AuRico Gold Reports Commercial Production Has Resumed At El Cubo

TORONTO, July 11, 2011 /CNW/ --

TORONTO, July 11, 2011 /CNW/ - AuRico Gold Inc. (TSX:AUQ) (NYSE: AUQ), ('AuRico' or 'the Company') is pleased to announce that commercial
production resumed today at its wholly-owned El Cubo mine, located in
Guanajuato State, Mexico.

'This is a significant milestone for AuRico as production from El Cubo
represents the third source of production for the Company. With the
completion of the multi-year operational optimization program that we
began in 2008, we expect to realize ongoing productivity enhancements
at El Cubo going forward.' stated René Marion, President and Chief
Executive Officer. 'With three mines now contributing to our production
profile, AuRico is one of the fastest growing mid-tier precious metal
producers in the industry.'

El Cubo Highlights

    --  Production at the Los Torres processing facility resumed July
        11th
    --  Mining rates averaged 1,108 tonnes per day in June,
        significantly ahead of planned rates
    --  Over 75,000 tonnes of ore stockpiled ahead of the mill for
        processing as of July 10th
    --  Development toward the Dolores - Capulin discovery commenced
        May 1st
    --  Long-hole stope drilling commenced in June and capacity will be
        further increased with the mid-July delivery of the first of
        two new drill rigs purchased. Long-hole stoping conversion is
        expected to lead to greater productivity, lower dilution and
        decreased costs as demonstrated Ocampo.
    --  Exploration program to resume in Q3, with immediate follow-up
        drilling on the Dolores - Capulin discovery

About AuRico Gold


AuRico Gold is a leading intermediate Canadian gold and silver producer
with a diversified portfolio of high quality mines and projects in
Mexico. The Company's three wholly-owned operating properties include
the Ocampo mine in Chihuahua State, the El Chanate mine in Sonora State
and the El Cubo mine in Guanajuato State. Its strong pipeline of
development and exploration stage projects include the Guadalupe y
Calvo advanced development property in Chihuahua State and the Orion
advanced development property in Nayarit State, along with six
exploration properties throughout Mexico. AuRico's head office is
located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Cautionary Statement

Cautionary Note to US Investors - The United States Securities and
Exchange Commission permits US mining companies, in their filings with
the SEC, to disclose only those mineral deposits that a company can
economically and legally extract or produce. This press release uses
certain terms, such as 'measured', 'indicated' and 'inferred'
'resources,‛ that the SEC guidelines strictly prohibit US registered
companies from including in their filings with the SEC. US Investors
are urged to consider closely the disclosure in AuRico Gold's Annual
Report on Form 40-F, which may be secured from AuRico Gold, or from the
SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.

No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority
has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

Certain statements included herein, including information as to the
future financial or operating performance of the Company, its
subsidiaries and its projects, constitute forward-looking statements.
The words ''believe'', ''expect'', ''anticipate'', ''target'',
''continue'', ''estimate'', ''may'', and similar expressions identify
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, among
other things, statements regarding the grades of additional underground
and surface drilling programs at El Chanate, the ability to delineate
additional measured and indicated resources or reserves as a result,
the suitability of targets for future open pit mining at El Chanate,
anticipated future financial and operational performance, the future
price of gold and silver, the timing of re-commissioning and
re-commencement of production at El Cubo, the de-risking of operations,
future exploration results of its exploration and development program
at El Chanate and the success of the Company's exploration approach,
the Company's ability to delineate additional resources and reserves as
a result of such program, and the company's ability to mine such
targets by mid-2011, statements regarding its financial exposure to
litigation, targets, estimates and assumptions in respect of gold and
silver production and prices, operating costs, results and capital
expenditures, mineral reserves and mineral resources and anticipated
grades, recovery rates, future financial or operating performance,
margins, operating and exploration expenditures, costs and timing of
completion of the Ocampo expansion program and improvements to the heap
leach pad, costs and timing of the development and commencement of
production of new deposits, costs and timing of construction, costs and
timing of future exploration and reclamation expenses including,
anticipated 2011 results, operating performance projections for 2011,
our ability to fully fund our business model internally, 2011 gold and
silver production and the cash and operating costs associated
therewith, the ability to achieve productivity and operational
efficiencies, and the timing of each thereof. Forward-looking
statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and
assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are
inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive,
political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors
could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from
those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by,
or on behalf of, the Company. Such factors include, among others, known
and unknown uncertainties and risks relating to additional funding
requirements, reserve and resource estimates, commodity prices, hedging
activities, exploration, development and operating risks, illegal
miners, political and foreign risk, uninsurable risks, competition,
limited mining operations, production risks, environmental regulation
and liability, government regulation, currency fluctuations, recent
losses and write-downs, restrictions in the Company's loan facility,
dependence on key employees, possible variations of ore grade or
recovery rates, failure of plant, equipment or process to operate as
anticipated, accidents and labour disputes. Investors are cautioned
that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future
performance and, accordingly, investors are cautioned not to put undue
reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty
therein.

Image with caption: 'Production at the Los Torres processing facility resumed July 11th (CNW Group/AuRico Gold Inc.)'. Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20110711_C4545_PHOTO_EN_01.jpg

TORONTO, July 11, 2011 /CNW/ --

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For further information please visit the AuRico Gold website at http://www.auricogold.com or contact:

For further information please visit the AuRico Gold website at http://www.auricogold.com or contact: