TORONTO, ONTARIO, Oct. 20, 2009 (Marketwire) -- The Directors of Probe Mines Limited (TSX VENTURE:PRB) ("Probe") are pleased to announce that the Phase II diamond drilling on the Probe-Noront Resources (TSX VENTURE:NOT) Joint Venture Project's Black Creek high-grade chromite discovery in the McFauld's Lake area of the James Bay Lowlands has been completed. The program consisted of 11 drill holes totaling over 1,700m and was successful in extending the strike length of the massive chromite horizon to 200m. The zone still remains open in all directions. The chromite horizon was intersected in all 11 holes drilled and ranges from 63.6m wide to 15m wide, with an average of almost 40m in all holes drilled to date (not true width). To date, the zone has only been tested to approximately 200m vertical depth and appears to maintain a relatively consistent width in each section. In addition, the zone was also traced to near-surface depths of approximately 25m, suggesting that the chromite horizon projects to the bedrock surface and is a likely candidate for open pit extraction.
Fifteen drill holes, totaling almost 4,000m, have now been completed on the Black Creek Zone, with all intersecting significant widths of massive chromite mineralization. In addition to extending the Black Creek Zone in length, depth and thickness, the Phase II program was also successful in delineating the body at a 50m-spacing in all dimensions. This will allow for a much more accurate estimation of the size and average grade of the zone as identified thus far.
Approximately 500 samples have been submitted for geochemical analyses from the Phase II program and results will be released as soon as they are ready. The chromite zone is characterized by significant intervals of massive chromite with typically subordinate sections of semi-massive and disseminated mineralization.
The Black Creek horizon is located on the Probe/Noront McFauld's West joint venture property and represents the latest discovery in the "Ring of Fire". Results from the Phase I drilling program yielded up to 62.4 metres of 34.5% Cr2O3, including 34 metres of 41.4% Cr2O3. Values are amongst the best found in the McFauld's area to date.
The chromite-bearing horizon, which is hosted by a thick package of olivine-bearing peridotites and pyroxenites, lies directly between the Black Thor chromite discovery of Freewest Resources ('Freewest') and the Freewest/KWG Resources/Spider Resources Big Daddy chromite zone and northeast of Noront Resources Blackbird discoveries.
McFauld's Lake
The McFauld's area continues to receive considerable attention with recent reports of high-grade chromite and PGE mineralization from Noront and Freewest Resources, in addition to continuing intersections of high-grade nickel and copper at Noront's Eagle One, Eagle Two and AT-12 discoveries.
