Northgate Minerals Announces Diamond Drill Results Adjacent to Established Reserves on the Young-Davidson Property

    Hole YD09-120 Intersects Mafic Volcanic Mineralization Grading 7.6 g/t
    Over 13.5m

VANCOUVER, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Northgate Minerals Corporation (TSX: NGX, NYSE Amex: NXG) is pleased to report drill results for 29 shallow diamond drill holes totalling 2,424 metres (m) at its 100%-owned Young-Davidson project near the town of Matachewan in northern Ontario. Drilling took place on Northgate's Young-Davidson property immediately east of the current ore reserve in and around historic mine workings, which was operated by Matachewan Consolidated during the mid 1900s (1934-1954).

                               Drill Highlights

    -   Hole YD09-120, beyond the eastern limit of historic mining,
        intersected 7.6 grams per tonne (g/t) gold over 13.5m

    -   Hole YD09-114, south of historic mining, intersected 13.8 g/t gold
        over 2.0m and 7.1 g/t gold over 3.8m

    -   Holes YD09-132, within historic near surface workings, intersected
        1.9 g/t gold over 36.1m including 7.0 g/t over 5.0m

Ken Stowe, President and Chief Executive Officer, remarked, "This is our first exploration program targeting the higher grade mafic volcanic hosted gold mineralization east of the currently known syenite hosted gold reserves on the Young-Davidson property. While the open pit potential tonnage is modest, holes such as YD09-120 and YD09-114 indicate that there is still higher grade mafic volcanic gold mineralization to be discovered on the property."

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    Diamond Drill Program

The purpose of the 2009 exploration diamond drill program to the east of the Young-Davidson deposit was to assess the potential for high grade mafic volcanic hosted gold mineralization within 50m of surface, which would have the potential to add open pit reserves in and around existing mine workings.

Select surface holes are listed in Table 1 below and the complete list of holes are listed in Table 2. All surface holes are plotted on Figure 1, a geology map of a portion of the Young-Davidson property.

    Table 1 - Select Young-Davidson Surface Holes

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                                           Core     Gold Grade  Gold Grade
    Hole ID      From (m)     To (m)    Length (m)  Uncut (g/t) Cut to 20 g/t
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    YD09-108       2.6          12         9.4          1.48
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    incl           2.6         3.7         1.1          8.95
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    YD09-110       5.4        16.2        10.8          0.76
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    YD09-111      39.8        52.3        12.5          2.07
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    incl          39.8          45         5.2          3.31
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    YD09-112      17.3        27.7        10.4          1.03
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    YD09-114      38.2        40.2         2.0         15.51        13.76
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                  55.2          59         3.8          7.11
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    YD09-116      61.5          66         4.5          0.79
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    YD09-120      25.7        39.2        13.5         10.11         7.63
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    incl          33.6        37.8         4.2         26.99        19.04
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    YD09-132      12.3        48.4        36.1          1.94
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    incl                                   5.0          7.00
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    YD09-134                               5.8          7.57         6.86
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    (True thicknesses estimated to be 70-90% of core length)

Overview of Young-Davidson Exploration Area

Gold mineralization on the Young-Davidson property is present primarily in an intrusive syenite host rock dipping at approximately 70 degrees to the south. Figure 1, shown below, presents a portion of the property geology and the location of the holes reported herein to the east of the currently known reserves between 22,700E and 23,800E.

    Figure 1 - Young-Davidson Geology and Hole Locations

    To view Figure 1, please click:
www.northgateminerals.com/Theme/Northgate/files/Releases/YD_Plan_Oct09.gif

    Figure 2 - Mafic Volcanic Hosted Gold Surface to 50 Metre Depth

    To view Figure 2, please click:
www.northgateminerals.com/Theme/Northgate/files/Releases/YD_Drill_Oct09.gif

