Minera Andes announces drilling commences at Los Azules copper project

TSX: MAI NASD-OTCBB: MNEAF

    SPOKANE, WA, Dec. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Minera Andes Inc. (TSX:
 MAI; US OTC: MNEAF) is pleased to report a planned 10,000 meter, 24 hole
 drilling program has commenced on the Los Azules porphyry copper project as
 part of the 2007-2008 exploration program. The exploration program at Los
 Azules is designed to define an inferred resource and provide sufficiently
 detailed engineering and technical information to allow the completion of
 an economic scoping study (a Preliminary Assessment as defined by NI
 43-101) of the property by mid next year.
 
     Minera Andes is advancing the Los Azules project under an option
 agreement (see news release dated November 14, 2007) with Xstrata Copper,
 one of the commodity business units within Xstrata plc (London Stock
 Exchange: XTA.L and Zurich Stock Exchange: XTRZn.S). The scope and size
 potential of the project increased dramatically in 2006 when Minera Andes
 drilling discovered a near surface high-grade area of copper mineralization
 when AZ-06-19 encountered 221 meters of mineralization averaging 1.62
 percent copper that was 200 meters from hole AZ-06-20 containing 173 meters
 of 1.00 percent copper. Drilling in several holes ended in copper
 mineralization, including two holes that bottomed in high-grade copper over
 1 percent. This field season an aggressive program is designed to define
 the size and scope of the entire Los Azules copper target.
 
     Allen Ambrose, president of Minera Andes said, "Over the past few field
 seasons the drilling at Los Azules has discovered new high-grade copper
 mineralization as we gain an understanding of this exciting project. Los
 Azules is evolving as a sizeable porphyry copper target, with a high-grade
 near-surface copper discovery at its core that is still open at depth."
 
     During the last few years more than half the drilling to define a
 copper resource has been completed and drilling will continue this field
 season over the known area of leachable (chalcocite) and sulfide
 (chalcopyrite) copper mineralization as currently defined. The area to be
 drilled covers approximately 2.5 kilometers by 0.9 kilometers within the
 enriched copper target currently identified at Los Azules that is about 3.3
 kilometers long and 0.9 kilometers wide. Holes will be drilled at a nominal
 grid spacing of 200 meters east-west and 400 meters north-south. Where
 needed fill in holes will be drilled on the 200 meter north-south grid
 lines.
 
     Drilling has commenced on the northern half of the mineralized copper
 target and will also include infill drilling on the southern half of the
 target. The holes will be drilled to a depth of approximately 350 meters.
 This drilling will test a known area of leachable (chalcocite) and sulfide
 (chalcopyrite) copper mineralization currently defined by 26 drill holes.
 
     Consultants and an independent engineering firm have been retained to
 monitor the program and prepare the NI 43-101 resource estimate and
 Preliminary Assessment report. The fieldwork during the upcoming field
 season will be managed by Minera Andes' technical staff with the assistance
 of Nivaldo Rojas and Associates.
 
     All results have been reviewed by Brian Gavin, Minera Andes' vice
 president of exploration, an appropriately qualified person as defined by
 National Instrument 43-101. All samples were collected in accordance with
 industry standards. Splits from the drill core samples were submitted to
 Alex Stewart Assayers, Argentina, S.A., in Mendoza, Argentina, for sample
 pulp preparation and to ALS Chemex Laboratories, Mendoza, during the 2004
 field season and to ACME Analytical Laboratories, Mendoza, during the 2006
 and 2007 field seasons, for fire assay and ICP analysis. Accuracy of
 results is tested through the systematic inclusion of standards, blanks and
 check assays and by reanalysis of 10% of samples at the Alex Stewart
 Assayers, Argentina, S.A. lab in Mendoza Argentina.
 
     In another matter a new Technical Report by our independent consultants
 AMEC entitled "San Jose Property San Cruz Province, Argentina NI 43-101
 Technical Report", and summarized in our November 26, 2007 news release has
 been filed at www.sedar.com in Canada in accordance with National
 Instrument 43-101.
 
     Minera Andes is a gold, silver and copper exploration company working
 in Argentina. The Corporation holds about 410,000 acres of mineral
 exploration land in Argentina including the 49% owned San Jose silver/gold
 mine that has started production. As discussed above, Minera Andes is
 exploring the Los Azules copper project in San Juan province, where an
 exploration program is underway to define a resource. Other exploration
 properties, primarily silver and gold, are being evaluated in southern
 Argentina. The Corporation presently has 166,997,517 shares issued and
 outstanding.
 
     This news is submitted by Allen V. Ambrose, president and director of
 Minera Andes Inc.
 
     Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements:
 
     This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements",
 including, but not limited to, the statements regarding the Company's
 strategic plans, evolution of mineral resources and reserves, work
 programs, development plans and exploration budgets. The forward-looking
 statements express, as at the date of this press release, the Company's
 plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations or beliefs as to
 future events and results. Forward-looking statements involve a number of
 risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that such statements
 will prove to be accurate. Therefore, actual results and future events
 could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Risks
 and uncertainties that could cause results or future events to differ
 materially from current expectations expressed or implied by the
 forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, factors
 associated with fluctuations in the market price of base metals, mining
 industry risks, risks associated with foreign operations, the state of the
 capital markets, environmental risks and hazards, uncertainty as to
 calculation of mineral reserves, and other risks. Reference is made to the
 risk factors and uncertainties described in the Company's continuous
 disclosure record, a copy of which is available under the Company's profile
 at www.sedar.com.
 
     Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors:
 
     The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC")
 permits mining companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only
 those mineral deposits with "mineral reserves" that a company can
 economically and legally extract or produce. We use certain terms in this
 press release, such as "mineral resources", that the SEC guidelines
 strictly prohibit us from including in our filings with the SEC.
 
     CONTACT: Art Johnson at the Spokane office, or Krister A. Kottmeier,
 investor relations - Canada, at the Vancouver office. Visit our Web site:
 www.minandes.com. Spokane Office: 111 East Magnesium Road, Ste. A, Spokane,
 WA, 99208, USA, Phone: (509) 921-7322, E-mail: info@minandes.com; Vancouver
 Office: 911-470 Granville Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6C 1V5, Phone: (604)
 689-7017, (877) 689-7018, E-mail: ircanada@minandes.com
 
 
 

SOURCE Minera Andes Inc.