To: TrueScouse who wrote (1371 ) 10/1/2003 6:53:08 AM From: Salt'n'Peppa Respond to of 16206 NEWS - Etruscan more than doubles diamond output Sweet!etruscan.com TIRISANO EXPANSION - STARTS COMMISSIONING PHASE Windsor, Nova Scotia, September 30, 2003 Etruscan Resources Inc. (EET.TSX) and Mountain Lake Resources Inc. (MOA.TSX Venture) jointly announced today the completion of construction and the start of the commissioning phase of the expanded plant facilities at the Tirisano Diamond mine in South Africa. Engineering design, mechanical equipment supply and as well as plant commissioning of the expansion project have been contracted to Bateman Minerals Limited, a leading engineering and construction firm in South Africa. The expansion will increase the production of the plant from the present 35,000 cubic meters of gravel per month to approximately 80,000 cubic meters per month. Diamond production will increase to approximately 2,300 carats per month. The main components of the expansion include a rotary scrubber, a double deck sizing screen and a dewatering circuit. The commissioning period is planned over a two-week period during which the equipment will be thoroughly tested and ramped up to full production. Details of the front-end expansion can be viewed on the Etruscan website. A second dense medium separation (DMS) circuit was also recently purchased for the Tirisano Diamond mine and this is presently being installed on site. The circuit will be fully installed and operational by the end of October 2003. This "twinning" of the DMS section of the plant will provide operational flexibility, ensure high plant availability and will double the total DMS capacity to 100 tonnes per hour. Progress on the installation of the new DMS section can also be viewed on the Etruscan website. The common shares of Etruscan are traded on The TSX Exchange under the symbol "EET". The common shares of Mountain Lake are traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "MOA". More extensive information on Etruscan and Mountain Lake can be found on their respective websites at etruscan.com and mountain-lake.com . For more information on Etruscan contact: Richard Gordon, Investor Relations - CANADA Tel: +1 (902) 798-9701 Tony Hayes, Vice President Corporate Development - CANADA Tel: +1 (416) 368-0882 Cathy Malins, Parkgreen Communications - UNITED KINGDOM Tel: +44 20 7287 5544