Apogee Intersects 40.0 meters grading 332.01 g/t Silver and 47.0 meters grading 168.41g/t Silver at Pulacayo
July 13th, 2010, Toronto, Ontario –Apogee Minerals Ltd. (“Apogee” or the “Company”) (TSX Venture Exchange: APE) reports assay results from six diamond drill holes from the ongoing drill campaign at the Pulacayo deposit located in southwest Bolivia. Three holes, PUD 134, PUD 136 and PUD 137, were drilled from an underground platform, while three holes, PUD 146, PUD 147, and PUD 148, were drilled from surface.
The underground holes were drilled to increase the estimated mineral resource confidence of the resource to the indicated and/or measured category and further demonstrate continuity of the deposit in this area. As set out in the Table below, the Company believes the results of the underground drill holes are indicative of the continuity of the high grade zones and assays (See Table 1 and Figure 3). Highlights from the underground drill holes include:
• DDH PUD 134 intersected 40.0 meters grading 332.01 g/t silver, 0.86% lead and 1.33% zinc.
• DDH PUD 136 intersected 12.0 meters grading 107.33g/t silver, 0.74% lead and 2.43 % zinc within a 31.0 meter interval grading 71.16 g/t silver, 0.67% lead and 2.03% zinc.
• DDH PUD 137 intersected 22.0 meters grading 191.64 g/t silver, 0.99% lead and 3.35% zinc.
The holes were drilled from an underground diamond drill station and provide better definition of the high grade zone in this area, which will be a candidate for early production. These results provide further confirmation of both the high grades and the substantial widths of the deposit in this area and expected to be integral in upgrading the resource category in this part of the deposit to indicated and measured when the next resource assessment is completed, following the current drill campaign.
The three surface holes were drilled to continue definition of the deposit in the area along strike east of the previously released National Instrument 43-101 (“NI 43-101”) resource, where diamond drilling, ongoing since January 2010, has successfully extended the deposit to the east an additional 350 meters. (See Press Releases dated April 19th 2010, March 15th, 2010, Janruary15th 2010, and the NI 43-101 compliant technical report dated December 2008 and filed under the SEDAR profile of the Company at www.sedar.com).
Assays from the three additional surface drill holes in this area are provided in the table below. (See Table 2 and Figure 3) The highlights from these holes include:
• DDH PUD 146 intersected 28.0 meters grading 153.88 g/t silver, 0.71% lead and 1.98% zinc, within a 47.76 meter interval grading 111.64 g/t Ag, 0.70% lead and 1.63% zinc.
• DDH PUD 147 intersected 47.0 meters grading 168.41 g/t silver, 0.59% lead and 1.61 % zinc within a 98.0 meter interval grading 121.84 g/t silver, 0.81% lead and 1.42% zinc.
• DDH PUD 148 intersected 10.3 meters grading 53.81 g/t silver, 0.24% lead and 0.87% zinc.
Accordingly, this brings the total to thirteen drill holes in this area east of the previously released NI 43-101 resource.
Chris Collins, P. Geo., President of Apogee states, “The holes drilled to date in this area to the east of the deposit have consistently returned grades and widths that are comparable to the drill holes within the area comprising the mineral resources used in the recently completed Technical Report on the Preliminary Assessment of the Pulacayo Project, (“PEA”), by Micon International Ltd. (See Press Release dated June 24, 2010). Given continued excellent drill results we are more confident that with continued drilling, this area has the potential to add significantly to the previously estimated mineral resource. The mineralization has been extended 350 meters to the east which represents approximately a 75% increase in the strike length of the deposit. We believe that a significant increase in the resource at Pulacayo will further enhance the potential development plans for the deposit.”
The Pulacayo Deposit is a thick east-west striking zone of conjugate veins, stockwork and disseminated sulphides that locally are up to 200 meters thick with a higher grade core that comprises the resource and may locally exceed 60 meters in thickness. The known strike length of the Tajo Vein System which hosts the Pulacayo deposit is close to 3 kilometers and it remains open at both ends along strike (Figure 2). Mineralization comprises sphalerite, galena and tetrahedrite in sulphide-rich veins ranging from a few centimeters to greater than one meter thick and heavily disseminated sphalerite, galena and tetrahedrite between the veins.
The Company anticipates filing of the PEA on the SEDAR profile of the Company shortly.
Quality Control
The Company employs a quality assurance/quality control protocol on all aspects of the diamond drilling, sampling and analytical procedures. The Quality Control and all aspects of the exploration program are supervised by Apogee’s Vice President of Exploration, Joaquin Merino, P. Geo, a qualified person as defined by NI 43–101. Mr. Merino has reviewed and approves the scientific and technical information presented in this press release.
This release has been reviewed and approved by Chris Collins, P. Geo., President of Apogee and a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101.
About Apogee Minerals Limited
Apogee Minerals Ltd. is an exploration stage company a listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol APE. Apogee targets advanced silver-zinc-lead projects in South America that demonstrate potential to be rapidly developed to production. Currently its projects are located in the historic silver producing regions of southwest Bolivia and northern Chile.
Its most advanced project is the Pulacayo-Paca project in Bolivia, which is an option to joint venture with Golden Minerals Company. This project includes the property that covered the second-largest silver mine in the history of Bolivia with over 600 million ounces of past production.
For Further Information Contact:
Ana Lopes, Investor Relations – phone: (1) 416 861-2264
Email: info@apogeeminerals.com