NORTHERN MINING Explorations Ltd.: Tulawaka Mine Development and Resource/Reserve Optimization.

MONTREAL -- NORTHERN MINING Explorations Ltd. (TSX:MDN) (Explorations MINIERES du NORD - "MDN") is pleased to report on the progress of development of the Tulawaka gold mine in Tanzania. The Tulawaka project is a joint venture between Northern Mining (30%) and Pangea Goldfields (70%), the project operator and a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Barrick Gold Corporation.

The Tulawaka mine is being developed initially as an open pit operation on the East Zone gold deposit together with a recovery plant designed to process 1,000 tonnes of ore per day. At the end of December 2004, twelve months after the start of work, construction of the plant facility was proceeding satisfactorily. The construction schedule has been deferred by six weeks as the result of customs clearance delays at the port of Dar-es-Salaam and delays in the delivery of structural steel. The project has advanced without any environmental incidents, and with approximately 2,175,000 man-hours worked no lost-time accident has occurred. Activity has peaked and more than 800 people are working on site. Earthworks and site infrastructure are near completion, permanent housing facilities are complete, concrete installations are 95% complete and structural steel installations are 85% complete. Approximately 25,000 tonnes of ore had been stockpiled ready for treatment at year end. Project costs incurred to the end of December are US$ 44.86 million and the project manager reports that the project is expected to be completed within the original scope and budget. Commercial gold production is planned for the first quarter of 2005.

A decision has been made to review and optimize the resource and reserve calculations for the East Zone gold deposit. This work is being carried out and managed by Pangea/Barrick geologists, and includes the drilling of 18 diamond holes analysed at SGS Laboratory in Tanzania. These holes were sited to improve the level of confidence in areas where the existing level of information in ore zones within the pit domain was considered to be inadequate. The results from this drilling program generally confirm the nature of the East Zone mineralization, including frequent high grades and coarse gold. The table below shows extracts from the results, listing uncut grades and down hole lengths. It is expected that the recalculated and optimized resource/reserves for the East Zone will be available later in the first quarter of 2005.

Hole                                                  Weighted
number         From          To         Length         average
                                                         grade
            (metres)    (metres)       (metres)        (Au g/t)
TRCD01        48.40       49.20           0.80          118.50
TRCD02        43.50       45.44           1.94           85.68
TRCD03       114.45      116.90           2.45          119.01
TRCD05       113.90      117.60           3.70           52.94
             120.60      122.46           1.86            4.75
TRCD06       122.80      127.30           4.50           22.34
             131.20      132.40           1.20           82.50
TRCD07       106.50      112.20           5.70           46.34
TRCD08       112.20      118.00           5.80           44.91
TRCD09       101.60      106.70           5.10           14.68
TRCD10        92.90       99.70           6.80           20.29
TRCD11        90.10       91.80           1.70            2.18
             102.03      104.80           2.77           51.71
TRCD12        63.80       65.00           1.20           12.07
              70.40       71.40           1.00            3.94
              73.40       80.30           6.90            5.62
TRCD14        25.20       38.50          13.30           26.11
TRCD15        88.70       94.30           5.60            9.98
TRCD16        53.10       55.70           2.60            3.47
TRCD17        74.20       74.80           0.60            2.98
              86.40       86.90           0.50           20.10
             102.65      108.70           6.05            8.70
TRCD18        92.60       93.10           0.50           31.75
             113.00      114.00           1.00            2.90
             116.40      119.94           3.54           15.12
             123.10      130.10           7.00            2.95
             151.70      153.70           2.00            6.29
             156.70      161.30           4.60           13.18
             174.30      174.90           0.60            3.92

NORTHERN MINING is a Montreal-based Canadian exploration company that holds a 30% interest in the Tulawaka gold project and a majority interest in 20 adjacent licences in Tanzania, a majority interest in four properties in Eritrea, and other gold and base metal exploration interests in Quebec, Canada.

NORTHERN MINING EXPLORATIONS LTD. (TSX:MDN)