Dia Bras Drilling Programme continues to expand and clarify the silver disseminated mineralisation at its Promontorio mine (Cusi Property) and is discovering structures inside the disseminated zone with High Silver Grades

TSX Venture Exchange - DIB
No. 24-2012

TORONTO, July 17, 2012 /CNW/ - Dia Bras Exploration Inc. (TSX-V:DIB) ("Dia Bras" or the "Company") is pleased to report that continued drilling from  surface at its Promontorio mine has expanded the wide zones of disseminated silver mineralization at the Promontorio mine. The extent of the disseminated mineralized zone is becoming clearer and illustrates the significant potential of this discovery.

Press Release Highlights:

• The Company's geologists infer that the disseminated zone could extend over an area of at least 150 m x 200-300 m, indicating major volume potential.

• Drill hole DC12B476 at the Promontorio mine cut 8.3 m averaging 1,296 g/t Ag within a 23 m zone averaging 543 g/t Ag within a second-order vein in the disseminated zone.

• DC07B151 drilled in 2007 cut the same vein 250 m below the surface with 15 m averaging 528 g/t Ag, demonstrating the down-dip continuity of this high-grade structure inside the disseminated zone.

• Since the disseminated zone was recognized, the Company has completed 47 surface and 12 underground drill holes in the zone and has conducted rehabilitation of the Promontorio shaft and historical underground workings. 

• During the period January-June, the Company completed 15,129 m of diamond drilling, 619 m of underground drilling at Promontorio mine and 14,510 m of surface drilling on four targets.
  

"As our drilling and development continue, we are especially excited about the tremendous upside potential of the Promontorio disseminated zone," stated Daniel Tellechea, President and CEO of Dia Bras Exploration.  "The remarkably high grades in structures inside the disseminated zone and the larger, overall size of the zone, prove that our recent strategy of a more aggressive exploration and development program for our Cusi silver property is yielding positive surprises and is proving to have been the right strategy to add shareholder value through organic growth.  We are rehabilitating the old workings in this area and developing new drill stations that will allow us to drill at tighter spacing and determine our development and mine plan for this important discovery.  This discovery is significant to Dia Bras because it is in an historic mine with underground infrastructure near the areas of disseminated mineralization. The Company will continue its pilot-mining operations at Cusi and plans to release a NI 43-101 resource report in late 2012 or early 2013."

Promontorio Disseminated Zone:

The Promontorio disseminated zone was first recognized in late summer, 2011 (see press release of September 14, 2011).  Since then, the Company has completed 47 surface and 12 underground drill holes in the zone (totaling 9875.5 m and 607.2 m, respectively) and has conducted rehabilitation of the Promontorio shaft and historical underground workings.  Development continues, especially the extension of the ramp from Level 4 with the objective of providing access to the zone for pilot mining and for constructing drill stations that are better positioned to define the zone.

The disseminated zone is bounded by the Cusi Fault and occurs in and around the Promontorio Main Vein and several of its subsidiary veins, such as veins J and L, which have strike lengths of hundreds of meters.  These veins strike more or less NE and truncate against the NW-trending Cusi Fault (see Figure 1).  It is now recognized that between these veins are second-order veins that strike generally E-W but have short strike lengths, on the order of less than 25 m up to100 m.  These veins are distributed in a relatively random pattern.  These second-order veins and the mm-scale fractures that are more or less parallel to them provided the fluid pathways for the mineralizing hydrothermal fluids that created the disseminated zone.  As a result of the random nature of the second-order veins, interpreting their drill intercepts is difficult because a vein may only show up on a single section and pinch out before it reaches the next section 25 m away.

Figure 2 is a cross section showing one of these second-order veins and its envelope of disseminated mineralization.  Drilling has identified other second-order veins of short strike length, which are shown on Figure 3. The vein in Figure 2 has a short strike length (not defined but probably about 100 m) but varies in width from 10 to 20 m.  The vein has been drilled to a depth of 250 m below the surface and is open to depth.  More holes at a tight spacing are required to define this vein.  It is worth repeating that drill hole DC12B476 cut this second-order vein in the disseminated zone and averaged 1,296 g/t Ag over 8.3 m within 23 m interval averaging 543 g/t Ag.

