TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Jan. 12, 2012) - HARTE GOLD CORP. ("Harte") (TSX:HRT)(FRANKFURT:H4O) is pleased to provide an update of current development and exploration initiatives at the Sugar Zone property.

Highlights:

• A Block Model mineral resource estimate completed by Watts, Griffis and McOuat Limited ("WGM") incorporating 2011 Sugar Zone drilling, confirms continuity of Sugar Zone gold mineralization; an updated National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") Report will be completed within 45 days of today's date

• 7,000 meter drill program will focus on areas of high grade gold mineralization encountered between the 500-700 meter levels and test a large Induced Polarization ("IP") target between 600 - 1,000 meters identified in the summer 2011 down-hole geophysics program

• NordMin Engineering Ltd. ("NordMin") has been retained to complete a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") and to coordinate advanced exploration and production permitting

• Late 2011 exploration drilling in the area of the Fold Nose and Sugar Zone East show favourable geology, but no significant gold values were encountered to date. Systematic testing of numerous IP and Magnetometer targets will continue on the Sugar Zone property.

Sugar Zone Deposit Development Program

An Initial Block Model of the Sugar Zone Deposit has been completed by WGM and includes NI 43-101 compliant uncapped and capped (Upper Zone - capped at 30 g/t Au, Lower Zone - capped at 50 g/t Au) mineral resource estimates.

Uncapped mineral resources consist of an indicated resource of 980,900 tonnes, grading 10.13 g/t Au for 319,280 ounces of contained gold and an inferred resource of 580,500 tonnes grading 8.36 g/t Au for 155,960 ounces of contained gold. The corresponding capped mineral resources consist of an indicated resource of 274,970 ounces of contained gold grading 8.72 g/t Au and an inferred Resource of 131,280 ounces of contained gold grading 7.03 g/t Au. Please see table below for additional information.

The Company has engaged Major Drilling Group International Inc. to complete a minimum 7,000 meter program below the current Sugar Zone Deposit. The drill program is designed to confirm down dip continuity and add to the current mineral resource. The current drill program will also test a large IP target located within the 600 - 1,000 meter levels which was identified under the summer 2011 down-hole geophysics program. The Block Model will be updated to include drill results from the winter 2012 deep drill program once completed.

NordMin is located in Thunder Bay, Ontario with a focus on the mining industry. NordMin is currently involved in preliminary technical studies and permitting applications related to advanced exploration, underground bulk sample work and production at the Sugar Zone Deposit. As part of the above work, NordMin is also completing a PEA which will include results from the winter 2012 drill program. The PEA will define preliminary Sugar Zone Deposit project economics.

Regional Exploration Program

In addition to the above production focused initiatives, Harte is moving forward with systematic ground prospecting, sampling and geophysics over the Sugar Zone Property. To date, approximately 30% of the property has been covered with some form of geophysics including airborne magnetometer, IP and limited down-hole IP surveys. Targets of interest will continue to be drill tested as Harte systematically covers the claim group with its wider exploration initiatives.

Of particular note is an area west of the Sugar Zone Deposit where an abundance of high grade boulders have been found which appear to coincide with the contact zone between a sedimentary unit and a volcanic unit. IP will be done over this area followed by drill testing.

Block Model

The Mineral Resource estimate was completed by WGM, Consulting Geologists and Engineers of Toronto, Canada, and complies with NI 43-101 guidelines and Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") definitions. Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources have been determined for two sub-zones in the Sugar Zone; the Upper Zone and the Lower Zone as shown in the table below.

Sugar Zone Mineral Resources - 3.0 g/t Au Cutoff


Notes:          

1. Interpretation of the mineralized zones was created as 3D wireframes/solids based on a 0.5 g/t Au cutoff grade.

2. Mineral Resources were estimated using a block model with a block size of 1m x 3m x 1 m.

3. Grade capping was done on 0.5 m composited assays; Upper Zone was capped at 30 g/t Au and Lower Zone was capped at 50 g/t Au. Tonnages and grades reported above are undiluted.

4. Assumed gold price was US$1,100/ounce.

5. Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issues;

6. The quantity and grade of reported Inferred Mineral Resources in this estimation are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define these Inferred Resources as an Indicated or Measured Mineral Resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to an Indicated or Measured Mineral Resource category.

7. The Mineral Resources were estimated using the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Standards for Mineral Resources and Reserves, Definitions and Guidelines prepared by the CIM Standing Committee on Reserve Definitions and adopted by CIM Council December 11, 2005.

Assay grades were composited to a minimum of 1.5 meters horizontal width based on the interpreted dip of the zones. Unsampled intervals were included in the composites at nil grades. The gold grade cutoff value of 3.0 g/t Au is based on the assumption that the deposit is of a potential size and nature to allow for possible underground mining. The cutoff of 3.0 g/t Au was derived from recent technical reports filed on SEDAR and in-house technical data from WGM for similar deposit types. Specific Gravity used in these estimates was 2.62 t/m3 and recoveries are assumed to be 100%.


The Independent Qualified Person for the NI 43-101 compliant Mineral Resource estimate is Michael W. Kociumbas, B.Sc., P.Geo. of WGM and he has verified the data disclosed in this release. The NI 43-101 technical report on the Mineral Resource estimate will be filed on SEDAR within 45 days of this news release.

QA / QC Statement

Diamond drill holes were drilled with NQ sized core in order to obtain larger sample volumes of the mineralized zones. The core was sealed and delivered by the drilling contractor to Harte's facilities located in White River, Ontario. The mineralized sections of the cores were photographed for reference, logged and mineralized sections were sawn in half. Sample lengths were 0.5 meters. Half core samples were bagged, sealed and delivered to Activation Laboratories in Thunder Bay, Ontario, an accredited laboratory. The remaining core is stored on site for reference. Samples were assayed by the fire assay method using an atomic absorption finish on a 50 gram pulp split. A quality assurance and quality control program (QA/QC) was implemented by Harte and the laboratory to ensure the precision and reproducibility of the analytical method and results. The QA/QC program includes the insertion of standards, blanks and field duplicates in the sample batches sent to the laboratory and a systematic re- assaying of samples returning values above 3 g/t Au by the fire assay method using a gravimetric finish.

Exploration programs are conducted under the supervision of George A. Flach, P. Geo, Vice President Exploration, Harte Gold Corp. Mr. Flach is the Qualified Person (QP) as defined in National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed the technical information contained herein.

About Harte Gold Corp.

Harte Gold Corp. is a Canadian gold exploration company with interests in the Sugar Zone and Stoughton-Abitibi properties located in Ontario, Canada. The Sugar Zone Property is located 60 kilometres east of the Hemlo Gold Camp and holds an NI 43-101 compliant Indicated Resource of 980,900 tonnes, grading 10.13 g/t for 319,280 ounces of contained gold (uncapped) and grading 8.72 g/t Au for 274,970 ounces of contained gold (capped) and an Inferred Resource of 580,500 tonnes, grading 8.36 g/t Au for 155,960 ounces of contained gold (uncapped) and grading 7.03 g/t Au for 131,280 ounces of contained gold (capped). Harte is the operator of the Sugar Zone Property and currently owns a 49% interest with the option to acquire the remaining 51%. Harte also holds the Stoughton-Abitibi property located on and adjacent to the Destor-Porcupine Fault Zone in close proximity to the 2.5 million ounce Holt-Holloway Gold Mine in the Timmins, Ontario Porcupine gold camp.

Common Shares Outstanding: 164,888,114

For further information, please contact:

Stephen G Roman
President and CEO
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David Ellis
Investor Relations Consultant
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