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 Mon Nov 19, 2007
Bear Creek Santa Ana Drilling Continues To Expand Silver Mineralization, Including High-Grade Additional Positive Metallurgical Results Reported

 Vancouver, B.C. - Bear Creek Mining (TSX Venture: BCM) ("Bear Creek" or the "Company") is pleased to announce results from sixteen additional diamond drill holes (3,775 meters). Drilling at Santa Ana now totals 16,577 meters in ninety-eight drill holes. Santa Ana is located 200 kilometers south of the Company's Corani silver-base metal deposit in southeastern Peru. Highlights of this press release include:

  • Drill hole SA-42A intersects 32m @ 203.7 g/t Ag, including 6m @ 884.7 g/t Ag

  • Drill hole SA-41A intersects 32m @ 64.8 g/t Ag, including 12m @ 123.7 g/t Ag

  • Drill hole SA-43 intersects 106m @ 30.8 g/t Ag, including 12m @ 88.5 g/t Ag and 1.2% Zn

  • Drill hole SA-45 intersects 100m @ 27.8 g/t Ag and 7m @ 372.2 g/t Ag (TD)

  • Drill hole SA-46 intersects 50m @ 85.4 g/t Ag, including 24m @ 133.9 g/t Ag

  • Drilling under thin soil cover continues to intersect mineralization, including higher-grade structures

  • Mineralized footprint now extends 1.8km by 850 meters and remains open in all directions.
Andrew Swarthout, President and CEO of Bear Creek, states "We continue to intersect strong mineralization as we step out into the open directions of this large silver system. Drill holes SA-42A and SA-46 validate the soil geochemical anomaly to the southwest and holes SA-43 and SA-45 show continued mineralization west under the post-mineral tuff. On the southeast, drill hole SA-41A, in conjunction with the previously reported SA-39, indicate mineralization along the untested eastern side of the range-front where colonial workings evidence potential mineralization for a distance of 400 meters. In addition, drilling is in progress 300 and 500 meters north of the northern-most, mineralized drill hole SA-30. The first resource calculation is being prepared but as in any emerging, significant discovery, this will likely be only an initial snap-shot as drilling is continuing to extend the footprint and the edges of the mineralization have not yet been defined. We are very pleased that the metallurgical testing is on track to be able to produce a scoping study of the project in the first quarter 2008."
Drilling results are as follow. All intercepts are down-hole lengths and true widths have not been calculated.

Drill Hole
#
Azimuth (degrees) Inclination (degrees) Total Depth From (m) To
(m)
Interval (m)
DTH
Silver
(grams per tonne)
Lead Zinc
    (m) (%) (%)
SA-40 285 -60 203.0 0 38 38 28.8 0.2 0.2
includes       4 8 4 170.0 0.5 0.3
        102 146 44 41.2 0.5 0.9
includes       114 116 2 454.0 2.3 4.5
        170 200 30 31.2 0.2 0.5
SA-40A 105 -50 278.6 0 54 54 16.7 0.1 0.2
        68 98 30 30.1 0.2 0.4
        172 268 96 27.8 0.2 0.3
includes       174 176 2 179.0 1.1 1.2
        248 256 8 102.0 0.3 0.3

SA-40B 

 105 -80 218.5 0 6 6 27.0 0.1 0.1
        28 68 40 27.4 0.3 0.4
        86 98 12 19.3 0.4 1.1
        122 142 20 48.1 0.3 0.3
includes       138 140 2 215.0 1.0 0.7

Drill Hole
#
Azimuth (degrees) Inclination (degrees) Total Depth From (m) To
(m)
Interval (m)
DTH
Silver
(grams per tonne)
Lead Zinc
    (m) (%) (%)
SA-41 300 -50 170.5 56 84 28 45.2 0.6 1.7
includes        64 74 10 88.0 0.8 2.3
        106 118 12 22.3 0.1 0.1
        134 150 16 26.2 0.1 0.2
SA 41A 120 -70 234.2 60 70 10 202.8 0.5 1.5
        94 126 32 64.8 0.2 0.4
includes       96 108 12 123.7 0.2 0.4
SA-42  325 -40 190.5 104 148 44 52.1 0.4 0.5
includes        112 126 14 108.7 0.6 0.4
SA-42A 180 -50 362.6 50 76 26 56.1 0.2 0.2
includes        56 62 6 160.0 0.4 0.3
        146 162 16 47.6 0.6 1.0
        204 216 12 40.2 0.4 0.4
        248 280 32 203.7 0.4 0.3
includes       270 276 6 884.7 0.6 0.4

