OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - May 26, 2011) - Orezone Gold Corporation (News - Market indicators) is pleased to announce additional drill results from an ongoing 170,000 m drill program at its 100% owned Bomboré Gold Project in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Results include 27 core holes (4,303 m) and 205 reverse circulation (RC) holes (10,450 m), mostly from the Siga South area where the last resource estimate (Oct. 2010) was based only on widely spaced RC holes. Siga South represents the southern 1.6 km of the +11 km long Bomboré resource model. The RC drill results at Siga South indicate a similar width but significantly higher grades that expected (+65%) in the oxide zone. The core holes, many of which are still pending, also indicate a grade 24% higher than expected but widths are so far about 25% less than expected, yielding a grade-width product in line with the model in the sulphide zone.

"These results are quite positive," said Ron Little, President and CEO of Orezone. "If the trend continues we can expect an increase in the size and grade of the oxide resources, with the potential to lower strip ratios and improve economics. The limited core drilling indicates narrower widths and higher average grade in the sulphide zones, but it's simply too early to draw any definitive conclusions."

Highlights for each of the mineralized zones, from north to south, include:

"This round of results has significantly improved the continuity of the mineralization of the Siga South area and has confirmed that Siga South is a southern extension of the Siga West zone, resulting in an overall strike length of 3.5 km that is still open," said Dr. Pascal Marquis, VP Exploration for Orezone.

To date, Orezone has completed 17,700 m of core drilling and 26,500 m of RC drilling, which represents about 50% of the total it planned to complete by July 2011 in order to proceed with a resource update in Q4 2011. Two additional core drills are expected to arrive in June so that five core rigs and one RC rig will be utilized until Q1 2012 to complete the entire $24 million, 170,000 m program. A second resource update will be completed in Q2 2012. Table 1 summarizes the above, and provides a comparison of the results to date with the October 2010 resource model.

Bomboré is the largest undeveloped gold deposit in Burkina Faso with 1.6 Moz Indicated and 1.9 Moz of Inferred resources constrained within Whittle pit shells (October 2010). Over 80% of this resource occurs above a depth of 80 m with an average depth of drilling of only 60 m. The geological model indicates that a substantial increase in the resources could be achieved by increasing the average depth of drilling from 60 to 120 m and is the focus of the 170,000 m drill program. Bomboré has exceptional infrastructure for this part of Africa as it is located just 85 km from the capital city, adjacent to a paved highway, access to local power and available water. Orezone and consultants G Mining Services Inc. of Montreal are working to complete a Preliminary Economic Assessment of Bomboré in Q2 2011 as an interim step to completing a Pre-Feasibility Study by year end and if positive, a Full Feasibility Study for a large tonnage open pit Carbon in Leach ("CIL") operation in 2012. The following tables summarize the latest results.

¹ Individual assays cut to 5 g/t

² % of Total October 2010 Resources

³ % of Indicated October 2010 Resources

⁴ Minimum width of 3 m above lower cut-off of 0.3 g/t. Preliminary width and grade if total assay is pending.

⁵ Individual assays uncut

⁶ Leach residue assays. Preliminary width and grade where those results are pending.

⁷ Individual assays uncut

⁸ Leach residue assays. Preliminary width and grade where those results are pending.

⁹ Stopped in mineralization

The mineralized intervals are based on a lower cut-off grade of 0.5 g/t, a minimal width of 3 m and less than two consecutive meters of dilution being included. The true width of the mineralization is equal to about 85% of the drill length intervals. The half-core samples were collected by Orezone employees using a diamond saw. The core samples from the weathered (oxide) zone were prepared by Abilab Burkina s.a.r.l. (a subsidiary of ALS-Chemex) and SGS Burkina Faso s.a.r.l., and then split by Orezone to 1kg using Rotary Sample Dividers (RSDs). A 1kg aliquot was analyzed for leachable gold at BIGS Global Burkina s.a.r.l in Ouagadougou, by bottle-roll cyanidation using a LeachWell™ catalyst. The samples from the fresh or sulphide zone were prepared by BIGS Global Burkina s.a.r.l and SGS Burkina Faso s.a.r.l. in Ouagadougou and then split by Orezone to 50g using Rotary Sample Dividers (RSDs). A 50g aliquot was analyzed by fire assay at Abilab Burkina s.a.r.l. (a subsidiary of ALS-Chemex).

The RC drilling samples were divided by Orezone employees using Rotary Sample Dividers (RSDs). A 2kg split was prepared by Abilab Burkina s.a.r.l. (a subsidiary of ALS-Chemex) and SGS Burkina Faso s.a.r.l., and then split by Orezone to 1kg using RSDs. A 1kg aliquot was analyzed for leachable gold at BIGS Global Burkina s.a.r.l in

Ouagadougou, by bottle-roll cyanidation using a LeachWell™ catalyst. The leach residues from all samples with a leach grade in excess of 0.2 g/t were prepared by BIGS Global Burkina s.a.r.l. and then split by Orezone to 50g using Rotary Sample Dividers (RSDs). A 50g aliquot was analyzed by fire assay at Abilab Burkina s.a.r.l. (a subsidiary of ALS-Chemex).

Orezone employs a rigorous Quality Control Program (QCP) including a minimum of 10% standards, blanks and duplicates. This program was executed under the supervision of Dr. Pascal Marquis, V.P. Exploration for Orezone, who is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 and approved the technical information in this release. A complete table of results and the NI-43-101 Bombore Resource Report that describes the Bombore resource model can be found at www.orezone.com.

Orezone is a gold exploration and development company with significant gold resources in Burkina Faso and more than 15 years of operating experience in West Africa, one of the world's fastest growing gold producing regions. Orezone is focused on developing Bomboré, the second largest gold deposit in the country, and its pipeline of advanced gold projects. Orezone's mission is to create wealth by discovering and developing gold resources in an efficient and responsible manner for the benefit of its shareholders and other stakeholders.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information are frequently characterized by words such as "plan," "expect," "project," "intend," "believe," "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These factors include the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties, the uncertainties involved in interpreting drilling results and other geological data, fluctuating metal prices, the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future and other factors. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.Comparisons between any resource model or estimates with the subsequent drill results are preliminary in nature and should not be relied upon as potential qualified changes to any future resource updates or estimates.

Readers are advised that National Instrument 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators requires that each category of mineral reserves and mineral resources be reported separately. Readers should refer to the annual information form of Orezone for the year ended December 31, 2010 and other continuous disclosure documents filed by Orezone since January 1, 2011 available at www.sedar.com, for this detailed information, which is subject to the qualifications and notes set forth therein.