The project area includes two claims – the Beatty River claim and the Douglas River claim. The initial program in 2009 included refurbishing and sampling the historic Beatty River trenches discovered by Marline Oil during uranium exploration in 1977. These trenches encountered high grade Heavy Rare Earth Oxide ("HREO") mineralization (See GWMG News Release, October 9, 2009). This program confirmed the results of the historic work. The historic mineralization identified in the Douglas River area could not be relocated.

During the 2010 exploration program, geological mapping on the Beatty claim discovered a new showing named the Helipad showing. Like the historic showing, the mineralization is concentrated in porous sandstone channels within the Athabasca Sandstone in a parallel, north-south structure 50 m to the west of the original discovery (termed the Marline Showing). Two trenches tested this showing. Sampling of the trenches gave grades of up to 2.31% Total Rare Earth Oxides ("TREO") over 1.0 m in width and 3.0 m in depth, of which 99% are HREO. Three trenches tested the extensions of the Marline showing mineralization to the north and south. No mineralization was identified to the north but REE ("Rare Earth Elements") mineralization was encountered in the trench 5 m south of the original trench. This trench had values of up to 1.14% TREO over 1.2 m in width and 3.0 m in depth, of which 96% are HREE ("Heavy Rare Earth Elements"). The Rare Earth values, and the high heavy Rare Earth component, are related to the mineral xenotime. The results are shown below:

The geochemical surveys were focused on the southern third of the Beatty Claim. The till sampling identified a dispersion train with a source to the east and up ice from the Marline showing. The biogeochemical surveys identified eight areas anomalous in REE and other elements while the soil survey identified seven areas anomalously enriched in REE of which five were coincident with the biogeochemical anomalies. 

Core drilling (14 drill holes, 1,006.2 m) tested the Marline showings, the Helipad showings and four of the geochemical anomalies. The drill holes failed to encounter any significant REE mineralization.

"While we were generally pleased with the trenching results, which showed significant concentrations of heavy Rare Earths locally, we were disappointed that the drilling did not pick up similar results to the trenching", said Jim Engdahl, President. "However, we remain encouraged that, with a focused exploration effort, the potential exists to establish a resource from multiple occurrences of heavy Rare Earth enriched mineralization."

During 2011 GWMG will carry out geological mapping, prospecting and geochemical surveys over the northern two thirds of the Beatty Claim and will detail the anomalies identified in the 2010 program in order to determine the geological controls of the geochemical anomalies.

John Pearson, MSc, P.Geo, Vice-President Exploration for GWMG, is the qualified person responsible for reviewing the contents of this news release.

Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. is an integrated Rare Earths processor. Its specialty alloys are used in the battery, magnet and aerospace industries. Produced at the Company's wholly owned subsidiaries Less Common Metals Limited in Birkenhead, U.K. and Great Western Technologies Inc. in Troy, Michigan, these alloys contain aluminium, nickel, cobalt and Rare Earth Elements. As part of the Company's vertical integration strategy, GWMG has signed an Off-take Agreement for 100% of the Rare Earth Elements to be produced at the former producing Steenkampskraal Mine in South Africa and holds 93.1% equity ownership in Rare Earth Extraction Co. Limited, the owner of the Steenkampskraal Mine. In addition to a planned exploration program at Steenkampskraal, GWMG also holds interests in five Rare Earth exploration and development properties in North America.