Northgate Minerals and BNP Paribas Sign Engagement Letter for $100 Million Project Debt Facility

VANCOUVER, Aug. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - (All figures in US dollars) Northgate Minerals Corporation ("Northgate") (TSX: NGX, NYSE Amex: NXG) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an engagement letter with BNP Paribas for the purpose of establishing a $100 million seven-year project debt facility (the "Facility") for construction of Northgate's Young-Davidson Mine, located in northern Ontario. BNP Paribas has been given an exclusive mandate to act as lead arranger of the Facility. The establishment of the Facility remains subject to due diligence, credit approval, documentation, and other factors. The cost of the Facility is expected to be consistent with other senior secured project financings of a similar nature. The indicative terms of the Facility included in the engagement letter do not include a hedging requirement. Closing of the Facility is anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Young-Davidson is located near the town of Matachewan, 60 kilometres west of Kirkland Lake. Northgate received the key permit for development of the Young-Davidson Mine in July and commenced surface construction activities on August 3, 2010. Using today's spot prices, the mine is expected to generate $2.2 billion pre-tax operating cash flow, a pre-tax net present value 5% of $865 million and a pre-tax internal rate of return of 25%. The mine is forecasting average production of 180,000 ounces of gold per year at a cash cost of $350 per ounce over a 15-year mine-life beginning in 2012.

BNP Paribas (www.bnpparibas.com) is one of the six strongest banks in the world (rated AA by Standard & Poor's i.e. 3rd rating on a scale of 22) and the largest bank in the eurozone by deposits. With a presence in more than 80 countries and about 200,000 employees, including 160,000 in Europe, BNP Paribas is a leading European provider of financial services on a worldwide scale. It ranks highly in its three core activities: Retail Banking, Investment Solutions and Corporate & Investment Banking. In Retail Banking, the Group has four domestic markets: Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg. BNP Paribas is rolling out its integrated model across the Europe-Mediterranean zone and boasts a large network in the United States. BNP Paribas Personal Finance is the leader in consumer lending in Europe. In its Corporate & Investment Banking and Investment Solutions activities, BNP Paribas also enjoys top positions in Europe and solid and fast-growing businesses in Asia and the Americas.

Northgate Minerals Corporation is a gold and copper producer with mining operations, development projects and exploration properties in Canada and Australia. Our vision is to be the leading intermediate gold producer by identifying, acquiring, developing and operating profitable, long-life mining properties.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Information:

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, 2009 or under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in Northgate's 2009 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.

Cautionary Note to US Investors Regarding Mineral Reporting Standards:

Northgate prepares its disclosure in accordance with the requirements of securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. Terms relating to mineral resources in this press release are defined in accordance with National Instrument 43-101-Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects under the guidelines set out in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. The Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") permits mining companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only those mineral deposits that a company can economically and legally extract or produce. The Company uses certain terms, such as, "measured mineral resources" "indicated mineral resources", "inferred mineral resources" and "probable mineral reserves", that the SEC does not recognize (these terms may be used in this press release and are included in the Company's public filings which have been filed with securities commissions or similar authorities in Canada).

SOURCE Northgate Minerals Corporation

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