Premium Exploration Inc. Appoints Mike Vint, P.Eng, to its Board of Directors

VANCOUVER, Jan. 16, 2012 - Premium Exploration Inc. ("Premium" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: PEM) (OTCQX: PMMEF) is pleased to announce that Mr. Mike Vint, B.Sc. (Mining), P.Eng, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Company.

Mr. Vint is Vice President of Mining for Endeavour Financial Corp., an advisory service specializing in debt, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate finance where he is responsible for mine technical analysis. He has over 18 years of industry experience primarily in mine operations, however the last six years he focused on mine valuation, finance, mergers and acquisitions, and RTOs.

He has operational and engineering experience with both open pit and underground having worked at open pits in Nevada and California and underground at Hemlo and Eskay Creek. He has completed several scoping and pre-feasibility studies, formulated economic models for evaluating potential open pits and underground mines and completed open pit designs for a variety of metals. Mr. Vint believes in a collaborative team approach and that production gains always start from the ground up, apparent from all the places he has worked.

He has worked with independent engineers and companies to provide comprehensive reports for financial institutions for mine credit approvals and also worked in the equity research department of CIBC World Markets covering the gold sector. Mr. Vint currently holds a directorship with Edgewater Exploration. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the Province of British Columba and he received his mining engineering degree from Colorado School of Mines.

"I am excited about the Idaho Gold Project's growth potential and look forward to applying my expertise as the project advances through scoping and onward to production," stated Mike Vint.

"We are very pleased to have Mike join the Premium Board. Mike's extensive experience in early stage mine evaluation through development and finance will be of great value for Premium's future growth and our shareholders," stated Del Steiner, President and CEO of Premium.

The Company has granted Mr. Vint 150,000 stock options at an exercise price of $0.20 cents per share which are valid for a period of three years from the date of grant. The option grant is subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange.


About Premium Exploration Inc.

Premium Exploration Inc. (TSX VENTURE: PEM) (OTCQX: PMMEF) is focused on gold exploration at its district-sized Idaho Gold Project along the Orogrande Shear Zone in North-Central Idaho, USA. The "OSZ" is a +30 km regionally-significant trending structure with multiple known zones of gold mineralization, similar to many large gold belts, such as the Carlin Trend in Nevada. For additional information, please visit us at www.premiumexploration.com.


This press release contains certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Security Exchange Act of 1934, and involves a number of risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time with the TSX Venture Exchange and the British Columbia Securities Commission. All statements, other than of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.



Contact Information

Premium Exploration Inc.
Mr. Del Steiner, President & Chief Executive Officer
(604) 682-0243
(604) 682-2499 (FAX)
dsteiner@premiumexploration.com, info@premiumexploration.com
www.premiumexploration.com

Opes Capital Inc.
Ms. Christine Kopr, Corporate Communications
(604) 682-0243
(604) 682-2499 (FAX)
ckopr@opescapitalinc.com
www.opescapitalinc.com