Gold Exploration in West Africa

[FL]

NEW in Senegal: Oromin Explorations (OLE.V)

http://www.ccnmatthews.com/scripts/ccn-release.pl?/2004/10/20/1020176n.html

OROMIN EXPLORATIONS LTD.

TSX VENTURE SYMBOL: OLE

OCTOBER 20, 2004 - 18:33 ET

Oromin Named Successful Bidder in International Bid
Process and Acquires Highly Prospective Senegal Gold
Project

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(CCNMatthews - Oct. 20, 2004) - Oromin
Explorations Ltd. (TSX-V:OLE) is pleased to report that the Oromin Joint
Venture Group has been awarded an exploration concession by the
Government of Senegal covering 230 square kilometres (the "Sabodala
Project") in West Africa.

The 230 square kilometre Sabodala Project is underlain by the same
greenstone geologic environment that contains the broad Mali-Senegal
Shear Zone, which hosts many large gold deposits in adjacent Mali,
including the Sadiola Gold Deposit of IAMGold and Anglogold. The 9.8
million ounce Sadiola Gold Deposit has an annual production of
approximately 600,000 ounces of gold. Additional world-class gold
deposits in adjacent Mali hosted by the same structural/geological
environment include: Morila (5.6 million ounces); Syama (5.2 million
ounces); and Loulo (4.0 million ounces).

The Oromin Joint Venture Group ("OJVG") is a joint venture between
Oromin (43.5%), a private Saudi Arabian investor group (43.5%) and a
private Senegalese investor group (13%), with Oromin providing
exploration and management services. The exploration concession grants
to the OJVG the sole right to acquire a 100% interest in the 230 square
kilometre Sabodala Project by spending at least US$8 million on
exploration over 22 months. Under the terms of the OJVG Agreement, the
private Saudi group will provide the initial US$3.3 million in
exploration expenditures with Oromin providing the subsequent US$4.7
million commitment. In addition, the private Saudi group has a right of
first refusal to provide financing, through an equity placement in
Oromin, of up to US$4 million of Oromin's expenditure commitment. The
private Senegalese investor group holds a free carried interest until
the initial US$8 million commitment is completed, at which time the
three parties will bear all future costs associated with the exploration
and development of the Sabodala Project on a pro rata basis, or be
subject to dilution.

The Sabodala Project surrounds the 20 square kilometre exploitation
concession (see attached plan map) that hosts a number of mineral
prospects, including the Sabodala Gold Deposit, and is located in
southeastern Senegal, some 600 kilometres from the capital city of
Dakar. Access to the project area is very good with all-weather roads
leading to and throughout the project area, as well as airplane access
to a private, paved air-strip within the concession boundaries. The
political climate in Senegal is excellent and the country's newly
enacted Mining Code is very attractive for both exploration and
development of mineral resources.

The most extensive past exploration on the 230 square kilometres covered
by the Sabodala Project was undertaken by BRGM (Geologic Branch of the
French Government) between 1976 and 1992. The majority of the BRGM
exploration activity throughout this region was focused on the immediate
area of the Sabodala Gold Deposit that lies within the 20 square
kilometre Sabodala Exploitation Concession, surrounded in its entirety
by the much larger exploration concession which comprises the Sabodala
Project (see attached plan map). As part of BRGM's exploration,
extensive drilling was carried out at the Sabodala Gold Deposit
including intersections of:

/T/

Hole Interval (m) Gold (g/t)
S11J 58.0 7.9
S2K 21.0 8.9
S4L 35.0 5.6
S2L 18.6 27.6
S1H 20.5 8.5

/T/

A series of resource calculations, undertaken by BRGM and later audited
by Mintech International estimate approximately 500,000 to 1,000,000
ounces of gold resources for the Sabodala Deposit. These calculations
predate the implementation of National Instrument 43-101. Subsequent to
the exploration efforts of BRGM, a local company initiated small-scale,
open-pit mining of near surface oxide ore at the Sabodala Gold Deposit
and one other deposit in the region. However, very little exploration
using modern techniques has been conducted on the surrounding Sabodala
Project as the exploration concession has only just become available
through the Government of Senegal's international bid procedure.

