VANCOUVER, Sept. 21 /CNW/ -- Standard & Poor's has announced that its Canadian Index Operations will add Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. (TSX: NDM; NYSE Amex: NAK) to the S&P/TSX SmallCap Index effective September 21, 2009.

The S&P/TSX SmallCap Index was re-developed in 2007 to provide an investable index for Canadian investors and investment managers, as well as a small cap portfolio benchmark. To be included in the index, TSX-listed public companies must be actively and regularly traded, and have a float adjusted market capitalization between $1.5 billion and $100 million, among other eligibility characteristics.

"With a market capitalization in excess of $600 million and nearly 500,000 shares traded daily, Northern Dynasty is clearly among the most notable 'small cap' securities traded on Canada's major stock exchange," said President & CEO Ron Thiessen. "We're pleased about the visibility that inclusion on this index will bring Northern Dynasty, as well as the future investment in our company associated with ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) based on the S&P/TSX SmallCap Index."

Northern Dynasty is a 50-50 partner with Anglo American in the Pebble Project - an initiative to develop a globally significant copper-gold-molybdenum project in southwest Alaska into a modern, long-life mine.

The Pebble Partnership was established in July 2007 as a 50:50 partnership between a wholly-owned affiliate of Northern Dynasty and a wholly owned subsidiary of Anglo American plc. To retain its 50% interest, Anglo American is required to provide $1.425 billion to advance the Pebble Project toward permitting and operations.

Based on a mineral resource estimate announced last year (see Northern Dynasty News Release dated December 4, 2008), the Pebble deposit is the most extensive, undeveloped porphyry system in the world. At a 0.30% copper equivalent (CuEQ)(1) cut-off, the Pebble deposit comprises:

-   5.1 billion tonnes of Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources
grading 0.77% CuEQ, containing 48 billion pounds of copper,
57 million ounces of gold, and 2.9 billion pounds of molybdenum; plus
-   4.0 billion tonnes of Inferred Mineral Resources grading 0.55% CuEQ,
containing 24 billion pounds of copper, 37 million ounces of gold and
1.9 billion pounds of molybdenum.

Review Canadian public filings at www.sedar.com and US public filings at www.sec.gov.

Ronald W. Thiessen
President and CEO

Sole Responsibility

No regulatory authority accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Northern Dynasty is solely and entirely responsible for the contents of this news release.