Niobay Metals Inc V.NBY

New Exploration Program

[hcahoon]

NEWS RELEASE TRANSMITTED BY CCNMatthews FOR: NORTHERN MINING EXPLORATIONS LTD. TSX SYMBOL: MDN APRIL 21, 2004 - 09:25 ET NORTHERN MINING Explorations Ltd.: New Exploration Program in the Lac Shortt Area, Quebec MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(CCNMatthews - Apr 21, 2004) - NORTHERN MINING Explorations Ltd. (Explorations MINIERES du NORD - "MDN") is pleased to announce the start of a new exploration program at the Lac Shortt project, Quebec. This project consists of a joint venture between Northern Mining and SOQUEM INC. over a property covering 76.1 km2 located between two former producing mines, Lac Shortt and Bachelor Lake, in the northern Abitibi area of Quebec. The priority target is the Boyvinet gold occurrence and the current program follows-up the work done in November 2002. At that time, Northern Mining and SOQUEM had obtained significant values in drill intersections in a syenitic intrusion containing porphyritic-style gold mineralization. The objective of this new work is to determine the locations within the intrusive of gold in higher concentrations. Northern Mining and SOQUEM have just completed a detailed helicopter-borne magnetometric survey of the area using a new instrumental configuration by Geophysics GPR International of Montreal. Two clusters of diamond drilling targets have been identified so far. These targets consist of geological structures, indicated by magnetic lineaments and shears, believed to be associated with gold mineralization. Drilling of these targets will be carried out as soon as possible. This exploration program is using funds raised by a "flow-through" financing done through Northern Precious Metals Limited Partnership in the amount of C$ 400,000 at the price of C$ 1.00 per share, the proceeds of which will be used exclusively for Northern Mining's Quebec exploration portfolio. MDN is a Montreal-based Canadian exploration company which holds a 30% interest in the Tulawaka gold project which is currently under construction, a majority interest in 17 adjacent exploration licenses in Tanzania, a majority interest in four properties in Eritrea, and other gold and base metal exploration interests in Quebec, Canada. SOQUEM is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SGF Mineral inc., a subsidiary of Societe Generale de financement du Quebec ("SGF"). The mission of the SGF is to carry out economic development projects, in cooperation with partners and in accordance with accepted requirements for profitability that comply with the economic development policy of the Government of Quebec. -30- FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: NORTHERN MINING Explorations Ltd. Carlos H. Bertoni, M. Sc. CEO [phone] or NORTHERN MINING Explorations Ltd. Paul-A. Girard Chairman [phone] or NORTHERN MINING Explorations Ltd. Tim Williams, Ph. D. COO [phone] Web: www.mdn.qc.com Email: [e-mail]