News

Vancouver, B.C. - Bear Creek Mining (TSX Venture: BCM) ("Bear Creek" or the "Company") is pleased to announce results for twenty-four additional drill holes from the Corani project. This brings the total holes drilled following the first resource estimation on this world-class silver discovery to 106 (see news release 13 March 2006); and the total drilling on the project to 37,289 meters in 229 drill holes. Highlights of this release include:

• Corani Este: step-out drilling (C-93) north under post-mineral cover intersects 65 meters averaging 173 g/t Ag, 2.8% Pb and 4.0% Zn (highest Corani combined grade-thickness interval to date); mineralization remains open to the north

• Minas Corani: first test holes beneath 400 meter-wide covered area intersects silver- base metal mineralization, including 70 meters averaging 76 g/t Ag, 1.7% Pb and 0.7% Zn; begins to connect east and west zones and confirms extensive area for further expansions

THE LATEST DRILL HOLE RESULTS ARE AS FOLLOWS :

CORANI ESTE

MINAS CORANI ZONE

(Please refer to Bear Creek's website at www.bearcreekmining.com for drill hole locations, trench assay maps, previously reported drill intervals and detailed assay results. To access the silver drill hole map directly please refer to http://www.bearcreekmining.com/i/pdf/2006-07-10_CDR.pdf)

Four drills continue on the project; two continue to define the continuity of mineralization at Corani Este and Minas Corani, while two explore for the source and extensions of silver and base metal mineralization in all target areas.

Corani Este- There are now sixty-two drill holes completed since the resource calculation released on March 13, '06 (http://www.bearcreekmining.com/i/pdf/2006-03-13_NR.pdf). The series drill holes C-94, C-97, and C-25 (7 holes total) have intersected higher-grade silver mineralization from surface in areas of Corani Este which will likely result in significant increases to the resources and grade in the coming resource update. Future drilling is planned along the west side of Corani Este to similarly augment the resource where mineralization remains open between Corani Este and Minas Corani. Lead, zinc, and silver grades continue to be generally significantly higher than the average grade reported in the March '06 resource estimate. Drill hole C-93 contained one of the highest grade-thickness intercepts on the project to date (65m averaging 173 g/t Ag, 2.8% Pb, and 4.0% Zn) and is located nearly 150 meters north of the previous limits of known mineralization. Post-mineral cover is thickening to the north (up to 150m thick); however, the high grades will support aggressive open pit-wall push-backs, or future underground mining, and justify pursuing this mineralization where it remains open to the north and northeast. The following four drill holes, while intersecting mineralization, likely establish limits for economic grades:

Drill Holes Limiting the Eastern Extension of Corani Este

Minas Corani- The first drilling (C-91 and C-95) through post-mineral cover between the mineralized east and west flanks have both intersected mineralization. Post-mineral cover ranges from 45 to 60 meters thick (true thickness); a permissive range for open pit mining. Drill hole C-91 intersects 70m averaging 76g/t Ag, 1.7% Pb and 0.7% Zn immediately beneath the post-mineral tuff. Drill hole C-91A (assays pending) is also intersecting mineralization and is presently at 360 meters depth. The positive results from the first three drill holes in the ½ square kilometer area of untested post-mineral cover begins to connect the high-grade drill holes C-74 and C-51 separated by a 400 meter-wide area of shallow cover. Importantly, the elevated lead and zinc grades associated with the silver mineralization may indicate proximity to hidden feeder structures and a source for the mineralization expected to be associated with higher grades. Drilling will continue to explore this area as well as extensions north of C-98 on the east side of the deposit where mineralization remains open.

Corani Main- No drilling occurred during the period. Plans are to follow up the intercept in hole C-77 (152 meters averaging 96.4 g/t Ag, 1.2% Pb) in the soil-covered hanging wall of the main structure with drilling in late August.

La Curva- Drilling in the untested geophysical anomaly (IP) and anomalous surface trenches located one kilometer south of Corani Este will commence in late August.

Scoping Study- Data is currently being compiled by Independent Mining Consultants of Tucson, AZ for the updated resource estimation expected to be completed in early August. The new resource estimate will involve the addition of over 120 drill holes to the data base drilled since the first resource. First-phase metallurgical testing by Dawson Metallurgical Laboratories in Salt Lake City, UT and G&T Metallurgical Services of Kamloops, B.C. are being completed with results expected in August. The resource estimate, metallurgical test work, and preliminary engineering studies led by Vector Engineering, Lima, Peru will be compiled into a scoping study anticipated in mid-September.

OTHER PROJECTS
Santa Ana- drilling commenced on July 5 with one diamond core drill. The first phase will involve approximately 1,000 meters of core drilling in ten drill holes before July 27th. The drill holes will be distributed in the southern part of the 2.8km by 600 meter anomaly where approximately 450 rock chip samples average 83 g/t Ag, 0.4% Pb and 0.3% Zn. Results of the first phase drilling are expected in late August.

Condor- Results of the 1,000-meter drill program indicate that the gold values diminish with depth in the quartzite-hosted targets, likely due to surface enrichment. No further drilling is planned as results are being evaluated.

The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

- End - Andrew Swarthout - President and CEO, or Patrick De Witt - Investor Relations
Phone: 604-685-6269 Direct: 604-628-1111
E-mail: info@bearcreekmining.com

For further information, please visit the Company's website (www.bearcreekmining.com)

Regulatory footnotes:
All of Bear Creek's exploration programs and pertinent disclosure of a technical or scientific nature are prepared by or prepared under the direct supervision of David Volkert, P.Geo., Bear Creek's Vice President of Exploration, who serves as the qualified person (QP) under the definitions of National Instrument 43-101. All diamond drilling has been performed using HQ diameter core with recoveries averaging greater than 95%. Core is logged and split on site under the supervision of Bear Creek geologists. Sampling is done on two-meter intervals and samples are transported by Company staff to Cusco, Peru for direct shipping to ALS Chemex, Laboratories in Lima, Peru. ALS Chemex is an ISO 9001:2000-registered laboratory and is preparing for ISO 17025 certification. Silver, lead, and zinc assays utilize a multi-acid digestion with atomic absorption ("ore-grade assay method"). The QC/QA program includes the insertion every 20th sample of known standards prepared by SGS Laboratories, Lima. A section in Bear Creek's website is dedicated to sampling, assay and quality control procedures. Certain disclosure in this release, including management's assessment of Bear Creek's plans and projects, constitutes forward-looking statements that are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors relating to Bear Creek's operation as a mineral exploration company that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. *Any reference to the potential quantity & grade of mineralization at Corani is conceptual in nature, there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource on the property and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in discovery of a mineral resource on the property. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Bear Creek expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.