GWMGF Great Western Minerals Ltd (CE)

Great Western Minerals Group ("GWMG") (TSX VENTURE: GWG)(OTCQX: GWMGF) is pleased to announce that it has contracted DRA Mineral Projects (Pty) Ltd. ("DRA") of South Africa, a company with a strong track record of utilizing world class standards, for the detailed design of the Steenkampskraal processing plant.

DRA is a multi-disciplinary, multi-national organization that specializes in the mining, infrastructure and mineral processing industries. As one of the largest project management enterprises in Africa, the South African-founded group of companies has constructed plants on five continents.

DRA is highly regarded for managing projects with a "zero harm" focus, as evidenced by its excellent safety record. All of DRA's world class quality standards, systems and procedures are based on ISO standards.

The processing plant, as the first step in the production process in which Rare Earth ore is converted into Rare Earth chlorides, will be located at the Steenkampskraal mine site. The plant detailed design project is expected to be completed by December 2011.

The processing plant will "crack" the monazite ore through a caustic leaching process, removing copper and gold by flotation. Tri-sodium phosphate will also be produced as a by-product with the potential for onward sales. The thorium contained in the Rare Earth ore will be removed at the processing stage, and be readied for licensed storage, leaving a clean rare earth chloride ready for the solvent extraction separation phase as at the recently announced Rare Earth materials facility (see GWMG Media Release: July 25, 2011: Great Western Minerals Group Signs Groundbreaking Head of Terms to Build Rare Earth Separation Plant in South Africa).

GWMG President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Engdahl said, "Awarding the contract for the detailed design of the processing plant at our Steenkampskraal operation is yet another significant step forward in the execution of our plan to become a fully integrated Rare Earth producer by early 2013."

"Contracting DRA, with its strong track record of superior performance, ensures we can achieve world class design and construction standards within the processing plant, combined with cutting edge technology," Engdahl added.

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 also holds 100% equity ownership in Rare Earth Extraction Co. Limited, which owns a 74% equity interest in the Steenkampskraal Mine. In addition to a planned exploration program at Steenkampskraal, GWMG also holds interests in six 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 Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. 219 Robin Crescent Saskatoon, SK S7L 6M8 info@gwmg.ca www.gwmg.ca