Noront Resources intersects more massive chromite 21.5 metres averaging 41.58% Cr2O3

TORONTO, May 26 /CNW/ - Noront Resources Ltd. ("Noront" or the "Company") (TSX Venture: NOT) is pleased to announce assay results from twelve diamond drill-holes completed during in the latter part of the winter on the Blackbird chromite deposits, and provides an update on project progress.

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                                                   HIGHLIGHTS
                  
                      -  Hole NOT-09-1G130 intersects 21.5 metres averaging 41.58% Cr2O3, with
                         Cr:Fe ratio of 2.13 within 30 metres of surface;
                      -  Hole NOT-09-1G104 intersects 25.1 metres averaging 36.82% Cr2O3, Cr:Fe
                         ratio of 2.02 including massive chromite intersection 5.2 metres wide
                         averaging 40.61% Cr2O3 with Cr:Fe ratio of 2.11;
                      -  Chrome resource delineation drilling nears completion, one drill re-
                         assigned to test for nickel potential in vicinity of Eagle One;
                      -  Drilling continues on chrome, while testing for additional base metal
                         and PGE potential.   >>
                  

Drilling Details:

Noront's late winter exploration program continued through the spring breakup of late April and into May. As announced on April 28, 2009, the Company has employed two diamond drills on the Blackbird deposits since the beginning of January and had completed a total of 17,680.9 metres of drilling in 63 holes. Since this time, an additional 25 holes have been completed totaling an additional 5,570 metres, bringing the total drilling for 2009 on the chromite project to 87 holes and 18,354 metres. As stated earlier this year, the primary goal of this drilling campaign is to define a National Instrument 43 - 101 compliant resource for the Blackbird discoveries by completing sufficient drilling at an optimum drill hole spacing to provide both inferred and indicated resources depending on the density of sampling and the domain type (massive vs. disseminated chromite). Noront has nearly completed its planned drilling on the chromite project, well ahead of schedule and budget and expects to deliver its National Instrument 43-101 compliant report by the end of 2009. The company has recently reassigned one drill to test for downward continuations or extensions of the Eagle One Deposit.

Assay Results:

Since the last report of assays (April 28, 2009), Noront has received final assay data for twelve more of its chromite related holes. Assays for chromitite intersections in many other holes are pending, final results of which will be released as they become available. The following table provides assay highlights for the massive chromite intersections only for those holes where assays have been received since the last press release, and the chrome to iron ratio (Cr:Fe) is in excess of two to one (2:1) :

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                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      Hole Number    from (m)  to (m)  int (m)   Cr2O3%   Cr%     Fe%   Cr:Fe
                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      NOT-09-1G101    437.3    439.4     2.1     37.49   25.64   12.14   2.11
                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  
                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      NOT-09-1G104    318.4    343.4    25.1     36.82   25.19   12.46   2.02
                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      including       324.4    329.7     5.2     40.61   27.78   13.17   2.11
                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  
                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      NOT-09-1G110     76.9     81.4     4.6     42.37   28.98   13.43   2.16
                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  
                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      NOT-09-1G112     81.3     87.6     6.3     37.81   25.86   12.22   2.12
                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  
                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      NOT-09-1G118     96.0    105.0     9.0     36.13   24.72   11.51   2.15
                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      followed by     105.0    108.9     3.9     40.17   27.47   13.13   2.09
                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  
                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      NOT-09-1G130     37.1     58.6    21.5     41.58   28.45   13.33   2.13
                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      Notes: Drill intercepts are not true width intercepts; all measurements
                      are in metres.
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The intervals sampled and reported by Noront include both massive chromitite and zones of intercalated beds of chromitite and heavily disseminated chromite hosted by talc-altered dunite and peridotite. For a complete set of assayed intervals for all twelve holes (NOT-08-1G101, 102, 104, 109, 110, 112, 114, 117, 118, 119, 130 and 131) please proceed to Noront's website by following the link. http://norontresources.com/find/id/1... Of special note, there are a number of intriguing (anomalous to perhaps economic grade) base metal and precious metal drill intersections listed in the table. Hole NOT-09-1G117 intersected 9 metres averaging 0.92% Ni, 0.67 g/t TPM, Hole NOT-09-1G119 intersected 1.8 metres averaging 1.33% Ni, 0.56 g/t TPM, and Hole NOT-09-1G130 intersected 1.3 metres averaging 1.27% Ni, 3.27 g/t TPM. These type of intersections have become commonplace within and around the chromite deposits, and will be receiving some additional drill attention to determine their significance in the economic evaluation of the Blackbird deposits.

