Franconia Minerals Corp. has initiated a new core-drilling program at its Birch Lake copper-nickel-PGM (platinum group metals) project in the highly prospective Duluth Complex in NE Minnesota. The planned 6 month, 13 hole, 33,000ft program is designed to provide additional data to upgrade to Indicated Resources some of the existing Inferred Resources at the Birch Lake deposit – one of three underground resources identified so far at the project. In addition, this latest round of drilling is intended to expand the resource area and add additional Inferred Resources. The results from this latest round of drilling will also be used for pre-feasibility work to examine the potential of building a 20,000tn/day underground mine and production facility at the Birch Lake deposit.