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VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(CCNMatthews - March 14, 2006) -
Final Trench Results From 2005 Trenching Program
Fortress Minerals Corp. ("Fortress" or "the Company") (TSX VENTURE:FST) is pleased to announce that the first of three drill rigs slated to complete the planned 20,000 metre drill program at the Svetloye gold project in Russia has arrived on site and will commence drilling immediately. Drilling will concentrate initially within the Elena Target. Additional drilling is planned on the remaining six target areas within the Svetloye project. In addition to the drilling program outlined above, the company plans an aggressive exploration effort throughout the project area including a minimum of 30,000 cubic meters of trenching utilizing three bulldozers mobilized to site this winter, the collection of more than 2,000 soil samples within highly prospective extensions off the known target areas, and the completion of 1:5000 scale geologic and alteration mapping throughout the license block.
In addition, Fortress is pleased to announce the final results from the 2005 trenching program. Highlights of the final batch of trench results include Trench 7 East 2005c which returned 63.6 metres grading 4.44 grams per tonne gold and Trench 12 2005c which returned 35 metres grading 5.72 grams per tonne gold. Complete trench results from previous trenching completed in 2004 by Phelps Dodge and Fortress' 2005 trenching program are reported in the attached table. Combined results from contiguous trenches from the 2004 and 2005 programs include Trench K5/5 East which returned 160.2m grading 6.76 grams per tonne gold, Trench 11 which returned 130.0 metres grading 7.28 grams per tonne gold, and Trench K7/7 East which returned 150.6 metres grading 6.93 grams per tonne gold. Please see attached map.
Prior to Fortress entering into the joint venture with Phelps Dodge Exploration Corp. ("Phelps Dodge"), 28 diamond drill holes were emplaced throughout the 7 square kilometre Svetloye project area for a combined total of 3,688.1 metres. Results from the previous drilling by Phelps Dodge included 38.2 meters grading 8.92 grams per tonne gold in Hole 005, 39.0 meters grading 2.81 grams per tonne in Hole 014, and 66.8 meters grading 1.93 grams per tonne in Hole 006. Significant results from the 2004 drilling program are reported in the attached table.
Fortress has an option to earn an 80% interest in the Svetloye gold project from Phelps Dodge.
Mr. Thomas Bowens, M.Sc., P.Geo., Vice President of Exploration, and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and verified the technical information contained in this news release. 2005 Trench samples were crushed at the Polymetal Khakanjah prep lab facility in Okhotsk, Russia and samples shipped to American Assay Laboratories, Inc. in Sparks, Nevada for fire assay. 2004 trench and drill samples were crushed at the Dal Geophysical prep lab facility in Okhotsk Russia and samples shipped to American Assay Laboratories, Inc. in Sparks, Nevada for fire assay. Cyanide leach testing was completed by Eurotest Control JSC, in Sophia Bulgaria.
Svetloye Complete Trench Results (2004 and 2005)
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Average
Gold
Trench Sample Interval Concen-
Prospect Trench Number Length Interval Length tration
(m) (m) (m) g/t
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Elena 1 West (2005b) 12 0 - 12 12 1.97
K-1 (2004) 87 0 - 87 87 4.13
1 East (2005b) 12 0 - 12 12 0.49
Total 111 3.51
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Elena 2 West (2005b) 27.4 0 - 27.4 27.4 0.81
K-2 (2004) 72.0 0 - 72.0 72.0 2.09
2 East (2005c)(i) 38.0(i) 0 - 38.0(i) 38.0(i) 0.71(i)
Total 137.4 1.45
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Elena K-3 (2004) 104.5 0 - 104.5 104.5 2.29
3 East (2005a) 24.5 0 - 18 18 0.87
Total 122.5 2.08
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Elena K-4 (2004) 90.5 0 - 90.5 90.5 2.71
4 East (2005a) 70.2 0 - 23.2 23.2 14.51
And(i) (2005c) 23.2 - 70.2(i) 47.0(i) 1.17(i)
Total 160.7 3.96
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Elena K-5 (2004) 109.5 0 - 109.5 109.5 8.16
5 East (2005a) 50.7 0 - 50.7 50.7 3.76(ii)
Total 160.2 6.76
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Elena 6 West (2005a) 33.3 15 - 33.3 18.3 0.86
K-6 (2004) 40 0 - 40 40 1.89
6 East (2005a) 40 0 - 40 40 0.87
Total 98.3 1.28
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Elena K-7 (2004) 50 0 - 50.0 50.0 4.79
7 East (2005b) 100.6 0 - 37.0 37.0 14.10
And(i) (2005c) 37.0 - 100.6(i) 63.6(i) 4.44(i)
Total 150.6 6.93
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Amy 8 (2004) 25 0 - 25 25 13.89
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Amy 9 (2004) 30 0 - 30 30 2.86
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Elena 10 (2005a) 113.3 0 - 56.0 56.0 3.80
And(i) (2005c) 56.0 - 113.3(i) 57.3(i) 0.99(i)
Total 113.3 2.38
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Elena 11 (2005b) 130.0 0 - 130.0 130.0 7.28(iii)
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Elena 12 (2005c)(i) 35.0(i) 0 - 35.0(i) 35.0(i) 5.72(i)
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Elena 13 (2005a) 150.0 0 - 150 150.0 2.74
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Elena 14 (2005b) 94.0 9.0 - 74.0 65.0 1.02
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Tamara 16 (2005b) 125 0 - 50.5 50.5 3.90
And (2005c)(i) 50.5 - 125(i) 74.5(i) 0.91(i)
Total 125 2.12
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Elena 17 (2005c)(i) No significant results(i)
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Ludmilla 18 (2005c)(i) No significant results(i)
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Ludmilla 19 (2005c)(i) 143.2(i) 88 - 143.2(i) 55.2(i) 0.71(i)
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Ludmilla 20 (2005c)(i) 20(i) 0 - 16(i) 16.0(i) 1.54(i)
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Ludmilla 21 (2005c)(i) 11.8(i) 7.9 - 11.8(i) 3.9(i) 1.15(i)
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Larissa 22 (2005c)(i) No significant results(i)
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Ludmilla 23 (2005c)(i) 54(i) 0 - 46(i) 46(i) 0.38(i)
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(i) these results are from the third and last batch of assays from the
2005 program, marked 2005c. The first batch is marked 2005a and the
second, 2005b. Note that the 2004 trench samples were taken by
Phelps Dodge.
