Minera Andes drills 62.5 m of 1.12% Cu at Los Azules
Ticker Symbol: C:MAI

Minera Andes drills 62.5 m of 1.12% Cu at Los Azules

Minera Andes Inc (C:MAI)
Shares Issued 264,741,621
Last Close 5/5/2010 $0.95
Thursday May 06 2010 - News Release

Mr. James Duff reports

MINERA ANDES: EXCELLENT DRILL RESULTS FROM LOS AZULES COPPER PROJECT

Minera Andes Inc. has released results from 12 additional, and very encouraging, drill holes from its 100-per-cent-owned Los Azules copper project in San Juan province in Argentina. Highlights include a step-out hole 300 metres to the north of any previous drilling which contains 1.12 per cent copper over 62.5 metres (hole 51). The other intercepts are from in-fill drilling and confirm the presence of an important high-grade secondary enrichment zone: 1.03 per cent copper over 101 metres (Hole 53A); 0.84 per cent copper over 52 metres and 0.83 per cent copper over 38 metres (Hole 57); 0.99 per cent copper over 84 metres (Hole 58); 0.90 per cent copper over 74 metres (Hole 59); and, 1.04 per cent copper over 168.2 metres (Hole 61A).

Exploration commenced in mid-December 2009, and four diamond drills have been operating on the project. A total of 22 diamond drill holes were completed this season for a total of 10,007 metres. Most of the drilling is infill drilling, although step-out holes drilled at the north end of the existing deposit extend the mineralization further north. The deposit remains open to the north, to the west, and at depth. In addition, we completed 615 metres of RC drilling in three holes that were drilled for geotechnical testing.

The objective of this field season's drilling program was to expand the known limits of mineralization, delineate the high-grade secondary enrichment zone and to increase the confidence level of the existing Los Azules resource. This resource contains 922 million tonnes grading 0.55 percent copper, equivalent to 11.2 billion pounds of copper, based on drilling completed through 2008. Also included in this resource is a high-grade core of 161 million tonnes grading 0.87 percent copper, which is equivalent to 3.1 billion pounds of copper. The known resource covers an area approximately 4 kilometres by 1 kilometer, and is open at depth and laterally. Please refer to figure 2 for a drill hole map.

Rob McEwen, Executive Chairman and CEO of Minera Andes commented:

"The continued success of the drilling is accomplishing our objective of increasing the confidence level of the resource at this world class deposit. The drilling is also continuing to define the extent of the high-grade secondary enrichment zone. Once all drill results have been received we will update and announce a new resource estimate. We are extremely pleased by the results of the drilling this season, and the project continues to look better and better as we gain additional information."

During this field season additional geological mapping was carried out and a state-of-the-art geophysical survey is nearly completed. The information gained from the geological mapping and geophysical survey will be utilized to target step-out drilling for the next field season's drilling. Engineering work and environmental base line studies to support a preliminary feasibility study are underway.

Scientific and Technical Information:

This news release has been reviewed and approved by Nivaldo Rojas, President of Rojas & Asociados Mining Consultants, a mining engineer and independent consultant to the Corporation, who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and is responsible for oversight and review of the exploration program at the Los Azules Project, and Bruce Davis, PhD, FAusIMM, who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and responsible for the quality control for the assaying of the Los Azules drill core. All samples were collected in accordance with industry standards. Splits from the drill core samples were submitted to the ACME sample preparation laboratory in Mendoza, Argentina, and then transferred to ACME's laboratory in Santiago, Chile for fire assay and ICP analysis. Accuracy of results is tested through the systematic inclusion of standards, blanks and check assays.

                          SUMMARY OF DRILL HOLE RESULTS

                Intersection      Vertical
                  thickness      Vertical     Cu
Hole           From (m) To (m)      (m)       (%)    Comments
 
Hole 49             0     62.0      62.0        -    Gravel overburden (no leached cap)
                 62.0    298.0     236.0     1.05    Secondary enrichment zone
Including        64.0    134.0      72.0     1.43
                298.0    418.0     120.0     0.42    Primary chalcopyrite-bornite
                                                     mineralization in fractures and
                                                     disseminations
                418.0    491.2      73.2     0.32    Primary chalcopyrite-bornite
                                                     mineralization in fractures and
                                                     disseminations

Results for 0 to 418.0 metres were reported on March 8, 2010

Hole 50             0     66.8      66.8        -    Gravel overburden
                 66.8     94.0      27.2     0.07    Leached cap
                 94.0    132.0      38.0     0.68    Secondary enrichment zone
                132.0    332.0     200.0     0.23    Primary chalcopyrite-bornite in
                                                     fractures and disseminations
                332.0    408.5      76.5     0.13    Primary disseminated chalcopyrite
Results for 0 to 332.0 metres were reported on March 8, 2010

