Bear Creek Mining Corporation - News Releases - Bear Creek Announces Additional Silver Intercepts Further Expanding Santa Ana Deposit While Infill Drilling Establishes Continuity And Intersects Higher Grade Structures

News Releases

Thu Jun 19, 2008
Bear Creek Announces Additional Silver Intercepts Further Expanding Santa Ana Deposit While Infill Drilling Establishes Continuity And Intersects Higher Grade Structures

Vancouver, B.C. - Bear Creek Mining (TSX Venture: BCM) ("Bear Creek" or the "Company") is pleased to announce results for 36 additional diamond drill holes (7,145 meters). Drilling at Santa Ana now totals 41,302 meters in 224 drill holes; or, 130 additional drill holes since the first resource estimation in January 2008 (see news release dated January 24, 2008). 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-125 intersects 152m @ 65.9 g/t Ag, including 42m @ 79.5 g/t Ag, and 4m @ 816 g/t Ag;
Drill hole SA-106 intersects 142m @ 40.5 g/t Ag, including 10m @ 104.0 g/t Ag and 4m @ 270.0 g/t Ag, 1.2% Zn;
Drill hole SA-107 intersects 44m @ 58.3 g/t Ag, including 10m @ 170.5 g/t Ag and 1.9% Zn;
Drill hole SA-117 intersects 86m @ 52.0 g/t Ag, including 8m @ 126.8 g/t Ag, 1.5% Zn and 2m @ 391.0 g/t Ag, 2.5% Zn;
Drill hole SA-119 intersects 42m @ 118.3 g/t Ag, including 8m @ 412.2 g/t Ag, 1.4% Zn;
Drill hole SA-66B intercepts 74 meters of 43.7 g/t Ag including 20m of 95.2 g/t Ag; and
Drilling on 25 x 50 meter centers demonstrates continuity of mineralization and additional potential for discovery of blind, high-grade ore shoots.
Andrew Swarthout, President and CEO of Bear Creek, states "The Santa Ana silver deposit remains open laterally and at depth as we continue expanding the resource in preparation for the scoping study and preliminary economic assessment expected later this summer. Higher-grade silver intervals continue to be intersected which are expected to provide high-margin starter pits within this large, outcropping, leachable silver deposit. We are increasing drill-hole density so that the scoping study can benefit from sequencing the higher-grade silver material to the leach pads or agitation circuits at the beginning of the mine life, as well as establishing the ultimate size of the resource. Three drills continue to expand the mineralized footprint and explore the underlying, high-grade feeder structures in several very promising targets. Additionally, preliminary drilling will commence in July on the northern anomaly which is as large as the southern anomaly and still untested. The district is still in the early stages of discovery."

Mr. Swarthout continues "We are extremely pleased with the technical progress on both of our flagship projects, Corani and Santa Ana. These assets represent two of the largest undeveloped silver deposits in the world and continue to deliver very positive results. Pre-feasibility contracts are being finalized at Corani. Our development group, led by Marc Leduc, expects to complete the pre-feasibility study by year-end because of the already advanced stages of metallurgical testing, resource drilling, and infrastructure studies. Additionally, minimal infill drilling is required to convert mineralization from resource to reserve categories. Bear Creek is utilizing the same fast-track approach at its emerging Santa Ana silver discovery, which we expect will move quickly along a development path."

