Canmex Joint Ventures With Cambior on Azulita Project.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 15, 1996-- CANMEX MINERALS CORP. (VSE:CMX) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a joint venture agreement by which the Mexican subsidiary of Cambior Inc. can earn an interest in Canmex's Azulita copper-gold property in Sinaloa, Mexico.

The agreement covers the 4,000 hectare Azulitas 1 concession held by Canmex together with an area of interest extending for 2 kilometers around the concession. The project covers a porphyry copper system with gold values. A drill program of 876 meters was carried out on one zone within the project area in 1966. All of the holes encountered mineralization, including 103 meters (from surface) averaging 1.36 percent copper, and bottoming in mineralization at 0.8 percent. Several mineralized zones have been identified within the project area.

Cambior is currently working on two projects in this area, including La Reyna, which is geologically similar to Azulita and located about 20 miles south.

Under the agreement, Cambior has an option to earn a 75 percent interest in the Azulita project upon completion of US$2 million of property expenditures over 5 years and cash payments totalling US$110,000 within 2 years. Payments totalling US$30,000 are payable within 70 days of signing. This transaction is subject to regulatory approval.

Canmex entered into this joint venture agreement in order to focus on its main projects: the El Limon gold project, where a substantial surface mineable reserve has already been outlined; and the Boleo copper-cobalt project adjacent to International Curator. Work is proceeding on both of these projects, with drilling planned to start within two months.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Lawrence Roulston, President

CONTACT: Canmex Minerals Corporation

Lawrence Roulston, 604/689-7842

604/689-4250 (Fax)