LAKEWOOD, Colo., July 12, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Pershing Gold Corporation (OTCBB:PGLC) announces results from the first 12 holes of its Phase II 2012 drilling program. Pershing Gold drilled 23 core holes (approximately 14,700 feet) on lands at the Relief Canyon Mine properties, completing its Phase II 2012 drilling. These holes are located west of the current pit boundary (Figure 1) on private lands that Pershing Gold leases from Newmont USA Limited, a subsidiary of Newmont Mining Corporation (“Newmont”) (NYSE:NEM).

Figure 1. A map featuring Pershing Gold’s Phase II 2012 Drilling Program is available at:https://media.globenewswire.com/cache/19459/file/14543.pdf

The company believes that the results from these 12 holes are significant, because they confirm the extension of the mineralized zone west of the Relief Canyon pit boundary and more than double the length of some of the gold intercepts in nearby reverse-circulation rotary holes drilled by previous operators. Results from the remaining 11 holes are expected later in the third quarter. Boart-Longyear, Ltd. and Ruen Drilling were the drilling contractors.

Pershing Gold’s 2012 drilling program was designed to further two objectives. “These results represent real progress toward our first goal to expand known mineralization and advance the Relief Canyon Mine towards production,” said Stephen D. Alfers, Pershing Gold’s Executive Chairman and CEO, and added, “Our second goal is to generate targets and drill new discoveries on our 25,000 acre land position in the Humboldt Gold and Silver Trend in Nevada. Earlier this year we drilled new targets generated by our exploration group. Those results are pending.”

The 12 core holes that Pershing Gold completed tested deeper zones than previously tested. Pershing Gold’s deeper core holes, located near historic reverse circulation holes, have discovered gold zone intercepts thicker than the gold zone intercepts in the older reverse-circulation holes. A comparison of the results from RC12-017 with SPRC-140, which was drilled in 1984 by Southern Pacific Land Co., illustrates this point. SPRC-140 intercepted 100 feet of 0.44 grams per ton (gpt) (0.013 ounces per ton (opt) gold. RC12-017, which is roughly 35 feet west of SPRC-140, has intercepted 215 feet (from 220 to 435 feet) of 0.504 gpt (0.015 opt) gold (Figure 2).

Figure 2. A Cross Section featuring Pershing Gold’s Section 4551020N is available at:https://media.globenewswire.com/cache/19459/file/14542.pdf

In 2010 Mine Development Associates completed a Technical Report under Canadian National Instrument 43-101 for Firstgold Corporation, the previous owner of Relief Canyon Mine, reporting resources attributable to lands now controlled by Pershing Gold and its subsidiary Gold Acquisition Corp. (“GAC”). Alfers added, “We expect to develop our own resource estimate in the coming months. This estimate will include the results of the core drilling program on the expanded land position we now control. We expect these results will significantly upgrade and expand the resource attributable to the Relief Canyon Mine project.”

Significant intercepts for these drill holes are shown below in Table 1.

Table 1. Summary of Gold Intercepts from the Phase II 2012 drilling program at Relief Canyon, Pershing County, Nevada.

Reported width is not true width of interval. Results from all intercepts for which we have received and verified results will be posted on our website at www.pershinggold.com.

These 12 drill holes tested the main breccia zone on private land that Pershing Gold leases from Newmont (see Press Release, April 13, 2012).

In commenting on the significance of this recently completed core drilling program, Mr. Alfers stated, “This drilling program represents the first time the lands immediately west of the Relief Canyon Mine have been drilled in many years. A comparison of grades from the core holes with grades from nearby historic reverse circulation holes shows no obvious bias between gold grades from core drilling compared with grades from reverse circulation drilling.” Alfers explained the significance of this finding as follows: “The 2010 resource estimate eliminated ounces due to concerns about down-hole contamination below the water table. These results suggest little or no down-hole contamination. We expect results from our core drilling will validate the results from previous reverse-circulation drilling. This should enable us to include in our new resource estimate this portion of the deposit as well as mineralization that Pershing Gold has discovered elsewhere on the property since acquiring the Relief Canyon Mine in August 2011.”

The main gold zone at Relief Canyon is a breccia zone developed along the contact of the Grass Valley and Cane Springs Formations. Figure 2 is a cross-section through the open pit and shows the form of the breccia. Older drill holes shown on this section are primarily reverse circulation drill holes completed within the last 20 years. There are approximately 590 older drill holes in the database, and for simplicity of presentation, these older drill holes were not included in the plan map (Figure 1). The thick zone of mineralization shown in Figure 2 is open to the west.

Previous drilling in the Phase I 2012 drilling program by Pershing Gold (see Press Release of May 10, 2012) focused on feeder structures and deeper stratigraphic targets north and south of the pit on wholly-owned claims. Recent pit mapping has defined several steeply dipping, north-trending feeders. The intercepts reported earlier are shown again for comparison.

Table 2. Summary of previously announced gold intercepts from the Phase I 2012 drilling program at Relief Canyon, Pershing County, Nevada.

