Island Arc Exploration Corp. (the "Company") is pleased to announce results and analysis of a recently completed multi-phase drill program on the Nassile Gold Project located in the Republic of Niger, West Africa. The program delineated several significant continuously mineralized trends on the Songonduari Prospect in the south-western corner of the property. Reverse circulation (RC) drill highlights include 3.08 g/t Au over 12.0 metres on the "96 Trend", 2.24 g/t Au over 15.0 metres, and 1.98 g/t Au over 6.0 metres on the "103 Trend". Results suggest that Songonduari has the potential to host a bulk tonnage gold deposit. Cassidy Gold Corp., the project operator, is earning up to a 70% interest in Nassile from the Company.

Twenty-three RC holes totalling 2379 metres tested the Songonduari targets. First, the Trench 5 area, within half a kilometre of the main artisanal mining area, is marked by at least two through-going mineralized structures; the 96 Trend and the 103 Trend. Thirteen RC holes tested the 103 Trend on the west side and 3 tested the eastern 96 Trend. Table 2 displays a large number of low-grade intersections surrounding several multi-gram intervals. Highlights are listed in Table 1 above. Maps showing the location of drilling relative to the artisanal site and projected mineralized trends are posted on the Company's website at www.islandarcexploration.com.

At least three mineralized trends were identified in the SW target area. Four RC holes; NRC021, 022, 023, and 030, intersected significant low-grade gold mineralization on the 147 trend. It is possible that the 147 trend is the strike extension of the 96 and 103 trends. NCR029 and 034 confirmed two other mineralized trends to the northwest, probably on strike with the structures currently being exploited by the artisanal miners. One RC hole was drilled across the northeast side of the artisanal site encountering mineralization over the bottom 3 metres of the hole. Unfortunately, the hole had to be stopped before testing the extent of this potential mineralized trend.

Songonduari Prospect is the site of a significant gold rush of approximately 10,000 local artisanal miners. These orpailleurs are recovering coarse gold from hard laterite cover at surface, and from smoky grey quartz veining to depths of 15 metres. Unfortunately, the concentration of surface and underground excavations prevented even RAB drilling from testing the main artisanal area, which now measures approximately 1 kilometre square. That drilling was allowed in the workings area indicates that relations with the local community are very good.

The Nassile drill program began on Dec 6, 2009 with a 6765-metre RAB (rotary air blast) program on 8 distinct zones, followed by RC drilling commencing in January 2010. Total RC drilling consisted of 3407 metres in 37 drill holes on 4 zones. Best results from the RAB program came from Songonduari; thus, much of the RC program was focused there.

The numerous low to medium grade intersections along several structures within the Songonduari Prospect area point to a bulk tonnage gold target centred on the current artisanal mining site. The Company plans to work with the new Nigerien government and local communities to fully assess the potential for a bulk tonnage gold deposit at Songonduari.


Bamperi North Target

The northern part of the Bamperi area is marked by several large northeast-trending quartz veins including one extending at least 1.5 kilometres. Significant artisanal diggings expose sections of the vein. Two RAB lines that traversed this Bamperi North area confirmed the presence of these structures. Grab sampling from the central portion of the vein returned several high-grade assays, including 109 g/t and 105 g/t Au (grams per tonne gold). Grab samples 400 metres to the northeast returned assays of 58.2 g/t Au and 30.0 g/t Au, with seven more grading greater than 10 g/t Au. Sulphides including galena, pyrite, chalcopyrite and bornite appear related to high gold values in quartz veining. Ten RC holes were spaced at an average 40 metres along approximately 320 metres of strike length on the largest vein.

While the program confirmed the continuity of the northeast trending structure, gold mineralization was weak and erratic.

Two kilometres southeast of the main Bamperi North vein, a short fence of RAB holes was drilled across the so-called "132 Anomaly", where a grab sample had returned an assay of 132 g/t Au. Samples from the RAB drilling, however, assayed very low gold values.

Forbemi Target

Located five kilometres southwest of Bamperi, Forbemi is marked by prominent northeast-trending chargeability highs covered by hard laterite that may mask mineralization at depth. Significantly, the Forbemi area hosts at least two northwest-to-west-trending quartz-sulphide veins. The southern vein is exposed in extensive artisanal workings over a distance of almost 200 metres. Two grab samples from the workings returned assays of 9.20 g/t Au and 6.77 g/t Au.

Two RAB lines tested the northeast-trending Forbemi structure and the northwest-trending southern vein. Line 1 intersected occasional weakly mineralized shear zones in granodiorite. Line 2 encountered the vein associated with significant intervals of low-grade mineralization. Thus, 3 RC holes were drilled; however, gold mineralization was weak with the best interval being 0.44 grams gold over 8 metres.

Trench 17 and Dady Targets

A fence of RAB holes was drilled across an extensive chargeability high that runs northeast through the Bamperi Prospect and the central part of the Tampena structure. Much of the area is covered by alluvial laterite but one trench (No. 17) excavated during the 2008 program intersected 7.55 g/t Au over three metres at the south end of the anomaly. The RAB holes encountered significant quartz veining in sheared volcaniclastics, metasedimentary rocks, and granitic rocks but returned low gold values. One RC hole tested under Trench 17, returning two intervals of 3 metres each assaying 0.38 g/t Au.

The Dady and Dady Extension targets, 1.2 kilometres southeast of Forbemi, were tested under a series of artisanal pits, where grab samples had returned multi-gram assays. Drilling encountered significant shearing in weathered granitic rocks. Several low-grade values were returned adjacent to the workings but the best result, 0.50 g/t Au over 8 metres, is 75 metres west of the workings. The broad scale of anomalous values warrants some follow-up.

Koutougou Prospect

Grab samples collected from quartz veins at Koutougou returned assays from <0.01 g/t Au to 11.8 g/t Au. One north-south fence of RAB holes totalling 307 metres tested an area where one float grab sample had returned an assay of 11.8 g/t Au and where knowledge of the geology was almost nil. The fence showed the area to be underlain by granitic rocks. Several anomalies were picked up in the southern half of the fence, including 0.43 g/t Au over 16 metres, 2.09 g/t Au over 12 metres and 1.52 g/t Au over 2 metres. Thus, the area warrants further work.

Tirboye Prospect

Regolith mapping at Tirboye, 15 kilometres northeast of Bamperi, has identified several prospective quartz structures in highly sheared metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks. These structures trend north-easterly with grades from 28 grab samples ranging from <0.01 g/t to 20.8 g/t Au of which 12 samples returned values >1.0 g/t Au. RAB drilling totalling 861 metres tested 4 targets within the Tirboye area. None of the 4 targets returned anything more than weakly anomalous gold values but the area warrants more detailed geological mapping, rock and soil sampling to improve targeting.

The technical content of this news release has been prepared by Christopher J. Wild, P.Eng, Vice-President of Exploration and a Director, who is a Qualified Person as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101.

The Nassile permit covers 576.7 square kilometres of the Sirba greenstone belt in the lower Proterozoic Birimian volcano-sedimentary series adjacent to the Burkina Faso border 100 kilometres southwest of Niamey, the capital of Niger. The Nassile permit lies 35 kilometres south of the Samira Hill gold mine and 200 kilometres southeast of IAMGold's Essakane Project.


For maps, photos, and more information please visit our website www.islandarcexploration.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors
James T. Gillis, President & CEO
Telephone: (250) 828-8728


This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Island Arc Exploration Corp. believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or realities may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of Island Arc Exploration Corp.'s management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, Island Arc Exploration Corp. undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

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