Strait samples 15% zinc over 2.0 metres, 989 g/t silver over 1.5 metres on new polymetallic zone at Alicia

TORONTO, Dec. 10, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Strait Minerals Inc. (TSXV: SRD) is pleased to report results of recent chip sampling from a previously unexplored area of its Alicia property in Peru. Highlights include 15.12% zinc, 989 grams per tonne (g/t) silver, greater than 30% lead, 3.27 g/t gold and 5.8% copper (see table below).

The sampling program was conducted in the vicinity of old workings in the southeast quadrant of the 26-sq.-km property. High-grade polymetallic veins were noted in this area by the Company in a NI 43-101 technical report dated October 17, 2009, but no further work was conducted here by the Company until now. The results indicate significant values of gold, silver, lead, zinc and copper associated with breccias and mantos in altered limestone over an area of approximately 1,500 by 1,000 metres.

"This polymetallic mineralization appears to be quite significant in its own right, but it is also consistent with the geological model of the central intrusive complex at Alicia, a porphyry copper-gold system about 1.5 km to the north, where we have focused our efforts to date," said Strait Minerals President Jim Borland. "We are in an area of Peru where some very large mineral deposits have been outlined and this newly identified zone is encouraging."

A total of 73 chip samples from mantos and breccias were taken over widths of 0.5-6.0 metres. Quartz diorite porphyry dikes and sills that appear to be related to the mineralization were also sampled. Assay results show high values of lead (<0.01 to >30%), zinc (0.01 to 15.12%) and silver (0.3 to 989 grams per tonne) as well as significant values of gold (<0.1 to 3.27 grams per tonne) and copper (<0.01 to 5.8%).

Mantos are typically 1.0-2.5 metres wide, but can reach up to eight metres in width. Breccias are generally 1-2 metres wide but can reach up to six metres. Mantos are typically spaced 6-10 metres apart, with thinner bands in between. Both mantos and breccias are composed of granular silica, chalcedony and jasper with realgar and well crystallized barite in places.

The mineralization trends northeast-southwest and remains open in both directions.

The Company has been conducting a sampling program over the entire Alicia concession as part of a work program funded by Teck Peru S.A. ("Teck"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Teck Resources Limited. Under the terms of its option agreement with the Company, Teck must spend $30 million on exploration (or spend $10 million on exploration plus deliver a prefeasibility study) to earn a 75% interest in the property.

Sample #		UTM Coordinates				width		Au		Ag		Pb		Zn		Cu
		easting		northing		m		g/t		g/t		%		%		%
R10711		179030		8439508		2.00		0.239		36.0		2.36		0.62		0.36
R10712		178434		8439447		2.00		0.008		12.0		0.65		2.31		0.01
R10714		178328		8438938		4.00		0.128		30.4		0.26		0.15		0.01
R10715		178330		8438934		4.00		0.316		45.3		0.27		0.19		0.01
R10716		178332		8438930		3.00		0.222		34.6		0.08		0.06		0.00
R10717		178334		8438924		4.00		0.178		2.7		0.03		0.11		0.00
R10719		178227		8438560		2.20		0.254		25.4		2.33		1.70		0.05
R10720		178275		8438585		3.00		1.255		42.6		2.23		0.83		0.05
R10721		178279		8438586		2.00		0.817		26.1		2.89		0.96		0.03
R10722		178291		8438471		3.00		1.545		93.6		9.03		0.96		0.55
R10723		178351		8438503		1.00		2.598		74.2		14.76		0.03		0.37
R10724		178355		8438410		2.00		2.625		110.0		11.75		5.37		0.50
R10725		178544		8438309		3.00		0.136		6.9		0.13		0.35		0.26
R10726		178678		8438273		2.00		0.080		4.7		0.12		0.06		0.35
R10730		180422		8437291		3.00		0.078		0.5		0.01		0.02		0.73
R10731		179403		8438019		2.00		0.070		0.5		0.02		0.04		0.01
R10732		179396		8438000		2.00		0.121		0.8		0.05		0.03		0.02
R10733		178427		8438570		0.90		1.617		63.4		9.66		6.74		0.38
R10734		178477		8438576		0.60		1.292		199.0		28.18		0.10		0.73
R10735		178347		8438628		1.60		0.178		18.2		2.84		0.84		0.02
R10736		178359		8438632		2.50		2.174		20.8		3.26		1.25		0.11
R10737		178378		8438646		0.80		1.333		147.0		15.46		4.53		2.40
R10739		178388		8438722		1.50		1.297		148.0		23.88		0.33		0.69
R10740		178374		8438857		2.50		0.250		877.0		4.47		3.51		0.16
R10741		178440		8438793		1.20		2.299		50.8		7.23		7.32		0.04
R10742		178512		8438696		1.20		3.179		201.0		8.96		0.90		2.30
R10743		178517		8438708		1.50		1.541		989.0		18.24		0.57		2.85
R10744		178513		8438712		1.00		0.728		319.0		>30.00		0.23		1.48
R10745		178606		8438828		2.50		2.085		169.0		16.11		12.66		0.39
R10746		178720		8438737		1.00		1.049		68.4		10.00		0.50		0.06
R10747		178600		8438640		0.80		0.025		14.4		1.59		1.11		0.01
R10749		178617		8438506		1.00		0.385		19.2		2.82		1.93		0.03
R10750		178577		8438370		0.50		0.220		26.4		6.36		0.11		0.09
R10751		178719		8438050		0.50		3.272		8.2		0.06		0.24		2.01
R10752		178670		8438025		0.80		3.164		17.7		0.09		0.12		5.80
R10753		178672		8438640		0.80		0.032		21.0		1.89		0.15		0.01
R10754		178701		8438562		1.20		1.266		89.4		12.56		2.64		0.87
R10755		178831		8438675		3.00		0.401		49.3		4.83		0.11		0.20
R10756		178970		8438722		3.00		0.342		268.0		5.40		1.96		0.27
R10757		178985		8438839		1.00		0.523		38.7		1.52		0.15		0.10
R10759		178941		8438901		2.40		0.435		51.5		0.61		0.82		0.15
R10760		178790		8438536		6.00		0.024		0.4		<0.01		0.01		<0.01
R10761		178780		8438190		1.00		0.209		390.0		0.18		0.22		1.38
R10762		178771		8438293		2.00		1.347		124.0		0.93		0.28		0.47
R10763		178746		8438435		0.80		0.158		13.2		0.62		0.07		0.36
R10764		179098		8438716		2.00		0.351		187.0		3.34		15.12		0.09
R10765		179040		8438709		2.50		0.003		1.0		0.01		0.02		<0.01
R10766		179100		8438600		0.15		0.050		4.8		0.18		0.16		<0.01
R10767		179006		8438544		0.70		0.378		25.6		2.64		0.76		0.18
R10769		178925		8438478		2.00		0.106		1.8		0.13		0.24		0.03
R10770		178880		8438552		3.00		0.234		5.6		0.30		0.31		0.04
R10771		178945		8438405		0.80		0.669		10.4		0.78		0.33		0.17
R10772		178830		8438335		0.60		0.003		0.3		0.01		0.02		<0.01
R10773		178820		8438461		1.20		0.007		3.5		0.01		0.01		0.01
R10774		178841		8438525		1.50		0.010		1.0		0.06		0.07		0.01
R10775		178840		8438650		0.80		1.132		30.2		2.81		0.26		0.06
R10776		178965		8438844		1.00		0.911		885.0		2.38		0.03		0.14
R10777		179120		8438810		0.80		0.003		1.9		0.01		0.01		<0.01
R10779		178516		8439000		2.20		0.003		1.9		0.07		0.08		<0.01
R10780		178455		8439034		3.00		0.213		107.0		0.69		0.38		0.02
R10781		178456		8439038		3.00		0.024		145.0		1.21		0.32		0.04
R10783		178364		8439216		0.60		0.009		1.1		0.03		0.05		<0.01
R10784		178566		8439035		0.50		0.098		74.7		0.21		0.80		0.05
R10785		178655		8438972		0.80		0.039		15.9		1.94		1.85		<0.01
R10786		178610		8438900		1.50		0.42		149		7.37		6.42		0.07
R10787		178695		8439032		2.00		0.04		13.0		0.42		0.48		0.02
R10788		178655		8439222		2.00		0.085		51.8		0.30		0.68		0.01
R10789		178843		8439305		2.00		0.01		2.3		0.02		0.17		0.02
R10790		178937		8439330		2.00		<0.005		1.0		<0.01		0.03		<0.01
R10791		179091		8439264		2.00		0.052		19.5		0.16		0.13		0.02

