Vancouver, Canada and Lima, Peru, February 4, 2010 – Rio Cristal Resources Corp. (“RCZ”) (“the Company”) is pleased to announce that AMEC, an internationally recognized engineering firm, has completed a NI 43-101 report (“the Technical Report”) for the Company’s Charlotte Bongará zinc project (“the Property”) in Peru.  AMEC prepared a previous report for the project in 2007.

Thomas Findley, President and CEO, said “The updated technical report from AMEC, which includes data from our first drilling campaign, confirms our belief that significant potential exists to find both zinc oxide and zinc sulfide mineralization at our Charlotte Bongará project.”

Results from the campaign included hole CR 11-08 intersecting 8.59 m of oxide mineralization grading 22.73% Zn, starting at a depth of 9.63 m below surface and CR 03-08 intersecting 4 m of oxide mineralization grading 23.66% Zn, starting at a depth of 56.1 m at the Esperanza Occurrence.

The AMEC report describes mapping, sampling and diamond drilling on the Property which indicates that at least two main mineral exploration targets exist:

1. Supergene oxide zinc mineralization overprinting MVT-style zinc-lead mineralization has been defined at the Cristal Prospect on the Charlotte-Bongará Property. The oxide mineralization is similar to that mined at Mina Grande on the adjacent Bongará property. Significant potential exists to discover more oxide zinc mineralization in Condorsinga Formation sediments at the Cristal Prospect and elsewhere in other Formations and on other parts of the property.

2. The report goes on to say that primary MVT-style zinc lead mineralization and anomalous zinc values have been encountered in stream sediment and soil geochemical samples at the Quebrada Seca, Cristal, Alto Cristal and Florida areas. These areas indicate significant potential exists to find sulphide MVT-style mineralization in the Chambará and Aramachay formations.

A two phase exploration program with a budget of approximately $2.5 million is recommended by the AMEC report. The phases would be independent and thus could be completed in tandem.  Phase 1 would include mineral resource delineation and estimation for the zinc oxide mineralization at the Cristal Prospect with detailed trenching and drilling to better define the oxide mineralization encountered in the 2008 drill program. Phase 2 would include regional target development for large sulphide and oxide deposits based on the MVT model and guided by regional stratigraphic and structural interpretation, reconnaissance mapping and prospecting.

The Charlotte Bongará concessions are adjacent to the Florida Canyon advanced exploration project (Votorantim Metais and Solitario Exploration & Royalty Corp.) that has reported high-grade zinc-lead-silver drill intercepts and recently announced road and tunnel construction to access defined zinc ore bodies within the concessions.   The Company’s project is also adjacent to the Mina Grande high-grade zinc oxide deposit controlled by Cementos Pacasmayo S.A. where production from zinc oxides was halted in 2008 due to low zinc prices.

The Company’s Charlotte Bongará project is located in the Amazonas Department in north-eastern Peru and includes 26 contiguous claims totalling 18,413 hectares.  The Property contains several Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) zinc-lead prospects that are at an early stage of exploration.  The prospects include the Charlita Norte, Charlita El Aguile, Juanita, Yolanda, Esperanza, Nenita, Lupita, Marita, Kenita, Erika, and Anita occurrences in the Cristal Area and exploration targets in the Alto Cristal, Quebrada Seca, San Jose and Florida areas. 

Christopher Wright P.Geo. served as the Qualified Person responsible for the preparation of the AMEC Technical Report as defined in National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and in compliance with Form 43 101F1 (the Technical Report).

About Rio Cristal Resources Corporation
Rio Cristal Resources is a Canadian corporation focused on the discovery and development of zinc, gold and copper mineral deposits in Peru. In addition to the Charlotte Bongará property, the Company also controls the 2,543 hectare Condor gold-silver-base metals prospect located approximately 375 km south of Lima, Peru.  Additional information can be found on the Company’s website, www.riocristalresources.com.

For further information please contact the Company at:

Telephone: (778) 588-6880
Toll Free:    (866) 609-9644