VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - April 25, 2013) - West Kirkland Mining Inc. (News - Market indicators) (the "Company") has received assays for its recently completed core drill program on the TUG deposit located in Box Elder County, Utah, to collect samples for future metallurgical testing. A regional exploration program in the Long Canyon Trend using reverse circulation (RC) drilling has also been completed. 

Grades encountered in the core holes at TUG are slightly elevated when compared to the historic RC holes and the intercepts are moderately shorter. This is generally consistent with better recovery in the core drilling compared to RC and provides confirmation with modest upside to the modeled gold deposit.

The exploration drilling found two zones of mineralization within ten miles of TUG with gold values and thicknesses similar to the TUG deposit. These are targeted for further exploration. 

Drilling for Metallurgical Samples

The metallurgical drill program consisted of six core drill holes totaling 220.5 meters. The holes were designed to twin historic RC holes that represent the mineralization of the near surface portions of the deposit. West Kirkland twinned the historic RC holes by drilling large diameter PQ sized core for a representative sample.

Table 1, Core Drill Hole Assay Results

Exploration Update

West Kirkland holds two large scale option positions in the Long Canyon Trend of Nevada and Utah. One option agreement includes the TUG deposit where the Company has the right to earn a 60% option from Fronteer Development (USA) Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Newmont Mining Corporation. The second option agreement covers 952 square kilometers of mineral rights under a 60% option agreement from Rubicon Minerals Corporation (see the Company's July 27, 2011 news release).

In addition to the metallurgical drill program, the Company recently completed 18 RC holes on its Long Canyon properties held under option from Rubicon, totaling approximately 3,100 meters drilled. 

The 12 Mile and Bandito drill targets held within the Rubicon option agreement area intersected oxide gold mineralization near surface similar to the TUG deposit and warrant further exploration. Surface exploration within the Rubicon option area is ongoing and further drilling will be considered as part of an overall TUG deposit and Long Canyon strategy that the Company has planned for the months ahead.

Highlights include holes 12M13-009 and 010 which intersected significant gold and silver values from surface. At the 12 Mile showing, seven holes were completed and all holes cut anomalous gold values. Surface mapping following the drilling has confirmed the elevated values are part of an alteration zone with a similar setting to the TUG deposit. Further drilling is recommended by the Company geologists based in Elko, Nevada.

Table 2, 12 Mile Exploration Results

The Company drilled four holes at Bandito. Hole B13-001 returned 12.19 meters grading 0.96 g/t Au and 5.06 g/t Ag from a depth of 44.20 meters. The remaining three holes drilled at Bandito did not return significant assays. The Company is currently re-mapping the Bandito showing to better understand controls of the gold mineralization. Further drilling is also recommended on this target.

At the Lewis Spring showing the Company drilled seven holes and gold anomalies at surface were explained without results warranting further exploration. 

TUG Preliminary Economic Assessment Update

West Kirkland continues to work with RPA Inc to finalize the Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) of the TUG deposit. The results of the PEA are expected to be announced in May of 2013 and a final report is planned to be posted on SEDAR within 45 days of announcement. At this time, the Company envisions an open pit heap leach operation on the TUG property. The TUG property is road accessible and is close to grid power and water. The TUG property is located in Utah, which was recently ranked by the Fraser Institute as the third highest of US states for its pro-mining policies. 

Data, Verification, Quality Control and Assurance

Composites were calculated using an internal cut-off of 0.015 g/t Au. Drill samples were assayed by ALS Chemex in North Vancouver, BC (ISO 9001:2008). Gold was assayed for using fire assay with an ICP finish. Samples that returned values in excess of 1 g/t Au were re-assayed using gravimetric methods. Silver and other elements were analyzed by ICP-MS using four acid digestion. QA/QC included the insertion and monitoring of standards and blanks within the sample stream as well as the collection of duplicate samples. 

Michael G. Allen, Vice President of Exploration for West Kirkland and a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release. He is the non-independent qualified person for the purpose of this news release.

About West Kirkland Mining

West Kirkland Mining was formed in 2010 to focus on gold exploration along major trends in North America. The Company has consolidated significant mineral rights positions within the major gold trends of Nevada/Utah. The Company strategy is to utilize the TUG deposit as a base and focus on exploration nearby. The founders and Board of West Kirkland Mining have successful gold discovery, development and mine operations experience in Nevada and other prolific gold producing jurisdictions in North America over the past 40 years.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such information includes, without limitation, information regarding proposed exploration activities. Although the Company believes that such information is reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking information as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the state of the financial markets for the Company's equity securities, the state of the market for gold or other minerals that may be produced generally, recent market volatility; variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, the Company's ability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies and other risks associated with the exploration and development of mineral properties. The reader is referred to the Company's public filings for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects which may be accessed through the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.