Northern Empire Minerals Ltd. ("Northern Empire") (TSXV: NEM) is pleased to report preliminary results for the 2002 diamond exploration program on the Jubilee Property, located within the Coronation (North Slave) Diamond District of Nunavut, approximately 90 km southeast of Kugluktuk. The Jubilee Property comprises approximately 555.4km2 of prospective diamond claims situated immediately north of properties held by Ashton Mining of Canada Inc. (Vic) and Diamondex Resources Ltd. (Peregrine), and adjacent to other ground controlled by Stornoway Ventures Ltd.
Along with Joint Venture Partners, Northern Empire collected 6,464 line kilometers of tightly spaced (100m) horizontal gradient aeromagnetic data as well as 225 till samples along regional lines spaced at five-kilometer intervals during 2002. An interpretation of the aeromagnetic data identified 93 priority targets, most of which remain to be ground checked in 2003. Till samples were processed by a facility dedicated to Northern Empire and its partners, and preliminary results are now available. Potential indicator minerals have been successfully recovered from many of the samples, and although electron microprobing is not yet complete it has confirmed the kimberlitic provenance for a number of grains, including 250 ilmenites in a single sample. At the present time there are indications of four, or possibly five, anomalous areas of immediate interest that appear to be confined to the property. Sampling density at the present time is only about 0.4 samples per square kilometer. Northern Empire and its partners to date have spent approximately $350,000 on the property.
Exploration work proposed for 2003 consists of infill till sampling designed to better define potential indicator mineral trains, and continued prospecting and ground checking of airborne anomalies. Some 250 to 300 samples will be collected from specific areas of interest under a budget of $350,000.
Northern Empire Minerals Ltd. is a leader in the Canadian diamond exploration community with an aggressive acquisition and development philosophy. The Company holds one of Canada's most prospective diamond exploration property portfolios totaling more than 10 million acres. The Company is a well-funded exploration company with 16 diamond properties in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and Quebec.
On behalf of the Board
NORTHERN EMPIRE MINERALS LTD.
/s/ "John Robins"
John E. Robins, P. Geo
President
For further information, please contact the Company at 604-331-2267 or (888) 338-2200
** INTERNET ADDRESS: www.northernempireminerals.com **
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