Executive Chairman Dr Sergey V Kurzin, of Oriel Resources plc, said today: “I am pleased to announce that Dr Nic Barcza, will be joining the Board of Oriel Resources Plc on 1 November 2004 as Executive Director of Technology. Having Dr Barcza, a world expert in ferroalloy technology, as a member of our team, will substantially increase the credibility of the Schevchenko project and give additional confidence to our investors as we progress to a bankable Definitive Feasibility Study."
Dr. Nicholas Adrian Barcza, 58, has a PhD in Engineering and is a registered Professional Engineer.

He was promoted to Director of the Pyrometallurgy Division at Mintek in 1985 and to Vice-President: Technology Commercialization in 1989. He is currently the General Manager Business Development and Technology Commercialisation, Mintek, Randburg, South Africa and CEO of Mindev (Pty) Ltd, Randburg, South Africa which is the holding company for Mintek’s interests in Mogale Alloys and Musuku Beneficiation Systems. The latter company operates a 70 ton gold refinery in the Free State Gold Fields.

Nic Barcza managed a major programme of ferroalloy technology development work during the 1980’s that culminated in the successful commercial implementation of a 40 MVA DC plasma-arc technology for the direct smelting of ferrochromium from chromite ore fines. Mogale Alloys, of which Nic is Chairman, is the company that currently operates this ferrochromium plant near to Johannesburg, South Africa. This DC arc furnace technology has been successfully applied to a number of other projects including the production of a nickel-containing ferroalloy.

He is a past-President and Honorary Life Fellow of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, and has served on several academic advisory Boards.

Nic Barcza said today “I am delighted to be joining the Oriel Resources team, as project leader. I see the opportunity to apply Mintek’s ferronickel technology as offering the Project a major competitive advantage to other nickel projects which are in the development pipeline. The Shevchenko Project has the potential of significantly lower capital and operating costs compared with most of the greenfield nickel projects under consideration. Oriel Resources has already demonstrated to me that it can progress the Project very rapidly and that this fast track approach should result in near term commercial operations under favourable market conditions."

Dr Barcza will be granted 1,750,000 options under the Company’s Unapproved Share Option Plan at an exercise price of 60p which was the market price ruling on the date of the Board Resolution appointing him as the Executive Director of Technology.

His current directorships include;
Mindev Pty Ltd since 2002
Mogale Alloys Pty Ltd since 2002
Musuku Beneficiation Systems Pty Ltd since 2002
Apic Toll Treatment Pty Ltd since 1998
Cannon Pty Ltd since 1998

There is no further information to be disclosed in relation to Schedule Two to paragraph (f) of the AIM rules in connection with this appointment.

For further information, or to download the entire press release, please visit
our website at www.orielresources.com or contact:

Sergey V Kurzin
svkurzin@orielresources.com
or
Stephen R Dattels
srdattels@orielresources.com
18 Upper Brook Street
London W1K 7PU England
Telephone +44 (0) 20 7514 0590
Facsimile +44 (0) 20 7514 0591