Nevsun begins drilling at Tabakoto and Segala                                                                                                           Nevsun Resources Ltd                                                    NSU Shares issued 27,257,209                                  Oct 1 close $1.12 Wed 2 Oct 2002                                                 News Release Dr. John Clarke reports Nevsun Resources has commenced a  23,000-metre  (75,000-foot)  diamond  and reverse  circulation  drill  program at its Tabakoto and Segala projects in western Mali. This program has been designed to achieve three goals: 1. To upgrade existing resources at the Segala project  for  a  feasibility study. 2. To test several new drill targets  on  Segala  to  potentially  increase resources for the Segala project. 3. To test several new  targets  within  the  Tabakoto  mining  licence  to potentially increase resources by making one or more new discoveries. In total, the exploration  program  will  cover  13  kilometres  of  strike length,  not  including  the  development drilling at Segala. Drill targets have been selected based on data from a newly completed geophysics  program combined  with  geochemistry,  artisanal workings and in depth knowledge of the structural nature of the area, Nevsun's  technical  team  is  confident that the program will be successful. The Segala project The Segala project was acquired in July, 2002,  adding  another  23  square kilometres  immediately  to  the north of Nevsun's Tabakoto mining licence. Segala contains a resource of 1.4 million ounces of gold.  Infill  drilling at  25-metre centres will be conducted to more fully define these resources for a Segala feasibility study. These resources will provide the basis  for a  second mining operation at Segala or will be used as future mill feed to further extend the life or increase the capacity  of  the  Tabakoto  mining operation.  In addition, there are several new targets to be drilled on the Segala property covering four kilometres of strike  length.  These  targets include  the  northern  extension  of  the Tabakoto deposit and the western extension of the Segala resource. Tabakoto mining licence The Tabakoto mining licence now covers 60 square kilometres in the  Kenieba district  of  western  Mali including the Tabakoto project and the recently acquired Fougala, Koutila and Dioulafoundou gold  properties.  These  three properties  were  acquired  in  July  2002.  They  expand  the  exploration potential of the Tabakoto project as they contain a number of quality drill targets.  The targets cover more than nine kilometres of strike length. One of these targets is the direct southern extension of the Tabakoto  project. All  the targets within the Tabakoto mining licence have similar geological features to the Tabakoto deposit. A positive mining review of the Tabakoto project  was  completed  in  early September  and  the  company  is  now  pursuing  mine financing to commence construction of an open-pit mining operation at Tabakoto. John Clarke, president and chief executive officer of Nevsun,  states:  "We are  very  excited about this drill program because of the strong potential to add a second mining operation at Segala and to discover new ounces  from the  targets we have generated. Any additional ounces of gold outlined from this program will have a significant positive  economic  impact  on  future Tabakoto and Segala mining operations." |