FIRST KIMBERLITE INTERSECTED
Churchill Diamond Joint Venture
Shear Minerals Ltd. (SRM: TSXV), Northern Empire Minerals Ltd. (NEM:TSXV) and BHP Billiton
today announced that the 2003 drill program at the Churchill Diamond Program has commenced and that
the initial drill hole has discovered the first kimberlite pipe on the property.
Drill hole number CD001 was designed to test CK151, a circular magnetic low anomaly. The vertical drill
hole tested the centre of the anomaly and intersected kimberlite at a depth of 35 feet. Michael Dufresne,
P. Geol. of APEX Geoscience Ltd., is the Qualified Person on site and describes the macrocrystic
kimberlite and breccia with visible olivine macrocrysts and picroilmenite. The hole remains in kimberlite
at a depth of 287 feet. Core has been sent for petrographic analysis to R.L. Barnett Geological Ltd. in
order to determine and confirm the mineralogy of the kimberlite.
“We hit kimberlite on the first drill-hole and within the first 12 hours of drilling which is very encouraging,”
said Pamela Strand, President and CEO of Shear. “The much anticipated drill program is now well
underway.”
A review of last year’s 16,307 line-km aeromagnetic survey completed on the initial 500,000 acre claim
block identified 217 kimberlite targets at the Churchill property. In March this year, ground geophysical
data was acquired on 30 of these anomalies resulting in 23 priority drill targets. This phase of drilling is
designed to test a minimum of 15 of these targets. A Fugro helicopter magnetic-electromagnetic survey
has recently been completed over these high priority areas.
Shear holds a vested 51% interest and is operator at Churchill. As per the June 2, 2003, news release
BHP Billiton has purchased a 14% interest in Churchill for $3 million and has also agreed to fund the
costs of collecting, sampling and processing the initial 200 tonnes of kimberlite. Northern Empire is
earning into a 35% interest at Churchill by incurring $750,000 in exploration expenditures.
“Given our kimberlite discovery we are optimistic that this year’s exploration may result in the discovery of
an entirely new kimberlite cluster at Churchill Diamond Project,” said Ms. Strand. The joint venture has
accumulated additional lands making the Churchill Diamond Project total more than 1.5 million contiguous
favorable acres. In the past year, the joint venture has advanced the project to the current drill-ready
stage by conducting a comprehensive exploration program that included kimberlite indicator mineral
sampling, prospecting and geophysics. In January 2003, the partners approved a budget of $2.5 million
program. All programs are under the supervision of Dean Besserer, P. Geol., of APEX Geoscience Ltd.,
a qualified person under NI 43-101.
Suite 220, 9797 - 45 Avenue
Edmonton, AB, Canada T6E 5V8
Tel: 780-435-0045 Fax: 780-989-0322
TSXV: SRM
Suite 860 – 625 Howe St.
Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6C 2T6
Tel: 604-331-2267 Fax: 604-331-2266
TSXV: NEM
On behalf of the Board
NORTHERN EMPIRE MINERALS LTD.
/s/ “D. Bruce McLeod”
D. Bruce McLeod, P. Eng
Vice President
For further information, please contact the
Company at 604-331-2267 or (888) 338-2200
www.northernempireminerals.com
On behalf of the Board
SHEAR MINERALS LTD.
/s/ “Pamela Strand”
Pamela Strand
President
For further information, please contact the
Company at 780-435-0045 or 1-866-298-9695
www.shearminerals.com |
