TORONTO, Aug. 24, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Eastmain Resources Inc. (TSX:ER) announces that results from drilling of the depth extension of the Eau Claire gold deposit are favourable. Preliminary calculations indicate that the 2006 program has increased the gold resource at Eau Claire. Gold-bearing, quartz-tourmaline veins in hole ER06-56 assayed 8.64 g/t Au over a 3.0-metre length at a vertical depth of 880 metres. This intercept includes an interval averaging 15.85 g/t Au across 1.5 metres and 0.5 metres containing visible gold, assaying 42.0 g/t Au. This drill intercept also extends the D Vein group 250 metres down-dip of ER04-44, which intersected three parallel high-grade veins ranging from 11.9 to 20.4 g/t Au across intervals of 1.4 to 1.6 metres. Drill hole ER06-52 intersected 7.32 g/t Au across 2.6 metres and includes a 0.6-metre length of 19.65 g/t Au. This zone lies within the D Vein group 115 metres up-dip of hole 44. Drill holes ER06-54 and ER06-55 also intersected gold-bearing D group veins which range from 4.47 to 8.37 g/t Au over 1.5 metres. These vein intercepts occur below ER04-38, which averaged 13.7 g/t Au over 5.0 metres. ER06-57 intersected 5.10 g/t Au over 1.5 metres, including 11.05 g/t Au across 0.5 metres in the G Vein. Low gold grades were returned from holes ER06-53, 58 and 59. The Eau Claire gold deposit is open at depth.
Four of eight drill holes from the 2006 program intersected gold-bearing, quartz-tourmaline veins within the D group, which is the largest and most significant group of veins with respect to gold resources at Eau Claire. Approximately 25% of the total gold resources from Eau Claire are contained within the D Vein group. 2006 drilling significantly expands the D Vein resource.
Gold grades from hole 56, the deepest intercept in the deposit are remarkably similar to the surface grades from the 450 West Zone (P, JQ and R Veins), where the company plans to extract a 10,000-tonne bulk sample. Deep drilling has demonstrated that the Eau Claire deposit is a major gold-bearing structure with the potential to exceed a million-ounce gold resource.
Eastmain's current objectives at Eau Claire are to extract a bulk sample from the 450 West Zone to determine the mining, milling and metallurgical characteristics of the gold deposit, and to find a second deposit on the property. Permit applications for the bulk sample have gone through a first reading with the Ministry of the Environment in Quebec. Key issues are being addressed. Trenching and channel sampling are in progress at the Serendipity and Vana prospects, located 15 to 20 kilometres east of Eau Claire. Previous channel sampling of a sulphide-bearing sediment at Serendipity assayed up to 1.4 g/t Au across 16 metres. Assays of up to 7.70 g/t gold were also obtained from within this sedimentary horizon.
This press release was prepared by Dr. Donald J. Robinson, P. Geo., the company's Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Current field work is being conducted under the supervision of Dr. Vincent Jourdain, P. Eng. and Qualified Person for Eastmain.
Eastmain is a Canadian exploration company holding several early- to advanced-stage gold and base metal projects in Canada. Eastmain's project portfolio includes twelve properties in the Eastmain/Opinaca gold camp, which hosts Goldcorp's Eleonore Project.
Table of Significant Drill Intersections -- Eau Claire Gold Deposit
Drill Hole Line Station From To Length Au Comments
Metres g/t
ER06-52 200E 725S 509 511.6 2.6 7.32 D Vein group
incl. 1.5 10.17 140 m down
dip of ER03-21
incl. 0.6 19.65 115 m up
dip of ER04-44
ER06-53 300E 725S no significant
assays
ER06-54 250E 850S 640.3 641.8 1.5 4.47 D Vein group
290 m down
dip of ER04-38
ER06-55 250E 850S 703.6 704.1 0.5 12.40
826.9 828.4 1.5 8.37 D Vein group
incl. 0.5 24.40 240 m down
dip of ER04-54
530 m down
dip of ER04-38
880 m vertical
depth & open
ER06-56 200E 850S 785.5 788.5 3.0 8.64 D Vein group
incl. 1.5 15.85 250 m down
dip of ER04-44
incl. 0.5 42.00 850 m vertical
depth & open
ER06-57 100E 800S 445.5 447 1.5 5.10 G Vein group
incl. 0.5 11.05 Drilled up-dip
of ER04-50
601.3 601.8 0.5 7.43 D Vein group
ER06-58 005E 790S no significant Drilled to test
assays up-dip of
ER04-45
D Vein group
ER06-59 520W 750S no significant Drilled to test
assays lateral extension
of ER03-29
Drill core samples were analyzed by fire assay methods at ALS Chemex Laboratories. Intervals quoted are core lengths and not necessarily "true widths".
The statements made in this Press Release may contain forward-looking statements that may involve a number of risks. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations and projections.