VENTURA GOLD CORP.

International Minerals Corporation and Ventura Gold Corporation jointly announce today that they have entered into a binding letter agreement whereby International Minerals will acquire, in an all-share transaction, all of the issued and outstanding shares of Ventura by way of a statutory plan of arrangement. Through the transaction, International Minerals will acquire Ventura’s 51% ownership (and the right to earn a 70% interest) in the Inmaculada gold-silver property in southern Peru, located approximately 25 km southwest of International Minerals’ 40%-owned Pallancata silver-gold mine. International Minerals intends to aggressively advance the Inmaculada Project towards completion of a feasibility study in order to earn a 70% interest in the property. The remaining property interest in Inmaculada is held by Hochschild Mining plc, International Minerals’ partner at the Pallancata Mine.