RNC Minerals Provides Beta Hunt Exploration Update

Figure 1: Plan view of Beta Hunt Mine highlighting location of recent infill drill results. (CNW Group/RNC Minerals)

Figure 2: Longitudinal view looking northeast showing the A Zone infill drill results and proximity to existing underground infrastructure. (CNW Group/RNC Minerals)

Figure 3: A Zone Extension Longitudinal view looking to the northeast with significant new infill drill results highlighted. (CNW Group/RNC Minerals)

Figure 4: A Zone Longitudinal view looking to the northeast with significant new infill drill results highlighted. Estimated true widths shown. (CNW Group/RNC Minerals)

TORONTO, April 10, 2017 /CNW/ - RNC Minerals (TSX: RNX) ("RNC") is pleased to announce positive infill drilling results following the discovery of a significant extension of the A Zone gold structure at its Beta Hunt Mine in Western Australia.

"Following the discovery of the high grade A Zone extension, which increased the known strike length by 500 metres to 1.7 kilometres, infill drilling results have increased our confidence that the southern-most extension of the A Zone has the potential to become an important production area in the near-term as it lies within 35 metres of existing infrastructure and is above the current development level of the Western Flanks decline. I am also pleased with infill drill results at the lower boundary of the A Zone area, which show the potential to expand the resource in this area." said Mark Selby, President and CEO of RNC.

Infill drilling highlights from the A Zone extension since RNC's news release dated January 18, 2017 include:

• WFE17-03 – 7.08 m at 8.28 g/t including 4.11 m at 11.00 g/t
• WFE17-04 -  4.00 m at 10.71 g/t including 2.15 m at 16.75 g/t
• WFE17-07 -  9.95 m at 3.07 g/t including 3.83 m at 4.02 g/t

See Table 1 for full assay highlights in the A Zone extension and Figures 1, 2, and 3 for location and proximity to existing development.

Additionally, further definition drilling to support the mine plan in the A Zone has returned strong results for both infilling and extending the known resource, including:

• AZ13-029 -  5.52 m at 6.51 g/t including 3.30 m at 7.59 g/t
• AZ13-027 – 11.85 m at 2.81 g/t including 2.40 m at 5.75 g/t
• AZ13-024 – 10.09 m at 2.82 g/t including 6.25 m at 3.74 g/t

See Table 2 for full assay highlights in the A Zone and Figures 1, 2, and 4 for location and proximity to existing development.

Beta Hunt A Zone Extension
Additional drill holes completed since RNC's news release dated January 18, 2017 highlight the continuity of gold mineralization in the southern extension of the A Zone (see Figure 1), where RNC previously announced the extension the strike length of 1.2 kilometres by a further 500 metres or more than 40%. The southern extension occurs directly below the previously mined contact-related historical Hunt nickel deposit (see Figure 3).

The presence of shear-hosted gold mineralization directly below nickel mineralization is characteristic of the Beta Hunt Mine. In areas of historic nickel mining, this association can be used as a guide to test for gold mineralization below. The mineral potential of this area was first highlighted by WMC in the 1980s. While mining nickel from the Hunt deposit anomalous visible gold was occasionally noted below the ultramafic contact. Historic drill holes in the area also contained anomalous gold. Significant assays from the recent drill holes are provided in Tables 1 and 2.

Table 1: Significant assay results from the A Zone Extension Infill Drilling

		Downhole	Downhole	Interval^1	Gold^2
		From (m)	To (m)	(m)	g/t
WFE17-01		89.00	91.60	2.60	2.77
	including	89.00	90.00	1.00	4.73
WFE17-02		70.60	72.60	2.00	4.47
	including	70.60	71.28	0.68	12.60
WFE17-03		88.95	96.03	7.08	8.28
	including	88.95	90.00	1.05	7.89
	including	91.92	94.25	2.33	15.18
		118.00	120.00	2.00	11.93
	including	119.02	119.35	0.33	71.80
WFE17-04		72.00	74.00	2.00	7.30
	including	72.00	73.00	1.00	11.40
		82.00	86.00	4.00	10.71
	including	83.00	84.80	1.80	18.70
WFE17-05		97.40	99.45	2.05	9.11
	including	97.68	98.37	0.69	15.60
WFE17-06		97.00	99.10	2.10	3.11
	including	98.30	99.10	0.80	4.79
WFE17-07		142.00	151.95	9.95	3.07
	including	146.07	147.00	0.93	5.12
	including	148.00	149.90	1.90	4.41

