Profile: Almaden's Strategies & Strengths * Our goal as a company is to expose our shareholders to the huge capital gains resulting from the discovery of a major mineral discovery. Almaden is an exploration company specialising in the generation of new mineral prospects in the Western half of North America. The company currently has over 40 properties in its portfolio at various stages of exploration and development. This strong portfolio of exciting projects is the direct result of Almaden's commitment to exploration. Our exploration team of geological engineers, geologists, and prospectors has a highly successful track record in finding deposits. Among the discoveries by Almaden's founder and CEO, Duane Poliquin, include the Santa Fe gold deposit in Nevada, the Apex germanium-gallium deposit in Utah, the Nevada Scheelite Extension, and the Trinidad Gold Mine, Mexico. Ed Balon was responsible for the discovery of the Elk Gold Mine in Merritt, B.C. * Almaden's strength: to generate new projects Almost all of the world's economic mineral deposits that were visible from the surface have already been discovered, which leaves us now searching for deposits concealed by rock, soil, volcanic ash, glacial debris, vegetation, or some other surface cover. Discovering these hidden ore bodies requires a solid understanding of the nature and structure of ore bodies, sophisticated exploration methods, cutting edge technology, and a fair amount of original thinking. Almaden Minerals has developed a highly effective and efficient system for identifying potential high-grade mineral deposits including satellite image analysis, rock, stream, and soil sampling, geological mapping and analysis, geophysical surveys and induced polarization, surface trenching, and - once the target has been identified - drilling.   * Almaden's strategy: to reduce the risk and cost of exploration by joint venturing our ideas and maintaining a large portfolio of properties After preliminary assessment of a project's potential, Almaden seeks out a joint-venture partnership. Our partners fund further exploration of our properties in order to earn an interest in the project. Few prospects that reach the drilling stage of exploration will be determined to hold economic ore grades. While joint venture deals dilute Almaden's interest in individual projects, such partnerships allow Almaden to maintain interests in a larger number of properties than would be economically feasible if we developed each of our projects ourselves. By joint-venturing our ideas and maintaining a large portfolio of properties, Almaden also significantly reduces the risk and cost of exploration while exposing our shareholders to the greatest possible opportunity to be part of a world class mineral discovery. Plus, optioning our properties leaves us free to do what we do best: identifying new and exciting mineral properties.