Quality Control and Quality Assurance

All sampling at Alicia is supervised by Strait Minerals personnel. Samples are placed in plastic sample bags that are closed with single use plastic ties. Samples are securely stored in a locked room prior to transportation to Cusco by Strait Minerals personnel. Samples are sent to AcmeLabs in Lima for preparation before being couriered to the AcmeLabs in Santiago for assay. Acme's Santiago facility is an ISO 9001:2000 registered laboratory. Samples are analyzed for gold by fire assay followed by atomic absorption spectroscopic (AAS) finish and by gravimetric finish for samples exceeding the upper limit of analysis (over limit). Silver, copper, molybdenum, lead and zinc, together with 30 other elements, were assayed by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) following aqua regia dissolution. Samples with silver, lead, zinc and copper assays above the upper limit for the ICP-AES technique were re-assayed by atomic absorption (AA). Strait Minerals routinely carries out a program of quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) that includes insertion of blanks, standards and duplicates into the sample stream to verify results prior to dissemination.

All of the Company's exploration programs are prepared by, or prepared under the supervision of, Dr. Roger Moss, P.Geo., who serves as the Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and is a director of the Company. Dr. Moss has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release.


About Strait Minerals Inc.

Strait Minerals Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company active solely in Peru since 2003 and listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. It holds a 55% interest with an option to increase that interest to 100% in the Alicia copper-gold property which lies within the Andahuaylas-Yauri copper belt approximately 500 km southeast of Lima. Strait has granted Teck Peru S.A., a wholly owned subsidiary of Teck Resources Limited, an option to earn up to a 75% interest in the property by, among other things, spending $30 million on exploration or by spending $10 million on exploration and delivering a pre-feasibility study. The Company also holds an option to earn a 100% interest in the Caribe copper-molybdenum property approximately 80 km west of Alicia and holds a 100% interest in both the Letra Rumi South base metals property and the Culebrilla precious metals property approximately 250 km north of Lima. The Company continuously reviews exploration opportunities in Peru and is actively seeking additional projects. Please visit our web site at www.straitminerals.com.


Forward Looking Statement: Some of the statements contained herein may be forward-looking statements which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization and resources, exploration results, and future plans and objectives of the Company are forward looking statements that involve various risks. The following are important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements: changes in the world wide price of mineral commodities, general market conditions, risks inherent in mineral exploration, risks associated with development, construction and mining operations, the uncertainty of future profitability and the uncertainty of access to additional capital. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events may differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Strait undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change, except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

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.



Strait Minerals Inc.
Jim Borland, President
jborland@straitminerals.com
Tel.: 416-223-9970

Renmark Financial Communications Inc.
Robert Thaemlitz: rthaemlitz@renmarkfinancial.com
Bettina Filippone: bfilippone@renmarkfinancial.com
Tel.: (416) 644-2020 or (514) 939-3989
www.renmarkfinancial.com