1.	All downhole intervals. True thickness to be determined.
2.	All gold assays uncut.

Table 2: Significant assay results from the main A Zone Infill Drilling

		Downhole	Downhole	Interval	True Width^1	Gold^2
		From (m)	To (m)	(m)	(m)	g/t
AZ13-006		51.20	54.07	2.87	2.73	4.23
	including	53.34	54.07	0.73		11.2
AZ13-007		43.20	48.30	5.10	4.85	5.03
	including	47.30	48.30	1.00		8.14
		67.33	69.35	2.02	1.92	9.34
	including	67.33	68.47	1.14		16.3
AZ13-008		101.14	106.64	5.50	4.28	3.57
	including	106.22	106.64	0.42		11.7
AZ13-009		93.00	101.85	8.85	6.23	4.44
	including	93.00	94.20	1.20		9.92
		94.20	95.00	0.80		16.2
AZ13-010		42.00	49.50	7.50	6.54	3.46
	including	45.50	46.50	1.00		5.80
		48.00	49.00	1.00		5.42
AZ13-011		38.00	43.15	5.15	5.14	2.73
	including	38.00	39.00	1.00		3.92
AZ13-012		73.50	76.18	2.68	2.67	4.50
	including	74.25	74.90	0.65		9.36
AZ13-013		51.46	58.43	6.97	5.35	2.82
	including	56.96	58.43	1.47		3.96
		67.27	69.75	1.90		3.83
	including	68.26	69.00	0.74		10.7
AZ13-014		80.00	83.62	3.62	3.02	3.80
	including	80.00	81.15	1.15		5.91
		83.10	83.62	0.52		6.30
AZ13-024		127.65	141.50	13.85	10.09	2.82
	including	127.65	129.15	1.50		4.61
	including	135.25	136.60	1.35		6.51
	including	140.45	141.50	1.05		5.43
AZ13-027		118.90	120.95	2.05	1.96	8.26
	including	118.90	119.30	0.40		36.5
		124.60	137.00	12.40	11.85	2.81
	including	124.60	125.00	0.40		17.8
	including	126.00	127.00	1.00		6.26
	including	132.80	133.30	0.50		7.42
AZ13-029		170.70	177.65	6.95	5.52	6.51
	including	170.70	171.25	0.55		18.5
	including	172.50	173.60	1.10		9.26
	including	176.15	176.55	0.40		29.1
AZ13-031		150.00	162.00	12.00	8.87	2.35
	including	150.00	151.00	1.00		6.81
AZ11-001		53.85	56.00	2.15	1.96	3.65
	including	54.85	56.00	1.15		4.13
AZ11-002		52.25	58.50	6.25	4.01	3.21
	including	52.25	53.80	1.55		5.43
AZ11-003		27.00	37.00	10.00	9.99	2.67
	including	33.30	34.00	0.70		6.67
AZ11-004		22.20	28.00	5.80	4.42	2.77
	including	22.20	23.80	1.60		5.91
AZ11-005		30.00	38.85	8.85	4.45	4.53
	including	33.55	34.10	0.55		11.1
	including	35.80	36.75	0.95		6.97
AZ11-017		74.70	84.20	9.50	3.37	6.07
	including	75.20	76.73	1.53		7.07
	including	77.95	79.03	1.08		7.33
	including	81.12	82.70	1.58		8.21

1.	Estimated true width.
2.	All gold assays uncut.

Compliance Statement (JORC 2012 and NI 43-101)
The technical information in this news release relating to results at the Beta Hunt Mine is based on information compiled by Steve Devlin, who is a Member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr. Devlin is a full time employee of Salt Lake Mining Pty Ltd and has sufficient experience, which is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 edition of the "Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results".

Drill core sampling was conducted by SLM personnel. Samples are shipped to SGS Mineral Services of Kalgoorlie for preparation and assaying by 50 gram fire assay analytical method. First sample of each sample submission incorporates a barren rock sample as a flush to clean the lab crusher and pulveriser and as a check for contamination. Analytical accuracy and precision are monitored by the analysis of insertion of additional blank material and certified standards. The lab is also required to undertake a minimum of 1 in 20 wet screens on pulverised samples to ensure a minimum 90% passing at -75µm. 

The disclosure of scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Alger St-Jean, P. Geo., Vice President Exploration of RNC and Kevin Small, Director, Mining Operations of RNC, both Qualified Persons under NI 43-101.

About RNC
RNC is a multi-asset mineral resource company focused primarily on the acquisition, exploration, evaluation and development of base metal and precious metal properties. RNC's principal assets are the producing Beta Hunt gold and nickel mine in Western Australia, the Dumont Nickel Project located in the established Abitibi mining camp in Quebec and a 30% stake in the producing Reed Mine in the Flin Flon-Snow Lake region of Manitoba, Canada. RNC also owns a majority interest in the West Raglan and Qiqavik projects in Northern Quebec. RNC has a strong management team and Board with over 100 years of mining experience at Inco and Falconbridge. RNC's common shares trade on the TSX under the symbol RNX. RNC shares also trade on the OTCQX market under the symbol RNKLF.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" including without limitation statements relating to the liquidity and capital resources of RNC, production guidance and the potential of the Beta Hunt Mine.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of RNC to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect the outcome include, among others: future prices and the supply of metals; the results of drilling; inability to raise the money necessary to incur the expenditures required to retain and advance the properties; environmental liabilities (known and unknown); general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; political instability, terrorism, insurrection or war; or delays in obtaining governmental approvals, projected cash costs, failure to obtain regulatory or shareholder approvals. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to RNC's filings with Canadian securities regulators available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Although RNC has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and RNC disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE RNC Minerals

Rob Buchanan, Director, Investor Relations, T: [phone], www.rncminerals.com

Related Links

http://www.rncminerals.com/