HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA--(Marketwire - Jan. 16, 2012) - Ucore Rare Metals Inc (TSX VENTURE:UCU)(OTCQX:UURAF) is pleased to announce results of reconnaissance sampling on the Company's extensive alluvial rare earths (REE) and tin multi-metal property holdings in the Ray Mountains area of central Alaska

PERTH, AUSTRALIA and TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Jan. 16, 2012) - Mawson West Ltd. (TSX:MWE) ("Mawson" or the "Company") is pleased to announce an update of activities on its 90% owned assets governed by the Dikulushi Mining Convention...

Alderon Iron Ore Corp. (TSX:ADV)(OTCQX:ALDFF) ("Alderon") is pleased to announce that it has closed a C$40 million strategic investment from Liberty Metals & Mining Holdings, LLC ("LMM"), a subsidiary of Liberty Mutual Group. LMM purchased 14,981,273 common shares (the "Purchased Shares") of Alderon on a private placement basis for an aggregate purchase price of approximately C$40 million at a price per Purchased Share of $2.67 (the "Placement"). The purchase price was based on the volume weighted average price of Alderon's shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange for the twenty trading days ended January 11, 2012.

Elissa Resources ("Elissa" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:ELI)(OTCQX:ELSRF)(PINKSHEETS:ELSRF) reports that drilling has commenced at its 100%- owned Thor heavy and light rare earth element (REE) project in Nevada. Multiple diamond core drill holes will initially target the Lopez Trend, a 1.6-mile (2.6-km) long REE-bearing monazite structure that is coincident with a prominent magnetic anomaly.

US Gold Corporation ("US Gold") (NYSE: UXG - News)(TSX: UXG -News), in light of the proposed business combination between US Gold and Minera Andes Inc., wishes to respond and comment on the news release of TNR Gold Corp. (January 12, 2012) proposing a settlement for an amount of US$125 million of the litigation surrounding certain portions of Minera Andes' Los Azules Copper Project.

Passport Potash Inc. (TSX VENTURE:PPI) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that, further to its news releases dated December 16 and 29, 2011, it has now closed the non-brokered private placement consisting of 41,666,425 units (each a "Unit') of the Company, at a subscription price of $0.18 per Unit, for gross proceeds of $7,499,956.50 (the "Offering").

Uranium North Resource Corp. ("Uranium North" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:UNR) announces that the 2011 exploration program on the Nowyak property in Nunavut has focused the company into a zone of high grade gold and silver mineralization with grab samples assaying up to 72.1 g/t Au, 1040 g/t Ag and 5.8% copper.

Crosshair Energy Corp. (TSX:CXX)(NYSE Amex:CXZ) ("Crosshair") is pleased to announce the results of the initial independent National Instrument (NI) 43-101 Mineral Resource estimate on the Juniper Ridge Project, in southern Wyoming. The estimate includes a total indicated resource of 5.2 million pounds of uranium oxide, using a grade thickness (GT) cut-off of 0.1 %-ft (see Table 1 for tonnage and grade details).

First Majestic Silver Corp. ("First Majestic" or the "Company") (TSX:FR)(NYSE:AG)(FRANKFURT:FMV) is pleased to announce the Company's fourth quarter and full year 2011 production results.

SilverCrest Mines Inc.CA:SVL +0.44% (otcqx:STVZF)(pinksheets:STVZF) (the "Company") is pleased to announce record production of silver and gold was achieved in the Fourth Quarter, 2011 from the Santa Elena Mine located in Sonora, Mexico.

Robert Friedland, Chairman, and Peter Reeve, Chief Executive Officer of Ivanhoe Australia Limited (TSX:IVA)(ASX:IVA), are pleased to announce the receipt of the $30.1 million distribution from Exco Resources Limited.

Eagle Hill Exploration Corporation (TSX VENTURE:EAG) ("Eagle Hill" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a private placement financing (the "Financing"). The total issuance under the Financing will be up to 36,363,636 flow-through shares at $0.165 per flow-through share (the "Shares"), for gross proceeds of up to $6,000,000.