Reported width is not true width of interval. Results from all intercepts for which we have received and verified results will be posted on our website at www.pershinggold.com.

Mr. Alfers said, “The Phase II 2012 drilling program shows nearly 500 meters of ore grade mineralization east to west. Together with the Phase I 2012 drilling program completed earlier this year, our exploration group believes that the Phase II 2012 drilling program demonstrates that this mineralization is open to the west and to the north. Historic drilling also suggests the mineralization is open to the south of the existing pits.”

About Pershing Gold Corporation

Pershing Gold Corporation is a new gold exploration and development company focusing on acquiring, exploring, and developing gold deposits in Pershing County and elsewhere in Nevada. The Relief Canyon Mine property in Pershing County is owned by its subsidiary, GAC.

Legal Notice and Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, those with respect to the objectives, plans and strategies of the Company set forth herein including the anticipated exploration on Pershing Gold’s Relief Canyon landholdings, results of drilling, interpretations of exploration results and other geologic information at Relief Canyon, planned completion of a new Canadian National Instrument 43-101 compliant resource report at Relief Canyon and those preceded by or that include the words “believes,” “expects,” “given,” “targets,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “projects,” “forecasts” or similar expressions, are “forward-looking statements.” Although the Company’s management believes that such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee that such expectations are, or will be, correct. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company’s future results to differ materially from those anticipated. Potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, inability to obtain external financing to fund planned exploration or maintain property rights, reinterpretations of geologic information, unfavorable exploration results, inability to obtain permits required for its planned exploration and other activities, general economic conditions and conditions affecting the industries in which the Company operates; the uncertainty of regulatory requirements and approvals; fluctuating mineral and commodity prices; risks of junior exploration and pre-production activities; and maintenance of important business relationships. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in the Company’s filings with the SEC including the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 and each subsequently filed Current Report on Form 8-K. The Company assumes no obligation to update any of the information contained or referenced in this press release.

Scientific and Technical Data

All scientific and technical information for the Relief Canyon project has been reviewed and approved by Robert B Hawkins, P.Geo, who is a Qualified Person under the definitions established by Canadian National Instrument 43-101. Drill core at Relief Canyon is boxed and sealed at the drill rig and moved to the Relief Canyon logging and sample preparation facilities by trained personnel. The core is logged and split down the center using a typical table-fed circular rock saw. One half of the core is sent for assay to ALS Chemex, Reno, Nevada, while the other half is returned to the core box and stored at Relief Canyon in a secure, fenced-off, area. Pershing Gold Corporation’s quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) procedures include the regular use of blanks, standards, and duplicate samples.

CONTACT: Stephen D. Alfers, Executive Chairman, President and CEO
         Phone Number: 720.974.7248
         Email: Info@pershinggold.com
         www.PershingGold.com

Source: Pershing Gold Corporation

Released July 12, 2012

The OTCQX is the highest tier of the OTC Markets and the Company is pleased to increase accessibility for U.S. investors. The OTCQX membership was sponsored and facilitated by Kenneth I. Denos, P.C. who will act as the Company’s Principal American Liaison.
OTC Markets Group Inc. is a leading financial information and technology services Company that provides the world’s largest electronic inter-dealer quotation system, trading technology and financial information provider for over-the-counter (OTC) securities in the United States. The webpage for Sierra Iron Ore Corp. to access financials, news, contact information and quote & trade information is http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/SIOCF/quote.
“The OTCQX platform offers investor-focused companies a winning combination of quality control, transparency, and broader visibility to U.S. investors,” said R. Cromwell Coulson, President and Chief Executive Officer of OTC Markets Group. “We are pleased to welcome Sierra Iron Ore Corp to OTCQX.”
“With the recent completion of the access road to the Veinte zone and the start of the core drill program on the El Creston property, it is an ideal time to increase our corporate profile to U.S. investors,” stated Wally Boguski, President and CEO. “The core drill program will help us gather data for the geometry and grade of each magnetite body to establish the required parameters for resource definition”

About Sierra Iron Ore
Sierra Iron Ore is a growth-focused mineral exploration company creating value through the exploration and development of the El Creston iron property located in the Sinaloa State of Mexico.

On behalf of The Board of Directors of  Sierra Iron Ore Corporation.

Paul Lee, Director

This news release contains certain forward looking statements which involve known and unknown risks, delays, and uncertainties not under the control of Sierra Iron Ore Corp. which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Sierra Iron Ore Corporation to be materially different from the results, performance or expectation implied by these forward looking statements. Neither 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 press release, which has been prepared by management.

The El Chapote skarn zone 1km northwest of the old Reforma mine is under study for a drill program to commence shortly.

A total of 550 samples from a rock geochemistry program were submitted to the ALS – Chemex laboratory in Hermosillo, Mexico for a 32- element ICP analysis. The objective of the geochemical survey was to investigate possible mineralization associated with a widespread area of oxidation immediately west of the Reforma mine.  Contingent on the analytical results, the Company envisages a geophysical survey as a follow up to identify possible drill targets.