Pro Minerals Inc.: Lac Laura Gold-Copper Project Delivers Positive Sample Results

VANCOUVER, 01/18/12 - Pro Minerals Inc. (TSX VENTURE: PRM) and its Board of Directors are pleased to report that the Company has received positive assay results from the channel sampling portion of its recent stripping, channel sampling, and diamond drilling program carried out on its 100% owned Lac Laura Gold Project; situated near the mining town of Chapais, Quebec. Results from the channel sampling are discussed and detailed below and the results from the drilling portion of the program are yet to be received.

The mineralized showings, where the stripping and drilling programs were being carried out, are located approximately 800m north of the Chapais-Senneterre Highway. They were discovered in 2009 and had not been drilled previously. In 2009, one of the grab samples collected by Dr. Christian Derosier, P.Geo., QP for the project, returned 128.5 g/t Au (4.1 oz Au), 113 g/t Ag and 2.61% Cu. The most recent stripping and sampling program covered and area of approximately half a hectare around that high-grade 2009 showing; which was discovered on the south face of a small cliff of a rounded hill. The recent stripping was made utilizing a hydraulic shovel and powerful high pressure washing equipment. The work uncovered favourable meta andesite units cut by faults and narrow shear zones.

Pro Mineral's channel sampling was made across a number of mineralized veins, mostly following a N-S direction, in order to intersect, at a good angle, the three sets of shear zones. The channel samples were each 1 m long, 5 cm in width and 7 cm deep. They were cut utilizing a gas powered diamond grit saw. Each sample was removed using a chisel and a hammer and placed in a plastic sample bag which was then tagged and sealed by the project QP. The sample bags were then sent to Techni-Lab S.G.B. Abitibi Inc., a member of the ACTLABS Group. Samples were assayed for base and precious metals by fire assay method (Au, Co, Pt, and Pd) with the AA and gravimetric finish (Au); and the base metals were assayed by the ICP method. A total of 62 channel samples were been taken and assayed.

Patrick D. O'Brien, ICD.D, Pro Mineral's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, comments: 'Pro's team was delighted to receive sample results of this nature in a gold-driven economic climate. Pro Minerals placed considerable faith in the merits of the Lac Laura Gold-Copper Project to provide results encouraging enough to justify an aggressive follow-up diamond drill program. The desired outcome has been achieved and Pro Minerals plans to move the Lac Laura Gold-Copper Project forward as expediently as possible.'

It preparation for review of the following sampling results it should be noted that two major ENE-WSW trending vertical faults divide the stripping target area into three distinctive zones. For ease of reference they are referred to as he Northern, Central and Southern zones.

The Southern zone is represented by a unit of silicified meta-andesite having a schistosity oriented ENE and dissected by a network of NE-SW, E-W, WNW-ESE and NW-SE faults and joints. The meta-andesite shows elongated and highly foliated pillow lavas in the western part passing to a more massive and granular meta-andesite in the Eastern zone.

Some of the NE oriented faults have been filled by quartz- sulfide veins and veinlets, displaying a rusty alteration on surface. A WNW-ESE trending shear zone (SZ#1), varying in thickness from 10 cm to 2.2 m has been evaluated by two channels cut 16 metres apart. Results obtained are as follows:


East section:

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Sample #           Length in m         Au g/t         Ag g/t           Cu %
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43879                    0.75m       4.32 g/t      12.90 g/t          0.10%
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West section:

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Sample #           Length in m         Au g/t         Ag g/t           Cu %
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43881                   0.80 m      11.30 g/t       5.50 g/t          0.07%
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43882                   0.80 m       1.65 g/t       3.60 g/t          0.22%
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Immediately North, of the ENE-WNW faults, the 'Discovery' mineralized zone was found to correspond to a narrow NW oriented shear zone. Along this shear zone, the mineralization appears lenticular. Boudinage (geological term for often-favourable structures formed by extension, where a rigid tabular body such is stretched and deformed amidst less competent surroundings) is well visible along this shear zone. Because the Discovery showing was found on the south mirror of the fault, it was very difficult to cut a horizontal channel right on the gossan itself. A representative channel sample taken a few metres above the showing, on top of the cliff, gave the following results:


Discovery North:

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Sample #           Length in m         Au g/t         Ag g/t           Cu %
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43859                    1.15m       1.13 g/t          Trace          Trace
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The Central zone of the 'Discovery' area is divided into two sectors by a NW trending shear zone. The Western sector is covering a highly schistozed pillowed meta-andesite with considerable small elongated pillows. In this part, the schistosity is oriented NW and dipping vertically. Tops of the pillows have been interpreted to be trending towards west. East of the NW shear zone, the meta-andesite is aphanitic to porphyritic, highly schistozed and cut by considerable stringers and veinlets of quartz and numerous joints. In the center of this Central zone, a favourable WNW-ESE strongly sheared and faulted zone (SZ #2), about 8 m wide; accompanied by metric quartz-sulfide veins can be followed for more than 30 m and appears to be still open in both directions. The quartz-carbonate sulfide veins visible are boudinaged, and range in thickness, from 0.30 m to 2.50 m.

