5 133.5 144.0 10.5 3.7 10.3 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0888 11352.5 141.0 147.0 6.0 3.4 5.6 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0888 11352.5 154.5 162.0 7.5 8.4 7.2 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0889 11352.5 163.5 165.0 1.5 8.3 1.2 S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zone 118 Length along Gold True Hole East From To the hole grade Width Zone (grams/ (metres) (metres) (metres) (metres) tonne) (metres) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0887 11600 358.5 366.4 7.9 2.7 6.8 118 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBW-0887 11600 501.0 505.6 4.6 2.4 2.3 118 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- DATASOURCE: Aurizon Mines Ltd. CONTACT: AURIZON MINES LTD., David Hall, President and C.E.O., Telephone: (604) 687-6600, Toll Free: 1-888-411-GOLD, Fax: (604) 687-3932; Michel Gilbert, Vice President, Telephone: (819) 874-4511, Fax: (819) 874-3391; Web Site: http://www.aurizon.com/; Email: ; or Renmark Financial Communications Inc., 2080 Rene-Levesque Blvd. West, Montreal, QC, H3H 1R6, Barry Mire: , Henri Perron: ; Media: Vanessa Napoli: , Tel: (514) 939-3989, Fax: (514) 939-3717

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