New 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 (m)	From (m)	To (m)	Interval (m) DTH	Silver (grams per tonne)	Lead (%)	Zinc (%)
SA-6A	300	-60	373.7	92	336	244	36.6	0.3	0.6
includes				198	204	6	213.0	1.7	1.6
and				216	220	4	267.5	0.7	0.8
and				226	230	4	86.0	0.4	0.5
and				288	294	6	116.0	0.2	0.4
and				326	330	4	107.0	0.7	1.2
SA-6B	120	-60	307.0	12	24	12	89.2	0.2	0.2
includes				16	20	4	155.5	0.3	0.2
				80	188	108	28.0	0.2	0.3
includes				132	134	2	129.0	0.4	0.5
and				170	172	2	208.0	0.4	0.6
and				180	182	2	141.0	0.2	0.2
				260	304	44	27.7	0.3	0.7
includes				272	274	2	278.0	3.4	8.0
SA-64B	90	-50	203.0	38	54	16	83.6	0.9	0.7
includes				38	46	8	141.8	0.9	0.5
				72	132	60	56.5	0.5	1.0
includes				74	86	12	89.7	0.9	1.4
and				128	130	2	308.0	1.5	2.7
				40	168	128	-	-	1.0
SA-66B	90	-85	386.3	28	102	74	43.7	0.4	0.8
includes				60	80	20	95.2	0.5	1.1
				152	154	2	102.0	0.2	0.4
SA-69B	270	-55	150.5	40	52	12	31.8	0.5	0.4
				106	114	8	114.5	1.0	1.9
				70	138	68	-	-	0.8
SA-98	120	-60	223.5	198	200	2	239.0	0.1	0.1
				124	130	6	-	-	1.5
				146	154	8	-	-	0.6
SA-99	120	-70	178.0	36	54	18	52.4	0.4	0.4
				82	88	6	47.7	0.1	0.2
				102	136	34	45.6	0.1	0.2
includes				108	116	8	91.2	0.2	0.2
				152	162	10	56.8	0.3	0.4
SA-100	120	-70	192.4	40	52	12	33.3	0.4	0.4
				74	78	4	57.0	0.1	0.2
				180	182	2	104.0	0.2	0.6
SA-101	120	-70	169.3	2	92	90	19.9	0.2	0.3
SA-102	120	-60	176.3	No significant intervals
SA-103	270	-50	195.3	12	16	4	72.5	0.3	0.1
SA-103A	90	-70	172.0	56	62	6	42.7	0.6	0.4
				106	110	4	59.5	0.1	0.2
SA-104	120	-70	156.8	0	28	28	34.4	0.1	0.2
				42	78	36	33.5	0.3	0.4
includes				62	70	8	90.2	0.4	0.4
SA-105	120	-60	188.1	36	44	8	38.0	0.2	0.3
SA-106	120	-70	169.2	0	142	142	40.5	0.3	0.5
includes				20	30	10	104.0	0.2	0.4
and				104	108	4	270.0	0.7	1.2
SA-107	270	-60	227.5	154	198	44	58.3	0.6	0.6
includes				156	164	8	170.5	1.7	1.9
SA-108	120	-70	177.1	0	140	140	30.3	0.2	0.5
includes				20	28	8	74.2	0.6	0.4
and				118	128	10	84.6	0.3	0.3
				64	92	28	-	-	0.9
SA-109	120	-70	201.9	0	44	44	24.7	0.1	0.3
				90	112	22	44.0	0.2	0.4
includes				102	108	6	87.7	0.2	0.3
SA-110	270	-60	168.7	No significant intervals
SA-111	120	-70	174.9	50	66	16	28.5	0.2	0.4
				116	126	10	22.0	0.1	0.2
				144	150	6	61.3	0.3	0.4
SA-112	270	-60	211.9	2	128	126	28.0	0.4	0.8
includes				64	66	2	262.0	2.4	4.2
and				88	90	2	101.0	0.2	0.6
				180	182	2	294.0	2.6	0.9
				208	210	2	209.0	0.8	0.2
SA-112A	90	-60	197.2	22	26	4	49.0	0.1	0.1
				84	154	70	33.2	0.4	0.6
Includes				114	116	2	116.0	0.4	0.5
and				140	142	2	130.0	0.3	0.3
				174	178	4	54.0	0.9	1.8
SA-113	120	-70	218.6	34	44	10	75.6	0.4	0.4
				64	70	6	46.0	0.3	0.3
				108	130	22	52.0	0.2	0.3
SA-114	120	-70	139.3	24	32	8	77.0	0.2	0.2
includes				24	26	2	148.0	0.4	0.1
				44	50	6	38.0	0.2	0.3
SA-115	90	-70	169.8	76	158	82	30.7	0.3	0.7
includes				132	134	2	118.0	0.6	1.1
and				146	148	2	111.0	1.0	2.2
and				150	152	2	147.0	0.8	2.0
SA-116	300	-70	224.2	106	116	10	22.8	0.3	0.5
				134	154	20	26.9	0.3	0.5
				206	224	18	32.3	0.4	0.5
SA-116A	120	-60	238.6	42	58	16	29.5	0.1	0.3
				98	134	36	36.1	0.2	0.2
includes				126	130	4	151.0	0.4	0.4
				148	208	60	34.9	0.2	0.3
includes				174	176	2	107.0	0.3	0.5
and				182	184	2	115.0	0.2	0.4
				224	230	6	30.0	0.2	0.5
SA-117	90	-70	174.7	40	126	86	52.0	0.4	0.9
includes				46	48	2	103.0	0.4	0.1
and				64	72	8	126.8	0.6	1.5
and				92	94	2	391.0	1.1	2.5
and				124	126	2	300.0	0.2	0.9
				148	162	14	26.7	0.2	0.6
SA-118	90	-70	163.8	28	68	40	36.6	0.2	0.4
includes				40	44	4	104.0	0.4	0.2
SA-119	90	-70	176.0	30	72	42	118.3	0.3	0.8
includes				60	68	8	412.2	0.6	1.4
				110	148	38	52.4	0.2	0.5
includes				116	118	2	328.0	0.9	1.6
and				138	142	4	122.5	0.4	0.9
SA-120	90	-70	184.0	18	22	4	31.5	0.2	0.3
				56	92	36	40.1	0.2	0.4
includes				60	62	2	200.0	0.3	0.8
and				70	72	2	121.0	0.8	0.8
SA-121	90	-70	166.8	50	148	98	25.1	0.2	0.8
includes				70	72	2	113.0	0.5	1.2
and				146	148	2	117.0	0.2	0.8
SA-122	90	-70	178.1	62	82	20	57.8	0.6	1.3
				146	170	24	29.1	0.3	0.7
SA-123	90	-70	168.9	28	38	10	87.0	0.3	0.2
includes				28	32	4	166.0	0.4	0.2
				54	70	16	46.6	0.5	1.1
				98	102	4	85.5	0.6	1.5
SA-125	90	-70	177.1	6	158	152	65.9	0.2	0.5
				52	94	42	79.5	0.2	0.5
				154	158	4	816.0	0.6	0.6
SA-127	90	-70	165.0	60	78	18	38.7	0.4	1.0
				110	164	54	36.6	0.2	0.4
includes				140	144	4	196.5	0.6	0.8

