Release: Avocet Mining: High grades at Bakan, Indonesia, add to the project?s momentum

February 09, 2007 - Avocet Mining PLC (?Avocet? or ?the Company?) is pleased to announce ongoing results of its infill drilling programmes at Durian and Osela in the Bakan District in the Company?s 80% owned Mongondow Contract of Work (?CoW?) in Indonesia. The results to date from the latest drilling programme of over 12,300 metres in the two deposits have yielded intercepts that include bonanza grades the best of which is 173 g/t Au over a 3 metre zone. The Bakan District is approximately 25km west of the Company?s North Lanut mining operation and is the main new exploration initiative for the Company in the CoW.

Avocet reported initial drilling results for Durian and Osela on 29 March 2006 and 20 June 2006 respectively. These formed the basis of a JORC-compliant 533,000-ounce Inferred Resource announced on 7 July 2006. Since mid-2006, the Company has conducted infill drilling on 25-metre centers to confirm the high-grade zones within the deposits and evaluate the extent of low-grade economic mineralisation along their margins. Up to four diamond drilling rigs have completed 54 holes (7,875 metres) at Durian and 41 holes (4,575 metres) at Osela to date. Drilling is continuing.

The Company is pleased to report significant intercepts (cut to 100 g/t Au) from the majority of these infill drillholes. At Durian, these include: 138m @ 2.60 g/t Au (including 26m @ 6.95 g/t Au), 90m @ 2.27 g/t Au (including 21.5m @ 4.64 g/t Au) and 57.5m @ 1.78 g/t Au. The Osela drillholes include 24m @ 13.7 g/t Au (including 6.3m @ 46.4 g/t Au), 71m @ 2.08 g/t Au, 58m @ 2.00 g/t Au, 47m @ 2.25 g/t Au and 14m @ 6.99 g/t Au (including 6m @ 15.2 g/t Au). The first high-grade interval includes an uncut intercept of 3m @ 173 g/t Au associated with visible gold mineralisation, which confirms a zone of exceptional grades at North Osela. A full version of this release including maps with drill hole locations can be found on the Company?s website (www.avocet.co.uk).

These drillholes have identified a second zone of mineralisation at depth at Durian within the already defined extents of 600 metres along strike and 100-150 metres width. Durian has been tested to a depth of up to 150 metres. Drilling at Osela has confirmed two main zones of mineralisation over a strike length of 1,000 metres. The most significantly mineralised North Osela zone has a strike length of 400 metres, width a 40-100 metres and has been tested to a depth of 100 metres.

This programme has confirmed the nature of the oxidised, replacement-style, high-sulphidation epithermal mineralisation. This is similar to the Company?s Riska deposit, currently being mined at North Lanut. Both Durian and Osela consist of NNW-striking zones of massive silica-alunite alteration fed by narrow, sub-vertical feeder zones. There are significant zones of near-surface, high-grade supergene mineralisation in both deposits, but especially at North Osela where the Company has defined a 170-metre long zone of high grade mineralisation.

The occurrence of near-surface high-grade ore zones in both Durian and Osela is likely to have a positive impact on the economic viability of the gold resources. Both deposits are situated on a ridge, which will further enhance the project economics by minimising the potential waste to ore stripping ratios.

Metallurgical test work, including coarse particle column leach tests, is underway to confirm preliminary results that show the ore is amenable to the low-cost dump leaching process employed at North Lanut.

Drilling will continue throughout the year as the Company tests extensions to Durian and Osela, sterilises infrastructure sites, and assesses other mineralised prospects in the Bakan District. An RC drilling rig is expected on site in February to accelerate this programme.

Formal grade modelling will commence shortly. The Board anticipates reporting Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resources in April 2007. This will form the basis of open pit optimisation studies, mine design work and feasibility studies, which are all on the critical path to production planned for 2008.

Jonathan Henry, Chief Executive Officer, commented:
?Bakan continues to show considerable potential to become a viable commercial mine ? the positive drilling results have confirmed our view that Bakan has the potential to be at least a 50,000 ounce per year producer from 2009. More recent bonanza grade intercepts have increased our confidence in the orebody and are likely to improve the economics of the project.?

All references to resources and exploration results have been approved for release by Mr Peter Flindell, BSc (Hons) MAusIMM, Chief Geologist for Avocet, who has more than 20 years experience in the field of activity concerned and is a Competent Person as defined by the JORC Code (2004). He has consented to the inclusion of the material in the form and context in which it appears. (end of release)