Westhaven Drills 70.6 Metres of 0.31% Nickel and 0.012% Cobalt at BEN

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired - March 4, 2014) - Westhaven Ventures Inc. (TSX VENTURE:WHN) is pleased to provide preliminary assay results from the 2013 drill program at its BEN property, located midway between the Mount Polley and Gibraltar Mines, approximately 50 km north of Williams Lake, B.C. The inaugural drill program consisted of 3 holes, totaling 425 metres (1,394 feet) of diamond drilling. Subsequently the Company has staked an additional 746 hectares of prospective geology, bringing the total BEN land package to 15,322 hectares.


Highlights from the program include:

- Assay results from exploratory drill holes confirm both anomalous nickel and gold mineralization.

- Hole BN13-03 intersected 70.6 metres grading 0.31% Nickel (Ni) and 0.012% Cobalt (Co), which includes 30 metres grading 0.38% Ni and 0.013% Co.

- Hole BN13-02 intersected 15.0 metres of 0.18% Ni starting from surface, including two intervals of 1.5 metres grading 0.59 g/t Gold (Au) and 2.8 metres grading 0.57 g/t Au.

Gren Thomas, President & CEO of Westhaven stated, "Given the limited drilling to date, we're encouraged to have discovered this near surface nickel mineralization. A broad zone of alteration and geochemical anomalies can be traced over a distance in excess of 10 kilometres and we believe the BEN property has the potential to host a significant amount of nickel. A limited Induced Polarization (IP) Survey led to the targeting of the discovery Hole BN13-03 and this target remains open in all directions." Thomas goes on to add, "We lost Hole BN13-01 before hitting our intended target but we still believe there is a viable gold target to be drilled in the North Ben Creek zone. That being said, we are going to be focusing much of our attention on this new nickel discovery."

Drill holes BN13-01 and BN13-02 were designed to test the near surface projection of the North Ben Creek zone, an area with anomalous gold and pathfinder elements in stream and surface grab samples. Drilling intersected interbedded sequences of mudstones and volcanic breccias. Zones of intense silicification and quartz stockwork containing gold mineralization were encountered in both holes. From bedrock surface to 19.0 metres depth in hole BN13-02, a zone of clay-anhydrite-chlorite alteration in mudstone graded 0.18% Ni over 15.0 metres.

BN13-03, located approximately 3 kilometres to the south of North Ben Creek zone, tested a chargeability target delineated from an Induced Polarization (IP) program completed in 2012. Drilling intersected highly serpentinized ultramafic rocks from bedrock surface to 87 metres depth containing 70.6 metres grading 0.31% Ni and 0.012% Co. Limited analytical, petrographic and microprobe work to date suggest a significant proportion of the nickel occurs as sulphides. Further analytical work to systematically quantify the nickel in sulphides will be undertaken.


2014 Field Program

The focus of the 2014 exploration program will be to build upon the nickel and gold mineralization discovered on the property and determine the size and potential of the metal horizon. This will include airborne geophysics, induced polarization surveys, geological mapping, geochemistry and diamond drilling. Other targets on the property will be examined to determine the extents of the alteration and nickel mineralization.


On behalf of the Board of Directors Westhaven Ventures Inc.

Gareth Thomas
Director



About Westhaven Ventures Inc.

Westhaven Ventures Inc. is a Canadian based exploration company focused on the acquisition and exploration of prospective resource properties. Westhaven is focused on advancing its Shovelnose gold and BEN projects in British Columbia. Westhaven trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol WHN. For further information visit Westhaven's website at www.westhavenventures.com.


Qualified Person Statement

L. John Peters, P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person within the context of National Instrument 43-101 has read and takes responsibility for this release. Core samples were analyzed for a 36-element suite using aqua regia digestion followed by ICP-MS analyses. Preparation at Acme Analytical Laboratories Ltd. involves crushing each sample to 80% passing a 10 mesh (2 mm) screen. A 250 g split is then pulverized to 85% passing a 200 mesh (74 μm) screen and a 15g sample split from the prepared pulp was used for the analysis. All results greater than 100 ppb gold were reanalysed by Acme using their (G601) Fire Assay with an AAS finish. A QA/QC program included the lab and field standards.


Neither the 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.



Contact

Westhaven Ventures Inc.
604-681-5558
www.westhavenventures.com