Drill Hole
#
Azimuth (degrees) Inclination (degrees) Total Depth From (m) To
(m)
Interval (m)
DTH
Silver
(grams per tonne)
Lead Zinc
    (m) (%) (%)
SA-43 270 -60 208.4 46 152 106 30.8 0.2 0.5
includes       62 74 12 88.5 0.5 1.2
SA-43A 90 -60 220.0 54 92 38 71.2 0.4 0.9
SA-44 340 -40 252.5 106 114 8 23.8 0.3 0.8
        130 156 26 36.3 0.2 0.5
        188 198 10 60.4 0.2 0.4
SA-44A 180 -50 137.2 No significant intervals

Drill Hole
#
Azimuth (degrees) Inclination (degrees) Total Depth From (m) To
(m)
Interval (m)
DTH
Silver
(grams per tonne)
Lead Zinc
    (m) (%) (%)
SA-45 90 -60 287.0 50 150 100 27.8 0.3 0.9
includes       56 76 20 61.3 0.5 1.2
        216 248 32 9.1 0.9 1.4
 

 

    280 287(TD) 7 372.2 1.2 0.9
SA-45A 270 -50 240.2 0 70 70 39.5 0.2 0.3
includes       6 16 10 65.8 0.3 0.2
and       32 52 20 70.2 0.4 0.3
        152 164 12 85.0 0.7 1.1
SA-46 160 -50 348.3 112 124 12 34.2 0.2 0.8
        144 168 24 33.8 0.4 0.4
        234 246 12 59.5 0.6 0.7
        280 282 2 179.0 1.1 0.9
        296 346 50 85.4 0.2 0.4
includes       296 320 24 133.9 0.3 0.5
SA-47 340 -60 211.5 38 72 34 16.9 0.2 0.2
        114 128 14 66.9 0.4 0.7
SA-47A 160 -50 212.0 0 10 10 23.6 0.2 0.1
        80 168 88 23.9 0.4 0.6
includes       82 96 14 47.0 0.5 0.6

(Full drill results can be found at www.bearcreekmining.com. To access the silver drill hole map directly please refer to http://www.bearcreekmining.com/i/pdf/SantaAnaDHMap20071113.pdf)

Drilling continues to intersect blind, high-grade structures within large halos of lower grade heap-leach material (SA-42A, SA-43 and SA-45). New soil and rock grid sampling data from areas with no outcrops has extended the mineralization 500m to the north and 100m to the west and these areas, as well as infill holes, will be followed up through grid drilling that is continuing with 2 rigs. Data is being assembled that will allow for a resource estimation anticipated in early 2008.

Santa Ana Metallurgy: The testing of three columns simulating heap leach conditions is scheduled to be completed on Nov 21st following 120 days of leaching, at which time the columns will be unloaded for screen-fraction analyses and assay of residuals. By early December, the final recoveries and reagent consumptions will be calculated, and an analysis of optimum crushing sizes for heap leach feed can be made for scoping and Preliminary Economic Assessment purposes. Recoveries on the order of 60% to 65% silver for average grade conventional crushed heap leaching method (3/4 inch crush) and at least 70% silver for the pulp agglomeration method are expected based on preliminary results.

Santa Ana Resource and Engineering: Independent Mining Consultants, Tucson, AZ is preparing the first resource estimate of the project based upon drill results through November 14, 2007. The data base will include 16,576 meters of diamond core drilling in ninety-eight drill holes. The resource estimate, in conjunction with the final column leach test results, will provide the basis for the scoping study and Preliminary Economic Assessment for the first quarter 2008. Additional resource estimates will be performed as drilling results warrant.



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 and/or Marc Leduc, P. Eng., Vice President of Technical Services and the President and CEO, Andrew Swarthout, P.Geo., who serve as the Qualified Persons under the definitions of NI 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 Juliaca, 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.