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THUNDER BAY, ON, Feb. 22 /CNW/ - PREMIER GOLD MINES LIMITED (TSX:PG) is pleased to announce that step-out drilling at depth, which includes the deepest hole ever drilled to test the North Zone horizon, has returned multiple zones of gold mineralization including the best intercept drilled to date. This drilling continues to define high-grade gold within several sub-zones of the main North Zone below the bottom level that was historically mined.

Drillhole MM092, representing the initial hole from which additional wedge holes will be drilled, and hole MM092A (the first wedge hole) have intersected multiple lenses of gold mineralization. Combined, the three zones assayed 5.37 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) across 57.1 metres (m) or 0.16 oz/ton across 187.3 feet, with sub-zone intervals that include 7.79 g/t Au (0.23 oz/ton) across 13.9 m (45.6 feet), 8.92 g/t Au (0.26 oz/ton) across 6.0 m (19.7 feet) and 7.56 g/t Au (0.22 oz/ton) across 16.0 m (52.5 feet). Hole MM092A intersected multiple zones including 7.59 g/t Au (0.22 oz/ton) across 23.3m (76.4 feet) with a higher grade interval of 11.36 g/t Au (0.33 oz/ton) across 9.4m (30.8 feet). This drilling tested the North Zone deeper and along strike from initial deep drilling that returned multiple high-grade intersections that included 39.20 g/t Au across 4.8 m, 8.41 g/t Au across 22.9 m and 10.05 g/t Au across 24.2 m, further confirming that the North Zone is wide open for expansion at depth.

The first seven holes drilled by Premier to test the down plunge potential of the mined portion of the North Zone have all intersected multiple zones of gold mineralization to 125 metres below the bottom mine level and are profiled on longitudinal section in Figure 1.

Figure 1 Results For First Seven Holes Drilled (http://files.newswire.ca/598/PremierGold_Hardrock.doc)

The North Zone was previously mined to a depth of 616 metres (2,022 feet) with production of 3 million tons at a recovered grade of 0.22 oz/ton (7.54g/t Au). The North Zone had been mined along a total plunge length of one kilometre (km) and mineralization has now been extended another 250 m along that plunge below the bottom of the McLeod Mine. For comparison, the F Zone is also open at depth and is indicated in mining and historic underground drilling for over 3.5 km along it's plunge.

Table 1 summarizes the gold intercepts in holes MM092 and 092A in addition to previously announced results from the first section drilled some 50 metres to the east

Table 1 - Detailed Results of Deep North Zone Drilling

    <<

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Hole-       UTM       Dip/              Inter-  Grade Inter- Grade

    ID      Coordinates Azimuth   From   To    val   (g/    val  (oz/   Zone

                (m)    (degrees)   (m)   (m)   (m)  tonne) (ft)   ton)

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    MM050* 5503375 E  -73/180  662.7  667.5  4.8  39.20  15.7  1.14 North A

              503714 N          ---------------------------------------------

                                 681.0  684.0  3.0   3.64   9.8  0.11   X

                                ---------------------------------------------

                                 703.9  710.8  6.9   4.03  22.6  0.12 North B

    ---------                    ---------------------------------------------

    including                    703.9  706.5  2.6   7.90   8.5  0.23 North B

                                ---------------------------------------------

                                 742.5  744.0  1.5   3.06   4.9  0.09 North D

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    MM050A* 5503375 E -73/180  651.4  654.7  3.3  18.86  10.8  0.55 North A

    (wedge    503714 N          ---------------------------------------------

     hole)                       667.5  669.8  2.3   2.58   7.5  0.08 North B

                                ---------------------------------------------

                                 737.5  739.0  1.5   3.63   4.9  0.11 North C

                                ---------------------------------------------

                                 767.5  768.5  1.0   5.46   3.3  0.16 North D

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    MM079* 5503376 E  -78/180  716.0  717.0  1.0  21.30   3.3  0.62 North A

              503714 N           ---------------------------------------------

                                 728.0  729.4  1.4   7.58   4.6  0.22 North B

                                ---------------------------------------------

                                 740.0  743.7  3.7   7.79  12.1  0.23 North C

                                ---------------------------------------------

                                 767.0  768.5  1.5   6.55   4.9  0.19 North D

                                ---------------------------------------------

                                 782.5  784.0  1.5  21.90   4.9  0.64 North E

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    MM079A* 5503376 E -78/180  676.6  699.5 22.9   8.41  75.1  0.25 North A

    (wedge     503714 N

     hole)

                                ---------------------------------------------

    including                    687.4  695.5  8.1  15.95  26.6  0.47 North A

                                ---------------------------------------------

                                 714.6  727.0 12.4   5.66  40.7  0.17 North B

                                ---------------------------------------------

                                 733.0  746.0 13.0   3.68  42.6  0.11 North C

                                ---------------------------------------------

    including                    741.7  743.2  1.5  10.70   4.9  0.31 North C

                                ---------------------------------------------

                                 759.0  760.5  1.5   5.17   4.9  0.15 North D

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    MM079B* 5503376 E -78/180  679.1  703.3 24.2  10.05  79.4  0.29 North A

    (wedge     503714 N

     hole)

