Far West hits copper at Candelaria (July 25, 2005)

Vancouver – Drilling by Far West Mining (FWM-V) on its Candelaria project, near Copiapo in northern Chile, has cut significant copper intercepts.

Testing of the 4a3 target in the Santo Domingo project intersected a mantos, or feeder zone, hosting IOCG (iron-oxide copper-gold) style mineralization. RC drill hole 22 cut 56 metres (from 14 metres depth) grading 0.8% copper, including 14 metres averaging 1.3% copper.

Mineralization exhibits a stacked manto-style, including a deeper intercept of 22 metres (from 186 metres depth) grading 0.7% copper.

Hole 22 was spotted about 2.5 km southeast of the main east-west Santo Domingo fault in an area now called Santo Domingo Sur. Five other RC holes in the area, during the latest 6,000-metre program, intersected numerous 20-150 metres intercepts averaging 0.7-1.1% copper.

Target 4a3 is a 10-square-km anomaly identified through a Falcon airborne gravity-gradiometric-magnetic survey.

The company recently completed its 100% earn-in on the Candelaria project, including the 4a Target area, from BHP Billiton (BHP-N) that elected not to contribute to continued exploration. The major now holds a 2% net smelter return.

Far West initially entered into the agreement with BHP Billiton in 2002-03 to explore for IOCG deposits in northern Chile’s Candelaria Copper Belt (Chilean Iron Belt). Utilization of BHP Billiton’s proprietary Falcon airborne system identified numerous targets for follow-up exploration and drilling.

After being halted for almost three weeks, Far West gained 80, or 67%, to close at $2.00 per share on volume of 800,000 upon being brought back to trade.