Northair Begins Preparations for Drill Program at La Cigarra Silver Project, Mexico
December 16, 2009
International Northair Mines Ltd. (TSXV: INM) (the "Company" or "Northair") announces that its initial mapping and sampling program at the La Cigarra Project (the "Project") is complete and planning is underway for the first drill test of this promising silver property. Northair is currently improving property access for drill sites and anticipates the drill program to commence in the first quarter of 2010.
The Company has retained the services of international consulting geologist Mr. Steven Jones to manage the project, located approximately 26 kilometres from the city of Parral in north central Mexico. Mr. Jones, a Certified Professional Geologist with over 31 years of mining and exploration experience in North and South America, has recommended a drill program at La Cigarra. Northair is pleased to have a consulting geologist of Mr. Jones' experience to assist the Company with its initial exploration and drill program planning.
Mr. Jones has reported that La Cigarra has been mapped in detail and found to host a silver-rich epithermal system with mineralization in veins, breccias and fault zones controlled by a regional northwest fault system similar to that in the adjacent Parral Mining Region. Silver mineralization on the property occurs within shales and quartzites controlled by a series of sub-parallel vein systems that are emplaced at La Cigarra along a 3.7 kilometre long structured corridor which ranges from 50 to 280 metres wide. True widths of known mineralization range from 1 to 5 metres with sulfide rich veins and breccias hosting galena, sphalerite, tetrahedrite, and argentite. The property wide weighted average grade of mineralization from 214 rock chip samples taken across mineralized faces is 130 g/t silver (from a high of 1940 g/t silver to a low of 0.6 g/t silver). Grades were highest in the central area of La Cigarra at the San Gregorio Zone (60 samples averaging 183 g/t silver); followed by those taken within the most southern area known as Las Carolinas Zone (103 samples averaging 123 g/t silver). Fifty one samples taken from the La Boracha Zone averaged 82 g/t silver.
The grades reported at La Cigarra appear to be similar in scale to those of the Santa Barbara-San Francisco del Oro sub-districts of Parral that have produced over 440 million ounces of silver. Although La Cigarra has had limited silver production, the Parral Region in total has produced over 1 Billion ounces of silver and over 1 Million ounces of gold placing it in the top ten silver districts in Mexico.
The La Cigarra silver project consists of six concessions and is located in State of Chihuahua along the eastern fringes of the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico. The project has good access, topography and infrastructure. Grupo Northair de Mexico, S.A. de C.A., a subsidiary of Northair, can acquire a 100% ownership of the concessions by making payments over a 5 year period totaling US$445,000 with no royalties.
At the La India gold project, the Company has elected to terminate its option to purchase the privately held concession, however it will retain concessions covering approximately 1600 hectares that were originally acquired through staking.
The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed by Fred Hewett the Company's President and CEO, and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Samples were collected by field assistants under the supervision of a geologist, with sample preparation in Durango, Mexico and analysis in Vancouver, Canada by ALS Chemist Labs and Inspectorate Labs.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,
INTERNATIONAL NORTHAIR MINES LTD.
"Fred G. Hewett"
____________________________________
Fred G. Hewett, P.Eng.
President & CEO
For further information please contact Fred Hewett, President or Chris Curran, Investor Relations
at 604-687-7545 or 1-888-338-2200
Website: www.northair.com/international/ Email: info@northair.com _______________________________________________________________________________
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
This news release may contain forward looking statements which are not historical facts, such as ore reserve estimates, anticipated production or results, sales, revenues, costs, or discussions of goals and exploration results, and involves a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, metal price volatility, volatility of metals production, project development, ore reserve estimates, future anticipated reserves and cost engineering estimate risks, geological factors and exploration results. See Northair's filings for a more detailed discussion of factors that may impact expected results.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.
The Company has retained the services of international consulting geologist Mr. Steven Jones to manage the project, located approximately 26 kilometres from the city of Parral in north central Mexico. Mr. Jones, a Certified Professional Geologist with over 31 years of mining and exploration experience in North and South America, has recommended a drill program at La Cigarra. Northair is pleased to have a consulting geologist of Mr. Jones' experience to assist the Company with its initial exploration and drill program planning.
Mr. Jones has reported that La Cigarra has been mapped in detail and found to host a silver-rich epithermal system with mineralization in veins, breccias and fault zones controlled by a regional northwest fault system similar to that in the adjacent Parral Mining Region. Silver mineralization on the property occurs within shales and quartzites controlled by a series of sub-parallel vein systems that are emplaced at La Cigarra along a 3.7 kilometre long structured corridor which ranges from 50 to 280 metres wide. True widths of known mineralization range from 1 to 5 metres with sulfide rich veins and breccias hosting galena, sphalerite, tetrahedrite, and argentite. The property wide weighted average grade of mineralization from 214 rock chip samples taken across mineralized faces is 130 g/t silver (from a high of 1940 g/t silver to a low of 0.6 g/t silver). Grades were highest in the central area of La Cigarra at the San Gregorio Zone (60 samples averaging 183 g/t silver); followed by those taken within the most southern area known as Las Carolinas Zone (103 samples averaging 123 g/t silver). Fifty one samples taken from the La Boracha Zone averaged 82 g/t silver.
The grades reported at La Cigarra appear to be similar in scale to those of the Santa Barbara-San Francisco del Oro sub-districts of Parral that have produced over 440 million ounces of silver. Although La Cigarra has had limited silver production, the Parral Region in total has produced over 1 Billion ounces of silver and over 1 Million ounces of gold placing it in the top ten silver districts in Mexico.
The La Cigarra silver project consists of six concessions and is located in State of Chihuahua along the eastern fringes of the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico. The project has good access, topography and infrastructure. Grupo Northair de Mexico, S.A. de C.A., a subsidiary of Northair, can acquire a 100% ownership of the concessions by making payments over a 5 year period totaling US$445,000 with no royalties.
At the La India gold project, the Company has elected to terminate its option to purchase the privately held concession, however it will retain concessions covering approximately 1600 hectares that were originally acquired through staking.
The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed by Fred Hewett the Company's President and CEO, and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Samples were collected by field assistants under the supervision of a geologist, with sample preparation in Durango, Mexico and analysis in Vancouver, Canada by ALS Chemist Labs and Inspectorate Labs.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,
INTERNATIONAL NORTHAIR MINES LTD.
"Fred G. Hewett"
____________________________________
Fred G. Hewett, P.Eng.
President & CEO
For further information please contact Fred Hewett, President or Chris Curran, Investor Relations
at 604-687-7545 or 1-888-338-2200
Website: www.northair.com/international/ Email: info@northair.com _______________________________________________________________________________
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
This news release may contain forward looking statements which are not historical facts, such as ore reserve estimates, anticipated production or results, sales, revenues, costs, or discussions of goals and exploration results, and involves a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, metal price volatility, volatility of metals production, project development, ore reserve estimates, future anticipated reserves and cost engineering estimate risks, geological factors and exploration results. See Northair's filings for a more detailed discussion of factors that may impact expected results.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.