West Kirkland Reports Surface Gold at 12 Mile

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwire) -- 07/03/12 -- West Kirkland Mining Inc. (TSX VENTURE: WKM) ("West Kirkland" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that samples collected from a recently constructed drill pad returned an average grade of 0.33 g/t Au and 1.00/t Ag over approximately 29.0 meters, in well oxidized and highly altered rocks. This gold mineralization is in the same stratigraphic position as the TUG deposit located 10 kilometers to the east. The samples are continuous chip samples of the recently excavated walls of a drill pad. 6.1 meters of samples oriented normal to structure returned an average of 0.56 g/t Au and 1.2 g/t Ag. Previous sampling by the Company on its 12 Mile property returned grades including 1.73 g/t gold in separate parallel structures targeted for drilling. The Company plans on drilling approximately 3,000 meters in the 12 Mile area in 2012.

Michael G. Allen, Vice President of Exploration of West Kirkland said, "The 12 Mile results at surface are contained in structures that parallel the targeted structures approximately 100 meters away and our drilling will now collar in surface gold mineralization. The newly found mineralization our team has found at 12 Mile fits the Long Canyon regional structurally controlled gold model and further confirms the potential of our regional strategy to add to our first gold deposit at TUG."

Details

In addition to the gold and silver, elevated levels of pathfinder elements for Carlin style mineralization was found in all samples. The gold and silver mineralization, setting and host rocks all fit the TUG deposit model nearby.

The new mineralization was exposed in drill pads recently constructed by West Kirkland for the drilling planned at 12 Mile. The target for the initial drilling was steep north south structures cutting the Guilmette formation which is the host for the TUG deposit nearby. The new values are hosted in steep structures that cut the upper Guilmette formation approximately 100 meters east of the previously recognized gold target and the new mineralization has strong alteration, brecciation and oxidation. The high pathfinder elements suggest that the exposure at surface is in the upper part of the system. The angled holes planned at 12 Mile will start in the mineralization and cross cut a series of newly found gold bearing structures.

The 12 Mile showing is part of the land package under option from Rubicon Minerals that gives the Company the dominant land position in the Long Canyon Trend the agreement covers over 900 square kilometers and gives the Company an option of earning a 60% interest in the mineral rights at 12 Mile.

The TUG deposit where West Kirkland announced a NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate of 679,000 oz AuEq contained within 27.1 million tonnes at 0.78 g/t AuEq (0.1 g/t Au cut-off, see June 1, 2012 news release) is held under option from Fronteer Development (USA) Inc., which is owned by Newmont Mining. The Long Canyon deposit was discovered by Fronteer Gold, subsequently purchased by Newmont Mining.

Company Focus

The West Kirkland focus is to add to TUG gold deposit with regional exploration for near surface gold deposits. The structural model for gold deposits in the Long Canyon Trend has accelerated exploration in the area since the discovery of the large scale Long Canyon deposit. The Long Canyon Trend is delineated by the Long Canyon deposit in the south west and TUG deposit 65 kilometers to the north east. West Kirkland has the dominant land position between the two deposits.

Data, Verification, Quality Control and Assurance

Michael G. Allen, Vice President of Exploration for West Kirkland, and a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release other than the inferred mineral resource estimate, including but not limited to the plans of the Company. He is the non-independent qualified person for the purpose of this news release.

About West Kirkland

West Kirkland was formed in 2010 to focus on gold exploration along major trends in North America. The Company has consolidated significant mineral rights positions in the Kirkland Lake area of Ontario and within major gold trends of northeastern Nevada - two of North America's premier gold jurisdictions. The founders and Board of West Kirkland have successful gold discovery, development and mine operations experience in both Ontario and Nevada over the past 40 years.

For further information, please see the Company's website at www.wkmining.com.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Such information includes, without limitation, information regarding proposed exploration activities. Although the Company believes that such information is reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking information as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the state of the financial markets for the Company's equity securities, the state of the market for gold or other minerals that may be produced generally, recent market volatility; variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, the Company's ability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies and other risks associated with the exploration and development of mineral properties. The reader is referred to the Company's public filings for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects which may be accessed through the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

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.

Contacts:

West Kirkland Mining Inc.

R. Michael Jones, Michael Allen or Knox Henderson

604-685-8311

604-484-4710 (FAX)
info@wkmining.com
www.wkmining.com


Sequoia Partners

James Beesley

778-389-7715
james@sequoiapartners.ca