Premier Hardrock Drilling continues to intersect high grade gold 7.6g/t Au across 20.5 metres within the EP Zone open pit target

    Shares Issued:  78,065,179

    THUNDER BAY, ON, April 22 /CNW/ - PREMIER GOLD MINES LIMITED (TSX:PG) is
pleased to announce additional high grade results from ongoing open pit
delineation drilling at the Hardrock Project in Geraldton, Northwestern
Ontario. Drilling into the South Limb of the highly prospective EP-Zone
continues to outline high grade open pit-style mineralization with new
intersections that include 7.60 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) across 20.5
metres (m) in hole EP44, 11.96 g/t Au across 4.8m in hole EP39 and 3.02g/t Au
across 18.1m in hole EP042.

    Drilling at the EP-Zone target continues to expand near surface (open
pit-style) mineralization within several parallel horizons. The new results
compliment previously announced intersections within the North Limb that
included 4.56 g/t Au across 24.5m in hole EP029, 3.04 g/t Au across 31.3m in
hole EP031, 2.63 g/t Au across 43.5m in hole EP032, and 2.37 g/t Au across
62.7m in hole EP026, suggesting strong tonnage potential as drilling
progresses into the heart of the EP-Zone.

    The following table summarizes recent results from drilling at the
EP-Zone. Please note that holes EP037-043 all intersected historically mined
stopes prior to completely testing the horizon:

    <<
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
             UTM
            Coord-     Dip/                         Inter- Grade Inter- Grade
            inates   Azimuth                From-To    val   (g/    val  (oz/
    Hole-ID   (m)   (degrees)  EP-Zone         (m)     (m) tonne)  (ft)  ton)
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
           504900 E         South Limb
    EP037 5503072 N -45/360 (EOH - 93.5m)    88.7-92.5  3.8  1.18  12.5  0.03
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            South Limb C     15.0-17.5  2.5  2.50   8.2  0.07
                                                       ----------------------
           504900 E         South Limb B     58.6-64.2  5.6  1.06  18.4  0.03
    EP038 5503053 N -45/360                            ----------------------
                            South Limb
                            (EOH - 108.5m)  99.0-106.0  7.0  0.95  23.0  0.03
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            South Limb C     12.4-17.2  4.8 11.96  15.7  0.35
           504900 E                                    ----------------------
    EP039 5503053 N -60/360 South Limb B     53.5-60.5  7.0  1.46  23.0  0.04
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
           504851 E         South Limb
    EP040 5503074 N -45/360 (EOH - 58.8m)    57.0-58.8  1.8  4.80   5.9  0.14
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            South Limb       67.0-87.7 20.7  1.34  67.9  0.04
                                                       ----------------------
           504851 E         South Limb      94.5-102.0  7.5  1.53  24.6  0.04
    EP041 5503052 N -45/360                            ----------------------
                            North Limb
                            (EOH - 117.5m) 112.5-117.5  5.0  1.33  16.4  0.04
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            South Limb B     59.7-74.0 14.3  2.56  46.9  0.07
                                                       ----------------------
           504851 E         South Limb      95.7-113.8 18.1  3.02  59.4  0.09
    EP042 5503052 N -60/360                            ----------------------
                            South Limb
                            (EOH - 144.5m) 128.4-144.5 16.1  1.39  52.8  0.04
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            South Limb C     38.8-54.1 15.3  1.38  50.2  0.04
                                                       ----------------------
                            South Limb B    91.5-110.7 19.2  1.03  63.0  0.03
           504852 E                                    ----------------------
    EP043 5503027 N -60/360 South Limb B   134.0-140.0  6.0  1.44  19.7  0.04
                                                       ----------------------
                            South Limb
                            (EOH - 181.2m) 162.6-177.7 15.1  1.72  49.5  0.05
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            South Limb       57.0-77.5 20.5  7.60  67.2  0.22
                                                       ----------------------
           504811 E         South Limb      95.5-100.5  5.0  7.52  16.4  0.22
    EP044 5503081 N -45/360                            ----------------------
                            North Limb     111.0-147.8 36.8  1.05 120.7  0.03
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            South Limb       89.9-95.0  5.1 10.66  16.7  0.31
           504811 E                                    ----------------------
    EP045 5503054 N -45/360 South Limb     123.5-135.3 11.8  5.42  38.7  0.16
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (*) True widths estimated at approximately 70% of intersection width
    >>

    The EP-Zone is comprised of near-surface mineralization proximal to the
historic North Zone mine workings from which nearly one million ounces of gold
was produced to a depth of 2,000 feet. Drilling has identified multiple
sub-zones within the iron formation-hosted South (SL) and North (NL) Limbs of
the EP target. Significant mineralization has been intersected over a strike
length of more than 500 metres, to depths of up to 150 metres, and remains
open in all directions.
    "Drilling at the EP and Tenacity Zones continue to return spectacular
results, with both horizons having open pit and underground resource
potential", stated Ewan Downie, President of Premier. "We regard results to
date as meeting or exceeding our initial expectations for these target areas".
    The current program at Hardrock is expected to consist of more than
50,000 metres of definition and exploration drilling. The Project is operated
under a joint venture with Roxmark Mines Limited (TSX-V:RMK) (Premier earning
a 70% interest). The Hardrock Project is host to several past-producing mines
which collectively produced more than 2.0 Million ounces of gold from the same
deposits to shallow depths of some 2000 feet (600 metres) from 1938-1968. The
mined zones remained open at depth at the time mining ceased and developed
historical resources were left in place within the existing mine workings (a
qualified person has not done sufficient work to verify the historical
resource, the company is not treating the historical resource as a current
resource and the historical resource should not be relied upon). Importantly,
the Hardrock Project has the potential for defining several styles of
mineralization capable of hosting resources, with grades and widths similar to
many of Ontario's major gold mines including:

    <<
    1)  Open pit-style mineralization with grades exceeding 1.5 g/t Au
        (Timmins, Hemlo)
    2)  Broad zones of mineralization with grades averaging 5.0+ g/t Au
        (Musselwhite)
    3)  Narrow vein zones with higher gold grades often exceeding 7.0g/t (Red
        Lake, Pickle Lake)
    >>

    Initial drilling is focusing on delineating both open pit and underground
resources so that a NI43-101 compliant resource calculation can be completed
in Q4 2009, with the goal of defining a multi-million ounce gold resource that
can be moved quickly towards development (See references to historical
resources above.). The Project offers development advantages with the
Trans-Canada Highway, Trans-Canada Pipeline, and major power lines running
through, or located proximal to, the property. Significant potential exists
for developing resources in several areas including: 1) Open pit-style
mineralization at the site of the original discovery where a resource
containing several hundred thousand ounces of gold was partially drilled off
by previous operators; 2) Several newer high-grade discoveries have been made
throughout this large property package that have received little to no
follow-up; 3) Resource blocks reported to remain within the mine workings;
and, 4) The main mined zones which remain open below the 600m level.
    Stephen McGibbon, P. Geo., is the Qualified Person for the information
contained in this press release and is a Qualified Person within the meaning
of National Instrument 43-101. The assay results presented are from core
samples sent to Activation Laboratories, an accredited mineral analysis
laboratory in Thunder Bay, Ontario, for preparation and analysis utilizing
both fire assay and screen metallic methods.