Northern Peru Copper Cuts 358m @ 0.69% Copper '0.93% Copper Equivalent' in Step Out Drilling at Galeno.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Northern Peru Copper Corp. (TSX:NOC) announces further excellent results from its Phase 2 drilling program at the Galeno copper-gold-molybdenum project in northern Peru including a hole that extends the previously defined high grade copper core zone of the deposit.

Results from the latest four holes are highlighted by step out hole GND-05-22, that returned 358 meters grading 0.69% copper, 0.12 g/t gold, and 0.029% molybdenum (0.93% copper equivalent), including 60 meters grading 1.01% copper, 0.15 g/t gold and 0.035% molybdenum (1.31% copper equivalent).

Holes GND-05-20, 21 and 23 were drilled as part of the infill program that is designed to bring a majority of the Galeno deposit into the Measured and Indicated Resource categories. Holes such as GND-05-20 that returned an intercept including 117.45 meters grading 1.04% copper, 0.17 g/t gold and 0.025% molybdenum (1.29% copper equivalent) underscore the high grade nature of copper mineralization  within the deposit.

Marshall Koval, President & CEO, said: "Northern Peru's dual objectives of expanding the resource at Galeno and upgrading its classification are progressing as planned and the results are outstanding. The latest four holes continue to demonstrate the excellent continuity and grade of copper mineralization within the deposit."

The new results comprise four core holes and are listed below. Hole locations are shown on the attached map along with a complete listing of previously released drill results.

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                                                                Cu(i)
             From       To Interval     Cu     Au      Mo Equivalent
Hole No.   Meters   meters   meters      %    g/t       %          %
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GND-05-20   10.55   232.00   221.45   0.82   0.14   0.022       1.03
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            10.55   128.00   117.45   1.04   0.17   0.025       1.29
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GND-05-21   18.00   224.00   206.00   0.58   0.13   0.031       0.84
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            64.00   164.00   100.00   0.72   0.21   0.038       1.07
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GND-05-22    2.00   360.00   358.00   0.69   0.12   0.029       0.93
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             6.00    66.00    60.00   1.01   0.15   0.035       1.31
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GND-05-23   77.65   332.00   254.35   0.57   0.08   0.006       0.65
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(i) Copper equivalent calculated using US$1.00/lb Cu, US$400/oz Au
    and US$6.00/lb Mo and is not adjusted for metallurgical
    recoveries as these remain uncertain. The formula used is as
    follows: CuEQ equals Cu% + (Au g/t x 12.86 / 22.05) + Mo% x
    132.28 / 22.05)

Drilling at Galeno was suspended for the Christmas break on December 16, 2005 and will resume on January 06, 2006. To date 41 holes comprising approximately 16,000 meters of drilling have been completed at Galeno and 673 metres of drilling in two holes have been completed at the proximal Hilorico gold target. Additional results will be announced as they are received.

Marshall Koval, P.Geo, is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 for the Galeno Project. Brent Hendrickson, a geologist with over 25 years of experience is supervising the quality control and quality assurance program on site. Logging and sampling are completed in Northern Peru's secure facility located at the project. The drill cores are mechanically split on site and samples are transported to the Acme Analytical Laboratories facility in Lima for sample preparation with analysis done at their facility in Vancouver B.C. Northern Peru inserts standards, blanks and duplicates selected on a random basis into the sample stream and sends 5% of the sample pulps to check laboratories in Vancouver.

Plan view of Galeno showing location of historical (circles) and new drilling (stars) (Grade boundaries are those defined previously by North Ltd.).

To view map please click on the following link: http://www.ccnmatthews.com/docs/NOC1220.jpg

NORTHERN PERU COPPER CORP.

Marshall Koval, CEO & President

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

Safe Harbor Statement under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented constitutes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to those with respect to the price of copper, gold and molybdenum, the timing and amount of future production, metallurgical recoveries, costs of production, reserve and resource determination and reserve conversion rates, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievement of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, risks relating to the integration of acquisitions, risk relating to international operations, risks relating to joint-venture operations, the actual results of current exploration activities, conclusions of economic evaluations, changes in project and exploration parameters as plans continue to be refined, future prices of copper, gold and molybdenum, as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Form 20-F as on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Northern Peru Copper Corp. (TSX:NOC)