FORM 6-K
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Report of Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the month of March, 2004
ALMADEN MINERALS LTD.
(Translation of registrant's name into English)
750 West Pender Street, Suite 1103, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6C 2T8
(Address of principal executive offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F_X__ Form 40-F
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes ..... No ..X...
If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82-________
EXHIBITS
Press Release dated 02/16/04
Press Release (2) dated 02/16/04
Press Release dated 02/17/04
Annual Report, page 1, Province of British Columbia dated 02/01/04
Annual Report, page 2, Province of British Columbia dated 02/01/04
Annual Return, Northwest Territories, ATW Resources Ltd. dated 01/06/04
B.C. Form 45-102F2, Certificate Under Subsection 2.7(2) or (3) of Multilaterial Instrument 45-103 Resale of Securities dated 02/09/04
Almaden Minerals Ltd.
1103-750 West Pender St. Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6C 2T8 ph. 604 689-7644 facs. 604 689-7645
NEWS RELEASE February 16, 2004
Trading Symbol: AMM -TSX
www.almadenminerals.com
Diamond Drilling Program Underway at the Galeana Project, Mexico
Almaden has been informed by its joint venture partner Grid Capital Corp (Grid) that Grid has commenced a diamond drill program on the Galeana gold-silver property in Chihuahua State, Mexico. Under terms of the joint venture with Almaden, Grid can earn a 60% interest in the Galeana property by spending US$2,000,000 and issuing 400,000 shares to Almaden.
Grid has informed Almaden that the drill program will consist of a total of 1,500 meters to test two of the vein systems identified on the property, the Miguel Ahumada and Faldo Norte zones. The Galeana property hosts three major classic epithermal banded quartz-adularia vein systems, the San Miguel-Ahumada-Estrella de Oro, the Faldo Norte and the San Geronimo. All have had limited historic production prior to the Mexican revolution when all mining activity ceased. Mapping, sampling and alteration mineralogic and petrographic analyses of the veins in the Galeana area has resulted in the interpretation that the exposed veins represent a high level within the original hydrothermal system. This interpretation coupled with the identification of high gold grades in fragments found in breccia bodies identified on the property, suggest that the potential to identify high grade gold and silver ore shoots in the veins may increase with depth.
Exploration carried out on the Galeana property by Grid is under the direction of H. Leo King, P.Geo., a qualified person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101. Samples will be sent to ALS Chemex Labs in North Vancouver for analysis.
Almaden currently has ten active joint ventures covering 12 properties, including seven properties in which partners are spending to earn an interest in the project and a regional exploration program with partner BHP Billiton underway to explore for copper-gold deposits in Mexico.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
“Morgan J. Poliquin”
__________________________
Morgan J. Poliquin, M.Sc., P.Eng.
Director
The Toronto Stock Exchange has not reviewed nor accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this news release which has been prepared by management. Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forward looking statements as that term is defined in the private securities litigation reform act of 1995. Such forward -looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from estimated results. Such risks and uncertainties are detailed in the Company's filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Almaden Minerals Ltd.
1103-750 West Pender St. Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6C 2T8 ph. 604 689-7644 facs. 604 689-7645
NEWS RELEASE February 16, 2004
Trading Symbol: AMM -TSX
www.almadenminerals.com
Guadalupe Gold Silver Property optioned to Grid Capital
Almaden Minerals Ltd. (Almaden) is pleased to announce that its 100% owned Guadalupe gold/silver project in Mexico has been optioned to Grid Capital Corp. (Grid). Under the terms of the agreement, Grid must issue to Almaden 400,000 shares and complete exploration expenditures of US$1,000,000 by June 30, 2007, to earn a 50% interest in the project. Grid is committed to issue 100,000 shares to Almaden upon TSX Venture Exchange approval of the agreement and to complete US$50,000 in exploration expenditures by June 30, 2004. Grid may earn an additional 10% interest in the property by issuing a further 100,000 shares and spending a further US$1,000,000 in exploration expenditures by December 31, 2008.
The Guadalupe project surrounds the town and mining camp of Guadalupe y Calvo in Chihuahua State, Mexico. Gold was discovered at Guadalupe y Calvo in October 1835. Production was sufficiently large that the Mexican Government built a mint at Guadalupe y Calvo in 1844. L.J. Buchanan (1981) estimated historic production at 2,000,000 ounces gold and 28,000,000 ounces silver. Estimated production grade was 37 g/t gold and 870 g/t silver.
Almaden and Grid view the Guadalupe project as an exceptional high-grade gold/silver target and the combined talents of Grid and Almaden will be focused on exploring this property. Grid has informed Almaden that it plans to carry out an exploration project on this new property in the next two months.
Almaden currently has ten active joint ventures covering 12 properties, including seven properties in which partners are spending to earn an interest in the project and a regional exploration program with partner BHP Billiton underway to explore for copper-gold deposits in Mexico.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
“Morgan J. Poliquin”
___________________________
Morgan J. Poliquin, M.Sc., P.Eng.
