TORONTO, Jan. 23 - Noront Resources Ltd. ("Noront or the Company") (TSX Venture: NOT.V) is pleased to present assay results from its base metal exploration activities in the McFaulds Lake area of northern Ontario in the James Bay Lowlands.

EXPLORATION HIGHLIGHTS

- Hole NOT-08-44, an extension to Eagle One, averaged 4.21% Nickel,
2.14% Copper, 0.35 g/t Platinum and 6.30 g/t Palladium over 28.8
metres, including 14.1 metres of higher grade averaging 7.46% Nickel
and 3.65% Copper.

- Hole NOT-08-2G11 drilled on the AT12 anomaly encounters widespread
nickel/copper PGE mineralization over 122.9 meters grading 0.56%
Nickel, 0.29% Copper, 1.06 grammes/tonne TPM, including 5.5 metres
averaging 2.38% Nickel, 3.05% Copper, 0.92 g/t Platinum, 2.62 g/t
Palladium and 0.22 g/t Gold.

EAGLE ONE DRILL RESULTS

As previously announced (see press release dated November 10, 2008), while testing for the north-south striking dike or conduit beneath and around the Eagle One deposit, drill hole NOT-08-44 encountered massive sulphide mineralization 70 metres vertically below holes NOT-08-28 and NOT-08-32. Selected assay intervals include:

While hole NOT-08-44 had the best drill intersection (not true width) of massive sulphide, a further 10 holes drilled in the area returned mineralization that is considered less significant. Nevertheless, this drilling has expanded the geological and mineralogical information available to Noront and has allowed the Company to better target further drilling on this deposit. Details with respect to locations for these holes are available on Noront's website at:

http://www.norontresources.com/proje...

AT12 DRILL RESULTS

Noront previously reported visual mineralization in drilling at anomaly AT12 located approximately 9.5 kilometres northeast of the Eagle One Deposit. Results of the first two holes that tested AT12 were reported in press releases dated September 15, 2008 (NOT-08-2G01) and October 6, 2008 (NOT-08-G02). Exploratory drilling continued in the area which has improved the geological information available for siting drill holes. Drill holes NOT-08-2G11, 2G12 and 2G14 intersected encouraging mineralization over broad intervals. Highlights are shown in Table 2.

True widths have not yet been determined for the nickel/copper bearing zones at the AT12 occurrence.

The drill holes in Table 2, (with the exception of hole 2G13 that had no significant values) encountered widespread semi-massive sulphide mineralization including shorter sections of massive sulphide mineralization. For locations of all holes drilled at AT12 please refer to the drill-hole location plan superimposed on a total field magnetic map, available at Noront's website:

http://www.norontresources.com/proje... . Continuity of mineralization is shown in the vertical drill section pertaining to holes reported herein, which is also available at Noront's website at: http://www.norontresources.com/proje... . For a complete listing of assay intervals and results from Anomaly AT12 please visit Noront's website at

http://www.norontresources.com/proje...

Additional drill holes have been completed in an area 800 metres to the south of AT12 anomaly, on Noront's property, along an east-west section parallel to and near the southern border of Noront's property in close proximity to the Black Thor chrome property of Freewest Resources Inc. (as shown on AT12 drill hole location plan referred to above). Selected assay for holes NOT-08-2G15 and 2G-18 have encountered the following mineralized drill intervals (not true width):

In addition to these base and precious metal intersections, there were nine intersections of low grade chrome including 5.5 metres that averaged 3.973% Cr203 in hole 2G15. Additional results in this area will be reported upon as they are received.

EAGLE TWO DRILL RESULTS

Additional assays have been received for a further six holes drilled to test the base metal potential at the Eagle Two shear hosted massive sulphide occurrence which were not previously reported including holes NOT-08-1G52, 1G55, 1G56, 1G60, and 1G62. Selected assay intervals for the Eagle Two occurrence include:

These results over the drill intervals (not true width) have continued to define a low-grade nickel - copper lense which lies in close proximity to the Blackbird One Chrome deposit. The tenor of mineralization at Eagle Two implies that the deposit will not likely be a stand-alone nickel sulphide deposit, but presents an interesting target in conjunction with the proximal chromite. For a complete listing of assays for these holes, please refer to table of results for Eagle Two at Noront's website at http://www.norontresources.com/proje...

2009 BASE METAL EXPLORATION PROGRAM

A third diamond drill, will commence drilling in the vicinity of AT12 and along the southern boundary of Noront's property in the vicinity of Holes NOT-08-15 to 08-19 in early February. These holes are designed to continue the assessment of the local and regional potential of the base metal potential at AT12 and its immediate environs. Noront is also planning to conduct downhole geophysics on selected holes to be completed early in the base metal program.

"The results from Eagle One reinforce the high-grade polymetallic mineralization that is available on our properties in the Ring of Fire," remarked Paul Parisotto, Interim Co-CEO of Noront. "Our exploration programs during the first half of this year will look to expand the known mineralization at Eagle One. Furthermore, the broad nickel mineralization at AT-12 is most encouraging given the almost 700 metres of virgin strike extent that remains to be drilled over the next six months. We are extremely excited about the AT-12 area as a possible contributor to our nickel resources in the area."

Damn i'd love to go slogging around out there for a couple of weeks or so.