FEASIBILITY STUDY COMMENCED FOR EARLY GOLD PRODUCTION AT COOLGARDIE
STUDY TO EXAMINE UPGRADE OF THREE MILE HILL PLANT TO PROCESS LOW-GRADE STOCKPILES

April 18, 2006

Committee Bay Resources Ltd. (CBR:TSXV) and Joint Venture partners Focus Minerals Ltd (ASX:FML) today announced the commencement of a feasibility study on the proposed early re-commencement of gold production at Coolgardie in Western Australia through initial treatment of existing low-grade stockpiles.  The Joint Venture currently has a total gold resource inventory at Coolgardie of 1.4 million ounces.

The decision to commence the feasibility study on re-commissioning the 1.2mtpa Three Mile Hill processing facility has been made by the Joint Venture in light of the strong gold price environment and the potential to generate early cash flow from existing ore stockpiles at Coolgardie.  The Redemption Joint Venture (“RJV”), a 50/50 partnership with Focus and Committee Bay Joint Venture continues to pursue its broader objective of delineating a long-term reserve base to provide a continuous source of ore feed to the plant over a minimum 5 year mine life.

The feasibility study will be carried out in parallel with the ongoing intensive gold exploration with Scoping Studies being conducted on the major gold deposits within the consolidated 210km² tenement holding controlled by the Joint Venture.  

Perth-based Como Engineers Pty Ltd has been commissioned to carry out the feasibility study, which will review a number of proposed modifications and improvements to the existing plant to accommodate an initial low-grade ore feed, increase the operating efficiency of the plant and reduce operating costs.  This will include a review of the proposed replacement of the primary crusher, as well as installation of a new gravity circuit and new cyclones.

The initial ore feed will come from existing low-grade stockpiles totaling some 1.6 million tonnes, which are located in close proximity to the Three Mile Hill plant.  This material will be used to commission the upgraded plant, while further studies are conducted to determine the viability of cut-backs on several pits also in close proximity to the processing plant. In the meantime, work will continue the development of the Joint Venture’s other major deposits, such as Dreadnought, Tindals and The Mount.

The Joint Venture has commenced a program of drilling to confirm the tonnage and grade of the stockpiles as part of the feasibility study.  The study and drilling programs are expected to take approximately 10-12 weeks to complete. If the study returns a positive outcome, gold production could start as early as the third quarter of 2006.

Committee Bay President John Williamson, said that early production from the Coolgardie field would help to underpin the Company’s ongoing exploration activities as part of the Redemption Joint Venture’s objective to establish a long-life gold production project at Coolgardie.

“The strong increase in the gold price makes a compelling case to commence this feasibility study, with a view of generating early cash flow from the existing low-grade resources,” he said. “In the meantime, the Joint Venture will continue to actively pursue its broader development agenda, which is targeting the establishment of a sufficient reserve base to underpin a minimum 5-year mine life at Coolgardie with the Three Mile Hill plant at full capacity,” Mr Williamson added.

Coolgardie - Redemption Joint Venture

Committee Bay Resources Ltd., through the Redemption Joint Venture (Committee Bay in a 50% partnership with Focus Minerals Ltd. ASX: FML), has the mineral rights to more than 210km² of under-explored greenstone tenements, located in one of the world’s most significant gold and nickel mining regions.  These tenements contain Indicated resources of 315,720 ounces gold* (5.32 million tonnes at 1.8g/t gold) and Inferred resource of 1,080,825 ounces gold* (13.7 million tonnes at 2.5g/t gold).  The RJV also has a 100% interest in the fully permitted, 1.2mtpa, Three Mile Hill Mill processing plant.  Scoping studies have been initiated to determine the viability of reactivating the Three Mile Hill Mill in the near term.

As of March 2006, Committee Bay has met its first year spending commitment of AUS$2.7 million to the Joint Venture.  This is the first part of the three year, sole funded AUS $8 million exploration commitment to earn a 50% interest in the tenements of the joint venture.  Exploration expenditures during the first year have included extensive RC and core drilling programs at Dreadnought, Tindals, Big Blow-Perseverance and Lady Charlotte as well as regional exploration programs throughout the Coolgardie Belt and at the Mount tenements west of Kambalda.  

* For more information on the stated gold resources of Committee Bay Resources Ltd., please refer to the detailed NI 43-101 compliant technical reports filed on SEDAR by Committee Bay on December 20, 2004, and by Matador Exploration Inc. (now a wholly owned subsidiary of Committee Bay Resources Ltd.) on July 18, 2005.

Committee Bay Resources Ltd. maintains an extensive quality control program in the preparation, shipping and checking of all samples from the property.  The program is supervised by Peter Kleespies, M.Sc. P.Geol., Vice President of Exploration (Australia), who is the Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

Committee Bay now controls major greenstone belts in Nunavut and Western Australia and has the opportunity to conduct year-round exploration on three continents in order to build on its existing gold resources.

On behalf of the Board
Committee Bay Resources Ltd.
/s/”John Williamson”
John Williamson, P.Geol.
President

Certain disclosures in this release, including management's assessment of Committee Bay’s plans and projects, constitute forward-looking statements that are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors relating to Committee Bay's operation as a mineral exploration company that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Committee Bay expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.