Buchans Minerals Corporation (BMC-TSX-V) ("Buchans Minerals" or the "Company") is pleased to announce assays results for the first three holes of its recently completed five-hole drilling program on its Plymouth manganese deposit in western New Brunswick, Canada. The Plymouth deposit is located within the Company's 100% owned, 5,800 hectare Woodstock project which covers several large undeveloped historic deposits of manganese and iron that collectively may represent one of the largest undeveloped manganese resources in North America. The program was designed to confirm the deposit's grade and thickness, and collect fresh core samples for metallurgical testing. Assays confirm excellent grade and continuity over large widths in each of the three holes including 11.43% Mn over 89.0 metres (77.4 m estimated true width), 11.41% Mn over 45.0 metres (39.2 m estimated true width) and 9.22% Mn over 63.0 metres (54.8 m estimated true width).

Drill core samples have been delivered to Thibault & Associates Inc. of Fredericton, New Brunswick who have been contracted to conduct a metallurgical test program on such samples. These include gravity concentration tests and a series of bench scale hydrometallurgical tests to confirm and optimize the process of leaching the manganese from the host rock. These planned tests follow upon the 1987 metallurgical program conducted by Witteck Development Inc. that reported the successful leaching of manganese from the Plymouth deposit. In addition, tests will be conducted aimed at producing a purified manganese leach solution that would provide the basis for producing such end products as electrolytic manganese metal (EMM), manganese carbonate and electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD).

Warren MacLeod, President and CEO of Buchans Minerals stated. "These drill results are in keeping with our expectations. The long mineralized intersections and their proximity to the surface are particularly encouraging. We believe our Woodstock project, and in particular the Plymouth deposit, has potential to become an outstanding asset for our company. Now that we have confirmed the grade and have fresh samples, we can progress through our planned metallurgical program to confirm that manganese can be leached from the host rock. If we are successful in confirming the leaching qualities of the manganese, we can accelerate the project towards a preliminary economic assessment. The continuing increase in the price of EMM currently trading at about US$3,700 per tonne of EMM is particularly encouraging."

A table showing individual assays for the initial three holes along with composite averages is presented below:

Table 1. Drilling assays results (manganese and iron (%). Reported widths are core length; estimated true widths are estimated to be 87% of core length..

The Company anticipates obtaining assay results from the two remaining holes in the coming weeks and will release results once they become available. A map and section displaying drilling results is available at the Company's website at: buchansminerals.com 

Qualified Person and QAQC:

Paul Moore, M.Sc., P.Geo., (NL), Buchans Minerals Vice President of Exploration, is acting as Qualified Person in compliance with National Instrument 43-101 with respect to this release and has reviewed the contents for accuracy. Logging, sampling and assaying procedures were completed by Buchans Minerals personnel as per Buchans Minerals QA/QC protocols. Drill core was descriptively logged on site, aligned, marked for sampling and then split in half, longitudinally, using a Diamond saw blade. Samples consist of half NQ-size Diamond core (47.6 mm diameter core). One-half of the core is preserved in core boxes for future reference. As part of Buchans Minerals' QAQC protocols, samples comprising the other half of the core were bagged, tagged, sealed and shipped to ALS Chemex in Sudbury, Ontario. Samples are typically collected using a nominal three metre core length, except where specific geologic parameters require a different interval be sampled.

Sample preparation was completed by ALS Chemex with each sample crushed to =70% passing 6 mm, a 250 g Riffle split pulverized to =85% passing 75 micron. ALS Chemex inserted blanks (one per 20 samples) and certified standards (one per 20 samples) for preparation and assay. In addition, Buchans Minerals submitted blanks (one per 20 samples) and certified standards (one per 20 samples) for preparation and assay to ensure appropriate QA/QC protocols were applied. Reported assays were completed by ALS Chemex (Vancouver) using their ME-ICP06 analytical package. This method employs a lithium metaborate or tetraborate fusion, followed by dissolution of the melt and ICP-AES analysis. Where indicated, estimated true widths are based on measured core angles and interpretation of geological cross sections.

Location / Background / Historical Resources:

The Woodstock property hosts three deposits of sediment-hosted-manganese-iron mineralization that were discovered in 1957 by Strategic Manganese Corporation, including the historic Plymouth deposit and the two Hartford deposits (North & South). These deposits are located 5 kilometres west of the town of Woodstock. The project possesses excellent infrastructure, including railway lines (16 km west) as well as the TransCanada Highway and major electrical transmission lines located less that 5 kilometres to the east. The Plymouth deposit is also located less than 10 kilometres east of the US border and Route 95 (an extension of US Interstate 95) passes less than a kilometre south of the deposit.

In 1957, Strategic Manganese Corporation reported that the Plymouth deposit extends from surface to depths of at least 500 feet (152 metres) and reported a non-43-101 compliant, historic, uncategorized resource estimate of *51.2 million tons (46.5 million tonnes) averaging 10.9% Mn (manganese) and 13.3% Fe (iron). The property is also host to historic resource estimates for the Hartford North and South deposits, also compiled by Strategic Manganese Corporation in 1957, located less than 2 kilometres on strike to the north of the Plymouth deposit. Historic uncategorized resource estimates for these deposits by Strategic Manganese were reported to have relied on a combination of results obtained from Diamond drilling and associated gravimetric data. These resource estimates include 50 million short tons (45 million tonnes) grading 8% Mn and 12% Fe at the **North Hartford deposit and an additional resource of 50 million short tons grading 8% Mn and 12% Fe at the **South Hartford deposit.

Quoted historical resource estimates are based on data obtained and prepared by previous operators and Buchans Minerals has not located the original assay sheets or details of the estimation methodology completed, nor has Buchans Minerals undertaken the work necessary to verify or classify the mineral resource estimate. Buchans Minerals is not treating the mineral resource estimate as a NI 43-101 defined resource verified by a qualified person, and the estimate should not be relied upon. Verification and classification of the resource will require considerable further evaluation, the scope of which is currently being assessed by the Company's management.

* historic resource estimate from an article written by K.O.J. Sidwell, 1957: The Woodstock, N.B., Iron-Manganese Deposits. Transactions of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Volume LX, 1957, p.231-236. The article reports the resource is compiled from data acquired from a total of 17,388 feet (5,300 metres) of drilling.

** historic resource estimates (North Hartford and South Hartford deposits) from an article written by K.O.J. Sidwell, 1957: The Woodstock, N.B., Iron-Manganese Deposits. Transactions of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Volume LX, 1957, p.231-236. The article reports the North Hartford resource estimate was compiled from data acquired from a total of 13 drill holes totaling 5,381 feet (1,640 metres) of drilling as well as gravimetric geophysical data. The article reports the South Hartford resource estimate was compiled from data acquired from a total of 9 drill holes (footage undisclosed) as well as gravimetric geophysical data.

About Buchans Minerals:

Buchans Minerals is an Atlantic Canada based resource company that is focused on exploring and developing mineral properties in New Brunswick and the historic Buchans mining camp in central Newfoundland, Canada.

Forward Looking Statements:

Certain information contained herein may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements may include estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, they can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. The Company cautions that actual performance will be affected by a number of factors, many of which are beyond their control, and that future events and results may vary substantially from what the Company currently foresees. The Company's forward looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Buchans Minerals Corp.

Warren MacLeod, President & CEO

Phone:  (902) 472-3520

Windsor, Nova Scotia

www.buchansminerals.com

The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.