JERSEY, CHANNEL ISLANDS--(MARKET WIRE)--Oct 24, 2008 --

 

RANDGOLD RESOURCES LIMITED
Incorporated in Jersey, Channel Islands
Reg. No. 62686
LSE Trading Symbol: RRS
Nasdaq Trading Symbol: GOLD


YALEA UNDERGROUND DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BENEFITS

Loulo, Mali, 24 October 2008 -  The Yalea underground development at
Randgold Resources' Loulo gold mining complex represents a further
introduction of first-world technology to Mali, chief executive Mark
Bristow said today. Yalea is the first major underground mine to be
developed in West Africa for many years.

Speaking at a media day at Loulo, Bristow said Randgold Resources had
pioneered substantial foreign investment into gold mining in Mali,
discovered and developed two world-class mines there and was now also
facilitating the transfer of leading-edge technology to the country.
This technology brings with it the lasting benefits of skills
development and capacity creation.

Loulo went into production two years ago with two open-pit mines, Yalea
and Gara. The Yalea underground mine started producing earlier this
year and is scheduled to reach full production at the beginning of
2009. A second underground mine at Gara is at the planning stage."The
continuing expansion of Loulo has transformed it into a very
substantial long-life operation, and it's bucking the industry trend by
forecasting a significant increase in production, not only on the back
of greater volumes but also because of higher grades - a tribute to the
quality of the operation," Bristow said."Loulo is a product of our long-
established exploration strategy and
our commitment to reinvesting our earnings in growth. Growing
organically by discovery and development is the best way to create real
value but this takes more than exploration expertise. It also requires
patience, tenacity and - not least - supportive stakeholders who
understand that long-term thinking and investment for the future are
essential for a sustainably profitable mining business. If we look only
at reaping short-term or immediate benefits, we will risk losing the
benefits gold mining and in particular investments in gold mining, have
brought to Mali. The government should therefore work with the industry
to attract additional investment and grow the industry rather than
overtax the few projects that have been successful."


RANDGOLD RESOURCES ENQUIRIES:

Chief Executive     Loulo Mine            Investor & Media Relations
                    General Manager

Dr Mark Bristow     Amadou Konta          Kathy du Plessis
+223 675 0122       +223 674 4831         +44 20 7557 7738
+44 788 071 1386                     Email: randgoldresources@dpapr.com

Website: http://www.randgoldresources.com


DISCLAIMER: Statements made in this document with respect to Randgold
Resources' current plans, estimates, strategies and beliefs and other
statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements
about the future performance of Randgold Resources. These statements
are based on management's assumptions and beliefs in light of the
information currently available to it. Randgold Resources cautions you
that a number of important risks and uncertainties could cause actual
results to differ materially from those discussed in the
forward-looking statements, and therefore you should not place undue
reliance on them. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among
others, risks associated with: fluctuations in the market price of
gold, gold production at Morila and Loulo, the development of Loulo and
estimates of resources, reserves and mine life. For a discussion on
such risk factors refer to the annual report on Form 20-F for the year
ended 31 December 2007 which was filed with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission (the 'SEC') on 25 June 2008.
Randgold Resources sees no obligation to update information in this
release. Cautionary note to US investors; the 'SEC' permits companies,
in their filings with the 'SEC', to disclose only proven and probable
ore reserves. We use certain terms in this release, such as"resources",
that the 'SEC' does not recognise and strictly prohibits
us from including in our filings with the 'SEC'. Investors are
cautioned not to assume that all or any parts of our resources will
ever be converted into reserves which qualify as 'proven and probable
reserves' for the purposes of the SEC's Industry Guide number 7.


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

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