NOVAGOLD RESOURCES INC (NRI.TOR) - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

[kosto1929]

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Re: News Release - Wednesday, October 01, 2003
NovaGold Completes C$35 Million Equity Financing
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Vancouver, BC - NovaGold Resources Inc. is pleased to announce that it
has closed its previously announced bought deal equity financing for
gross proceeds of C$35 million. A syndicate of underwriters led by
Salman Partners Inc., and including Canaccord Capital Corporation, BMO
Nesbitt Burns Inc. and First Associates Investments Inc. purchased 7
million units of the company at a purchase price of C$5.00 per unit.
The size of the offering was increased from C$25 million to C$35
million upon exercise of the underwriters` option to purchase an
additional C$10 million of units. Each unit consists of one common
share of the company and one-half of a common share purchase warrant.
Each whole warrant entitles the holder to acquire one common share of
the company at a price of C$7.00 for a period of five years following
closing. The company plans to use C$22 million of the net proceeds of
this financing for development of its Rock Creek and Nome Gold
properties, with the balance to be used for general corporate purposes.


The offering was qualified for sale in Canada by the filing of a short
form prospectus. The securities offered have not been registered under
the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or
sold in the United States absent registration or applicable exemption
from the registration requirements. This press release shall not
constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor
shall there be any sale of the securities in any state in which such
offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

This news release is not intended for distribution to U.S. newswire
services or for dissemination in the United States.

[kosto1929]

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Re: News Release - Wednesday, October 08, 2003
NovaGold Completes Private Placement In SpectrumGold
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Vancouver -- NovaGold Resources Inc. and SpectrumGold Inc.

NovaGold Resources Inc (TSX:NRI OTC:NVGLF) has purchased on a non-brokered basis
a private placement of 3,500,000 shares of SpectrumGold Inc. at $0.75
per share for a total of C$2,625,000. This brings NovaGold`s total
interest in SpectrumGold to 11,784,425 shares or 67.34% of the issued
and outstanding common shares. SpectrumGold currently has outstanding
3,383,500 special warrants that are exchangeable into shares of
SpectrumGold Inc. upon listing of SpectrumGold on a Canadian stock
exchange. If all the special warrants are exchanged, NovaGold`s
ownership in SpectrumGold will be 56.43%.

The completion of this transaction with less than 21 days prior notice
was necessary to enable NovaGold to maintain its controlling interest
in SpectrumGold for future financial reporting purposes and to provide
SpectrumGold with the funding to continue exploration at the
multi-million-ounce Galore Creek gold-silver-copper project, and
exploration in the Yukon at the Brewery Creek Gold Mine, and projects
at McQuesten, Klondike, Harlan and Sprogge. NovaGold currently has no
future intention to acquire ownership or control over additional
securities of SpectrumGold. However, NovaGold may acquire or sell
securities of SpectrumGold in the future.

Western Canada Exploration Programs Make Progress

SpectrumGold has initiated an initial 10,000 foot drill exploration
program at Galore Creek with two core drills on site. The initial drill
program is anticipated to be complete by the end of October. A major
drill campaign is anticipated for the 2004 field season in anticipation
of completing a pre-feasibility study and to test new priority targets.

SpectrumGold has also recently completed a 10,000 foot drill program at
the McQuesten gold project located in the Keno Hill Mining District
outside of Mayo, Yukon. With the completion of this drill program,
SpectrumGold has earned earn a 70% interest in the property from Eagle
Plains Resources (TSX-V: EPL). Assay results from the program will be
reported later this fall after they are finalized.

Also in the Yukon, SpectrumGold has wrapped up the field work related
to a major geologic compilation effort at the Brewery Creek property, a
former heap leach oxide gold mining operation, located in the Dawson
Mining District. The company anticipates developing a series of new
drill targets to evaluate the potential for a multi-million-ounce
Donlin Creek style sulfide gold target along the 15 kilometer
mineralized trend.

