Dec. 21, 2010 (Filing Services Canada) -- Trade Winds Ventures Inc. (TWD - TSX Venture, TVR - FWB), is pleased to announce the drilling program planned for the winter of 2011 on Block A, located adjacent to Detour Gold's Detour Lake gold project in northeastern Ontario, which contains mineral reserves of 11.4 million ounces of gold. The Joint Venture partners (50% Trade Winds / 50% Detour Gold) have approved a 30,000 metre drilling program to increase the confidence level of the resource estimate and to test areas outside the Block A pit shell with the objective of expanding the known mineral resources. Trade Winds is the operator of the Joint Venture exploration program.
Block A - Technical Program January to June 2011
A drill program of 30,000 metres will utilize three diamond drill rigs from January 2011 to late April 2011. The initial 2011 program calls for up to 71 drill holes of an average depth of 500 metres, subject to favourable working conditions. Similar to the 2010 program, the 2011 program seeks to address more than one objective: infill drilling, particularly large gap areas, and exploration drilling.
Infill Drilling
One of the recommendations of the 2009 NI 43-101 report by Watts Griffis and McOuat (WGM) was the infill drilling of numerous drilling gaps, also termed data gaps, within the pit area. On Block A, drill spacing of closer than 80 metres is required for the category of inferred resources and closer than 40 metres for indicated resources. The winter 2010 program targeted regions with spacing greater than 80 metres within the pit area. This will continue with this 2011 drilling program.
In planning for the 2011 drilling, a portion of the deposit will be drilled on 40 metre by 40 metre centres to increase the confidence level of the mineral resources. A total of 54 drill holes, approximately 76% of the winter 2011 drill program, is planned for this infill drilling.
Exploration Drilling
As part of a continuing program to explore Block A, a total of 17 drill holes, approximately 24% of the winter 2011 drill program, is planned to test areas outside the delineation drilling within the pit shell. This exploration drilling will focus in the areas north of the main pit area between the main pit shell and the North Walter Lake (NWL) pit shell, and south of the main pit shell to the southern boundary of Block A to test the footwall and to determine if the Sunday Lake Deformation Zone (SLDF) extends onto the southern portion of Block A. Both areas, between NWL and the main pit shell and south of the main pit shell, are almost completely untested and both represent areas of potential mineralization parallel to the M Zone.
Further drilling will be to the west of the main pit. In the 2009 NI 43-101 technical report, WGM recommended drilling between lines 15380E and 15060E to test the western extension of the modeled pit. The result was the intersection of gold mineralization in the M Zone in all seven drill holes of this part of the 2010 program (see press release dated April 26, 2010). A similar western extension drilling program is planned for winter 2011, testing the M Zone mineralization a further 320 metres to the west between lines 15060E and 14740E. Previous deep drilling by Trade Winds on lines 14700E and 14900E showed mineralized intersections of the M zone at depth. The 2011 drilling will test the shallower potential between these lines.
Current Work
Since the completion of the 2010 drill program, Trade Winds has been undertaking a program of core and pulp relocation, regular camp maintenance and the sampling of approximately 13,000 metres of previously drilled core in and near the pit shells. The infill sampling will consist of 10,689 metres from 115 holes in Main Pit area and 2,660 metres 24 drill holes in NWL area. This work was on-going between September and December 2010 and will continue until completion as time and personnel permits. The updates of the mineral resources and pit models are currently being reviewed by Detour Gold, our Joint Venture partner. We expect the results to be published shortly.
The material in this news release has been prepared and reviewed by Stephen Wallace, P. Geo, VP Exploration, a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Ian D. Lambert, CEO/President (416) 840-9843
Terry McGee, Investor Relations Toll Free (866) 698-9187 ext 228 or (604) 648-6228
Email: info@tradewindsventures.com
Visit our Website at www.tradewindsventures.com
Forward Looking Information
Certain information included in this news release constitutes "forward-looking statements". The words "expect", "will", "intend", "estimate" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Trade Winds cautions the reader that such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Trade Winds to be materially different from Trade Winds' estimated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements and the forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the mining industry such as government regulation, environmental and reclamation risks, title disputes or claims, success of mining activities, future commodity prices, costs of production, possible variation in mineral reserves, mineral resources, grade or recovery rates, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, accidents, labour disputes, the timing of estimated future production, capital expenditures, financial market fluctuations, requirements for additional capital, conclusions of economic evaluations, limitations on insurance coverage, risks associated with using third-party contractors and inflation. Trade Winds disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
Information Concerning Estimates of Mineral Resources
This news release uses the terms 'indicated' and 'inferred' resources. Trade Winds advises investors that although these terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations (under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize them. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. In addition, 'inferred resources' have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, or economic studies except for Preliminary Assessment as defined under 43-101. Investors are cautioned not to assume that part or all of an inferred resource exists, or is economically or legally mineable.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Trade Winds Ventures Inc.
Suite 1006, 1166 Alberni St.
Vancouver, BC V6E 3Z3
Suite 1170, 36 Toronto St.
Toronto, ON M5C 2C5
Source: Trade Winds Ventures Inc. (TWD - TSX-V, TWDIF - Pink Sheets, TVR - Frankfurt) http:www.tradewindsventures.com
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