Figure 3 is a plan view of Level 8 of the Promontorio Mine that shows the known limit of the disseminated zone at its southwestern edge and where it is open to the northeast towards and along the Cusi Fault.  The vein of Figure 2 can be seen on Figure 3, within the disseminated zone.

Although significant drilling remains to be done to determine the limits of the disseminated zone towards the Cusi Fault and to the NW and SE, the Company's geologists believe the volume potential of this zone is large.  As shown in Figure 3, the zone has a minimum width of approximately 100 m and is open towards and along the Cusi Fault, an observation that supports the interpretation by the Company's geologists that the zone could extend NW-SE for 200-300 m.  Drilling has already shown that the zone extends vertically at least 250 m.  Because of the zone's potential size, many holes will have to be drilled to define it.  Drill stations planned along the ramp from Level 4 will provide better positions for drilling.

Drilling Results

Significant results from surface and underground drill holes at Promontorio are presented in Tables 1 & 2, from El Gallo in Table 3, and from Santa Eduwiges in Table 4.

Table 1: Summary of Promontorio Surface Drill Results
Hole Number*		From (m)		To (m)		Core Length (m)		Est. True Width (m)		Au g/t		Ag g/t		Pb %		Zn %		Mn %
DC07B151		181.5		196.5		15.0		12.4		nd**		528		0.27		0.21		1.16
428		63.0		93.0		30.0				0.005		63		0.05		0.06		0.76
432		75.0		78.2		3.2				0.023		622		0.66		0.67		0.44
455		93.75		94.45		0.7		0.7		0.169		1,720		0.01		0.02		0.03
465		126.50		132.85		6.35		3.2		0.030		535		0.32		1.12		0.24
and		157.4		161.6		4.2		2.1		0.005		65		0.12		0.10		0.15
and		167.3		216.45		49.15		31.6		0.037		98		0.23		0.26		0.66
and		318.2		329.2		11.0		7.0		0.143		118		0.28		0.41		0.47
470		187.5		201.7		14.2		10.9		0.089		187		0.19		0.32		0.27
472		204.0		219.6		15.6		14.3		0.062		215		0.45		0.49		0.95
and		298.9		303.7		4.8		4.5		0.093		150		1.17		1.96		0.83
476		142.1		165.0		22.9		21.0		0.067		543		0.15		0.13		0.89
incl.		143.9		152.2		8.3		7.6		0.150		1,296		0.27		0.21		1.33
482		255.1		270.2		15.1		11.2		0.131		73		0.76		0.74		0.28
484		118.4		139.1		20.7		19.4		0.023		94		0.09		0.11		0.84
485		124.4		128.7		4.3		3.5		0.052		76		0.75		0.52		0.28
and		135.5		143.5		8.0		5.0		0.059		82		0.40		1.32		0.42
488		121.5		123.8		2.3				0.029		124		0.13		0.12		0.40
and		133.7		146.6		12.9		9.1		0.027		63		0.09		0.09		0.10
492		188.6		224.5		35.9		17.0		0.048		101		0.44		0.42		0.92
493		122.1		124.9		2.8				0.079		335		0.78		0.77		0.03
and		135.4		136.6		1.2				0.080		1,120		0.21		0.51		0.04
497		177.6		184.1		6.5				0.009		94		0.12		0.17		0.77
and		199.4		203.7		4.3				0.012		50		0.09		0.10		0.43
and		216.1		221.0		4.9				0.175		162		1.79		1.11		0.36
and		253.8		266.7		12.9				0.087		53		0.17		0.41		0.33

* All holes have prefix DC12B except DC07B151 (results published January 30, 2008)
** nd = not determined