    Table 2 - Drill Collar Co-Ordinates

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              Northing    Easting   Elevation   Collar    Collar     Depth
    Hole ID      (m)        (m)        (m)      Azimuth     Dip       (m)
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    YD09-107    23779      10530      10347         0       -45         51
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    YD09108     23749      10545      10347         0       -45         66
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    YD09-109    23814      10529      10350         0       -45         51
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    YD09-110    23810      10455      10346         0       -45         51
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    YD09-111    23840      10427      10346         0       -45         60
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    YD09-112    23860      10452      10345         0       -45         57
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    YD09-113    24400      10588      10348       325       -45         37
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    YD09-114    24424      10566      10349       325       -63         59
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    YD09-115    24434      10570      10349         0       -45         51
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    YD09-116    24462      10592      10350         0       -45         66
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    YD09-117    24490      10588      10349         0       -45         51
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    YD09-118    24501      10612      10350       325       -45         58
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    YD09-119    24485      10630      10352       325       -45      203.5
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    YD09-120    24472      10661      10354       325       -45         66
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    YD09-121    24455      10678      10354       325       -45        155
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    YD09-122    24510      10595      10350       325       -45        150
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    YD09-123    24400      10571      10348         0       -45         40
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    YD09-124    24358      10668      10355       145       -45        141
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    YD09-125    24307      10734      10346       145       -45         99
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    YD09-126    24323      10710      10347       145       -45        150
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    YD09-127    24233      10681      10343       145       -45         39
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    YD09-128    24210      10682      10348       180       -45        114
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    YD09-129    24190      10682      10348       180       -45       64.6
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    YD09-130    24289      10672      10344       214       -45       28.8
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    YD09-131    24289      10672      10344         0       -45         40
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    YD09-132    24307      10682      10344         0       -45         51
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    YD09-133    24293      10594      10347       325       -63       55.5
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    YD09-134    24277      10618      10347       325       -45         39
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    YD09135A    24277      10618      10347       145       -78         99
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    YD09-136    24324      10531      10347       325       -77        111
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    YD09-137    24249      10553      10346       325       -45        120
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    (Holes with no assays reported have no significant mineralized intervals)

Quality Control - Analyses and Sample Location

Details of quality assurance/quality control procedures for sample analysis and drill hole survey methodology are reported in detail in the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") compliant Technical Report filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) on August 21, 2009.

Qualified Persons

The program design, implementation, quality assurance/quality control and interpretation of the results are under the control of Northgate's geological staff, which includes a number of individuals who are qualified persons as defined under NI 43-101. Carl Edmunds, PGeo, Northgate's Exploration Manager, is responsible for the overall supervision of the program.

Note to Investors:

The terms "Qualified Person", "Mineral Reserve", "Proven Mineral Reserve", "Probable Mineral Reserve", "Mineral Resource", "Measured Mineral Resource", "Indicated Mineral Resource", and "Inferred Mineral Resource" used in this news release are defined in accordance with NI 43-101.

Northgate is a gold and copper producer with mining operations, development projects and exploration properties in Canada and Australia. Northgate is forecasting record gold production of approximately 380,000 ounces in 2009 and is targeting growth through further acquisition opportunities in stable mining jurisdictions around the world. Northgate is listed on the TSX under the symbol NGX and on the NYSE Amex under the symbol NXG.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This Northgate press release contains "forward-looking information", as such term is defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, concerning Northgate's future financial or operating performance and other statements that express management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects", "believes", "anticipates", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "plans" and variations of such words and phrases, or by statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "will", "could", "would" or "might" "be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management based on the business and markets in which Northgate operates, are inherently subject to significant operational, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Northgate cautions that forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Northgate's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such information, including, but not limited to gold and copper price volatility; fluctuations in foreign exchange rates and interest rates; the impact of any hedging activities; discrepancies between actual and estimated production, between actual and estimated reserves and resources or between actual and estimated metallurgical recoveries; costs of production; capital expenditure requirements; the costs and timing of construction and development of new deposits; and the success of exploration and permitting activities. In addition, the factors described or referred to in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Northgate's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2008 or under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in Northgate's 2008 Annual Report, both of which are available on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com, should be reviewed in conjunction with the information found in this press release. Although Northgate has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information in this press release is made as of the date of this press release, and Northgate disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE Northgate Minerals Corporation