Please follow the link to Noront's website for locations of the aforementioned holes, as well as those recently drilled but not yet reported. http://norontresources.com/find/id/1...

Quality Assurance and Quality Control:

All holes drilled are systematically logged and then sampled. Samples are shipped regularly to Actlabs in Thunder Bay, Ontario for sample preparation and initial analysis (TD-ICP) following strict chain of custody procedures. Final chromite and iron analyses were done by instrumental neutron activation (INAA) at the Actlabs facility in Ancaster, Ontario. Neutron activation is a method in which samples are irradiated by neutrons, causing the analyte elements to become radioactive. Counting the radioactivity of each activated isotope in comparison to the activity of a reference material such as Cr wire allows the determination of element concentrations with no matrix effect. For more information on Actlabs analytical procedures please visit Actlabs website at: http://www.actlabs.com Under Noront's QA/QC program each batch of 35 samples includes one blank, two internationally certified reference materials (ICRM; henceforth referred to as standards), one quarter-sawn field duplicate, a coarse reject duplicate, and a pulp duplicate. These procedures are conducted in addition to Actlabs' standard practise of further inserting one Cr standard within each reactor bundle of 11 samples. The pass/fail criteria for the new Cr standard and for the standards inserted by Actlabs are the same as for the Cu, Ni, Au, Pd and Pt standards previously reported. In particular, if measured concentrations in standards differ from accepted values by more than two standard deviations of the method as determined by numerous INAA repeats on the standards at Actlabs, the entire batch fails and is re-analysed. The standard deviation for 30 repeat measurements of the ICRM SARM 9 by INAA at Actlabs was 1.2% Cr2O3, giving a coefficient of variation of 2.6% and therefore a nominal precision of 5.2% (taken as twice the standard deviation). Precision of pulp splits within reactor batches as determined by the Thompson-Howarth method is 1.7%; between reactor batches it is 5%, matching very closely the apparent precision of 5.2% from replicate analyses of standards. Duplicates and standards are also monitored over periods of months to detect and correct, if necessary, any drift bias or changes in precision that might appear through time. All QA/QC procedures and checks are carried out by Tracy Armstrong, PGeo, of P&E Mining Consultants Inc, who acts as the Qualified Person for Noront on matters pertaining to assays. Currently reported data were all obtained by INAA.

Additional quality control measures have been recently adopted for Cr and Fe including the blind insertion of a certified reference material SARM 8, purchased from Mintek in South Africa, and a change from INAA to fusion X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to analyse chromite samples. For fusion XRF assays the samples are melted with borate fluxes and quenched to a glass bead, which is then irradiated with X-rays. The secondary X-ray emissions are counted and used, with reference to several calibrants, to determine the whole rock composition including the analytes and all other major oxide components of the rock. The additional compositional data would be of interest to buyers of any potential ore from the Blackbird deposits. The results of these new assays are still pending.

This press release has been reviewed and approved for dissemination by Noront's senior management including Chief Geologist Jim Mungall Ph.D., P.Geo., Exploration Manager Jim Atkinson M.Sc., P.Geo., and Chief Operating Officer John Harvey P.Eng. all being Qualified Persons under Canadian Securities guidelines.

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                                                          ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
                  
                                                     Paul A. Parisotto and Joseph A. Hamilton
                                                                  Co-Chief Executive Officers
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FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, including predictions, projections and forecasts. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including such things as future business strategy, competitive strengths, goals, expansion, growth of the Company's businesses, operations, plans and with respect to exploration results, the timing and success of exploration activities generally, permitting time lines, government regulation of exploration and mining operations, environmental risks, title disputes or claims, limitations on insurance coverage, timing and possible outcome of any pending litigation and timing and results of future resource estimates or future economic studies.

Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "planning", "planned", "expects" or "looking forward", "does not expect", "continues", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "potential", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", or "belief", or describes a "goal", or variation of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved.

Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions, including, the result of drilling and exploration activities, that contracted parties provide goods and/or services on the agreed timeframes, that equipment necessary for exploration is available as scheduled and does not incur unforeseen break downs, that no labour shortages or delays are incurred, that plant and equipment function as specified, that no unusual geological or technical problems occur, and that laboratory and other related services are available and perform as contracted. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, future events, conditions, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, prediction, projection, forecast, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the interpretation and actual results of current exploration activities; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; future prices of gold; possible variations in grade or recovery rates; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; the failure of contracted parties to perform; labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of exploration, as well as those factors disclosed in the company's publicly filed documents. Although Noront has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

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                      The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept
                      responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
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%SEDAR: 00003339E

For further information: please contact the Investor Relations Department at (416) 238-7226, or visit Noront's website at: http://www.norontresources.com