HOUSTON LAKE MINING INC.

(HLM-CDNX)

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

Tib Lake Drilling Intersects Anomalous PGE’s Only, New Palladium Showing
Discovered in Large Alteration System From Surface Mapping

November 14, 2000: Sudbury, Ontario - Houston Lake Mining Inc. ("Houston Lake") reports on final results from the recent exploration program on the Company’s 1632 hectare (4030 acre) Tib Lake Palladium Property which is located in the Lac Des Iles area of northwestern Ontario. The property is located just 15 km (9 miles) northwest of the Lac Des Iles Mine of North American Palladium Ltd. ("NAPL"). Houston Lake has earned a 100 percent interest in the property subject to a 2.5 percent Net Smelter Royalty with a buyback of 1 percent for $1,000,000.

The exploration program involved two aspects: a 1,037.6 metre (3,403.3 foot) diamond drilling program and a focussed mapping program over a broad IP anomaly located in the south-central portions of the property. A highlight of 22 metres (72.2 feet) of core length grading 1.456 g/t PGE’s (0.042 oz/t PGE’s, palladium + platinum + gold), 0.17% nickel and 0.15% copper was intersected at the Kuhner Occurrence in drill hole TL-0016 from the first set of three drill holes announced on October 10, 2000. Drill holes Tl-00-18, 19 and 20 continue the testing of the broad IP Anomaly Zone 1, one of five IP (Induced Polarization) Zones thus far identified on the property. IP Anomaly Zone 1 covers the south central portions of the Tib Lake gabbro and stretches over 2.5 km (1.5 miles) from the Kuhner Occurrence northwest to the Jewelweed Occurrence and attains its maximum width of nearly 1 km from the Road Occurrence in the north to the southern limit of the intrusion. Tl-00-18, 19 and 20 are located some 700 metres to 2.5 km (0.4 to 1.5 miles) from the Kuhner Occurrence and intersected anomalous PGE’s only (100 ppb PGE’s or higher).


Drill Hole

Northing (m.)

Easting (m.)

Dip

Azimuth

Depth (m.)

           

TL-00-15

1338

6600

-45

180

163.37

TL-00-16

1243

6600

-60

180

169.47

TL-00-17

2290

5894

-45

180

172.52

TL-00-18

1899

6094

-45

210

206.00

TL-00-19

2575

5800

-45

210

170.00

TL-00-20

2462

5037

-45

225

156.00


There were difficulties in identifying discrete targets for the drilling program within IP Anomaly Zone 1 and detailed IP surveys are recommended to further define drill targets within this broad zone. Even the Kuhner Palladium Zone intercept of 22 metres of core length grading 1.456 g/t PGE’s, 0.17% nickel and 0.15% copper did not have a clear IP expression for drill targeting. Therefore, the exploration program was modified to include remapping of the geology in the vicinity IP Anomaly Zone 1.

Drill
Hole
Number

Sample
Interval
(metres)

Sample
Intersection
(metres)

Gold
(g/t)
Pt
(g/t)
Pd
(g/t)

Combined
PGE’s
(g/t)

Ni
(%)
Cu
(%)
                 

TL-0015

 

11.0

0.054

0.120

0.296

0.470

0.07

0.08

 

Incl.

4.0

0.088

0.189

0.458

0.735

0.08

0.08

                 

TL-00-16

65.0-87.0

22.0

0.171

0.343

0.942

1.456

0.17

0.15

 

Incl.

15.0

0.199

0.396

1.132

1.739

0.18

0.17

 

Incl.

5.0

0.242

0.452

1.342

2.072

0.19

0.16

         

TL-00-17

 

No Significant Assays

   

TL-00-18

 

No Significant Assays

   

TL-00-19

 

No Significant Assays

   

TL-00-20

 

No Significant Assays

   

 

The mapping program was conducted by Dr. Walter Peredery and found an extensive alteration zone coincident with sulphide mineralization detected in the IP surveys over Anomaly 1. This alteration system encompasses all known palladium occurrences on the property and is considered to have potential for large tonnage, low grade palladium mineralization. The alteration system reaches 1 km in thickness in the central portion of the property and appears to be widening again to the east of the Kuhner Occurrence.

The mapping program has identified a number of new areas for further exploration. The contact areas between the large alteration system and remnant cores of norite as well as sulphidized zones within the alteration system are prime sites to be investigated. A new palladium occurrence was identified within the extensive alteration system on the west bank of the East Dog River. Here, values ranging from 52 ppb PGE’s to 1637 ppb PGE’s were returned from 7 panel samples taken from an altered norite host rock which is similar to and several hundred metres west of the Kuhner Zone. Further microscope studies are currently being carried out by Dr. Peredery to better characterize this alteration system. A map of the drill locations, palladium occurrences and alteration system will be posted on the Company’s web site (www.houstonlakemining.com) as soon as it is available.

Future work is recommended by independent consulting geologist Dr. Ken Germundsen and would include: grid extension and geophysical coverage to the east of the Kuhner Occurrence, down hole geophysics to characterize the geophysical signature of the economically significant drill intercepts at the Kuhner Zone, detailed IP surveys to distinguish drill targets within the alteration system, and follow up drilling to define strike extensions of the Kuhner mineralization. Dr. Germundsen notes:

"The geological environment of the southern portions of the Tib Lake property is similar to that of the Lac Des Iles mine vicinity. Here, a large alteration system is evident and consists of variably textured gabbro surrounding remnant cores of norite. The number of palladium occurrences as well as economically significant drill results associated with this large alteration system indicate the potential for a large tonnage, low grade deposit. Therefore, a $500,000 exploration program is recommended for the Tib Lake property."

Houston Lake is actively exploring for rare metals, platinum group metals and gold in northwestern Ontario. The common shares of Houston Lake Mining Inc. trade through the facilities of the Canadian Venture Exchange under the symbol HLM. Houston Lake Mining Inc. has a total of 12,972,432common shares issued and outstanding. For further information on all of the Company’s projects, we invite you to visit us at www.houstonlakemining.com.

For more information, please contact:

E. Grayme Anthony   B.Sc., P. Geo., F.G.A.C., M. B. A.

Tel:  (705) 897-7622
Fax: (705) 897-7618
e-mail: houston@vianet.on.ca
Web Site: www.houstonlakemining.com

The Canadian Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved of the information contained herein.

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