Red Chris Mineral Resource Increased  

VANCOUVER, BC - Imperial Metals Corporation ecently completed mineral resource estimate taking into account the 22 holes drilled by Imperial since its acquisition of the Red Chris copper/gold project in northwest British Columbia has added 1.29 billion pounds copper and 2.73 million ounces gold to measured and indicated resources, and 1.37 billion pounds copper and 2.54 million ounces gold to the inferred resources, at a 0.3% copper cut-off grade. Metallurgical testwork has confirmed improved metal recoveries at depth from the higher gold and copper grades found there.

At the 0.3% copper cut-off grade used for comparative purposes, the revised resource estimate represents a 31% tonnage increase in the measured and indicated category and an 89% tonnage increase in the inferred category over the previous 2005 resource estimate. The copper and gold grades in the measured and indicated category at the 0.3% copper cut-off grade are also significantly higher, with copper grades increasing from 0.46% to 0.54%, and gold grades increasing from 0.37 to 0.55 grams per tonne. The higher grades discovered in the deeper drilling of the East zone have yielded an even more dramatic increase in the resource at higher cut-off grades. The measured and indicated resource at a 0.6% copper cut-off grade increased from 35.1 million tonnes grading 0.82% copper and 0.72 g/t gold to 86.96 million tonnes grading 0.88% copper and 1.11 g/t gold, representing a 148% increase in tonnage, a 7% increase in copper grade and a 55% increase in gold grade. The key metal and mineralogy changes observed at depth are increased gold and copper grades, increased the gold to copper ratio, increased distribution and occurrence of bornite, and reduced pyrite content. The company's address is 200 - 580 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 3B6, 604.669.8959, fax: 604.687.4030.