TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 02/13/13 -- Minfocus Exploration Corp. (TSX VENTURE: MFX) ("Minfocus") is pleased to report that, as of December 31, 2012, the work commitment expenditures completed with respect to the Seagull North joint venture claims have exceeded the $500,000 required to be completed before February 2013. Work continues on the Seagull North joint venture claims and elsewhere on the other claims within the Nipigon Reefs project area.
The Seagull North claims comprise part of Minfocus' Nipigon Reefs PGE project, which is road accessible only 80 km north of Thunder Bay, Ontario, and 15 km north of the nearby Current Lake Platinum Group Elements ("PGE") deposit (+700,000 oz Pt-Eq) now owned by Panoramic Resources of Australia.
Summary of Significant Results from 2012 Exploration
The results and conclusions from the 2012 exploration program at the Nipigon Reefs PGE project have provided significant new evidence of near surface PGE mineralization, that outcrops at surface in trenches and in another new intercept that was found at less than 60 metres below surface in the first drill hole (WM12-34) sampled within 150 metres of surface. Such shallow mineralization may to be mineable by open-pit methods. The interpretation of these results are still at an early stage, but they continue to demonstrate a high average ratio of Pt:Pd=1.0 or greater.
Gerald Harper, President of Minfocus noted that, "If the mineralisation is continuous between Trenches 3 and 4 and dips southerly as suggested by the old records, then it represents a new PGE zone, not identified in previous drilling, exposed at surface over a substantial strike length." If continuity can be demonstrated between the mineralization in surface trenches and the 3.0 metre thick layer assaying 0.45 3E g/tonne at 57 metres down hole in WM12-34, there is potential for a large mineralized zone(s) near surface. This untested area covers approximately 600 metres by 300 metres in the Seagull North claims area. Beyond that area there are historic drill holes that were not sampled in these shallow intervals.
2012 Surface Sampling Results
Surface mapping during 2012, in the Seagull North claims, located six historic trenches, which are grouped midway between the locations of the two Minfocus drill hole pairs WM12-34/35 and WM12-36/37, which are approximately one (1) km apart. Minfocus' sampling of the 90 metre long Trench No. 4 yielded PGE values up to 1.92 g/t 3E. These results from the freshly dug 0.5 m deep sample pits taken from the bottom of the 2 metre deep Trench 4 are summarized below:
Trench 4 Pit Sampling Results
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3E Pt PdLength from South End of Trench 4 (g/t) (g/t) (g/t)----------------------------------------------------------------------------0.0 metres 1.92 1.00 0.92----------------------------------------------------------------------------25.0 metres 0.25 0.18 0.07----------------------------------------------------------------------------50.0 metres 0.26 0.17 0.09----------------------------------------------------------------------------75.0 metres 1.68 0.84 0.84----------------------------------------------------------------------------
