Shares Listed: Toronto Stock Exchange - Ticker Symbol - ARZ
NYSE Amex: - Ticker Symbol - AZK
U.S. Registration: (File 001-31893)
News Release Issue # 26 - 2010
VANCOUVER, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Aurizon Mines
Ltd. (TSX: ARZ; NYSE Amex: AZK) is pleased to report further
results from infill drilling of the 123 Zone from the exploration
drift on the 810 metre level at its Casa Berardi Mine in
north-western Quebec.
Part of the current exploration program is focused on the upper
and depth extensions of the 123 Zone, located approximately 1.0
kilometre east of the West Mine shaft, with the objective of
extending the known mineralization.
Underground drilling has completed a further six new holes on a
50 metre spacing. The program is targeting a series of previously
outlined stacked mineralized lenses within a south-east dipping
host corridor, 200 metres thick by 1,000 metres of vertical strike.
The thickness of the individual lenses within the corridor is in
the range of 3 to 35 metres.
Four out of six drill holes returned mineralized values having a
metal factor above 10 (true width in metres x the gold grade in
grams per tonne), or higher. A table of all the drill hole results
are included in this release and are illustrated on the attached
sketch. The six drill holes cover an area of approximately 200
metres along strike to a depth of 200 metres below the 810 metre
level.
The best results were 10.0 grams of gold per tonne over 35.1
metres (true thickness) in hole CBP-0194 and 9.1 grams of gold per
tonne over 27.3 metres (true thickness) in hole CBP-0193, and were
intersected approximately 50 metres and 100 metres, respectively,
from the previously reported 42.1 grams of gold per tonne over 21.5
metres (true thickness) in hole CBP-0160 (see Aurizon news release
dated August 30th 2010). These
results indicate that there is a high grade core within the 123
Zone, extending over a strike distance in the order of 200 metres
vertically by 50 metres horizontally and having an approximate
thickness of 25 metres. The deepest hole to date in the 123 Zone is
CBP-0115 (see Aurizon news release dated February 11th 2010) at 1,100 metres which
intersected two structures: 5.5 grams of gold per tonne over 10
metres (true thickness) and 20.7 grams of gold per tonne over 0.7
metres (true thickness).
As at December 31, 2009, the 123
Zone contained inferred mineral resources of 714,000 tonnes at a
grade of 9.4 grams of gold per tonne, or 216,000 ounces.
In the 123 Zone, gold mineralization occurs in quartz veins,
cherty units and massive sulphide structures located between the
South 123 Zone break to the east and the South break to the west in
a volcanic bearing environment. This corridor extends for more than
1.0 kilometre vertically, containing distinct stacked lenses.
"The continuity in thickness and grade of the mineralized system
in the 123 Zone confirms the potential to extend the mineralization
at depth and to find more mineralization along strike of this
structure" said Gilles Carrier P.
Eng., Principal Exploration Geologist.
Outlook
Underground drilling will continue with two rigs from the 810
metre exploration drift to define the down dip extension of the
zone. The 123 Zone remains open to depth and along strike to the
east, however step out drilling is limited due to the orientation
of the mineralization relative to the drill bases at the 810 metre
exploration drift. The two drill rigs will primarily perform infill
drilling of the 123 Zone in order to upgrade the resources
identified in the campaign. A drill rig has recently started at the
550 metre track drift to verify the upper extension of the zone. An
updated mineral resource estimate is expected to be completed by
year-end.
As previously reported, $2.8
million will be invested in the second half of 2010 to
commence a ramp from the 810 metre level down to approximately the
1,000 metre level which will provide drill bases to test the depth
extensions of both the 123 and 118 Zones as well as commence mine
development of these zones.
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
rejects 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 www.sedar.com Primary exploration
assaying was performed at the mine site laboratory and at Swastica
lab in Ontario. The QA/QC program
is a performed at ALS Chemex lab in Val
d'Or.
Drill hole planning, implementation and the quality control
program is supervised by Gilles
Carrier, P. Eng. , Principal Exploration Geologist, a
qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr.
Carrier is also responsible for the scientific and technical
information in this news release.
Additional Information
The attached sketch shows the location of the holes which
returned the best results, those being those holes with a metal
factor of 10 (calculated as the true width in metres x the gold
grade in grams per tonne) or greater.
http://files.newswire.ca/734/Sketch123Zone.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 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 a new resource estimate of the 123 Area of
the Company's Casa Berardi Mine, and timing and expectations of
future 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 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, labor 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 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 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 www.sedar.com and on
Edgar at 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
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 document 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 document 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.
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Table of Infill Drill Results of the 123 Zone - September 27, 2010
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Length Gold
along the True grade
Hole E (m) From (m) To (m) hole (m) width (m) (g/t)
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CBP-0193 12293.2 210.0 248.9 38.9 27.1 9.1
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CBP-0194 12322.0 252.8 312.0 59.2 35.1 10.0
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CBP-0195 12306.7 215.4 225.5 10.1 8.0 8.8
12305.5 242.8 247.1 4.3 3.4 13.5
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CBP-0198 12424.1 153.0 154.0 1.0 0.9 4.7
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CBP-0199 12425.2 132.2 132.7 0.5 0.5 5.1
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CBP-0200 12486.1 290.1 295.5 5.4 3.7 8.8
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SOURCE Aurizon Mines Ltd.
Copyright . 27 PR Newswire