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Imperial Metals Corporation: Imperial Reports Red Chris 2008 Drill Results

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Feb. 18, 2009) - Imperial Metals Corporation (TSX:III) reports results from the initial phase of the follow-up drill program designed to explore the depth extent of the Red Chris copper/gold deposit in northwest British Columbia. Three holes totaling 2,220 metres have so far been drilled in the East zone to follow up on 2007 drill hole 07-335 which returned 1,024.1 metres grading 1.01% copper, 1.26 g/t gold and 3.92 g/t silver.

Drilling to depth has been difficult and only hole RC08-343 was successful in penetrating into the target area below previously known mineralization. RC08-343 was collared approximately 165 metres to the northwest of 07-335 in an area known from previous drilling to be barren near surface. Drill hole RC08-343 intersected the mineralized zone at 840.3 metres, returning 362.2 metres grading 0.40% copper, 0.53 g/t gold and 1.27 g/t silver, including a 97.5 metre interval of 0.63% copper, 0.96 g/t gold and 1.89 g/t silver. A snapped drill rod resulted in the hole not reaching the target depth of 1,500 metres, however the hole was drilled into an area well to the north of the core mineralization of the East zone and is intended to act as a stem hole which can be used to spur off navigational drill holes which will cut across the deeper portions of the mineralization. The 1,273.2 metre final depth will serve that purpose.

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Drill Total Interval Interval Interval Copper Gold Silver
Hole # Zone Length (m) from (m) To (m) Length (m) % g/t g/t
RC08-341 East 435.0 82.5 435.0 352.5 0.68 0.64 2.65
RC08-342 East 511.8 107.5 511.8 404.3 0.55 0.48 3.72
 175.0 270.0 95.0 1.03 0.87 8.13
 460.0 511.8 51.8 0.60 0.58 4.30
RD08-343 East 1273.2 840.3 1202.5 362.2 0.40 0.53 1.27
 842.5 940.0 97.5 0.63 0.96 1.89
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Drill holes RC08-341 and RC08-342 were collared about 90 metres to the east of 07-335 and returned excellent grades over the entire length drilled but were lost prior to reaching their target depth of 1,500 metres due to drilling difficulty. Further drilling is planned for 2009.

Steve Robertson, PGeo. is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 for the exploration program at Red Chris. Samples for the diamond drilling reported at Red Chris were analyzed at Acme Analytical Laboratories in Vancouver. A full QA/QC program using blanks, standards and duplicates was maintained for all samples submitted to the labs. The deeper portion of the Red Chris porphyry mineralization is in the early stage of exploration and may be irregular in shape so true thicknesses have not been estimated. A section, drill plan map, and drill assay table will be available on Imperial's website.

The Red Chris property in northern British Columbia is situated 18 kilometres southeast of the village of Iskut. Access to the property from pavement at Highway 37 is six kilometres along the Ealue Lake Road, and 17 kilometres along the newly constructed Red Chris access road.

Imperial is a mine development and operating company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Company's key properties are the Mount Polley open pit copper/gold producing mine in central British Columbia, the Huckleberry open pit copper/molybdenum producing mine in northern British Columbia, the development stage Red Chris property in northwest British Columbia, and the exploration stage Sterling gold property in southwest Nevada.