Equinox Produces First Copper Concentrate at Lumwana

Equinox Minerals Limited (TSX and ASX symbol: "EQN") ("Equinox" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the first copper concentrate has been produced from the Lumwana process plant.

On December 3, 2008, wet commissioning of the final stage of Lumwana's process plant filter-press commenced resulting in an initial production of approximately 66 tonnes of copper concentrate at a concentration grade of approximately 41% and moisture content of 9%. As of December 4, 2008 some 1300 tonnes had been produced.

Ivanhoe Mines Welcomes Initiative by Mongolia's Parliament to Finalize an Oyu Tolgoi Draft Investment Agreement

John Macken, President and CEO of Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN)(NYSE: IVN)(NASDAQ: IVN), today welcomed the decision by Mongolia's national Parliament, the State Great Khural, to establish a deadline for completion of a draft Investment Agreement for Ivanhoe's Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold project.

A total of 42 of 50 members of Parliament - 84% of those present, representing both political parties in Mongolia's joint government - voted December 4 to adopt a resolution that authorizes the Mongolian Government, led by Prime Minister Sanjaa Bayar, to negotiate a draft Investment Agreement for Oyu Tolgoi and present it to Parliament before February 1, 2009.

Resource Estimate Confirms Pebble As One of the World's Most Important Copper-Gold-Molybdenum Deposits

2008 work substantiates size, grade & continuity in Pebble East Area

Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. (TSX: NDM; AMEX: NAK) announces an updated mineral resource estimate for the Pebble deposit at the Pebble Limited Partnership's ("PLP", or the "Pebble Partnership") project site in southwest Alaska.

Drilling during 2008 has substantiated the volume, grade and continuity of mineralization in the Pebble East area, leading to an overall estimate based on a database of results from 476 holes across the Pebble deposit. The deposit was previously split into a near surface resource for Pebble West and a deeper resource for Pebble East. This is the first time the entire Pebble deposit has been integrated into one estimate. The integrated model for the entire Pebble deposit allows for comprehensive mine planning and other deposit benchmarking.

Mitsubishi Materials Corporation advances $28.75 million for Copper Mountain Project

Copper Mountain Mining Corporation ("CMMC" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Mitsubishi Materials Corporation ("Mitsubishi") has agreed to advance up to Cdn$28.75 Million by way of a bridge-loan to Similco Mines Ltd. ("Similco"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. Similco holds the assets of the former Similco mine, which the Company plans to re-develop into a producing mine (the "Project"). The funds will be used for development activities necessary to achieve the planned production start for the Project at the end of 2010. The Company and Mitsubishi continue to work on the definitive agreements in accordance with the MOU announced on October 1, 2008 and it is anticipated that the definitive agreements will be finalized as soon as possible.