Director
The Toronto Stock Exchange has not reviewed nor accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this news release which has been prepared by management. Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forward looking statements as that term is defined in the private securities litigation reform act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from estimated results. Such risks and uncertainties are detailed in the Company's filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Almaden Minerals Ltd.
1103-750 West Pender St. Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6C 2T8 ph. 604 689-7644 facs. 604 689-7645
NEWS RELEASE February 17, 2004
Trading Symbol: AMM -TSX
www.almadenminerals.com
Fuego Project Optioned to Horseshoe Gold Mining Inc.
Almaden is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with Horseshoe Gold Mining Inc. (Horseshoe) whereby Horseshoe would have the option to earn a 60% interest in the Almaden’s wholly owned Fuego gold silver project in Mexico. The terms of the agreement, which are subject to regulatory approval, require Horseshoe to spend US$2 Million exploring the Fuego project and issuing 1,000,000 shares of Horseshoe to Almaden in order to earn a 50% interest in the property. This would include a firm commitment to spend US$200,000 by June 30, 2004 and issuing 200,000 shares of Horseshoe upon regulatory approval. Horseshoe has the option to acquire a further 10% interest in the property, for a total of 60%, by spending an additional US$1 Million on exploration. Upon earning a 60% interest in the property, Horseshoe would have 120 days to acquire Almaden’s remaining 40% interest in the property in return for a 40% interest in the issued capital of Horseshoe, to be issued by Horseshoe to Almaden at that time.
The Fuego property is a high-level, classic quartz-adularia epithermal vein system. The textures identified, including fine grained silica and electrum banding and bladed calcite, are typical of that associated with bonanza grade epithermal vein systems worldwide. Some very limited surficial historic workings exist on one of several banded veins identified within a more than 20 meter wide zone of veining and silicification in volcanic rocks. Banded quartz-adularia veins within the vein system generally dip shallowly and are up to at least 5 meters wide. In the initial work the parallel vein system has been traced nearly a kilometre along strike. To date 16 grab and chip rock samples have been taken on the property by Almaden, of both banded quartz adularia vein material and silicified volcanic wall rock. Of these samples of banded quartz vein material averaged 7.7 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 300 g/t Ag, with a high of 29.9 g/t gold and 764 g/t Ag. Samples from silicified volcanic rock within the zone of veining averaged 1 g/t gold and 162 g/t Ag, with a high of 2.4 g/t gold and 953 g/t Ag. Visible gold was recognised in several hand specimens collected on the property which were not sent for analysis. Mr. H.L. King, M.A., P.Geo., the independent qualified person on the project under the meaning of National Instrument 43-101, reviewed this sampling during a recent site visit. Seven one meter chip samples and one grab sample were taken by Mr. King of quartz-adularia veining and silicified wallrock. Analyses of these samples ranged from 0.14 g/t Au and 26 g/t Ag to 10 g/t Au and 381 g/t Ag, and averaged 4.6 g/t Au and 123 g/t Ag. This sampling included 3 continuous 1 meter samples taken roughly across the dip of the accessible portion of an exposed vein, and averaged 7.8 g/t Au and 191 g/t Ag over the 3 meters.
The Fuego property has excellent infrastructure and represents an entirely unexplored epithermal vein system. Geologic mapping, geochemical rock and soil sampling and geophysical surveys are planned to define the extent of the vein system and the distribution of gold and silver. Fluid inclusion analyses were carried on several samples collected from exposed veins and confirmed the field interpretation that the veins are shallowly eroded.
Analyses were carried out by ALS Chemex Laboratories of Vancouver.
Almaden currently has eleven active joint ventures covering 12 properties, including nine properties in which partners are spending to earn an interest in the project and a regional exploration program with partner BHP Billiton underway to explore for copper-gold deposits in Mexico.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
“Morgan J. Poliquin”
___________________________
Morgan J. Poliquin, M.Sc., P.Eng.
Director
The Toronto Stock Exchange has not reviewed nor accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this news release which has been prepared by management. Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forward looking statements as that term is defined in the private securities litigation reform act of 1995. Such forward -looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from estimated results. Such risks and uncertainties are detailed in the Company's filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
FORM 45-102F2
Certificate under Subsection 2.7(2) or (3) of
Multilateral Instrument 45-102 Resale of Securities
1.
Almaden Minerals Ltd. has distributed securities under a provision listed in Appendix D or E to Multilateral Instrument 45-102 or a provision of securities legislation that specifies that the first trade of the securities is subject to section 2.5 or 2.6 of Multilateral Instrument 45-102 and hereby certifies that in respect of a distribution of 10,000 stock options granted at January 28, 2004 with an exercise price of $2.35 per optioned share expiring at the close of business on January 28, 2006, Almaden Minerals Ltd. was a qualifying issuer within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 45-102 Resale of Securities at the distribution date.
Dated at Vancouver, this 9th day of February, 2004
Almaden Minerals Ltd.
“Duane Poliquin”
By:
Duane Poliquin
President & CEO
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Signatures
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Almaden Minerals Ltd.
(Registrant)
By:/s/ Duane Poliquin
(Signature)
Duane Poliquin, President
Date: March 3, 2004