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| | Tue Nov 16, 2010
Happy Creek drills 2.5 metres of 1.20 g/t gold at West Valley property, Highland Valley area, B.C.
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November 16, 2010 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Happy Creek Minerals Ltd. (TSX-V: HPY, the "Company") is pleased to provide initial results from its 2010 exploration of its 100% owned West Valley property that is approximately 91 square kilometres in area and adjoins the southwestern side of Teck's Highland Valley copper mine property in south central British Columbia, Canada. The Highland Valley is Canada's largest copper producer.
Between July and September, 2010 the Company conducted 791 metres of drilling in three widely space holes at the northern end of the property and performed geological mapping and sampling further south around the Fir prospect.
The Company's first drilling on the West Valley property was initiated at the NTP and Nord prospects, located approximately 6 kilometres southwest of Teck's Highmont mine, and was directed at a portion of an induced polarization (IP) and strongly positive magnetic geophysical anomaly, approximately 1.6 by 1.0 kilometres in dimension. The three drill holes were collared approximately 200 to 400 metres apart along the western edge of the anomaly, and directed eastward at -60 degrees dip towards the strongest IP and magnetic geophysical values.
Pyrite (iron sulphide), bornite and chalcopyrite (copper sulphides) occur and 2.5 metre samples average approximately 300 parts per million (ppm) copper from top to bottom of the holes and values up to 900 ppm copper occur. Drill hole WV10-3 returned 11.0 metres of 0.06 % copper and 27.5 metres of 0.06% copper. Locally, magnetite veins approximately 10 centimetres in thickness contain strong chalcopyrite mineralization. Drill hole WV10-1 returned 2.5 metres containing 1.20 g/t (grams per tonne) gold near the top of the hole, and several other 2.5 metre samples returned 0.02 to 0.03 g/t gold with low copper values. The presence of the positive gold values and magnetite is consistent with surface samples containing 0.27 and 0.37 g/t gold and is thought to be encouraging as the host rocks in this area of the Guichon Batholith is very similar in age to the Afton copper-gold camp to the northeast. The drill results are interpreted to be peripheral style alteration and mineralization of a porphyry copper system and further exploration in this area is planned.
During 2010, the Company also continued geological mapping and rock sampling around the Fir prospect, approximately three kilometres south of the drilling. The Fir is comprised of several historical copper showings including the Jay 2 and LL prospects that cover an area approximately two kilometres by two kilometres in dimension. Showings include cat trenches, blast pits and an inclined shaft dating from around the 1950's or earlier. Initial sampling by the Company in 2008 returned positive results and in 2010, additional mineralization was located and sampled.
2010 Surface Rock Sampling Results- Fir Prospect area
| Sample# |
width(m) |
Cu % |
| 5279961 |
2.14 |
0.12 |
| 5279962 |
0.28 |
0.40 |
| 5279963 |
0.42 |
0.20 |
| 5279965 |
0.25 |
0.11 |
| 5279968 |
grab |
0.91 |
| 5279969 |
grab |
1.22 |
| 5279970 |
grab |
0.35 |
| 5279971 |
grab |
0.34 |
| 5279972 |
grab |
0.28 |
| 5279973 |
grab |
0.75 |
| 5279974 |
0.16 |
0.73 |
| 5279975 |
0.50 |
0.54 |
| 5279976 |
0.35 |
0.39 |
| 5279977 |
0.75 |
1.07 |
| 5279978 |
grab |
2.82 |
These samples are comprised of widely spaced mineralized shear zones. Sample 5279978 (2.82% copper, 10.4 g/t silver, 0.12 g/t gold) was obtained from an historical inclined shaft dump (Jay2 prospect) estimated at approximately 5,000 cubic metres. Other samples obtained by the Company in the Fir area have returned from 0.32% up to 1.20% copper in grab samples, and a grab sample of an historical trench returned 0.70% copper over 10.0 metres. At the LL prospect located approximately 1.5 kilometres to the northeast, chip samples returned 0.40% copper over 6.0 metres and mineralization remains open in extent.
Geology
The West Valley property is located in part on and to the west of the Lornex Fault, a major north-south trending structure that is thought to be an important control to mineralization at the Lornex and Valley copper deposits to the north. The Fir, Jay 2 and LL prospects occur near the intersection of the Lornex fault and the major east-west trending Skuhun Creek fault. Dykes of feldspar porphyry, quartz feldspar porphyry and mafic composition also occur. This structural setting and presence of porphyry dykes are similar features to that found at the major mines to the north.
Based on detailed mapping* the Fir project area is underlain by diorite and related intermediate intrusive varieties that are locally cut by sulphide-bearing quartz vein/breccia and stockwork with accompanying strong bleaching and zoned argillic, phyllic and propylitic alteration styles. Shear zones have strong malachite staining at surface and well-developed chalcopyrite-bornite-chalcocite mineralogy at depth, as evidenced at the exposed face of the Jay 2 inclined shaft. Sulphide-quartz zones are often developed along north trending and steeply west dipping shear/fracture zones and are spatially associated with mafic dykes. Pronounced conjugate joint and intersecting fractures sets with radiating dips around the central core of the property suggest a "dome" effect that may indicate a shallow buried intrusive below a diorite cap with potential for broader porphyry-copper related mineralization.
The Company is pleased with results from the limited exploration performed to date on a portion of a 90 square kilometre property that is thought to be highly prospective for porphyry copper deposits. Further exploration on the West Valley property is planned to include induced polarization and magnetic geophysical surveys and trenching.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
"David E Blann"
____________________
David E Blann, P.Eng.
President, CEO
David Blann, P.Eng. is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and is responsible for the preparation and approval of the technical information disclosed in the news release. Preliminary analyses are performed by Agat Laboratories of Ontario using a geochemical aqua regia digest and ICP-MS finish. Results are provided in ppm (parts per million or grams per tonne), with values converted to percent by dividing by 10,000. Quality control protocol includes on-site pick up of samples by the laboratory, routine insertion of blanks, standards and duplicates in addition to the laboratory internal controls.*Geological mapping, sampling and interpretation of the Fir prospect geology were performed by Ken McDonald, P.Geo.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Corporate Office:
Phone: 604.662.8310
Email: Info@happycreekminerals.com
Website: www.happycreekminerals.com
Investor Relations:
James Berard
Phone: 604-687-2768
Toll free: 1-877-459-5507
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 release. This News Release may contain statements that are forward looking and subject to risk and uncertainty more fully described in the Company's Prospectus, Financial Statements and Public Filings located on SEDAR.
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| | You can view the Next News Releases item: Fri Nov 19, 2010, Happy Creek Drills 120.0 metres of 0.26% Copper and samples 3.34% copper in Highland Valley B.C.
You can view the Previous News Releases item: Mon Nov 8, 2010, Happy Creek drilling extends Nightcrawler tungsten zone at Fox Property, B.C.
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