Hole 51             0     45.0       45.0       -  Gravel overburden
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
45.0    69.0       24.0     0.05 Leached cap
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
69.0    363.5     294.5     0.25 Chalcopyrite with local weak chalcocite
enrichment
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
363.5   426.0      62.5     1.12 Primary bornite with chalcopyrite in
fractures and disseminations
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
426.0   620.2     194.2     0.26 Primary disseminated chalcopyrite and
bornite

Hole 52         0     72.0       72.0       -  Gravel overburden
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
72.0    103.0     103.0     0.05 Leached cap
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
103.0   284.0     181.0     0.47 Mixed secondary chalcocite and primary
chalcopyrite
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
284.0   425.0     141.0     0.36 Primary disseminated chalcopyrite

Hole 53A        0     70.0       68.5       -  Gravel overburden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
70.0    122.0      48.9     0.22 Mixed leached cap and secondary
enrichment
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
122.0   230.0     101.5     1.03 Secondary chalcocite enrichment zone
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
230.0   650.0     394.7     0.45 Primary disseminated chalcopyrite

Hole 54        0     116.0     116.0     0.01 Leached cap
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
116.0   411.0     295.0     0.30 Mixed secondary chalcocite enrichment
and disseminated primary chalcopyrite.

Hole 55        0     98.0       94.7       -  Pre collar (overburden)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
98.0    116.0      17.4     0.12 Mixed leached cap and secondary
enrichment
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
116.0   336.0     212.5     0.58 Mixed secondary chalcocite enrichment
and disseminated chalcopyrite
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
336.0   408.5      70.0     0.47 Primary disseminated chalcopyrite

Hole 56        0      26.0       26.0       -  Gravel overburden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
26.0    70.0       44.0     0.02 Leached cap
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
70.0    223.2     153.2     0.49 Mixed secondary chalcocite enrichment
zone and disseminated chalcopyrite
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Including
192      223        31      0.88
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
223.2   295.25      72.3     0.44 Mixed secondary chalcocite and
disseminated primary chalcopyrite

Hole 57        0     173.0     173.0     0.01 Mixed leached cap and pyrite
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
173.0   225.0      52.0     0.84 Secondary chalcocite enrichment zone
with disseminations and stockworks
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
225.0   255.0      30.0     0.36 Mixed secondary chalcocite enrichment
and disseminated chalcopyrite
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
255.0   293.0      38.0     0.83 Secondary chalcocite enrichment zone
with disseminations and stockworks
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
293.0   353.0      60.0     0.30 Mixed secondary chalcocite enrichment
and disseminated chalcopyrite
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
353.0   503.6     150.6     0.26 Primary disseminated chalcopyrite

Hole 58        0     30.0       30.0       -  Gravel overburden
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
30.0    70.0       40.0     0.03 Leached cap
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
70.0    96.0       26.0     0.23 Mixed secondary chalcocite enrichment
and disseminated chalcopyrite
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
96.0    180.0      84.0     0.99 Secondary chalcocite enrichment zone
with disseminations and stockworks
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
180.0   451.8     271.8     0.41 Primary disseminated chalcopyrite

Hole 59        0     39.0       39.0       -  Gravel overburden
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
39.0    88.0       49.0     0.05 Leached cap
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
88.0    330.0     242.0     0.41 Primary disseminated chalcopyrite
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
330.0   404.0      74.0     0.90 Primary bornite with disseminated
chalcopyrite
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
404.0   656.4     252.4     0.41 Primary disseminated chalcopyrite

Hole 60A      0     60.0       60.0       -  Gravel overburden
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
60.0    116.0      56.0     0.11 Leached cap
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
116.0   130.0      14.0     0.30 Mixed secondary chalcocite enrichment
and disseminated chalcopyrite
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
130.0   170.0      40.0     0.69 Secondary chalcocite enrichment zone
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
170.0   281.0     110.0     0.55 Mixed secondary chalcocite enrichment
and disseminated chalcopyrite
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
281.0   402.5     121.5     0.42 Primary disseminated chalcopyrite

Hole 61A      0     54.0       50.8       -  Gravel overburden
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
54.0    71.0       16.0     0.04 Leached cap
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
71.0    250.0     168.2     1.04 Secondary chalcocite enrichment zone
with disseminations and stockworks
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
250.0   293.4      40.8     0.32 Primary disseminated chalcopyrite