October 11, 2012; Vancouver, Canada: Focus Ventures Ltd. (TSX-V: FCV) is pleased to announce an update on exploration at its El Reventon project, located in the western half of its Santa Cruz project in Durango, Mexico. Focus controls a district-scale land position covering a number of silver discoveries made since late 2011, which includes the 4,430 hectare El Reventon property.
A 930-sample grid-based soil survey undertaken over El Reventon has identified multiple silver targets, the largest being a broad >10 g/t Ag silver-in-soil anomaly over 1,300m x 500m located in the southern part of the claims, approximately 2km southwest of the drilled Reventon Breccia. The coincident gold and silver anomaly is accompanied by strongly anomalous lead, zinc, arsenic and antimony values. A number of soil samples returned fire assay results over 100 g/t Ag, to a maximum of 384 g/t Ag and 0.59 g/t Au. Samples were taken at 40m sample spacing on lines 200m apart.
The anomaly is the largest generated on the Santa Cruz Project to date, where Focus controls over 60,000 hectares held through two option agreements and direct staking.
Preliminary follow-up has identified multiple northwest trending zones of breccia mineralization in surface andesite outcrops that to date have been traced for several hundred meters along strike. These newly discovered zones occur south, east and west of the La Estrella mine workings in the northern limits of the anomaly where underground sampling by Focus returned values up to 687 g/t Ag over 5.6m, with 0.2 g/t Au, 2.6 % Pb and 1.3% Zn (see press release 6 June 2012).
A program of prospecting, trenching and sampling is currently underway on these new mineralized zones, which have been concealed under dense vegetation cover owing to the recent heavy rains.
Additional Mineralized Trends Defined North of the Reventon Breccia
Reconnaissance prospecting, trenching and sampling in the Potrero — Camino Real zone located 900m to the north of the Reventon Breccia is defining an eastwest trending corridor currently over 700m long and over 100m wide, with rock assays from the Potreros Zone in the west assaying trace to 268 g/t Ag and 1.1 g/t Au associated with breccias and structural zones in silicified andesites. A 12m trench recently dug assayed 64 g/t Ag over 12m. Sampling in the Camino Real area approximately 500m further down trend to the east has shown silver assays of 2.7 g/t to 1,120 g/t Ag and trace to 1.96 g/t Au. Exposure is poor, with trenching and sampling underway.
Soil sampling immediately adjacent to the El Reventon Breccia has generated targets with up to 21 g/t Ag in soils that could indicate down-dip continuation of the drilled mineralized breccia and/or satellite mineralization that requires testing by trenching and drilling. Drilling at the Reventon Breccia in 2007 and 2008 by International Northair Mines Ltd intersected significant intercepts of breccia-hosted silver, zinc and lead in the majority of holes drilled.
Northair Drilling Highlights
| Drill Hole | From (m) | To (m) | Interval (m) | Ag g/t | Pb% | Zn % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RC 08-05 | 48.8 | 86.9 | 38.1 | 68.9 | 0.49 | 0.11 |
| and | 102.1 | 147.8 | 45.7 | 50.2 | 0.20 | 0.48 |
| RC-08-8 | 13.7 | 169.2 | 155.4 | 71.3 | 0.46 | 0.61 |
| RC-08-11 | 25.9 | 62.5 | 36.6 | 58.8 | 0.36 | 0.31 |
| and | 96.0 | 134.1 | 38.1 | 142.2 | 0.56 | 2.78 |
| inc. | 120.4 | 132.6 | 12.2 | 296.0 | 0.83 | 6.72 |
| RC-08-13 | 0.0 | 21.3 | 21.3 | 117.7 | 1.08 | 0.67 |
| and | 35.1 | 123.4 | 88.4 | 107.9 | 0.53 | 1.23 |
| inc | 97.5 | 120.4 | 22.9 | 287.0 | 1.39 | 3.48 |
| RC-08-14 | 0.0 | 99.1 | 99.1 | 79.6 | 0.44 | 0.62 |
| RC-08-16 | 0.0 | 80.8 | 80.8 | 70.2 | 0.53 | 0.94 |
| RC-08-17 | 82.3 | 91.44* | 9.1 | 137.3 | 1.39 | 1.19 |
| DRC-07-01 | 0.0 | 61.0 | 61.0 | 79.6 | 0.41 | 1.10 |
| DRC-07-05 | 0.0 | 35.1 | 35.1 | 172.0 | 0.90 | 0.85 |
| inc | 0.0 | 16.8 | 16.8 | 253.0 | 0.95 | 0.55 |
Maps, plans and photos are available on the Company’s website: www.focusventuresltd.com.
Background
The Santa Cruz and El Reventon lie within the Silver Lake Trend, a polymetallic belt that hosts several operating and past producing gold and silver mines, including the La Ciénega, Topia, San Dimas and Metates deposits. Focus controls a major district-scale land position comprising over 60,000 hectares covering a mineralized trend over 20 kilometers long. Since late 2011 exploration by Focus has resulted in the definition of several breccia-hosted silver and gold targets within the trend that show potential to host bulk-tonnage high-grade and low-grade deposits, with permitting for drilling currently underway.
Sampling Quality Analysis and Quality Control
Rock samples were prepared at ALS Chemex’s preparation facility in Zacatecas and analyzed in Vancouver, Canada. Silver was determined by multi-acid digestion and ICP-AES, with fire assay gravimetric finish. Gold was assayed by Atomic Adsorption Spectrometry with fire assay gravimetric finish. Lead and zinc were determined by ICP with Atomic Absorption with volumetric finish. ALS Chemex’s quality control system complies with International Standards ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 17025:2005. Analytical accuracy and precision are monitored by the analysis of reagent blanks, reference material and replicate samples. Quality control is further assured by Focus’s own QA/QC program which involves the insertion by Focus personnel of blind certified standards and blanks into the sample stream at regular intervals in order to independently assess analytical precision and accuracy of each batch of samples as they are received from the laboratory.
Soil samples were prepared by Acme Laboratories sample preparation facility in Guadalajara, Mexico and analyzed in Vancouver by its Group 1F ICP Ultratrace geochemical package. Silver values over 100 g/t were analyzed by fire assay with gravimetric finish.
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical information in this release was prepared under the supervision of Mr. David Cass, Focus’s President, who is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia, and a “Qualified Person” in accordance with NI 43-101.
About Focus Ventures
Focus Ventures is developing a diversified portfolio of quality silver, gold, copper and phosphate properties in Peru and Mexico. Backed by an experienced technical team of geologists and consultants, Focus’s strategy is to identify and acquire former producing mines or untested gold and silver and base metal properties that show potential to become new mines. For further information, please call 604-688-5288 or visit our web site www.focusventuresltd.com.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
“David Cass”
David Cass, President
Symbol: TSXV-FCV
Shares Issued: 40.1-million
Contact: Jaclyn Ruptash
Tel: (604) 688-5288; Fax: (604) 682-1514
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.focusventuresltd.com
Forward-Looking Statement
Some of the statements in this news release contain forward-looking information that involves inherent risk and uncertainty affecting the business of Focus Ventures Ltd. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statement.