About SpectrumGold

SpectrumGold is a new precious metals exploration company focused in
Western Canada. The company is operated as a subsidiary of NovaGold
Resources Inc. (TSX: NRI). NovaGold plans to maintain a controlling
interest in SpectrumGold and will consolidate its interest in
SpectrumGold for financial reporting. SpectrumGold currently has C$3.4
million in cash with an additional C$1.35 million held in escrow to be
released subject to listing SpectrumGold on a Canadian stock exchange.
SpectrumGold currently has 17.5 million shares issued and is
anticipated to have approximately 20.9 million shares outstanding upon
release of the funds to SpectrumGold from escrow. Other information is
available online at: www.novagold.net

[kosto1929]

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Re: News Release - Thursday, October 09, 2003
NovaGold Begins Feasibility Study on Rock Creek Gold Project
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Highlights

* 10,000 meter Delineation Drill Program Completed.
* Feasibility Study Initiated -- Completion Targeted for mid-2004.
* Baseline Monitoring Program in Place for Environmental Assessment
Study.
* Construction Anticipated to Commence in mid-2005 Upon Receipt of
Final Permits.
* First Full Year of Production Targeted for 2006.


Delineation Drill Program Completed, Updated Resource Model In Progress

NovaGold has just completed the final in-fill delineation drill program
for its 100% owned Rock Creek Project located in Nome, Alaska. The
conclusion of the in-fill drill program and Independent Economic
Assessment Study are important milestones in the advancement of the
project to production. The recently completed 10,000 meter drill
program started in late June and was designed to increase the in-fill
drill definition for a Feasibility Study scheduled to be completed by
mid-2004.

Preliminary results confirm the previous Independent Scoping Study
model and estimates. An updated resource estimate and geologic model
based on the in-fill drill program is being prepared in conjunction
with AMEC E&C Services Ltd. and will be used in the final Feasibility
Study.

NovaGold has also implemented a new larger sample size, metallic screen
sample protocol for the current in-fill drill samples to better address
the potential for an increase in grade due to the coarse gold
component. The new protocol was developed in conjunction with ALS
Chemex labs in Vancouver, B.C., based on the results from Knelson
concentrator gravity testwork and metallic sieve analysis that
demonstrated that there is a significant coarse gold component at Rock
Creek that can be under reported with a conventional 200 gram sample
split and 50 gram fire assay. The new protocol uses a significantly
larger sample split of 4 kilograms and reports a final weighted average
assay that combines a coarse and fine fraction assay. Preliminary
results from the new protocol are very encouraging with the virtually
all of the samples of greater than 1.0 g/t showing a significant
increase in total gold grade due to the coarse metallic screen size
fraction. These initial results suggest that the new protocol may
result in an overall higher average grade for the deposit. Assay
results from the program will be reported when the assays are finalized
over the next two months.

Rock Creek Feasibility Study Initiated

In August, Norwest Corporation completed a detailed Independent
Economic Assessment Study that demonstrated that the project could be
rapidly developed into a mine that would produce an average of 110,000
ounces of gold per year at a total cash cost of less than $200 per
ounce (see August 7th, 2003 News Release). NovaGold has now initiated a
final Feasibility Study on the Rock Creek project. Key areas to be
addressed in the final Feasibility Study include geotechnical,
hydrologic, and metallurgical studies along with final pit design and
optimization. In addition to Norwest, NovaGold has retained several
specialized firms for the Feasibility work including: Golder
Associates, Inc. to conduct a geotechnical evaluation, Water Management
Consultants (WMC) Group to assess the hydrologic characteristics of the
Rock Creek site, and Laurion, Inc. to carry out further metallurgical
test work on samples collected from this year`s in-fill drill campaign.

As part of the Feasibility Study, Laurion, Inc., will be completing a
detailed metallurgical program to confirm the process selection from
the Scoping Study and to refine the process flowsheet. The Scoping
Study recommended a gravity/flotation process, showing recovery of over
80% of the gold to a refinable product by simple gravity methods.
Overall recovery is anticipated to be over 96%.

Golder Associates has undertaken a detailed geotechnical fieldwork
program that is now near completion. Part of that program included
drilling of oriented core holes in the projected pit walls and the
proposed tailing structure. Test pits were also excavated in the
foundations of the development rock dumps and plant site. The results
of the geotechnical program will be integrated into the final mine
design work.

Project Timeline and Permitting Process

Completion of the Feasibility Study is targeted for the second quarter
of 2004 and submission of permit applications to the State of Alaska in
the third quarter of 2004. Based on consultation with the permit
agencies, NovaGold anticipates permit approval in the summer of 2005
with construction to begin immediately thereafter. Production is
scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2006. Including the final
in-fill delineation drill program that was completed this year,
NovaGold will spend of total of $5 million to bring the Rock Creek
project to a construction decision in 2005.

