Focus Announces Remaining Chúcara Drill Results

VANCOUVER, March 15 /PRNewswire/ - Focus Ventures Ltd. (TSX-V: FCV) has received the remaining assay results from 5 diamond drill holes (1,780m) completed at the Chúcara property.  Three holes were drilled in the northern area, and two holes were drilled in the southern area.  

The holes in the northern area cut the down dip extension of the Conzuso, Maria and Wenses veins where expected below the historic underground production stopes, demonstrating the continuity of the veins to depth.  Consuzo was cut 135m below the old workings; Maria was cut 225m below the workings and the Wences 320m below the old stopes.  Also, a series of previously unknown veins was cut between the principal veins demonstrating that the northern zone is in reality a swarm of mineralized veins.  

In the southern part of the area holes DDH-CHUC-004 & 5 were drilled on top of the ridge spaced 360m apart to test underneath the system of shallowly dipping, quartz - semi-massive sulphide veins exposed by informal miners.  The holes were drilled steeply to the south to intersect the low angle veins at the best core angle possible across the stratigraphy. These holes cut only a few narrow quartz + semi-massive sulphide veins within a sequence of black foliated sandstones.  

General Comments  

The drilling in the northern area confirmed that the past-producing veins continue deep underneath the old stopes with similar grades to those mined historically and also intersected new veins.

In the southern area the drilling was disappointing and did not intersect any significant mineralized intercepts, demonstrating that the low-angle, parallel veins exposed by the informal workings have poor continuity and are most likely displaced due to post-mineral deformation. Other conceptual targets such as deeper geophysical and structural targets in the northern area were not proved in the drilling.

Given these results the Company considers that the potential size of the project to support the original target of a 1,000 tpd mining operation to be reduced considerably.  No further work is justified and the property will be relinquished.

Table of Significant Drill Intercepts

* Previously reported (see Press Release January 11, 2011)

Sampling Quality Analysis and Quality Control

The drill program, including logging, drill core sampling and QA/QC was supervised by Mark Slauenwhite P.Geo., Focus's Vice President of Exploration. Core was first split in half using a diamond core splitter and then logged, and each box photographed prior to sampling.  Half-core samples were bagged, security-sealed and transported by Focus personnel to ALS Chemex laboratories in Lima for analysis.  Gold was assayed by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry with fire assay gravimetric finish.  Silver was determined by multi-acid digestion and ICP-AES, with fire assay gravimetric finish.  ALS Chemex's quality control system complies with International Standards ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 17025:2005. Analytical accuracy and precision are monitored by the analysis of reagent blanks, reference material and replicate samples.  Quality control is further assured by Focus's own QA/QC program which involves the insertion by Focus personnel of blind certified standards and blanks into the sample stream at regular intervals in order to independently assess analytical precision and accuracy of each batch of samples as they are received from the laboratory.  Finally, representative sample pulps are forwarded to an ISO-compliant third party laboratory for additional quality control.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information in this release was prepared under the supervision of Mr. David Cass, Focus's President, who is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia, and a "Qualified Person" in accordance with NI 43-101.

About Focus Ventures

Focus Ventures is acquiring advanced, drill-ready projects in Peru.  Backed by an experienced technical team of geologists and consultants, Focus's strategy is to identify and acquire former producing mines or un-tested gold and silver properties that show potential to become new mines. 

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

     "David Cass"
David Cass, President

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statement
Some of the statements in this news release contain forward-looking information that involves inherent risk and uncertainty affecting the business of Focus Ventures Ltd.  Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statement.

SOURCE Focus Ventures Ltd.