(ii) previously released erroneously as 3.4 g/t gold.
(iii) previously released with 8.3 m of missing assays as 7.12 g/t gold.
2004 Svetloye Drill Results
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Azimuth/
Inclin-
Hole ID ation Target TD From-To Interval/gpt Au
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PDSC-03-001 270/-45 Elena 38.2 2 - 38.2 36.2m @ 1.627 gpt Au
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68 - 79 31.1m @ 0.973 gpt Au
PDSC-03-002 270/-47 Larissa 152.6 86.6 - 117.7 11m @ 0.706 gpt Au
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PDSC-03-003 320/-55 Larissa 167.7
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PDSC-03-004 90/-60 Larissa 164.7 8 - 12 4m @ 1.15 gpt Au
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PDSC-03-005 90/-60 Elena 215.3 10.3 - 48.5 38.2m @ 8.919 gpt Au
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0 - 66.8 66.8m @ 1.928 gpt Au
PDSC-03-006 90/-60 Elena 227.8 78.5 - 81.7 3.2m @ 1.698 gpt Au
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PDSC-03-007 90/-60 Elena 164.9 10.7 - 21 10.3m @ 0.597 gpt Au
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4 - 26 22m @ 0.598 gpt Au
PDSC-03-008 270/-60 Elena 113.9 48 - 113.9 65.9m @ 1.363 gpt Au
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2.9 - 26 23.1m @ 0.628 gpt Au
40.9 - 49.6 8.7m @ 0.565 gpt Au
PDSC-03-009 270/-60 Elena 128.8 94.4 - 104.3 9.9m @ 0.904 gpt Au
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PDSC-03-010 270/-60 Elena 59.6 5.5 - 54.9 49.4m @ 0.701 gpt Au
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PDSC-03-011 270/-60 Elena 207.3 7.5 - 51.8 46.8m @ 0.825 gpt Au
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PDSC-03-012 103/-45 Elena 131.4 12.2 - 31.8 20.6m @ 0.812 gpt Au
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13 - 34.7 21.7m @ 3.222 gpt Au
PDSC-03-013 0/-90 Elena 140.9 68.9 - 89.7 20.8m @ 0.535 gpt Au
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PDSC-04-014 270/-60 Elena 125.5 0 - 39 39m @ 2.811 gpt Au
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PDSC-04-015 310/-45 Elena 141.5
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79.7 - 88 15.5m @ 0.504 gpt Au
PDSC-04-016 85/-55 Elena 155.7 97.5 - 110 12.5m @ 0.506 gpt Au
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8 - 20.75 12.75m @ 0.814 gpt Au
PDSC-04-017 86/-47 Elena 140.8 69 - 89 20m @ 0.808 gpt Au
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PDSC-04-018 90/-55 Elena 131.6
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0 - 14.7 14.7m @ 0.929 gpt Au
PDSC-04-019 185/-45 Tamara 98.2 18.7 - 30.3 11.6m @ 0.561 gpt Au
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PDSC-04-020 185/-45 Tamara 95.4 1.5 - 15.8 14.3m @ 2.37 gpt Au
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PDSC-04-021 180/-45 Ludmila 100.0
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PDSC-04-022 270/-45 Ludmila 119.7
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PDSC-04-023 0/-45 Ludmila 62.1
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PDSC-04-024 40/-54 Ludmila 196.3
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PDSC-04-025 40/-45 Ludmila 188.6
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0 - 25 25m @ 3.956 gpt Au
PDSC-04-026 270/-45 Amy 53.2 36.4 - 47.6 9.7m @ 0.740 gpt Au
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11.9 - 27 15.1m @ 0.599 gpt Au
PDSC-04-027 270/-45 Amy 69.5 61.5 - 69.5 8m @ 1.002 gpt Au
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PDSC-04-028 270/-45 Amy 96.9 11.5 - 16.8 16.8m @ 0.469 gpt Au
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Highlights have gravity data included.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
Ron F. Hochstein, President
This News Release contains forward-looking statements concerning the Company's plans for its principal property in Russia. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties relating to political risks involving the Company's exploration and development of its principal property in Russia, the inherent uncertainty of cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, commodity price fluctuations, the inability or failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company's periodic filings with the British Columbia Securities Commission. Such information contained herein represents management's best judgment as of the date hereof based on information currently available. The Company does not intend to update this information and disclaims any legal liability to the contrary.
To view the map which accompanies this release, please click the following link: http://www.ccnmatthews.com/docs/fst0314.jpg
The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Fortress Minerals Corp.
Sophia Shane
Corporate Development
(604) 689-7842
www.fortressminerals.com
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