Western Pacific Expands Mineralized Zones at Mineral Gulch Project

VANCOUVER, Jan. 9, 2012 /CNW/ - Western Pacific Resources Corp. (WRP - TSXV) is pleased to release the assay results for the last 15 drill holes from the 2011 drilling conducted at Mineral Gulch. Results for these holes are shown in Table 1. Previous results were released in a press release dated October 25, 2011.

Highlights of this round of drilling include hole MGR11-026 which intersected 0.558 g/t Au over 47.2 m beginning at 22.9 m downhole. This hole lies just north of MGR11-017 (see October 25, 2011 news release) which intersected 54.7 m of 0.879 g/t, including 7.6 m of 3.59 g/t. Drill holes MGR11-022 and MGR11-029, located south of MGR11-017, intersected 12.2 m of 0.925 g/t and 12.2 m of 1.18 g/t, respectively.  "The significance of these drill holes is that we now have a previously un-mined zone that is 750 meters long which contains significant mineralization in eight drill holes. This area will continue to be explored during our 2012 drill program," says Curt Everson, Exploration Manager.

In addition to the above mentioned drill holes, hole MGR11-024, located southeast of the E pit, intersected three separate mineralized zones - 4.6 m of 1.19 g/t Au, 10.6 m of 1.13 g/t Au and 10.6 m of 2.6 g/t Au (see table 1).  This drill hole lies along the southern extension of the north/south mineralized structures that were mapped in the E pit earlier this year and is open to the south.

A map of all drill locations can be found at:
http://www.westernpacificresources.com/s/MineralGulch.asp

Table 1:

					Length									Grade
Hole #		From (m)		To (m)		(m)		(feet)		Angle		Azimuth		(Au g/t)		(Au oz/t)
MGR11-021		27.4		33.5		6.1		20		-60		90		0.749		0.022
MGR11-022		86.9		99.1		12.2		40		-60		280		0.925		0.027
MGR11-023		12.1		15.2		3.1		10		-60		255		0.439		0.013
MGR11-023		22.8		25.9		3.1		10		-60		255		0.350		0.010
MGR11-024		21.3		25.9		4.6		15		-60		330		1.190		0.035
MGR11-024		36.6		47.2		10.6		35		-60		330		1.130		0.033
(including		38.1		42.7		4.6		15		-60		330		2.173		0.064
MGR11-024		80.8		91.4		10.6		35		-60		330		2.600		0.076
MGR11-025		NSA		NSA		NSA		NSA		-60		90		NSA		NSA

						Length							Grade
Hole #		From (m)		To (m)		(m)		(feet)		Angle		Azimuth		(Au g/t)		(Au oz/t)
MGR11-026		22.9		70.1		47.2		155		-45		270		0.558		0.016
(including		22.9		42.7		19.8		65		-45		270		0.602		0.018
(including		51.8		70.1		18.3		60		-45		270		0.726		0.021
MGR11-027		15.2		51.8		36.6		120		-80		270		0.376		0.011
(including		15.2		27.4		12.2		40		-80		270		0.352		0.010
(including		38.1		51.8		13.7		45		-80		270		0.624		0.018
MGR11-028		35.1		68.6		33.5		110		-50		350		0.343		0.010
MGR11-029		152.4		164.6		12.2		40		-50		355		1.178		0.034
MGR11-030		NSA		NSA		NSA		NSA		-60		255		NSA		NSA
MGR11-031		67.1		80.8		13.7		45		-60		270		0.514		0.015
MGR11-032		NSA		NSA		NSA		NSA		-50		70		NSA		NSA
MGR11-033		NSA		NSA		NSA		NSA		-55		230		NSA		NSA
MGR11-034		0		18.3		18.3		60		-60		65		0.413		0.012
MGR11-034		61.0		86.9		25.9		85		-60		65		0.438		0.013
MGR11-035		NSA		NSA		NSA		NSA		-60		245		NSA		NSA

NSA - no significant assays

Western Pacific Resources plans to drill approximately 30,000 meters in 2012 and submitted the permit application for this drill program in the fall of 2011.

The 2012 drill program will focus on the following target areas:

1)	Expand the 750 meter long un-mined mineralized zone discovered in drill hole MGR11-017 (54.9 meters of 0.879 g/t gold).
2)	Follow-up on the mineralization intersected in MGR11-024 located southeast of the E Pit.
3)	Explore the 900 m by 1,000 m soil anomaly (up to 1.17 g/t gold) west of drill hole MGR11-017.
4)	Drill the anomalous rock chip area (up to 1.37 g/t gold) located 1,900 meters southwest of any previous mining activity (presently awaiting results of 1,300 sample soil program in this area).
5)	Drill the +1 g/t gold area 183 meters southwest of the D Pit.
6)	Test the Hazel Pine area which contained rock chips up to 2.64 g/t gold, 356 g/t silver, 19.5 % zinc, 5,940 ppm lead and 1,170 ppm copper, all which lie on the edge of a magnetic high.
7)	Drill the anomalous rock chip (+1 g/t gold) and soil area (+200 ppb gold) located 2,300 meters east of the D Pit.
8)	Follow-up on mineralization drilled in the B Pit area (15.2 m @ 1.24 g/t gold).
9)	Drill additional holes in the Anomaly J area, along with the magnetic high (potential intrusive) and magnetic low (potential area of alteration).
10)	Follow-up drilling in area northwest of the C Pit where Noranda drilled 18.3 m of 3.6 g/t gold.

About Mineral Gulch

Mineral Gulch is located in Cassia County, Idaho, along the southeast edge of the Black Pine Mountains, approximately 128 km southeast of Burley, Idaho.  Western Pacific controls 100% of the project which it acquired through staking.

The project encompasses the historic Black Pine Mining District and surrounding exploration ground.  Western Pacific recently acquired the historical proprietary data for the property from Newmont Mining Corporation.

Sporadic small-scale gold and base-metal mining occurred in the area as early as 1915. Noranda conducted exploration programs at Black Pine between 1984 and 1990.  Pegasus Mining entered into a joint venture with Noranda in 1990 and became the majority owner and operator of the mining effort between 1992 and 1998.  The Black Pine Property produced over 500,000 ounces of gold at an average head grade of 1.5 grams from several small open pits.  Historic exploration and mining efforts have generally focused on near-surface, oxidized ore bodies.

About Western Pacific

Western Pacific is a gold explorer focused on acquiring advanced-stage projects in the Western United States, and has the right combination of exploration and financial professionals to succeed in making a world class gold discovery. For more information, please visit our website at www.westernpacificresources.com.

Qualified Person

Curt Everson, M.Sc., P.Geo. is Western Pacific's Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 and has prepared or supervised the preparation of the disclosure of any scientific and technical information contained in this news release.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Warwick Smith, Chief Executive Officer

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

This news release contains forward-looking information, which involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectation.  Important factors - including the availability of funds, the results of financing and exploration activities, the interpretation of drilling results and other geological data, risks associated with the estimation of mineral resources and the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits, project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses -- that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time on SEDAR (see www.sedar.com).  Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.  The Company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

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