Shear Zone #2 - North (SZ #2), the North Shear: was sampled with four channel samples cut at approximately 5 m intervals. Starting from the east end, results are as follows:

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Sample #  Area of Shear Zone      Length in m     Au g/t     Ag g/t    Cu %
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43853     NSE                          0.70 m   1.41 g/t   1.60 g/t   Trace
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43849     NSE2                         0.80 m   4.99 g/t   8.70 g/t   0.21%
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43897     NSC                          1.00 m   2.11 g/t   7.20 g/t   0.52%
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43838     NSC                          1.10 m   3.84 g/t   6.90 g/t   0.07%
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43841     NSW                          1.00 m  21.86 g/t  10.80 g/t   0.21%
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43840     NSW                          1.20 m   4.68 g/t   5.50 g/t   0.19%
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43829     NSW2                         0.90 m   2.61 g/t   2.80 g/t   0.14%
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Shear Zone #2 - South

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Sample #  Area of Shear Zone      Length in m     Au g/t     Ag g/t    Cu %
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43837     South Shear                  1.50 m   9.43 g/t   8.60 g/t   0.36%
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43836     South Shear                  1.00 m  10.35 g/t   6.10 g/t   0.36%
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43833     South Shear 2                0.50 m   3.74 g/t   0.90 g/t   Trace
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The Northern Zone area has the same lithologies as the Central Zone area. Despite the presence of evident gossan and rusty zones, the NW trending shear zone separating the pillowed meta-andesite from the aphanitic and porphyric meta-andesite returned very low gold and silver grades, but showed anomalous copper values ranging from 243 ppm to 1863 ppm (0.18% Cu) over 1 m.

The channel sampling program confirmed the presence of very encouraging gold, silver and copper mineralization in the Northern part of the Lac Laura property. The results show that the precious metals are mostly associated to WNW-ESE and NW-SE shear zones which affect both the aphanitic and the pillowed meta-andesite. The vertical quartz- sulfides veins are boudinaged and seem to plunge to the SE.

While working on the stripping, Pro Mineral's technicians discovered a mineralized gossan on an outcrop. This meta-andesite outcrop forms the south bank of the Otter River and is located at about 125 m NW of the stripping. This gossan was channel sampled and the sample assayed as well. Results obtained are as follows:

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Sample #  Sample Area             Length in m     Au g/t     Ag g/t    Cu %
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43902     Otter River Copper Fault      1.0 m  51.26 g/t  38.80 g/t   1.07%
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It has been noted that the Otter River follows the Chiboug Copper Fault which is known in the surrounding Chapais area for its potential to host economic 'Cooke Mine type' gold-copper mineralized orebodies. This Chiboug Copper Fault crosses over and through the well-known 'Cooke Mine' which was successfully operated from 1977 to 1989 by Inmet Mining Corporation. The Cooke Mine produced 2 Mt grading 5.00 g/t Au, 10 g/t Ag and 0.66% Cu; from mesothermal quartz-sulfide veins, deeply embanked in narrow E-W to WNW-ESE oriented shear zones which cut the south part of the Blondeau Formation. All numbers re the Cooke Mine are for reference purposes only and are non NI 43-101 compliant.

Pro Mineral's Lac Laura diamond drill program which commenced on December 7, 2011 was designed to test at depth the extensions of the main shear zones with their quartz-sulfide veins. Four holes were bored for a total length of 477 metres (1,565 feet) and the drill samples have now been submitted for assaying, with the results pending. Pro Minerals will now analyze the data it has received to date in more detail, and will be utilizing its findings in planning its next phase of diamond drilling for the Lac Laura Gold Copper Project.

This press release has been reviewed by Dr. Christian Derosier, P.Geo., Consulting Geologist. Dr. Derosier is the Qualified Person (QP) for the Lac Laura Gold Project under the National Instrument 43-101. Additional information regarding the Lac Laura Gold Copper Project is contained on the Company's website at www.promineralsinc.com.


ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF PRO MINERALS INC.

Patrick D. O'Brien, ICD.D
Director



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.



Contacts:

Pro Minerals Inc.
Adrian Bakker
604-608-6168 or Toll Free: 1-800-663-8990
604-683-8903 (FAX)
info@promineralsinc.com
www.promineralsinc.com