                                ---------------------------------------------

    including                    679.1  681.3  2.2  39.69   7.2  1.16 North A

                                ---------------------------------------------

    including                    697.0  700.5  3.5  18.73  11.5  0.55 North A

                                ---------------------------------------------

                                 712.5  717.2  4.7   4.79  15.4  0.14 North B

                                ---------------------------------------------

                                 727.5  729.0  1.5   3.83  4.92  0.11 North C

                                ---------------------------------------------

                                 751.5  753.0  1.5   2.62  4.92  0.08 North D

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    MM092      503650 E -78/180  719.6  776.7 57.1   5.37 187.3  0.16 North

              5503375 N

                                ---------------------------------------------

    including                    719.6  733.5 13.9   7.79  45.6  0.23 North A

                                ---------------------------------------------

    including                    744.0  750.0  6.0   8.92  19.7  0.26 North B

                                ---------------------------------------------

    including                    760.7  776.7 16.0   7.56  52.5  0.22 North C

                                ---------------------------------------------

                                 783.0  784.5  1.5   7.62   4.9  0.22 North D

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    MM092A     503650 E -78/180  712.7  736.0 23.3   7.59  76.4  0.22 North A

    (wedge    5503375 N

     hole)

                                ---------------------------------------------

    including                    712.7  722.1  9.4  11.36  30.8  0.33 North A

                                ---------------------------------------------

                                 742.9  754.8 11.9   8.71  39.0  0.25 North B

                                ---------------------------------------------

    including                    742.9  748.8  5.9  13.58  19.4  0.40 North B

                                ---------------------------------------------

                                 759.5  762.0  2.5  12.52   8.2  0.37 North C

                                ---------------------------------------------

                                 770.9  774.1  3.2   8.84  10.5  0.26 North D

                                ---------------------------------------------

                                 778.0  783.0  5.0   5.13  16.4  0.15 North E

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    * Previously Released - True widths estimated at 50-70% of intersection

        widths

    >>

Four drills are currently active at Hardrock, testing both open pit and underground type targets. Several potential open pit zones have been delineated and will be included into a NI43-101 compliant resource estimate that is expected to be completed in the near future (initial open pit resource). Drilling will continue to expand the open pit zones and delineate underground-style zones of mineralization that will be included in an updated resource at the end of the 2010 drill program.

At Hardrock, significant potential exists for developing resources in several areas including:

    <<


    -   Open pit-style mineralization in the main areas, the Tenacity, EP


        (includes NN) and Kailey Zones. Significant results to-date include


        15.97g/t Au across 32.1m and 4.13g/t Au across 18.9m in the Tenacity


        Zone, 5.2g/t Au across 37.0m and 19.0g/t Au across 11.3m in the EP


        Zone, 6.4g/t Au across 22.4m and 52.9g/t Au across 7.9m in the NN


        Zone, and 1.47 g/t Au across 162.0 metres (m) and 2.16g/t Au across


        92.2m in the Kailey Zone;





    -   Underground-style mineralization in the SP Zone where drilling has


        returned numerous significant intercepts including 6.6g/t Au across


        32.6m and 9.7g/t Au across 11.8m;





    -   New high-grade, narrow-vein targets, including the HGN discovery


        where recent drilling has intersected significant visible gold with


        intercepts that include 1,141.5g/t Au (33.3 oz/ton) across 2.0m and


        49.8g/t Au across 6.0m, and potentially three new recently


        intersected zones where assays are pending; and,





    -   Historical (non NI 43-101 compliant) resource blocks that reside


        within the mine workings;





    -   Main mined zones which are open below the 600m Level as tested by


        holes MM050, MM079 and MM092.


    >>

The Hardrock Project is operated under a joint venture with Goldstone Resources Inc. (TSX:GRC) (Premier owns a 70% interest in the project). Goldstone Resources is the product of a merger between Roxmark Mines Limited, Premier's original Hardrock Project Joint Venture Partner, and Ontex Resource Limited. The Hardrock Project is host to several past-producing mines, which collectively produced nearly 3.0 Million ounces of gold primarily from shallow depths within 600 metres of surface between 1938 and 1968. The Hardrock Project benefits from development advantages with the Trans-Canada Highway, Trans-Canada Pipeline, and major power lines running through the center of the property.

Stephen McGibbon, P. Geo., is the Qualified Person for the information contained in this press release and is a Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101. Assay results are from core samples sent to Activation Laboratories, an accredited mineral analysis laboratory in Ancaster, Ontario, for preparation and analysis utilizing both fire assay and screen metallic methods.

Premier Gold Mines Limited is a well-financed Canadian-based mineral exploration and development company with several active projects and deposits in Northwestern Ontario. In the Red Lake gold mining camp, two projects are operated in joint venture with Red Lake Gold Mines, an affiliate of Goldcorp Inc., and another, adjacent to the Red Lake Gold Mines complex, is operated on a 100% basis. The company also owns a strategic project located on the main Musselwhite Gold Mine trend as well as a 70% interest in the Hardrock Project, an advanced-stage gold project in the Geraldton area.

The statements made in this Press Release may contain forward-looking statements that may involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations and projections.

%SEDAR: 00024152E