Encouraging regional exploration results by BRGM indicate that the
hosting geologic environment and structural regime controlling the
Sabodala Gold Deposit underlie much of the surrounding Sabodala Project.
Numerous high priority exploration targets, mineral occurrences, gold
prospects and gold deposits occur within the extensive northeasterly
trending structural zone transecting the majority of the Sabodala
Project.

One such target area, the Golouma Prospect, is associated with
multi-episodal quartz stockwork veining and silicification within an
extensive circular feature measuring approximately 2.0 kilometres in
diameter. This circular feature lies along the eastern flank of the
Mali-Senegal Shear Zone, a 5.0 kilometre wide northeasterly trending
structural zone hosting all of the known mineralized showings and
deposits (including the Sabodala Gold Deposit) over a minimum 12
kilometre length. The Golouma Prospect has never been drilled although
it has been the focus of previous alluvial mining activities within the
younger sediment covered valleys adjacent to the highly silicified
hillsides distributed within the extensive circular feature. Preliminary
trenching results obtained by BRGM from the Golouma Prospect include:
3.4 g/t gold over 4 metres, 5.4 g/t gold over 5.5 metres and 11.4 g/t
gold over 6.5 metres, with none of these trenches exposing the full
width of mineralization present. The Golouma Prospect is drill-ready and
Oromin intends to begin drill evaluation of this prospect as soon as
possible following mobilization.

A second priority exploration target, the Kobokoto Prospect, is located
on the western flank of the 5 kilometre wide structural zone. As with
the Golouma Prospect, the Kobokoto Prospect has never been drilled
although BRGM reported grades from a series of exploration pits here
ranging from 1. 5 to 63.5 g/t gold and a series of trenches including:
3.5 g/t gold over 3 metres and 4.5 g/t gold over 3 metres, neither
trench covering the entire mineralized width. The Kobokoto Prospect is
drill-ready and Oromin intends to begin drill evaluation of this
prospect as soon as possible following mobilization.

Oromin is extremely pleased to have been granted the Sabodala Project
exploration concession given the high level of interest in the project
from senior international mining companies. The project's location
within the Mali-Senegal Shear Zone and its proximity to the Sabodala
Gold Deposit is highly prospective, giving it significant exploration
potential.

Oromin's geological consultants visited the Sabodala Project to carry
out due diligence as part of the international bid process and have
begun preparation of a geological report in compliance with National
Instrument 43-101.

Oromin plans to immediately initiate an aggressive exploration program
on the Sabodala Project. Exploration activities will include
Landsat-Radarsat imagery interpretation, airborne geophysics, ground
geophysics (including magnetics and induced polarization), regional and
detailed geochemistry surveys, prospecting, geological and structural
mapping, manual and mechanical trenching and extensive drilling,
beginning with drilling on the Golouma and Kobokoto prospects in the
vicinity of the BRGM trenching as soon as possible after the
commencement of exploration.

In addition to the Sabodala Project, Oromin is presently negotiating to
acquire a highly prospective gold property in Brazil.

Oromin has been advised by its joint venture partner on its Santa Rosa
oil and gas prospect in Argentina, Surge Global Energy Inc. ("Surge"),
that Surge expects to complete its purchase of a 50% interest in Santa
Rosa shortly. Following the completion of Surge's acquisition of its 50%
interest in Santa Rosa, Oromin and Surge will jointly undertake the next
phase of the exploration program, at an estimated cost of US$1,350,000,
which will consist of interpretation of seismic data, completion of
environmental studies, drilling three exploration wells and, contingent
upon success, completing one production well. All required funding for
the upcoming phase of exploration and all future exploration and
development of the Santa Rosa property, will be borne equally by each
party.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of

OROMIN EXPLORATIONS LTD.

Chet Idziszek, President

NOTE: There is a map of the Sabodala Project available on CCNMatthews'
website:

http://www2.cdn-news.com/database/fax/2000/OLE1020.pdf

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Oromin Explorations Ltd.
Chet Idziszek
President
[phone]
[phone] (FAX)
Website: www.oromin.com
NO STOCK EXCHANGE HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE INFORMATION CONTAINED
HEREIN.