As part of the baseline environmental information necessary for the
permit process, Water Management Consultants (WMC) Group has begun a
study to assess the hydrologic characteristics of the Rock Creek site.
The WMC Group is internationally recognized for its specialized
expertise in mine hydrology and engineering and has designed and
initiated a plan for the installation of seven water monitoring wells
on the project. The water monitoring wells are intended to establish
baseline groundwater conditions prior to initiation of mining. The
Alaska State Department of Environmental Conservation has approved the
plan of work and installation of the wells has been initiated with
three of the seven wells now completed. In addition to overseeing
installation of the monitoring wells, WMC Group is collecting data on
ground water flows to assess pit hydrology and establish an overall
site water balance.

As the final part of the permit process NovaGold is initiating
additional baseline environmental studies for the preparation of an
Environmental Assessment (EA) document for the project. Work has begun
on the required collection of surface water samples, characterization
of wetlands, air quality monitoring, archeological resources, rock
characterization, and the completion of a socio-economic evaluation.

The Rock Creek deposit has many positive attributes that will
facilitate its rapid development including close proximity to existing
infrastructure, mining and process simplicity, modest capital cost and
exploration upside. The project has strong community support and based
on the long history of mining in the area, timely approval of all
required project permits is anticipated.

Rock Creek Project Overview

The 100% owned Rock Creek Project is located seven miles by road from
the city of Nome, Alaska. The million-plus-ounce Rock Creek deposit is
exposed at surface and is amenable to open-pit mining. In August,
Norwest Corporation completed an independent Economic Assessment Study
that demonstrated that the project could be rapidly developed into a
mine that would produce an average of 110,000 ounces of gold per year
at a total cash cost of less than $200 per ounce and at a capital cost
of less than US$40 million.

NovaGold has prioritized advancing the Rock Creek Project to production
as part of its strategy to transition from a highly successful pure
exploration company to an exploration focused, quality gold producer.
Rock Creek would become the first of four new mines that NovaGold
intends to bring to production (either directly or with a partner) by
the end of the decade with the company`s anticipated share of
production reaching 500,000 to 700,000 ounces of gold per year.

The financial analysis from the Independent Economic Assessment Study
completed by Norwest Corporation in August 2003 that evaluated the
capital costs, operating and processing costs, taxes and royalties for
the project showed that Rock Creek could generate a pre-tax rate of
return in the range of 19% to 25% at gold price of $325 per ounce. This
increases significantly with increases in the price of gold, the table
below shows that with each US$25 increase in gold price there is
greater than a 35% increase in the after-tax undiscounted Net Present
Value. A sensitivity analysis on the project shows that the rate of
return is most sensitive to changes in the gold price and grade,
followed by changes to the operating costs and then to changes in
capital costs.

Financial Analysis and Gold Price Sensitivity
(all amounts US$)
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Gold Price Base Case Upside Target
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$325 Pre-tax DCF IRR % 18.8% 24.9%
After-tax IRR % 16.2% 21.7%
After-Tax Net Present Value (0%) $M $30.3 $61.8
After-Tax Net Present Value (5%) $M $16.0 $34.5
Payback Period Yrs 4.0 4.0
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$350 Pre-tax DCF IRR % 26.2% 31.6%
After-tax IRR % 22.2% 27.3%
After-Tax Net Present Value (0%) $M $42.2 $80.0
After-Tax Net Present Value (5%) $M $25.0 $47.2
Payback Period Yrs 3.4 3.4
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$375 Pre-tax DCF IRR % 33.3% 38.1%
After-tax IRR % 28.0% 32.6%
After-Tax Net Present Value (0%) $M $53.9 $98.0
After-Tax Net Present Value (5%) $M $33.8 $59.8
Payback Period Yrs 3.0 3.0
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$400 Pre-tax DCF IRR % 40.2% 44.4%
After-tax IRR % 33.6% 37.8%
After-Tax Net Present Value (0%) $M $65.0 $115.4
After-Tax Net Present Value (5%) $M $42.3 $71.9
Payback Period Yrs 2.5 2.5
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Source: Norwest Corporation, Rock Creek Economic Assessment
Study, Aug 2003



About NovaGold

NovaGold is a precious metals company focused on the exploration and
development of high quality mineral properties in North America.
NovaGold is now advancing five separate million-plus-ounce gold
deposits in Alaska and Western Canada toward production including two
of the largest undeveloped gold deposits in North America, the 25
million ounce Donlin Creek Project in partnership with Placer Dome and
the 5 million ounce Galore Creek deposit. NovaGold has 50.2 million
shares outstanding, is well financed with no long-term debt, and one of
the largest unhedged gold resource bases of any development stage gold
company.