Table 2: Summary of Promontorio Underground Drill Results
Hole Number*		From (m)		To (m)		Core Length (m)		Est. True Width (m)		Au g/t		Ag g/t		Pb %		Zn %		Mn %
111		19.9		23.5		3.6				0.033		340		0.75		0.59		1.31
and		58.5		69.5		11.0				0.041		136		0.05		0.08		1.07
and		72.0		75.0		3.0				nd**		78		0.07		0.03		0.01
113		9.0		11.4		2.4				nd		124		0.08		0.25		2.94
and		23.4		25.8		2.4				0.026		209		0.20		0.23		0.83
114		30.0		32.4		2.4				nd		445		0.35		0.49		2.02
115		11.2		13.1		1.9				0.032		132		0.16		0.29		1.45
117		33.0		36.0		3.0				nd		112		0.07		0.06		0.17
118		28.5		40.5		12.0				nd		60		0.04		0.08		0.38

* All holes have prefix DC12M
** nd = not determined

Table 3: Summary of El Gallo Surface Drill Results
Hole Number*		From (m)		To (m)		Core Length (m)		Est. True Width (m)		Au g/t		Ag g/t		Pb %		Zn %		Mn %
445		3.55		13.85		10.3		7.9		0.083		186		0.14		0.03		0.07
and		68.85		71.50		2.65		0.9		0.334		330		0.18		0.92		0.03
447		10.2		19.1		8.9		2.5		0.094		211		0.11		0.05		0.04
and		60.6		63.0		2.4		1.2		0.075		116		0.10		0.09		0.02
and		75.0		78.0		3.0		2.3		0.105		123		0.04		0.15		0.08
467		35.2		41.1		5.9				0.021		72		0.02		0.02		0.02
and		50.3		51.4		1.1				0.747		766		0.31		0.09		0.02
and		74.3		76.1		1.8				0.010		222		0.03		0.12		0.09
and		98.3		99.1		0.8				0.168		955		0.12		0.11		0.05
473		61.5		64.5		3.0				0.025		113		0.07		0.11		1.41
and		93.0		99.0		6.0				0.012		105		0.04		0.07		0.84

* All holes have prefix DC12B

Table 4: Summary of Santa Eduwiges Surface Drill Results
Hole Number*		From (m)		To (m)		Core Length (m)		Est. True Width (m)		Au g/t		Ag g/t		Pb %		Zn %		Mn %
441		143.05		156.75		13.7		8.0		0.057		126		0.66		0.43		0.23
and		171.9		173.0		1.1		0.8		0.206		129		0.18		0.24		0.59
and		188.05		196.7		8.65		6.6		0.695		345		1.47		0.95		0.65
and		198.0		199.0		1.0		0.6		1.500		477		0.76		0.65		0.44
444		178.40		181.65		3.25				0.115		114		0.69		0.89		0.14
446		133.2		136.2		3.0		1.5		0.839		258		0.21		0.13		0.39
and		148.7		151.7		3.0		2.1		0.665		278		0.30		0.26		1.09
448		186.0		198.6		12.6		8.0		0.196		161		1.83		1.52		0.34
454		103.75		115.00		11.25				0.037		55		0.17		0.30		0.32
466		89.4		93.5		4.1				0.023		67		0.24		0.27		0.95
468		173.3		174.0		0.7				0.155		1,215		10.05		19.70		0.71
and		379.5		380.7		1.2				0.163		771		0.14		0.26		0.58
477		121.25		130.40		9.15		4.0		0.093		78		0.32		0.58		0.66
and		137.2		141.5		4.3		2.5		0.435		352		7.25		1.45		1.44
479		77.3		78.7		1.4		0.6		0.178		239		3.51		5.39		0.49
and		126.9		128.2		1.3		1.0		0.025		215		1.58		4.32		0.28
and		141.0		142.5		1.5		0.5		0.045		137		2.03		5.35		0.10
and		157.8		172.8		15.0		8.5		0.022		83		0.35		0.75		0.19
486		57.9		58.5		0.6				1.957		2,297		0.07		0.11		0.80
and		109.0		109.5		0.5		0.3		0.102		1,370		0.66		1.20		0.67
and		149.7		152.2		2.5		1.5		0.251		140		0.20		0.05		0.95

* All holes have prefix DC12B

Cusi Pilot Mining Update:    
During June, the Company's wholly-owned Malpaso mill processed 4,641 tonnes of development rock averaging 204.4 g/t Ag.  Pilot mining provides important information on metallurgy, recovery rates, mining and milling costs, etc., that are essential in determining the economic viability of a project.

