SGQ SouthGobi Resources Ltd

John Macken, Chairman of SouthGobi Energy Resources (TSX VENTURE: SGQ), today announced the appointment of the Right Honourable Jean Chretien, the 20th Prime Minister of Canada, as senior international adviser to the company.

Mr. Chretien has been active in Canadian and global development circles as a lawyer with the Canada-based international law firm, Heenan Blaikie, since retiring as Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada in 2003. He entered national politics in 1963 and served three terms as Prime Minister of Canada between 1993 and 2003.

During his long parliamentary career, Mr. Chretien held a succession of senior cabinet posts in the Canadian Government, including Minister of Finance, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources and Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce.

"Jean Chretien was instrumental in advancing relationships between many Canadian businesses and rapidly industrializing China and its neighbour nations through his hands-on, prime ministerial leadership of a series of successful Team Canada trade development missions," said Mr. Macken.

"He helped Canadians realize the promise of their destiny as a Pacific Rim nation founded in part on Canada's history as a central link in the maritime Silk Road that connected Asia with the Americas and Europe. SouthGobi Energy has built and is operating a coal mine in Mongolia and is developing another coal mine in Indonesia. We believe that Mr. Chretien's experience and knowledge will be a prime asset in assisting the Ivanhoe companies to continue to build their businesses through opportunities that will be encountered in the energy and mineral resource sectors around the world during what is becoming the Asian Century."

SouthGobi Energy Resources is focused on exploration and development of its Permian-age metallurgical and thermal coal deposits in Mongolia's South Gobi Region and its Eocene-age metallurgical and thermal coal deposits in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. The company is selling coal to customers in China from its flagship Ovoot Tolgoi coal mine in southern Mongolia. The company also plans to supply a wide range of coal products and electricity to markets in Asia. SouthGobi, a subsidiary of Ivanhoe Mines, is listed on the TSX-Venture exchange under the symbol SGQ.

Mr. Chretien will provide advisory services to Ivanhoe Capital Corporation's affiliates through a contract with Global Mining Management, a private service company based in Vancouver, Canada. Global Mining is jointly owned by several companies, including: SouthGobi Energy Resources Ltd., its parent company Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. and its sister subsidiary, Ivanhoe Australia Ltd.; as well as Ivanhoe Energy Inc. and the privately-held Ivanhoe Nickel & Platinum Ltd.

Forward-Looking Statements: This document includes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the company's future ability to supply coal products and electricity to markets in Asia, and other statements that are not historical facts. When used in this document, the words such as "could", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "potential", "should", and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. Although SouthGobi Energy Resources believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and no assurance can be given that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements are disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" in SouthGobi Energy's Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for the three months ended March 31, 2009, which is available at www.sedar.com.

Contacts: SouthGobi Energy Resources Ltd. - Investors Steven Feldman 604-681-6799 SouthGobi Energy Resources Ltd. - Media Bob Williamson 604-331-9880 www.southgobi.com