Sierra Pacific Power Company
Contact: Robert Sagan
Phone: (775)834-4345

For Immediate Release

Sierra Pacific Power Co. has signed a five-year contract to provide electric service to the Mineral Ridge mine, a new gold mine 35 miles southwest of Tonopah, Nevada, near Silver Peak. The mine is owned by Mineral Ridge Resources, Inc., a subsidiary of Cornucopia Resources Ltd. Of Vancouver, B.C.

Among the utility facilities constructed to serve the open pit mine were 5.5 miles of 60,000-volt electric transmission line and a substation. Mineral Ridge is paying for the construction of the equipment which is owned by Sierra Pacific.

The agreement calls for Sierra Pacific to supply up to 1.5 megawatts of electricity to the open pit, heap leach time.(A single megawatt represents enough electricity to serve about 650 households.)

Mineral ridge gold production is expected to be 50,000 ounces annually over the estimated five and one-half year life of the mine. Processing facilities at Mineral Ridge are expected to handle a minimum of 2,700 tons of ore per day.Sierra Pacific has signed long-term electric service contracts with seven Nevada gold mines, including Barrick Goldstrike Mines, Inc.