Cumberland Resources (CLG)

[Zolt]

DIAMOND PLAY REKINDLED!

CUMBERLAND RESOURCES LTD. (CBD-TSX) reports that WMC International Ltd. has approved a $2,070,000 work program on the Meliadine West gold project, located 25 kilometres northwest of the Hamlet of Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. The Meliadine West project is held 56% by WMC, 22% by Cumberland and 22% by Comaplex Minerals Corp. WMC is the Operator and finances all expenditures on the project.

The 2003 program at Meliadine West will consist of infill drilling on the Tiriganiaq Zone and regional exploration for both gold and diamonds. It is anticipated that the infill drilling program in the Tiriganiaq area will consist of 4,700 metres in 17 drill holes to attempt to upgrade specific areas of the deposit from inferred resources to indicated resources. Regional exploration will consist of ground geophysics, geological prospecting, and mapping on existing gold targets in 13 separate areas. Follow-up drilling of approximately 600 metres is proposed on new targets developed from the regional work or on existing prospects. A till sampling program for kimberlite indicator minerals will also be completed.