(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/June_18_Santa_Ana_dh_map.pdf)

Close-spaced drilling on 25 x 50 meter centers continues on six lines distributed throughout the mineralized area. Drill holes reported, including SA-106, SA-117, SA-125 and SA-119 located on three separate detailed drill fences, demonstrate that drilling on 25 x 50 meter centers continues to:

convert inferred resources into measured and indicated resources and establish continuity of mineralization;
convert blocks that were considered to be waste because of lack of drilling on the periphery of the deposit to mineralized material and reduce the stripping ratio; and
intersect additional blind, high-grade ore shoots that wider-spaced drilling will miss, thus improving the project economics.

Drill hole SA-6A, located in the center of the geophysical IP anomaly approximately 100 meters southwest of the initial resource limit released in January 2008, intersected significant blind high-grade mineralization at depth. This new mineralization can now be projected to surface and explored at shallower depths, creating potential for additional silver ounces to the west and southwest under thin, unexplored soil cover.

Base Metals- Intervals of significant zinc continue to be intercepted in a significant number of holes. Metallurgical testing is ongoing with the goal of determining the recovery of zinc and the potential economic base metals contribution for the project. Initial flotation tests have shown that the Santa Ana high-grade base metal zones respond very well to flotation recovery methods and testing is continuing.

Three drills continue on the property completing close-spaced infill and deposit extension drilling.

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:
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. These risks, uncertainties and other factors are disclosed in Bear Creek's continuous disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulators including its most recent annual information form, available on www.sedar.com. 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.