Happy Creek Announces Drilling Is Underway on the Rateria Copper Property, Highland Valley Area, B.C.

Happy Creek Minerals Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:HPY) (the "Company") is pleased to
announce that drilling has commenced on its Rateria property that adjoins the
southeast, Teck Resources Ltd's Highland Valley copper mine property. The
Highland Valley Copper mine is North America's third largest copper producer.


The 2009 diamond drilling program is planned to expand on the positive drill
results returned from Zone 1 and 2 that were first discovered by the Company
between 2006 and 2008. Results from Zone 1 include 100.0 metres grading 0.29
percent copper, 84.0 metres of 0.30 percent copper, and 10.4 metres grading 1.55
percent copper. Several holes ended in copper mineralization. Results from Zone
2 include 177.0 metres grading 0.37 percent copper including 27.0 metres grading
1.05 percent copper, 0.02 percent molybdenum, 5.0 g/t (grams per tonne) silver
and 0.24 g/t gold, as well as 153.1 metres containing 0.24 percent copper,
including 17.5 metres containing 1.12 percent copper. These two positive drill
intercepts from Zone 2 are two hundred metres apart and remain undefined and
open in extent. Drilling is planned to test for extensions of Zone 2 that occur
in a five kilometre long "corridor" defined by positive geophysical and
geological information.


The Company also announces preliminary results from the 100% owned West Valley
property that adjoins the southwest portion of Teck's Highland Valley Copper
property. Preliminary results from the 2009 geological mapping program include
the location of the new NTP zone that was exposed during recent logging road
construction. Here, two grab samples approximately 65 metres apart returned 1.7
percent copper, 0.37 g/t gold and 1.4 percent copper, 0.27 g/t gold. Other
mineralized outcrops occur up to one kilometre away including 0.80 percent
copper, 0.07 g/t gold. This new mineralized zone occurs between two other
historical copper prospects and together defines an area of interest
approximately 2 kilometres by 1.5 kilometres in dimension. Grid lines are
currently in preparation for a 3D induced polarization and magnetic geophysical
survey over this area.


The Company has assembled a 100 percent interest in over 140 square kilometres
of mineral claims within one of North America's most prolific copper mining
camps. To date Happy Creek has discovered by drilling two new zones containing
significant copper grades that remain undefined and open in extent, and
identified several other prospective targets that are also planned for drilling
this year.


The Company currently has working capital of approximately $1.7 million.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

David E Blann, P.Eng., President

David Blann, P.Eng. is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument
43-101 and is responsible for the preparation and approval of the technical
information disclosed in the news release.