Western Pacific Samples 6.1m at 3.7 g/t at Mineral Gulch

VANCOUVER, Aug. 3 /CNW/ - Western Pacific Resources Corp. (WRP - TSXV): Warwick Smith, President of Western Pacific Minerals is pleased to report additional gold assays from ongoing sampling at the Company's Mineral Gulch project in Idaho.

Highlights of the most recent results include:

    
        -  MG-ES-052 which returned 3.7 g/t Au over 6.1m from the B Pit.

        -  MG-ES-053 which returned 4.3 g/t Au over 5.5m from the B Pit.

        -  MG-ES-077 which returned 2.5 g/t Au over 4.6m from A Pit.
    

In addition, 2 grab samples (MG-ES-080 and 081) from the Hazel Pine area, located half a mile northeast of the Tallman Pit, returned 2.64 g/t Au and 0.73 g/t Au with 267 ppm Ag and 356 ppm Ag, respectively.

The current results are from forty samples, collected mainly from the A and B Pits, with one sample from D Pit, two from the Hazel Pine area and three from the Tallman Pit. All samples returned anomalous gold assays ranging from 0.01 to 6.5 g/t Au, and averaging 1.29g/t Au with a median grade of 0.7g/t Au. The average grade is in line with the historic average production head grade of about 1.5 g/t Au reported by Pegasus Gold. Significant results are reported in the Table below.

The B Pit results are particularly encouraging. The samples are mainly oxide material with some minor carbon. The higher grade B Pit samples came from the east wall of B Pit. They may correspond to an extension of the higher grades obtained from the west wall of the Tallman Pit, suggesting that there may be mineralization in the area between B and Tallman Pits. It is worth noting that only two pre-mine drill holes appear to have tested this zone (the results of these holes are unknown at this time).

    
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    Sample No.         Au g/t      Comments
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    B Pit
    MG-ES-047           0.9        9.1m channel black carbon rich silty
                                    limestone
    MG-ES-048           1.8        3.7m channel trace fine grained sulphide
    MG-ES-049           3.2        0.9m channel
    MG-ES-052           3.7        6.1m channel red/orange friable limestone
    MG-ES-053           4.3        5.5m channel same zone as 052
    MG-ES-054           3.9        1.8m channel

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Sample No.         Au g/t      Comments
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    A Pit
    MG-ES-057           0.7        10.7m channel
    MG-ES-076           2.1        2.4m channel from possible feeder
                                    structure?
    MG-ES-077           2.5        4.6m channel
    MG-ES-079           1.4        5.5m channel

    Other
    MG-ES-080           2.6        Hazel Pine grab sample, over 100g/t Ag
    MG-ES-082           6.5        Tallman Pit grab sample
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    

About Mineral Gulch

Mineral Gulch is located in Cassia County, Idaho, along the southeast edge of the Black Pine Mountains, approximately 128 kilometers southeast of Burley, Idaho. Western Pacific owns 100 per cent 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 Corp.

Until mining ceased in 1998, Pegasus Mining produced over 500,000 ounces of gold from Black Pine 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.

Qualified Person

Curt Everson, MSc, PGeo, 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.

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.

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.

For further information: Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone], Email: [email protected], Website: www.westernpacificresources.com