news!Happy Creek to drill large new IP geophysical target with samples over one percent copper on surface, Highland Valley area, B.C.
January 26, 2010 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Happy Creek Minerals Ltd. (TSX-V: HPY, or the "Company") is pleased to announce results of a geophysical survey from its 100 percent owned West Valley property that adjoins the west side of Teck Resources Ltd.'s Highland Valley copper mine property in south central British Columbia, Canada. The Highland Valley copper mine is Canada's largest copper producer, currently mining material grading approximately 0.32 percent copper.
The West Valley property is 95 square kilometres in area and located approximately 10 kilometres south of the Highland Valley copper concentrator. This area has received cursory exploration mainly between the late 1960's and early 1970's. In 2009, the Company conducted reconnaissance geology and a three dimensional induced polarization (3D IP) and magnetic geophysical survey covering approximately four square kilometres in area, near the northern end of the property.
The 3D IP survey has outlined an area of high priority called the Nord prospect that is approximately 1.6 kilometres by 800 metres in dimension, and forms a wide "U" shape that remains open in extent to the north. Reconnaissance mapping in and around this positive anomaly has located at least eight new copper showings with samples containing up to 1.7 percent copper and up to 0.37 grams per tonne gold. These showings are comprised dominantly of chalcopyrite, bornite and chalcocite (copper sulphides). This area occurs near a geological contact between younger quartz rich and more mafic phases of the Guichon Batholith respectively, and strong north-northwest and east-west trending structures occur. The resistivity features of the survey are of interest and suggest a large body of highly resistive rocks, possibly more quartz rich in composition, occur at depth with several upward extending components that may reflect dikes of similar composition. Adjacent to these high resistivity zones, the strongest chargeability values occur.
"We are pleased to have identified our first drill target on the West Valley property. Widespread copper mineralization located in surface showings is underlain by a positive IP anomaly extending from about 100 to over 500 metres below surface. It is thought that historical IP surveys were unable to look deep enough to fully detect the size and importance of this prospect. Using the 3D IP system has opened the door to finding something new and potentially significant along the western side of the Highland Valley district, and we are confident other drill targets will emerge" states David Blann, President of Happy Creek.
A map and section of the West Valley geophysical survey is posted to the Company's website at www.happycreekminerals.com.
As previously announced April 28th, 2009, the southern portion of the property hosts the Fir prospect, where three outcrops over a distance of approximately 600 metres returned values of 0.32 up to 1.20 percent copper in grab samples, and a trench returned 0.70 percent copper over an apparent width of ten metres. Approximately 2.5 kilometres to the northeast, a trench at the LL prospect returned 0.40 percent copper over six metres with mineralization that remains open in extent. Together this large area is thought to be highly prospective and remains un-surveyed by the 3D IP geophysical method. The geology of the West Valley property is thought to host potential for bulk tonnage copper deposits with associated molybdenum, gold and silver values.
Happy Creek's 100 percent owned West Valley and Rateria properties comprise over 140 square kilometres of mineral claims that adjoin the west and east side, respectively, of Canada's largest copper producer. On the Rateria property, the Company has discovered by drilling two new zones containing potentially economic copper grades that remain undefined and open in extent.
2010 exploration on the West Valley property is planned to include additional 3D IP and magnetic geophysical surveys, geology and drilling.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
"David E Blann"
____________________
David E Blann, P.Eng.
President
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. The 3D IP and magnetic survey was performed by SJ Geophysics Ltd., of Vancouver, B.C.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Corporate Office:
Phone: 604.662.8310 Email: dblann@happycreekminerals.com
Website: www.happycreekminerals.com
Investor Relations:James Berard and Aaron KonkinPhone: 604-687-2767Toll free: 1-877-459-5507