West Kirkland Exploration Update and Plans

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwire - April 23, 2012) - West Kirkland Mining Inc. (TSX VENTURE: WKM) ("West Kirkland" or the "Company") reports today that it has accomplished its objective of outlining prospective, well-defined, three dimensional targets in Nevada, USA and Kirkland Lake, Ontario. In late 2011 and the first quarter of 2012, through regional mapping, soil sampling and drilling in both North American gold camps, clear drill targets have been defined. Drilling is planned to continue in both Nevada and Kirkland Lake. A core rig is currently testing a deep target at the Company's Goldbanks property near Kirkland Lake and an RC rig is now mobilized at the Lewis Spring target in Nevada's Long Canyon Trend.


Nevada - Long Canyon Trend

In 2012, the Company has drilled a total of nine holes for 2,357.3 meters into the TUG deposit. This drilling has continued to identify high grade intercepts as outlined in the Company's April 4, 2012 news release, including WT12-012 which cut 8.99 meters of 1.18 g/t Au and 200.73 g/t Ag starting at a depth of 148.59 meters. To date the Company has completed 16 holes at TUG, totaling in excess of 4,500 meters. An initial NI43-101 resource estimate is in progress for the TUG deposit.

Four new target areas in the Long Canyon Trend of northeastern Nevada have been identified for drilling in 2012. These targets were generated by a combination of detailed soil sampling of more than 9,000 samples, geological mapping and geophysical modeling by West Kirkland. All targets have elevated gold at surface with associated structural and rock unit controls that fit the regional model of the Fronteer-Newmont Long Canyon discovery. The areas targeted for drilling have soil anomalies in gold that extend over kilometers, fitting with mapped geological features. The detailed work by West Kirkland following-up on these correlations of structure and gold in soil also resulted in several new surface gold occurrences being found with more than 1 g/t in grab samples. The systematic regional exploration is developing new gold targets utilizing the new Long Canyon type model.

To date, the Company has evaluated approximately 150 square kilometers of its Long Canyon properties and additional targets continue to be generated. An exploration office has been established by West Kirkland in Elko, Nevada and the Company has devoted four geologists to the exploration efforts in the trend.

A reverse circulation drill is being mobilized to begin evaluation of the drill targets within the Long Canyon Trend. Drilling will commence on the Lewis Spring target in late April, followed by drilling at the Bandito and 12 Mile target areas. It is anticipated that the drill will be on the Toano project, directly across the valley from the Long Canyon deposit, in early June. The 2012 reverse circulation drilling on the Company's Long Canyon properties will be approximately 11,000 meters.


Kirkland Lake

In Kirkland Lake a regional land position of 96 square kilometers has been evaluated and tested with approximately 35,000 meters of regional drilling in total. The next phase of drilling in Kirkland Lake will be specifically targeted on the Cunningham zone down dip of previous high grade intercepts including 16.15 g/t Au over 5 meters cut in hole KC1163.

In 2012 the Company has drilled 20 holes and extended three separate holes for a total of 6,600 meters. Seventeen regional target holes failed to outline significant new mineralized zones. Three holes and two hole extensions were targeted on the Cunningham zones and hole KC12129 returned 1.00 meters grading 8.76 g/t Au starting at 136.3 meters. This phase of drilling assisted in defining a clear target for future drilling at depth. The high grade intercepts at Cunningham exhibit a geochemical signature and orientation that point to a potential mineralized zone with a steep westerly plunge along the main structure. The Company continues to work on refining its three dimensional targeting on the Cunningham zone and anticipates drilling on the specific target in June of 2012.

The Company continues to drill on its Goldbanks deep hole and is now beyond a depth of 1,500 meters. This drill hole is located west of the Macassa Mine, north of the Kirkland Lake JV ground where Kirkland Lake Gold recently bought out its 50% joint venture partner, Queenston Mining, for $60 million.

A regional map outlining West Kirkland's properties in Nevada and Kirkland Lake can be viewed from this link:
http://www.wkmining.com/_resources/2012_Regional_Map.pdf


Qualified Person, Verification, Quality Control and Assurance

Drill core samples from Kirkland Lake were saw cut, with half the cut core placed in individual sealed bags and half placed back in the original core box for permanent storage. Drill core samples were shipped to the ALS Chemex prep lab in Sudbury. Prepared pulps were shipped by ALS Chemex to their North Vancouver lab where gold was determined by fire assay. ALS Chemex's North Vancouver Lab is ISO 9001:2008 certified and also is ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited by the Standards Council of Canada for the assay methods employed.

Michael G. Allen, Vice President of Exploration for West Kirkland, and a Qualified Person as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed the information contained in this news release and has also verified the analytical data for drill core samples disclosed in this release by reviewing the blanks, duplicates and certified reference material that the Company inserted into the sample stream and confirming that they fall within limits as determined by acceptable industry practice. He is the non-independent qualified person for this new release and has verified the data.


About West Kirkland Mining

West Kirkland Mining 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 north eastern Nevada - two of North America's premier gold jurisdictions. The founders and Board of West Kirkland Mining 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 or contact us by email at info@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.



Contact Information

West Kirkland Mining Inc.
R. Michael Jones
(604) 685-8311

West Kirkland Mining Inc.
Michael Allen
(604) 685-8311

West Kirkland Mining Inc.
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