Aurizon Mines Ltd. - Joanna

Casa Berardi

Casa Berardi Project Casa Berardi Exploration Casa Berardi People

Exploration

Joanna Gold Property Kipawa Gold - Uranium Property

Photo Gallery Maps & Charts Technical Reports

Joanna Gold Project, Quebec

The Joanna Gold Project is located along the Cadillac Break, in Joannes Township, two kilometres northeast of the Rouyn-Noranda airport and 20 kilometers east of Rouyn-Noranda. The property extends east-west for more than eight kilometres and reaches three kilometres in width. The property comprises 111 contiguous mineral claims.

At Joanna, infill drilling of the Hosco deposit has been completed as well as an updated mineral resource estimate. Independent consultants are currently working on a pre-feasibility study, which is anticipated to be completed in the third quarter, 2009.

Outlook

In the first quarter of 2009, two drill rigs were active on the Joanna property testing a deep exploration target 400 to 700 metres down-plunge from the Hosco mineral resource contour, and also testing geophysical targets in the northern part of the property. In addition, drill targets along the main horizon of the recently optioned Alexandria property, to the east of the main Hosco Block were tested. A total of 8,404 metres of surface drilling were completed during the quarter and results should be released during the second quarter, 2009.

In 2009, approximately $1.5 million will be initially invested to perform approximately 10,000 metres of drilling focused on the following:

a) Possible eastern extension of the Hosco deposit on the recently optioned Alexandria property.

b) Testing for potential higher grade gold mineralization in the down dip extension of the Hosco deposit below 500 metres.

c) Exploration targets north of the existing mineral resources.

At Joanna, a pre-feasibility study has been awarded to BBA Inc., which will incorporate the new resource estimate on the Hosco Block of the Joanna property.

Mineral Resources

The new updated mineral resource estimate has been prepared by SGS Geostat Ltd. ("Geostat").

The updated measured and indicated mineral resource estimate integrates results of the 2008 infill drilling program completed within the limit of the proposed pit outline of the Hosco Block and the results of all exploration drilling performed outside of that pit contour above 300 metres. The inferred mineral resources are estimated down to 600 metres.

Measured and Indicated mineral resources have increased by 900,000 ounces in comparison with the previous estimate of September, 2007. The increase is mainly within the pit outline as proposed in the BBA preliminary assessment report of May, 2008
Inferred mineral resources estimates decreased by 151,000 ounces in comparison with the previous estimate of September, 2007. The decrease is mainly due to the upgrade of resources to the measured and indicated category.

In addition to the upgrading of previously reported mineral resources, total resources have increased within and along the extension of the previous mineral resources outline.

JOANNA MINERAL RESOURCES ESTIMATE ^(1,2,3,)
		December, 2008			September 2007
Mineral Resources		Tonnes	Grade Grams/tonne	Gold Ounces	Tonnes	Grade Grams/tonne	Gold Ounces	Gain (loss) Ounces
Measured	Hosco	18,500,000	1.4	827,000	-	-	-	827,000
Indicated	Hosco Heva	11,100,000 4,200,000	1.3 1.9	446,000 257,000	8,200,000 3,100,000	1.6 2.1	420,000 210,000	26,000 47,000
Total Measured and Indicated		33,800,000	1.4	1,530,000	11,300,000	1.7	630,000	900,000
Inferred	Hosco Heva	19,800,000 8,600,000	1.2 1.8	774,000 488,000	24,300,000 4,300,000	1.5 1.9	1,150,000 263,000	(376,000) 225,000
		28,400,000	1.4	1,262,000	28,600,000	1.5	1,413,000	(151,000)

(1)    Mineral Resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability
(2)    Measured and indicated mineral resources for 2008 are reported to a depth of 300 metres at a cut off grade of 0.5 grams of gold per tonne. Inferred mineral resources for 2008 are related to a depth of 600 metres at a cut off grade of 0.5 grams of gold per tonne. Mineral resources for 2007 are reported to a depth of 600 metres at cut-offs from 0.5 to 1.5 grams of gold per tonne, depending of depth.
(3)    Historical production of 9,700 oz (Hosco) and 10,700 oz (Heva), has not been subtracted from indicated and measured resources.

The mineral resource estimate is in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") Definitions Standards for mineral resources and reserves and has been completed in accordance with the National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

"As the updated mineral resource estimate has confirmed the quality of the existing mineral resources, Aurizon is proceeding with the pre-feasibility study which will include all necessary technical and economic aspects for the project and address environmental and social issues, including the results of future discussions with local and municipal organizations." said Michel Gilbert, ing. Vice President.

Technical Parameters - Mineral Resource Estimate

Technical parameters used for the updated mineral resource estimate are as follows:

For the block model calculation, the block size is 5m (EW) x 2m (NS) x 5m (Z)
The average gold grade of each block is interpolated by ordinary kriging from the grades of nearby 2 metre composites.
Higher grade intercepts have been revised and capped at 15 grams of gold per tonne on the 2 metre composite, in comparison with 25 grams of gold per tonne on 1metre composite at Heva and 15 grams of gold per tonne at Hosco as previously used.
The specific gravity used in the tonnage calculation is 2.66 tonnes per cubic metre.
The minimum cut off grade of 0.5 grams of gold per tonne, which is in line with the BBA preliminary assessment completed in 2008, was based on a gold price of US$650 per ounce, a Canadian dollar exchange rate of 1.17, and milling recovery of 77%.

