Aurient Resources Ltd. to Explore Kundipit Porphyry Gold Copper Prospect Near the Producing Dizon Mine, Philippines.

HAMILTON, Bermuda--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 3, 1997--Aurient Resources(Alberta Stock Exchange AUN.) Aurient Resources Ltd. (AUN.ASE) announces that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with Pisumpan Copper Mines, Inc. of the Philippines for the joint exploration and potential development of the Kundipit porphyry gold copper prospect and surrounding area in Pampanga Province, Luzon.

Aurient has agreed to reimburse Pisumpan the sum of US $250,000 for exploration costs to be incurred on a mutually agreed work program which was initiated in November of 1996 and is scheduled to continue until the onset of the wet season in May. The partners will immediately proceed with the formation of a joint venture company in the Philippines in which Aurient will hold a 40 percent equity stake and continue to provide exploration funding over a three year period. Upon Aurient's contributions reaching US $4 million its equity stake will increase to 50 percent. Thereafter, Aurient may increase its equity interest to 70 percent if Pisumpan elects not to contribute to subsequent expenditures.

The project covers an area of 1160 ha and is located less than 100 km north of Manila in the Zambales Belt of western Luzon. It lies 10 km northeast of the Dizon Mine, a +100 million ton porphyry gold copper deposit that has been operating successfully since startup in 1980 with high gold credits by world standards. Production from the open pit by the Benguet Corporation-Dizon Copper-Silver Mines, Inc. partnership in 1995 was over 2 tons of gold, 4 tons of silver and 13,130 tons of copper in concentrate.

Also within the project area is the Tappi ore deposit which was delineated prior to 1991 by Pisumpan in conjunction with several partners including Nissho Iwai. 49 diamond drill holes averaging 200 metres depth indicated a resource of 68 million tonnes of ore grading 0.25 percent of copper and 0.43g/t of gold. Tappi is the subject of a favorable feasibility study carried out in 1996 by Pisumpan. Aurient believes that the economic potential of Tappia will be enhanced should the Kundipit Prospect now being drilled continue to give the higher grade gold values indicated in the initial drill holes. As the two mineralized bodies are only 800 metres apart and of similar geological character the blending of material from each deposit would be practicable and provides an exciting target for rapid development which Aurient and Pisumpan intend to pursue.

One of the principals of Dizon Copper-Silver Mines, Inc., Juvencio Dizon, is President of Pisumpan Copper Mines, Inc. and brings to the Joint Venture a team having considerable experience in exploration and mine development in this part of the Philippines.

At the Kundipit Prospect, and prior to Aurient's involvement, Pisumpan had completed 7 diamond drill holes within a broad zone of pyritic argillic alteration. All holes intersected mineralization:

Drill Hole    Interval (metres)  g/t Gold   Percent Copper

KUN 1         0-150              1.0        0.31
KUN 2         0-152              0.89       0.20
KUN 3         0-93               0.27       0.17
KUN 4         93-105             0.4        0.20
KUN 5         0-130              0.38       0.16
KUN 6         0-84               0.47       0.23
KUN 7         3-120              0.59       0.16

Silver values average 1 g/t. Check analysis by Aurient in Australia of selected drill core pulps are consistent with the quoted values.

The program implemented in November of 1996 has involved the rehabilitation of the camp and access track to enable mobilization of two heavier drill rigs to replace the Longyear 34 used for the earlier work. Drilling resumed recently, and is aimed at establishing the extent of the mineralization at Kundipit. Later infill drilling will provide more information on core grade distribution and enable preliminary resource estimation.

Similarities between the Kundipit and Tappi prospects to the classic Dizon Mine orebody emphasize the excellent opportunity for developing a significant mining operation within a short time frame. Aurient's confidence in the project is enhanced by the proven track record of its joint venture partner, Pisumpan and by the support of the re-emerging Philippine mining industry.

Aurient's participation in the Pisumpan joint venture, as well as the recently announced Bowutu Mountains gold project in Papua New Guinea, are an important part of the Company's ongoing strategy of entering into quality precious metal projects in South East Asia in joint venture with partners who have proven operational expertise, thus complementing the extensive management experience of Aurient in the region. -0- The Alberta Stock Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

CONTACT: Aurient Resources Ltd.

Stan Bagnall, Sussex, UK, 44/1892-653-588

44/1892-669-272 (FAX)

or

Aurient Resources Ltd.

Allan Doland, Calgary, Alberta, 403/543-2585

403/543-2599 (FAX)

or

Aurient Resources Ltd.

Colin Bryant, Perth, West Australia, 619/315-9339

619/332-2146 (FAX)