Aurora Platinum Corp.: Drilling Commences on The Falconbridge Footwall Copper-Nickel-PGM Project, Sudbury, Ontario.

Business Editors

VANCOUVER, B.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 1, 2001

Aurora Platinum (CDNX:ARP.)

AURORA PLATINUM CORP. (CDNX:ARP.) announced today that Falconbridge Limited, operator of the Footwall Project, has commenced drilling on the main airborne geophysical target located south of the Falconbridge and Falconbridge East Mines.

Two drill rigs are presently operating and will initially complete up to four holes of 1,000 metres each, to test an extensive magnetic feature related to potential sublayer rocks. Both the Falconbridge and Falconbridge East Mines are located about one kilometre northwest of the geophysical target.

The initial four drillholes will be surveyed using UTEM to determine if sulphide occurs at depth. A portion of the Footwall Project has been covered by a ground UTEM survey and results are presently being compiled. The remainder of this survey will be completed shortly.

The Footwall Project is located 15 kilometres northeast of Sudbury and covers an eight kilometre strike length of Sudbury norite and sublayer rocks. Geophysical targets have been identified in both the sublayer and footwall portions of the Property. Several of these anomalies are associated with coincident magnetic highs and electromagnetic conductors suggesting possible sulphide bodies as the cause of the coincident anomalies.

Under the terms of the Option and Joint Venture Agreement with Falconbridge, Aurora has the option to earn a 60% interest in both the Footwall and Foy Offset Projects from Falconbridge by expending $6 million on exploration over three years. During the first year of exploration, a minimum of $1 million must be spent. Once Aurora earns a 60% interest, the joint venture partners will contribute on a pro rata basis. Falconbridge will have the option to increase its working interest in any specific project to 70% by funding a bankable feasibility study and providing 100% of the funds to put a deposit into production. Falconbridge will then be entitled to recover mine construction costs from 90% of net cash flow from that mine.

Within the three-year option period, Falconbridge will have the right to purchase by way of private placement up to 500,000 shares of Aurora at a price equal to the closing price for the 10 trading days prior to Falconbridge's notice to purchase the shares.

Aurora Platinum Corp. is actively exploring in Ontario and Quebec for nickel-copper- platinum-palladium deposits. The Company has acquired a 100% interest in a number of nickel-copper-platinum-palladium prospects and is presently conducting exploration work within the Lansdowne House Mafic and Ultramafic Complex in Northern Ontario and the Midrim-Belleterre Area in Quebec. For more information please see our website at www.auroraplatinum.com. Southwestern Gold Corporation (SWG-T) owns 19% of Aurora's outstanding shares.