Development of the Promontorio and Santa Eduwiges mines continues.  During the month of June, development at Santa Eduwiges was done on Levels 7.5, 8.5 & 10, three stopes were started, and Ramp 9384 SW was advanced 46 m at -12% from Level 10 towards Level 11.

At Promontorio, a contractor was engaged to extend the ramp from Level 4 to Level 9 and to clean and rehabilitate the Promontorio shaft from Level 9 to Level 11.

The table below shows the results from sampling of veins along the development drifts:

Mine	Level	Heading	Length Sampled (m)	Avg. Vein Width (m)	Ag g/t	Pb %	Zn %
Promontorio	9	Fte 986 SW	18.0	5.0	152	0.19	0.22
Santa Eduwiges	7	Fte 256 SE	20.0	1.81	181	2.70	5.27
"	7.5	Fte 604 SW	22.0	1.30	329	1.12	0.98
"	7.5	Fte 440 NE	23.0	0.97	380	pending	pending
"	8.5	Fte 420 NE	23.0	1.08	552	0.40	0.55
"	8.5	Reb 672 SW	25.0	1.14	478	1.44	2.23
"	8.5	Fte 9375 SW	13.0	1.35	267	0.99	0.61

Method of Analysis
Samples were prepared at the ALS Chemex lab facility in Chihuahua, Mexico, and analyzed by ICP and AA methods at their facilities in Vancouver, Canada. Diamond drill samples sent for analysis consisted of half NQ-size and BQ-size diamond core split on site, prepared by the ALS Chemex sample preparation laboratory in Chihuahua, Mexico, and assayed for Au by 50 g fire assay with AA finish, and for Ag by AA on 50 g split sample at the ALS Chemex North Vancouver Laboratory. Assays for Pb, Zn and Cu are analyzed by Induction Coupled Plasma (ICP) at ALS Chemex.

Quality Control
The quality assurance-quality control (QA-QC) of Dia Bras has been described in detail in both RPA's NI 43-101 reports of December 2006 at Cusi and October 2005 for Bolivar.

The technical content of this news release has been approved by Thomas L. Robyn, Ph.D., CPG, RPG, a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101.

About Dia Bras
Dia Bras Exploration is a Canadian mining company focused on precious and base metals in Chihuahua State, other areas of northern Mexico, and most recently at its Yauricocha silver-lead-zinc-copper-gold mine in Peru. The Company is accelerating exploration at the Yauricocha property as well as pursuing the development and exploration of its most advanced Mexican assets - the Bolivar Property (copper-zinc-silver) and the Cusi Property (silver-lead) and is exploring in Mexico several precious metal targets such as La Sidra gold project at the Bolivar Property, Las Coloradas silver project at Melchor Ocampo (Zacatecas State), the Bacerac silver project (Sonora State), and the La Verde gold project at the Batopilas Property (Chihuahua State).  Dia Bras is also exploring base metal projects in Mexico such as the Corralitos intrusion-hosted molybdenum deposit (Chihuahua State).

The Company's shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "DIB". 

Neither the 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 news release.

Forward-looking Statements
Except for statements of historical fact, all statements in this news release without limitation regarding new projects, acquisitions, future plans and objectives are forward-looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate; actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. 

 

Image with caption: "Figure 1: Cusi Project Map View (CNW Group/Dia Bras Exploration Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120717_C8801_PHOTO_EN_16272.jpg

Image with caption: "Figure 2: Cross Section Showing Second-Order Vein in Disseminated Zone and its envelope of disseminated silver mineralization. (CNW Group/Dia Bras Exploration Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120717_C8801_PHOTO_EN_16271.jpg

Image with caption: "Figure 3: Map of Level 8 showing vein of Figure 2, other second-order veins and contours of silver content.  Disseminated zone closed off to SW but open elsewhere. (CNW Group/Dia Bras Exploration Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120717_C8801_PHOTO_EN_16270.jpg

For further information on Dia Bras Exploration Inc. visit www.diabras.com or contact:

Daniel Tellechea
President & CEO 
Dia Bras Exploration Inc.
1 [phone]

Matt Morrish
Director, Investor Relations
Dia Bras Exploration Inc.
1 [phone]