Great Western Minerals Group Launches Mine Shaft Refurbishment at Steenkampskraal Rare Earth Project

SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN -- (Marketwire) -- 06/09/11 -- Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. ('GWMG' or the 'Company') (TSX VENTURE: GWG), announces it has selected East Rand Engineering Services ('ERESSA') to carry out the shaft refurbishment project at the Company's Steenkampskraal Rare Earth project in South Africa.

The project is scheduled to begin within two weeks and be completed by mid-November, 2011.

Included is the refurbishment of the mine access decline, construction of winding gear, installation of dewatering pumps at the 31/2-level and the refurbishment of the ore bin. Additionally, all infrastructure services will be installed throughout the underground mine area.

ERESSA, a highly experienced South African contractor, specializing in the engineering, design and construction of mining projects, has been successful in winning the contract following an exhaustive tendering process.

Jim Engdahl, President and Chief Executive Officer of Great Western Minerals Group, said, 'Awarding this contract marks a significant watershed for the company as it commences its program to deliver Rare Earth production at Steenkampskraal by the end of 2012. Vincent Mora, the Steenkampskraal Project Director has been tireless in assembling a first rate development, mining and processing team in South Africa, moving rapidly forward.'

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.

Certain information set out in this News Release constitutes forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements (often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as 'expect', 'may', 'could', 'anticipate' or 'will' and similar expressions) may describe expectations, opinions or guidance that are not statements of fact and which may be based upon information provided by third parties. Forward-looking statements are based upon the opinions, expectations and estimates of management of GWMG as at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or outcomes to differ materially from those anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements. Those factors include, but are not limited to, the results of the exploration program, a resource estimate and commencement of production at Steenkampskraal, satisfaction of the conditions precedent with respect to GWMG's offtake agreement, receipt of all required approvals (including those relating to the commencement of production at the Steenkampskraal mine) and risks, uncertainties and other factors that are beyond the control of GWMG, risks associated with the industry in general, commodity prices and exchange rate changes, operational risks associated with exploration, development and production operations, delays or changes in plans, risks associated with the uncertainty of reserve or resource estimates, health and safety risks and the uncertainty of estimates and projections of production, costs and expenses. In light of the risks and uncertainties associated with forward-looking statements, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward-looking information. Although GWMG believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements set out in this press release or incorporated herein by reference are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. The forward-looking statements of GWMG contained in this News Release, or incorporated herein by reference, are expressly qualified, in their entirety, by this cautionary statement and the risk factors contained in GWMG's current annual information form available at www.sedar.com.

CUSIP: 39141Y 10 3

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Contacts:

Great Western Minerals Group Ltd.

Dwight Percy

Manager of Investor Relations

(306) 659-4500
info@gwmg.ca
www.gwmg.ca


Great Western Minerals Group Ltd.

219 Robin Crescent, Saskatoon, SK S7L 6M8