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Shares Listed: Toronto Stock Exchange - Ticker Symbol - ARZ

NYSE Amex - Ticker Symbol - AZK

U.S. Registration: (File 001-31893)

News Release Issue No. 9 - 2011


VANCOUVER, April 8 /CNW/ - Aurizon Mines Ltd. (TSX: ARZ) (NYSE Amex:
AZK) announces its operating results for the first quarter of 2011.
Aurizon plans to release its first quarter 2011 financial results on or
about May 12, 2011, and will hold a conference call to discuss the
results. Details of the call, including times and contact numbers, will
be announced closer to the date.


Gold production from the Casa Berardi mine in the first quarter of 2011
totalled 31,976 ounces, 12% lower than budget and 9% lower than the
first quarter 2010 production of 35,188 ounces. Ore processed in the
first quarter 2011 amounted to 161,036 tonnes at an average grade of
6.9 grams of gold per tonne. Metallurgical recoveries were 90.2%.


Changes to the mining sequence were required in the first quarter of
2011 due to mining conditions in the eastern sector of Zone 113. This
impacted both ore throughput and ore grades. As the gold grade of the
individual stopes at Casa Berardi varies from 5 grams per tonne up to
12 grams per tonne or higher, a delay in the extraction of a high grade
stope can impact quarterly results but is not expected to impact
results for the year. Additionally, underground mining equipment
downtime impacted productivities. The 2011 capital budget provided for
equipment replacements, which are scheduled to be delivered over the
course of the year.


Accordingly, the Company expects first quarter total cash costs to be
significantly higher than the forecast for 2011 of US$495 per
ounce. The mine plan for 2011 had projected that the first quarter
would be the weakest in terms of throughput, grade and ounces
produced. The 2011 plan also anticipates higher ore throughput for the
balance of the year and higher ore grades in the second half of the
year. Total cash costs per ounce should decrease significantly as the
year progresses.


Based upon first quarter results and a review of the mine plan for the
balance of the year, the Company now expects gold production for 2011
to be approximately 165,000 ounces compared to the previously announced
guidance of 165,000 to 170,000 ounces.


During the first quarter of 2011, Aurizon sold 34,305 ounces of gold at
an average price of US$1,392 per ounce for revenues of $46.9 million.


About Aurizon


Aurizon is a gold producer with a growth strategy focused on developing
its existing projects in the Abitibi region of north-western Quebec,
one of the world's most favourable mining jurisdictions and prolific
gold and base metal regions, and by increasing its asset base through
accretive transactions. Aurizon shares trade on the Toronto Stock
Exchange under the symbol "ARZ" and on the NYSE Amex under the symbol
"AZK". Additional information on Aurizon and its properties is
available on Aurizon's website

Non GAAP Information


Total cash costs per ounce of gold


Aurizon has included a non-GAAP performance measure of total cash costs
per ounce of gold in this release. Aurizon reports total cash costs on
a sales basis. In the gold mining industry, this is a common
performance measure but does not have any standardized meaning, and is
a non-GAAP measure. The Company believes that, in addition to
conventional measures prepared in accordance with GAAP, certain
investors use this information to evaluate the Company's performance
and ability to generate cash flow. Accordingly, it is intended to
provide additional information and should not be considered in
isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in
accordance with GAAP. Total cash costs per gold ounce are derived from
amounts included in the statements of earnings and include mine site
operating costs such as mining, processing and administration, but
exclude amortization, reclamation costs, financing costs and capital
development costs. The costs included in the calculation of total cash
costs per ounce of gold are reduced by silver by-product sales and then
divided by gold ounces sold and the average Bank of Canada Cad$/US$
exchange rate.


Forward-looking Information


Estimates regarding production, costs and expected recoveries at Casa
Berardi in 2011 and the Company's budgets and planned exploration and
development programs on its various properties for 2011 constitutes
'forward-looking information' within the meaning of applicable Canadian
securities legislation and will be updated if required under applicable
Canadian securities laws. This information is provided as general
guidance only and is based on assumptions and subject to risks as
described below. Readers are cautioned that actual results may vary
from the forward-looking information disclosed.


FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS


This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and
"forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable
securities regulations in Canada and the United States (collectively,
"forward-looking information"). The forward-looking information
contained in this news release is made as of the date of this news
release. Except as required under applicable securities legislation,
the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation to
update this forward-looking information. Forward-looking information
includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the Company's
expectations and estimates as to future gold production, total cash
costs per ounce, onsite mining, milling and administration costs and
sustaining capital expenditures at Casa Berardi, the Company's expected
expenditures and planned programs on its properties for 2011. In
addition, forward-looking information includes statements with respect
to estimated mineral reserves and resources, anticipated effects of
drill results on the Company's projects, timing and expectations of
future development, exploration, and work programs. Often, but not
always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of
words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled",
"estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "believes", or
the negatives thereof or variations of such words and phrases or
statements that certain actions, events, or results "may", "could",
"would", "might", or "will", be taken, occur or be achieved. The
forward-looking information expresses, as at the date of this news
release, the Company's plans, estimates, forecasts, and expectations,
as to future events or results and are based on certain assumptions
that the Company believes are reasonable, and the further assumptions
that past operational performance will continue, there will be no
material disruption in operations, demand for and the price of gold
will be sustained or will improve, the supply of gold will remain
stable, that the general business and economic conditions will not
change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available
if and when needed on reasonable terms and that the Company will not
experience any material accident, labour dispute, or failure of plant
and equipment.


However, forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results,
performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different
from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or
implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include, among
others, conclusions of economic evaluations, the risk that actual
results of development and exploration activities will be different
than anticipated, that cost of labour, equipment or materials will
increase more than expected, that the future price of gold will
decline, that the Canadian dollar will strengthen against the U.S.
dollar, that mineral reserves and resources are not as estimated, that
actual costs or actual results of reclamation activities are greater
than expected; that changes in project parameters as plans continue to
be refined may result in increased costs, of unexpected variations in
mineral reserves and resources, grade or recover rates, of failure of
plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, of accidents,
labour disputes and other risks generally associated with mining,
unanticipated delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing
or in the completion of development or construction activities, as well
as those factors and other risks more fully described in Aurizon's
Annual Information Form filed with the securities commission of all of
the provinces and territories of Canada and in Aurizon's Annual Report
on Form 40-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission, which are available on Sedar and on Edgar . Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that
could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from
those described in forward-looking information, there may be other
factors that cause actions, events or results to not be as anticipated,
estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking
information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future
events could differ materially from those anticipated in such
statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on
forward-looking information due to the inherent uncertainty thereof.




For further information:

AURIZON MINES LTD.
David Hall, President and C.E.O. Telephone: (604) 687-6600 Toll Free: 1-888-411-GOLD Fax: (604) 687-3932 Martin Bergeron, Vice President, Operations Telephone: (819) 874-4511 Fax: (819) 874-3391
Web Site: http://www.aurizon.com/">www.aurizon.com Email: [email protected]

or

Renmark Financial Communications Inc. 1050 - 3400 De Maisonneuve Blvd West Montreal, QC H3Z 3B8 Barry Mire: [email protected] Maurice Dagenais: [email protected] Media: Guy Hurd: [email protected] Tel: (514) 939-3989 Fax: (514) 939-3717