Candente Resource Corp. - Leachable Copper Target Evaluated.

Business Editors

VANCOUVER, B.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 2, 2001

Candente Resources Corp. (CDNX:DNT.)

The Company is pleased to report that Frank J. Nelson, M.Sc., a member of Candente's Advisory Board (33 years associated with Freeport McMoRan) and Ian McCartney, P.Eng., Independent Consultant, strongly recommend that the company complete the acquisition of the Canariaco project in Northern Peru.

The Company won the right to acquire 100% interest in the Canariaco Property in an auction in Lima on February 14th, 2001.

Some of the key features identified by Nelson and McCartney are as follows:

- Potential in the order of magnitude of 100 million tonnes or more of
leachable copper at 0.6 to 1.25% copper with a strip ratio which could be <0.5
/ 1 (waste/ore).

- Copper leach testing commissioned by Geomet S.A. of Chile indicated
recoveries of 85 to 90%.

- Power is currently available within 50 kilometres of the property but planned
installations could decrease this distance considerably. Hydro potential within
the property is also a possibility.

- Exploration recommendations are for infill drilling and additional
metallurgical testing.

- Located 100 km by air from the coastal city of Chiclayo and 10 kilometres
from a major highway with current dirt road access.

- A larger potential for 320 million tonnes at ~0.5% copper includes a
chalcopyrite zone below the enriched chalcocite zone which could also be a
target for eventual low strip ratio production with floatation or sulfide leach
process.

- The deposit lies 25 km northwest of La Granja, (recently acquired by
Billiton) at the north end of the Cajamarca District, a major cluster of
significant porphyry copper (+/- gold) and high sulfidation gold deposits
extending over 165 km which includes La Granja, Tantahuatay and Yanacocha.

Knight Piesold Ltd., Engineering Consultants, have been contracted to review available data and conduct a site visit to locate potential sites for heap leaching and to identify any obvious obstacles to developing an SX-EW mine infrastructure on the property.

Candente Resource Corp. www.candente.com is actively exploring and holds interests in epithermal gold, disseminated copper-gold and VMS prospects in Peru.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARDS OF DIRECTORS

"Joanne Freeze", P. Geo., President & CEO Candente Resource Corp.

The Canadian Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.