Victoria Gold and StrataGold announced an agreement on February 11, 2009, for a proposed friendly acquisition of StrataGold by Victoria Gold through an all share transaction. Victoria Gold has 17 gold exploration projects in Nevada. StrataGold's Dublin Gulch project in the Mayo mining district, central Yukon, Canada, with an indicated resource of 2.69 million oz of gold, is the primary focus for the acquisition; however, StrataGold also has attractive gold exploration properties in Guyana. Kinross Gold, together with its subsidiary EastWest Gold, holds 28% of Victoria. Newmont Mining Corp. of Canada holds 14.9% of StrataGold, and Newmont Overseas Exploration Ltd., is StrataGold's joint-venture partner in the BRL Venture in Guyana.

Completion of the StrataGold acquisition would increase Victoria's total NI 43-101 compliant gold resources from 1.2 million oz to approximately 4.3 million oz. In announcing the agreement, Victoria Gold said, "Victoria selected StrataGold from amongst numerous carefully reviewed opportunities principally because its management believes that the large, 2.69-million-oz Dublin Gulch project is well advanced, and it may be suitable for low-cost, heap leach gold processing. The management of Victoria believes that the Dublin Gulch Eagle deposit has many similarities to Kinross' Fort Knox deposit, where Kinross is currently constructing an 'in valley' heap leach pad to recover gold from low-grade stockpiles."

The companies agreed to work toward entering into a definitive agreement by March 12, 2009. (www.victoriaresourcecorp.com and www.stratagold.com).

Exploration Briefs

Vista Gold reports a 57% increase in measured and indicated gold resources in the Batman deposit of its Mt. Todd project in Australia's Northern Territory. These resources now stand at 4.5 million oz in 150.2 million mt at an average grade of 0.94 g/mt and a cutoff grade of 0.50 g/mt. The company has completed preliminary studies for tailings impoundment facilities, pit slope design, and an environmental baseline review; and a metallurgical testing program is in progress. When this work is complete, the company intends to undertake a pre-feasibility study to determine project economics and estimate mineable reserves.

The updated Batman deposit resource estimate, dated January 23, 2009, incorporates the results of 7,367 assay intervals from 14 drill holes (all core holes) drilled by Vista in 2008, with sample preparation and assaying completed by ALS Chemex.