THUNDER BAY – Business – Premier Gold Mines Inc (TSX:PG) have announced that Richard Harrisson has been retained as Director of Mining and will aid the advancement of the Company’s project pipeline. Richard brings to Premier over 14 years of experience in mine development and production.

Mr. Harrison was most recently Engineering Superintendent for Agnico Eagle Mines Limited and obtained his Bachelor of Mining and Mineral Engineering Degree from Laval University. While at Agnico, Richard occupied various positions on several projects, most notably as Project Evaluation Engineer on the Company’s Corporate Development Team, and most recently as Engineering Superintendent for the Goldex Mine. Prior to Agnico, Richard worked with Xtrata Zinc at their Brunswick Mine ending his career there as Senior Ground Control Engineer. In his new position, Richard will work on evaluating and advancing Premier Gold’s projects with the initial focus being the economic evaluation of the Trans-Canada Project, culminating in a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA).

Gold Mining in Northwestern Ontario 

“Premier continues to attract and build an industry best team to further its suite of high quality projects” stated Ewan Downie, President and Chief Executive Officer of Premier. “Richard’s exceptional mining and development experience as well as his history of working with our current team further solidifies Premier’s ability to advance its projects and transfer from an exploration to a development company”.

2013 will see more than $30 million spent on exploration and development on three projects, the most aggressive budget in corporate history. Continued drilling and preliminary mine modeling concepts for the Brookbank and Hardrock deposits are being worked in advance of a planned PEA that is expected to be completed in Q3. Expansion and delineation drilling is being completed at the Cove Gold Project in Nevada with an initial mineral resource estimate expected in late 2013. In Red Lake an accelerated underground drill program from the haulage drift development that has been excavated through the Rahill-Bonanza joint venture project is underway with initial results expected in the near future.