HIGHLIGHTS:
- Diamond drilling yields significant near-surface vanadium mineralization including 0.58% V2 O5 over 30.53 metres, 0.67% V2 O5 over 12.94 metres and 0.64% V2 O5 over 24.00 metres
- Vanadium mineralization is closely associated with a two (2) kilometre-long magnetic anomaly that has only been partially drilled
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwire) -- 03/12/09 -- Freewest Resources Canada Inc. (TSX VENTURE: FWR) (the "Company") today announces results from the late 2008 diamond drilling program completed on its Dalhousie Mountain property (the "Property"). The Property comprising 3,730 hectares, is located 60 kilometres southeast of Mattagami and is well accessed by a network of forestry roads branching off the Val d'Or - Chibougamau Provincial Highway. It is situated within the Bell River Igneous Complex in the Abitibi region of Quebec, an area that has seen intermittent exploration for nickel, copper, platinum-group-metals and vanadium since the 1950's.
THE VANADIUM TARGET:
Previously completed work by Freewest on the Property identified a large area of vanadium mineralization within an intermittent outcrop area of approximately 1.8 kilometres by 0.3 kilometres, yielding up to 1.27% V2O5 from blasted outcrop samples. Bulldozer stripping and detailed grid work exposed appreciable iron-oxide mineralization containing vanadium as well as associated chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite, hosted within gabbroic and pyroxenitic rocks. Grab samples returned assays up to 1.03% V2O5. In addition to the bulldozer stripping, a concurrent ground magnetic survey was also completed to provide a geophysical data base to correlate with the mineralization. The survey delineated a strong persistent magnetic anomaly over a 2 kilometre strike length and over a 300-metre width that likely outlines the potential area for vanadium mineralization.
Five (5) drill holes totaling 1000 metres were completed during December 2008 to test the subsurface extent of the vanadium mineralization. The drilling tested a 400-metre long segment of the mineralized trend (see Map 1).
Map 1 comprises part of this news release and is posted on the Freewest website at www.freewest.com.
DIAMOND DRILLING RESULTS:
Significant vanadium mineralization was intersected in 3 drill holes (DM-01-08, DM-03-08 and DM-04-08) of the 5 drill holes completed, covering a strike length of about 400 metres. In 3 of the drill holes that hit, an upper zone of mineralization is present while a narrower lower zone was intersected in 2 of the 3 drill holes. Highlighting the results is an intercept of 0.64% V2O5 over a core length of 24.00 metres that includes a higher grade section yielding 1.00% V2O5 over 7.00 metres. Vanadium intercepts are characterized by the occurrence of semi-massive to massive iron oxide mineralization hosted within fine to medium-grained gabbro and pyroxenite.
