To: DR. MEADE who wrote (4342 ) 7/16/1998 10:22:00 AM From: Handshake™ Respond to of 25548
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm...... Sale of Cenizas Gold Project, Chile VANCOUVER, B.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 16, 1998--Fremont Gold Corporation (''Fremont'')(OTC BB:FGLD) is pleased to announce that it has completed the sale of its interest in the Cenizas Gold Project, Chile, to Arizona Star Resource Corporation (''Arizona Star'') for cash and a retained royalty interest. This transaction will allow Fremont to concentrate its efforts on the company's Resguardo and Laja properties in Chile. The Cenizas Gold Project is a large property located on the West Fissure Fault Zone, a regional geological structure that hosts most of northern Chile's largest copper/gold deposits including El Salvador, Escondida, Chiquicamata, El Abra and Collahuasi. Work on the project to date has focused on gold mineralization related to a series of Tertiary age intrusive bodies and has shown the potential for large bulk-mineable gold mineralization. The project consists of two adjacent parcels of mining claims; the ''Doris'' claims owned by Fremont and the ''Llano'' claims owned by Rio Tinto Mining and Exploration Ltd. (''Rio Tinto''). Arizona Star has the right to acquire a 100% interest in Fremont's ''Doris'' claims for consideration of $200,000. The first payment of $100,000 has been received and the second payment of $100,000 is due on December 13, 1998. Fremont will retain a 3% net smelter royalty which is reduced to 1% after $3,000,000 in royalties has been paid over time or upon receiving a lump sum payment of $1,500,000. In addition, Arizona Star has entered into an agreement with Fremont and Rio Tinto to acquire Fremont's right to earn an initial 51% interest in the ''Llano'' claims from Rio Tinto. Arizona Star has reimbursed Fremont $50,000 for a prior property payment to Rio Tinto. After a total of $3,000,000 has been paid in royalties to Rio Tinto by Arizona Star, Fremont will receive a 3% net smelter royalty. This is reduced to 1% after $3,000,000 in royalties has been paid over time or upon receiving a lump sum payment of $1,500,000. The decision to sell the company's interest in the Cenizas Project was taken by management of Fremont after reassessing the company's property portfolio in light of the current depressed market conditions for the raising of capital for junior mineral exploration companies. Fremont would have needed to have made a substantial exploration investment in Cenizas due to the large scale potential of the project. With the completion of this transaction Fremont is now able to redirect its efforts to its other properties in Chile including its 100% owned Resguardo property on the Atacama Fault and the Laja property in the Andacollo Gold District. The company's first priority is to advance exploration on the Laja Property which is located to the north and adjacent to the Andacollo Gold Mine owned and operated by Dayton Mining Corporation [AMEX:DAY - news] where over three million ounces of gold reserves and resources are reported. Fremont management believes that the Laja property has the potential to host significant extensions to the Andacollo Mine ore deposits. This believe is based on recently completed fieldwork by Fremont staff as well as evidence from historic surface and underground mining on the Laja property. In other news; Mr. Dean Danielsen has been appointed to the board of directors of Fremont. Mr. Danielsen is Vice President Marketing for Fremont and has over thirty-five years of experience in finance, public offerings and acquisitions. Mr. Danielsen is also President of Private Investments Ltd. which deals in offshore investments and gold. Fremont is a junior exploration company with a number of ongoing exploration projects in Chile. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------