RENO, Nevada, Oct. 13, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Western Goldfields (OTCBB:WGDF) and Romarco Minerals Inc. (TSX-V:R) are pleased to announce that Mr. Rex Outzen has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer of Romarco. Mr. Outzen will be overseeing the operations at the Mesquite Mine owned by Western Goldfields and working with the Western Mesquite Mine team to initiate the resource modeling work and pre-feasibility studies.
Western and Romarco executed the definitive merger agreement on September 30, 2005 (see press release dated October 3, 2005) and are waiting regulatory and shareholder approvals.
Mr. Outzen (B.Sc. Honors, Metallurgical Engineering) is a highly qualified operator bringing over twenty-five years of experience in the development, construction and operation of both precious and base metal mining projects in North and South America, including the Andacollo Gold Mine (Chile), Gilt Edge Mine (South Dakota), Borealis Mine (Nevada), Manhattan Mine (Nevada), and the McCoy Mine (Nevada). Mr. Outzen also brings extensive experience in the development of project feasibility studies. Most recently Mr. Outzen was a consulting operator for Metallica Resources Inc. in the development of the Cerro San Pedro Heap Leach Project in San Luis, Potosi, Mexico. Prior thereto, Mr. Outzen was VP and General Manager of the Andacollo Gold Mine in Chile, owned by Dayton Mining Corporation where he was responsible for the overall development, construction and operation of a 14,000 TPD gold heap leach mine and processing facility.
Additionally, Mr. Outzen was Manager of Nevada Operations for Tenneco Minerals Company as well as past member of the Board of Directors of the Nevada Mining Association and the South Dakota Mining Association.
Romarco agreed to select a COO and to fund the pre-feasibility and feasibility initiatives at Mesquite prior to the closing of the merger transaction. Once completed, the combined company's portfolio of assets will include the Mesquite Mine (2.2 million ounces, fully permitted, southern California) from Western, as well as a portfolio of advanced stage exploration gold projects in Nevada and Peru from Romarco. Western brings a very experienced technical team to the merger with Romarco bringing an experience financial team.
For further information, please contact:
Western Goldfields Inc. Romarco Minerals Inc.
Thomas (Toby) Mancuso Diane R. Garrett
Pres. & CEO Pres. & CEO
Western Goldfields Inc. Romarco Minerals Inc.
961 Matley Lane 1500-885 West Georgia St.
Suite 120 Vancouver, BC
Reno, NV 89502 Canada V6C 3E8
Tel: 775.337.9433 Tel: 604.688.9271
Fax: 775.337.9441 Direct: 830.634.7489
Fax: 604.688.9274
Email: info@westerngoldfields.com Email: info@romarco.com