Eritrea Resource play (ERP)

[Ed Monton]

Nevsun Resources Ltd.: 30,000 Meter Drill Program
Underway at Bisha Project, Eritrea

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--Nevsun Resources Ltd. (NSU-TSX) is
pleased to announce that drilling at its Bisha Main high-grade
gold/copper/zinc volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit (VMS) in
Eritrea has re-started. Two diamond drills are currently
operational and will be joined by a combination reverse
circulation drill in the next few weeks. The current program
scheduled through to June comprises a minimum of 20,000 meters of
diamond drilling and 10,000 meters of reverse circulation
drilling. The objectives of the current program are to:

- Delineate the Bisha Main and NW Zone deposits to a drill
density that will allow a third party resource/reserve estimate.

- Explore the direct southern extension of the Bisha Main deposit
where a gravity anomaly was recently defined over an additional
2.0 km strike length coincident with an airborne and ground EM
anomaly.

- Drill test a newly identified gravity anomaly coincident with a
gold-base metal soil anomaly located to the southeast of the
known Bisha Main massive sulphide.

- Determine the extent of the gold in disseminated sulphides
within the NW Zone and determine the extent of the copper bearing
massive sulphide mineralization in this area

- Commence the metallurgical, environmental, hydrological and
geotechnical studies required for a feasibility study of the
initial Bisha Main gold-copper discovery.

Recent drill results (such as drill holes B-117 and B-121
reported in press release dated 12 January 2004) have indicated
that the base metal component of the southern portion of the
Bisha Main deposit is increasing in width and is open at depths
beyond 200 meters vertical. The results from hole B-121 returned
66.6 meters averaging 9.1% Zn and 0.94% Cu and B-117 returned
81.9 meters averaging 1.62% Cu and 3.05% Zn. Both intersections
display significant precious metal credits. Additional drilling
to depth is planned early in the current program to test the down
dip extent of the deposit.

Drill results from the NW Zone have indicated that there are
significant gold values associated with disseminated sulphides
that are proximal to the main NW massive sulphides zone. These
disseminated sulphide intersections were reported in press
release dated 1 December 2003 with hole B-75 returning 14.0 g/t
Au over 15.0 meters and B-70 averaging 14.3 g/t Au over 3.0. An
additional disseminated mineralized zone to the west has returned
7.3 g/t Au over 4.3 meters (B-70) and 6.7 g/t over 4.5 meters
(B-75). Additional drilling is planned to further delineate and
extend these zones.

Recent geophysical surveys (gravity and EM) and soil sample
results from the southern end of the Bisha Main deposit indicate
co-incident anomalies for at least 2.0 km from the last drilling
in this area (the 2.0 km being the extent of the gravity survey
to date). During the current campaign the gravity survey will be
extended further south to cover the continuing EM anomaly.
Exploration drilling will take place to test these anomalies in
anticipation of expanding the mineralized zone to the south.

A recent structural interpretation indicates that the southern
portion of the Bisha Main and the NW Zone may be directly related
having been displaced by later faulting. A newly defined
coincident gravity anomaly and gold-base metal soil anomaly
located 1.6 km to the southeast of the Bisha Main Zone may be
similarly related to the northern portion of the Bisha Main
deposit. The geochemical anomaly covers a strike length of 1.0
kilometers and the coincident gravity anomaly, which lies at the
edge of the gravity survey data collected to date, may have
similar dimensions. This hypothesis of this newly defined zone
having a relation with the Bisha Main will be drill tested once
additional gravity work has been done to more accurately define
specific drill sites. The additional gravity work will start
immediately.

The reverse circulation drilling will concentrate on the near
surface high-grade gold horizon and the underlying supergene
copper horizon of the Bisha Main It is anticipated that increased
drill recoveries will assist in upgrading the gold and supergene
copper resources.

Preliminary metallurgical test work is currently being carried
out on the primary massive sulphide mineralization to get an
initial concept of this material's amenability to be recovered
using conventional processing methods. Past metallurgical work
focused on the oxide gold and supergene copper mineralized zones.


The resource statement originally scheduled for the first quarter
of 2004 is scheduled for completion in the second quarter in
order that sufficient data is accumulated to advance the
statement to a feasibility level. Additional work with respect to
specific gravity determinations and geotechnical measurements
will be continued during the current program. Environmental
studies and hydrological work will also being implemented in
order that a feasibility study can be underway before the end of
the year.

A total of 146 diamond drill holes totaling 19,181 meters have
been drilled at Bisha to date. The Bisha Main zone has been
drilled over a strike length of 1,100 meters with massive
sulphide mineralization being intersected to a vertical depth of
225 meters. Oxidation of the primary massive sulphides has
developed a gold enriched oxide layer from surface to a typical
depth of 35m which overlies a further 30m of supergene copper
enriched massive sulphides. Within the underlying primary massive
sulphides very significant copper and high grade zinc zones have
been recognized.

Bill Nielsen, Vice-President of Exploration for Nevsun, a
qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, supervised and
directed all work associated with the drilling program. Nevsun
implemented a QA/QC program, consisting of certified standards,
for the drill program. The analytical methods used for gold and
silver are fire assay with atomic absorption or gravimetric
finish. Induced Coupled Plasma (ICP) is used for silver trace
level values. The analytical methods used for the base metals are
aqua-regia digestion and atomic absorption finish or ICP for
trace level values. Sample preparation and analysis were
conducted at ALS Chemex of Vancouver, Canada.

John Clarke, President of Nevsun states, "I am very pleased with
the progress at Bisha to date. The overall aim of the current
program is to bring the property to commercial production in as
short a time frame as possible. It is envisaged that the first
stages of production will come from the surface gold bearing
oxides and underlying near surface supergene copper sulphides of
the Bisha Main deposit. These could in turn provide future
funding for the mining of the copper and zinc bearing primary
sulphides."

Forward Looking Statements: The above contains forward looking
statements that are subject to a number of known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual
results to differ materially from those anticipated in our
forward looking statements. Factors that could cause such
differences include: changes in world gold markets, equity
markets, costs and supply of materials relevant to the mining
industry and the Company's projects, change in government and
changes to regulations affecting the mining industry. Although we
believe the expectations reflected in our forward looking
statements are reasonable, results may vary, and we cannot
guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or
achievements.

NEVSUN RESOURCES LTD.

Dr. John A. Clarke, President & Chief Executive Officer

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Nevsun Resources Ltd.
Don Halliday
Manager, Investor Relations
[phone] or 1-888-600-2200
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.nevsun.com