Wes Hanson, Noront’s CEO states; “Our exploration team continues to extend the Eagle’s Nest deposit at depth. They have done an outstanding job in expanding this resource though challenged by drills with limited capacity; they have managed to extend the mineralization to a depth of 1,100 metres from surface. A tremendous accomplishment! Most importantly, we continue to intersect consistent mineralization, in terms of grade, with the original Eagle One resource estimate. Hole NOT-09-69A offers the potential to add between 1,000,000 and 1,500,000 tonnes of mineralization. Furthermore, work by Dr. James Mungall suggests that the Ring of Fire deposits are emplaced as a single magmatic event. If this is indeed the case, the exploration potential of the Ring of Fire is significantly enhanced. Mr. Hanson adds; At present, our exploration team is taking a well-deserved break for the holidays which will allow us to address the sample backlog that has built up these past few months. They will return mid-January with the immediate objectives of tracing the Eagle’s Nest mineralization to the 2,000-metre level and drilling the upper 1,000 metres of the deposit to a level sufficient to allow an NI-43-101 resource update. On behalf of our shareholders, I would like to thank each and every member of our exploration team for the professionalism, hard work and dedication in making McFaulds Lake a project we can all be proud of.”

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The AT12 deposit is located approximately eight kilometers northeast of the Eagle’s Nest-Blackbird complex and within two kilometers of the Company’s Thunderbird vanadium deposit. The AT12 property has a similar geophysical signature as the Eagle’s Nest, which triggered the initial drilling. The first phase of drilling was hampered by very difficult ground conditions and later the results from this program were overshadowed and delayed due to the Company’s concentrated exploration efforts at Eagle’s Nest.

As part of the comprehensive data review conducted in the fall of 2009, the drilling and borehole geophysics were reviewed and all significant holes were re-surveyed and re-logged. This has lead to a new interpretation of the emplacement and potential orientation of the mineralization. An expanded exploration program for 2010 will test the new interpretation through ground geophysics and continued drilling.

Wes Hanson, Noront’s CEO states, “Results at AT12 continue to indicate the presence of nickel-copper sulphides. Our additional drilling, coupled with down-hole geophysics and a geological review led by Dr. James Mungall, all offer the potential that a larger, higher grade deposit is situated nearby.” Mr. Hanson adds: “The seasonal break allows our field crews the opportunity to recharge and refocus while the assay backlog is eliminated. It also provides an opportunity for our geological staff to work with our geophysical consultants in evaluating the results to date and, if necessary, adjust the drill program in the new year.”

Jeremy Niemi, Noront’s Vice President, Geology notes; “Our closer look at AT12 is providing some very promising signs and prompted us to expand our efforts moving forward. The experience of logging and interpreting such an abundance of significant nickel-copper mineralization at Eagle’s Nest and Eagle Two have given us a unique perspective in the Ring of Fire. We are looking forward to placing the pieces together and unlocking this exciting development at AT12.”

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Toronto, Ontario, December 8, 2009. Noront Resources Ltd. (“Noront” or the “Company”) (TSX Venture: NOT) is pleased to report that check assays of hole 09-070-W1 at the Company’s Eagle’s Nest deposit, at the McFaulds Lake Property, confirm the impressive platinum and palladium grades originally reported on November 19, 2009. More interestingly, the high grade platinum and palladium grades triggered internal quality controls which included assaying samples with both platinum and palladium results exceeding 10.0 gpt for rhodium. Preliminary rhodium results indicate grades in excess of 2.0 grams per tonne associated with the higher-grade platinum and palladium samples. In light of the preliminary results which strongly suggest the presence of additional platinum group elements, specifically, rhodium, iridium, osmium, ruthenium and rhenium; Noront has instructed Activation Laboratories Ltd. (“Actlabs”) to immediately begin the process of assaying the entire 22.8 metre interval for additional platinum group elements.

Rhodium is a relatively rare and valuable platinum group element (pge) found in platinum ores and is commonly used to harden platinum and palladium. It is found in the nickel-copper-pge deposits of the Sudbury basin and at this stage the abundance in the Eagle’s Nest is not completely understood due to insufficient sampling. However, the Company plans to undertake a comprehensive sampling campaign and study to evaluate the significance of the rhodium and other platinum group elements throughout the entire Eagle’s Nest deposit.

The first step in developing an understanding of the significance of the platinum group elements at Eagle’s Nest will be a complete resampling of the entire mineralized interval in hole NOT-09-070-W1 for the additional platinum group elements including rhodium, iridium, osmium, ruthenium and rhenium. The Company anticipates this analysis to be completed in the coming weeks and results will be reported when available.

Drilling results continue to expand the size of the Eagle’s Nest deposit and have definitively filled in all remaining gaps along the vertical length defining the mineralization to depth to below 1,000 metres. Hole NOT-09-068-W1 was targeted to fill in the gap between the B and C lenses at Eagle’s Nest. In addition hole NOT-09-070-W1 intersected very significant massive mineralization including the highest platinum grades encountered to date at Eagle’s Nest. The massive sulphide zone is taking shape and is close to being defined along the down dip length of the deposit.

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Wes Hanson, Noront’s CEO states; “We continue to aggressively expand the resource potential at Eagle’s Nest. We strongly believe that we have delivered on our stated target of tripling the Eagle One resource. Our drilling has established that the Eagle’s Nest deposit is continuous from surface to depths below 1,000 meters and the mineralization over most of that distance remains open along strike as well as at depth. Our geological team currently estimates between 10 and 15 million tonnes of mineralized material at Eagle’s Nest averaging approximately 2.0% nickel, 1.0% copper, 1-2 grams per tonne platinum and 3-5 grams per tonne palladium, consistent with the grades estimated in the existing 43-101 Resource Estimate for Eagle One. More importantly, the geometry of the deposit is ideally suited for underground mining which eliminates the need for expensive dikes and surface dewatering systems inherent to any open pit mining in this region of Canada.” Mr. Hanson further stated; “We will be inviting qualified, independent engineering firms to bid on updating the Eagle’s Nest resource estimate and plan to award this work by January, 2010.”

Source: all from December 09 press releases

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