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VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Oct. 15, 2009) - Imperial Metals Corporation (TSX:III) reports on a recently completed underground diamond drilling program that extends the 144 zone gold mineralization. The 144 zone has been extended to the north, west and south, and high grade gold mineralization has been discovered in the latite dike that divides the 144 zone from its east extension.

In advance of drilling, the north drift of the 144 zone decline was extended by 187 feet, and a new drill station was excavated at its face. A total of nine holes were drilled from this station, and were designed to test the northern extent of the 144 zone.

Drill hole SU09-59 terminated in a 4.5 foot interval grading 0.293 ounces per ton gold within a 49.5 foot interval returning 0.066 ounces per ton gold. Technical problems prevented further extension of this hole into the high grade section. Holes SU09-56, 57, 67 and 79 were drilled into the same area and all encountered intervals of gold mineralization greater than 0.100 ounces per ton over widths between 3-15 feet. These were all contained within wider lower grade intervals of gold mineralization. SU09-79 is representative of the north extension, having encountered 0.111 ounces per ton gold over 10 feet, 0.113 ounces per ton gold over 15 feet and 0.042 ounces per ton gold over 60 feet within a larger 185 foot interval returning 0.042 ounces per ton gold.

These results extend the 144 zone approximately 300 feet to the north. Gold mineralization within the north extension is not controlled by the usual Bonanza King/Carrara contact but occurs within a high-angled east-west fault zone which also defines the southern boundary of the overlying Sterling ore bodies. There is insufficient drilling in the gold mineralization hosted in the fault zone to estimate true widths.

Drill holes SU09-71, 80, 81 and 82 were drilled through the latite dike in order to test its suitability as a gold mineralization host. SU09-71 intersected gold mineralization of 1.206 ounces per ton gold over 5.5 feet on a previously untested section of the dike's western margin. Continuing through the dike, it encountered hydrothermally altered dike grading 0.491 ounces per ton gold over 6.5 feet. The entire width of the dike was determined to be continuously mineralized at 0.086 ounces per ton gold over 90 feet. Holes SU09-80, 81 and 82 all encountered continuous gold mineralization within the latite dike, and high grade gold mineralization typical of the main 144 zone when drilled into the core of the deposit. SU09-81 returned the best results grading 1.438 ounces per ton gold over 5 feet within a 130 foot zone returning 0.214 ounces per ton gold.

Four holes tested the western margin of the 144 zone, SU09-68, 74, 76 and 78. These holes confirm the gold mineralization potential of the western margin of the 144 zone. The best of these was SU09-74 which encountered two separate mineralized zones returning 0.116 ounces per ton gold over 11 feet and 0.107 ounces per ton gold over 16 feet. These occurred within a longer continuously mineralized zone returning 0.062 ounces per ton gold over 101.5 feet.

Five drill holes, SU09-69, 70, 72, 73 and 77, were drilled beyond the known southern limit of the 144 zone and all encountered gold mineralized breccias outside of the previously known extent of the 144 zone. SU09-69, drilled to the southwest of the 144 zone, returned 0.187 ounces per ton gold over 5 feet within a 56.5 foot interval grading 0.064 ounces per ton gold. SU09-70, drilled to the southeast of the main 144 zone, returned 0.243 ounces per ton gold over 10 feet within an 80 foot interval returning 0.089 ounces per ton gold.

Collectively these results add significantly to the size of the 144 zone. Extension of the underground drifts is currently underway to enable further testing of the edges of the gold mineralization with exploration drilling. A north-south and east-west cross section map will be available on Imperial's website.

The results of this drill program will be incorporated into the geologic model of the 144 zone and then the gold resource estimate will be updated, followed by a study to investigate whether the resource is sufficient to reopen the Sterling gold mine.

Patrick McAndless, P.Geo. is the designated Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 for the exploration program. The current samples were analyzed by Florin Analytical Services LLC, of Reno, Nevada. The wholly owned Sterling property is located near the town of Beatty, Nevada, about 115 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

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 development stage Sterling gold property in southwest Nevada.