*MINERAL RESOURCES -- VARIABLE CUT-OFF GRADES*
Cut-off (g/t)	*Property*	*Measured*			*Indicated*			*Total Measured & Indicated*
Cut-off (g/t)	*Property*	Tonnes (M)	Grade (g/t)	Ozs (000)	Tonnes (M)	Grade (g/t)	Ozs (000)	Tonnes (M)	Grade (g/t)	Ozs (000)
*0.5*	Hosco	*18,524*	*1.4*	*827*	*11,072*	*1.3*	*446*	*29,596*	*1.3*	*1,273*
	Heva	-	-	-	*4,203*	*1.9*	*257*	*4,203*	*1.9*	*257*
	*Total*	*18,524*	*1.4*	*827*	*15,275*	*1.4*	*703*	*33,799*	*1.4*	*1,530*
*1.0*	Hosco	13,476	1.6	691	6,899	1.5	337	20,375	1.6	1,028
	Heva	-	-	-	3,670	2.1	244	3,670	2.1	244
	*Total*	*13,476*	*1.6*	*691*	*10,569*	*1.6*	*581*	*24,045*	*1.6*	*1,272*
*1.5*	Hosco	5,762	2.1	385	2,431	2.1	162	8,193	2.1	547
	Heva	-	-	-	2,467	2.5	195	2,467	2.5	195
	*Total*	*5,762*	*2.1*	*385*	*4,898*	*2.2*	*357*	*10,660*	*2.2*	*742*

		*Inferred*
Cut-off (g/t)	*Property*	Tonnes (M)	Grade (g/t)	Ozs (000)
*0.5*	Hosco	19,767	1.2	774
	Heva	8,586	1.8	488
	*Total*	*28,353*	*1.4*	*1,262*
*1.0*	Hosco	12,618	1.4	586
	Heva	7,775	1.9	466
	*Total*	*20,393*	*1.6*	*1052*
*1.5*	Hosco	3,953	2.0	249
	Heva	5,403	2.1	368
	*Total*	*9,356*	*2.0*	*617*

Geology

Mineralization at Joanna is closely related to the east-west Cadillac Fault and forms a 200 metre wide corridor composed of different mineralized lenses parallel to the fault, dipping 55 degrees to the north. Mineralization takes the form of a few millimetres to 15 centimetres wide quartz veins networks inside finely disseminated sulphides. Mineralization has been defined and correlated based on altered mineral assemblages (biotite, tremolite, carbonates, muscovite, tourmaline, chlorite), quartz textures, deformation features and sulphides types (pyrrhotite and arsenopyrite). Mineralization is concentrated within two main sectors, respectively, Hosco on the eastern side and Heva on the western side.

At Hosco, mineralization is located within three lenses, one located north of the fault and two others at the southern side. Each lens shows a thickness between 15 and 60 metres and a variable lateral extension between 300 and 700 metres. At Heva, lenses are always located south of the fault and rarely exceed 10 metres.

Data

Data from drilling and underground channel sampling have been used for the mineral resource estimate, including holes completed by previous owners and four hundred and seventy (470) holes, totaling 134,489 metres, completed by Aurizon. All holes were drilled between Sections 4,200m East and 9,700m East. At Hosco, infill drilling at an average spacing of 25 metres was completed between section 8,200m East and 9,300m East from surface to a depth of 200 metres.

Hosco mineral resources

Aurizon holds an option to earn a 100% interest in the mineral claims containing the Hosco mineral resources.

Heva mineral resources

The Heva block covers mineral claims under two different option agreements, namely the Vantex agreement and Feifer option. Aurizon holds a 75% interest in the claims held under the Vantex agreement, with the residual 25% interest held by Stellar Pacific Ventures Inc, subject to dilution, and a 100% interest in the claims held under the Feifer option. Mineral resources contained in the Vantex claim blocks comprise indicated mineral resources of 2,012,000 tonnes at an average grade of 2.4 grams of gold per tonne, and inferred mineral resources of 1,386,000 tonnes at an average grade of 2.0 grams per tonne (at a variable cut-off with depth). No work has been performed on the Vantex claims since the previous mineral resource estimate of September, 2007.

Outlook

Two (2) drill rigs are currently active on the Joanna property, one to test a deep exploration target 400 to 700 metres down-plunge from the existing mineral resource contour, and a second drill rig is testing geophysics targets in the northern part of the property and will explore the main horizon along the recently optioned Alexandria property, to the east of the Hosco Block.

The pre-feasibility study will incorporate the new resource estimate on the Hosco block of the Joanna property as well as the results from the metallurgical and geo-mechanical tests and studies currently in progress. In addition, a preliminary economic assessment study will be initiated on the Heva (West) block. The studies are expected to be completed during the third quarter, 2009.

Quality Control

Information of a scientific or technical nature has been prepared by or under the supervision of Ghislain Fournier ing., Corporate Development Manager and Martin Demers, P.Geo, Exploration Manager of the Company.

Additional Information

Additional information required by Part 3 of NI 43-101 and not otherwise contained in this section can be found in the "Technical Report Resource modeling & estimation update Joanna Gold deposit', dated October 26, 2007 and the "Technical Report NI 43-101 Preliminary Assessment for the Joanna Gold Project", dated May 22, 2008, which can be found under Aurizon's profile on www.sedar.com

Preliminary Assessment

BBA Inc. completed a Preliminary Assessment Report based on the mineral resources contained in the Hosco block, as calculated in September, 2007. See news release dated May 12, 2008, and the Preliminary Assessment Report filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com "BBA Preliminary Assessment" dated May 22, 2008. The preliminary assessment has not been revised to incorporate the updated resource estimate prepared by Geostat.

Click to Enlarge