RNS Number:5173J
HPD Exploration PLC
02 April 2003

                              HPD Exploration Plc

                                    ("HPD")

HPD New Zealand Limited acquires exploration properties

HPD is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary, HPD New Zealand
Limited, has been granted 4 Prospecting permits and 3 Exploration permits
covering a total of 1,786km2 in the highly prospective Otago area of the South
Island adjacent to and to the west of the GRD Macracs mine, New Zealand's
premier gold producer.

Those properties were selected following a review by HPD management assisted by
mining consultants, Kenex Knowledge Systems Limited of New Zealand. Historical
production has been recorded on several of these properties including the
Macetown Field which produced 1.28 tonnes of gold. Field reconnaissance is about
to commence on these properties in order to define drill targets.

Further permits are currently under application in the Hauraki area (876km2) of
the North Island in the vicinity of Newmont Mining's Waihi gold mine, and in the
Marlborough area on the South Island (1,010km2).

Bill Humphries, Managing Director, said today that "New Zealand represents a
significant strategic opportunity for HPD that compliments our existing
interests in Patagonia and Canada. As is the case with Patagonia, only limited
hard-rock gold exploration has previously taken place in New Zealand despite the
existence of highly prospective geology. HPD management will make full use of
its experience of epithermal and mesothermal gold mincralization to undertake a
comprehensive exploration programme over the next 12 months."

For more information please contact
Richard Prickett/Bill Humphries            Leesa Peters/Cindy Dennis
HPD Exploration Plc                        Capital PR
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7409 7444                  Tel: +44 (0)20 7618 7889
                                           Mobile: +44 (0)781 215 9885






                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END

ACQIBMRTMMJMBMJ