Aurcana Commences Open Pit Mining at Shafter

Aurcana Corporation ("Aurcana" or the "Company") is pleased to report that in conjunction with its current underground operations, the Company has initiated some open pit mining commencing on April 23, 2012 from the Mina Grande Pit located on the historic Presidio Mine on strike, west of the Company's Shafter mine. 

To date a total of 4,725 tons have been mined and processed from a historic dump and open pit operations with a combined average grade of 2.2 ounces Ag per ton. The materials from both dump and open pit operations were processed together and not processed separately to determine the average grade from each of the dump and open pit operations A total of 3,813 (80.7%) tons were derived from the Mina Grande open pit and 912 (19.3%) tons came from historic material from the East Shaft Dump. In-house assay results from the first two doré bar pours indicated a silver content of 78.77% and gold content of 11.14% Au and 84.37% Ag and .06% Au, respectively. These assay results have not been independently tested and verified.

Historic workings of the Mina Grande open pit were surveyed and chip sampled on four levels to a depth of 80 feet and assayed to determine the extent and grade of the mineralized area. Based the encouraging preliminary indications, the Company intends to continue to conduct further operations on the Mina Grande open pit to further evaluate its potential. The Company is unable to forecast future results based on materials mined and processed to date or otherwise determine if these current results will be indicative of the results to be obtained from future mining operations on the underground and open pit.

Samples were dried and reduced to 10 mesh. A 300 gram sub sample was obtained, pulverized to 95% passing 200 mesh by ring and puck pulverizer. Silver and gold were determined by Fire Assay with gravimetric finish using a 30 gm prepared sub sample. 

Dore samples were analyzed for Au and Ag by Fire Assay and Gravimetric finish.

The mineralized potential of Mina Grande Pit is uncertain at this time and there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the Mina Grande Pit being delineated as a mineral resource. The Company is not treating these results as current mineral resources or reserves. The Company has not undertaken any independent investigation of the open pit plan. The Company believes the initial results provide a conceptual indication of the potential of the mineral occurrences within the Mina Grande open pit.

Corporate
The Company's shares are now also traded in the United States on OTCQX under the symbol "AUNFF". Investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the Company on www.otcqx.com andwww.otcmarkets.com.

About Aurcana Corporation:

Aurcana has forecasted its Shafter Silver Mine to produce 3.8 million ounces of silver in the first full 12 months of operation. It has an NI 43-101 Measured and Indicated Resource of 24.6 million ounces of silver and an Inferred Resource of 22.8 million ounces of silver using a 4.0 ounce per ton cut off. The 99.9% owned La Negra silver-lead-zinc-copper mine produced over 1 million ounces of contained silver in 2011 and 287,486 ounces for Q1 2012.

The reader should be cautioned that the Company has not completed a feasibility study to confirm the projected production capacity for La Negra and there is no certainty the Company's plans will be economically viable.

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed by Ken Collison, P.Eng, Director of the Company and a Qualified Person ("QP") as defined by National Instrument 43-101 (Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects). 

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
AURCANA CORPORATION

"Lenic Rodriguez", President & CEO
For further information, visit the website at www.aurcana.com or contact:

Aurcana Corporation 
Phone: (604) 331-9333 
Toll Free: (866) 532-9333
Fax: (604) 633-9179 
Gary Lindsey, Corporate Relations
Phone: (720)-273-6224
Email: gary@strata-star.com

NR-12-10
grades, recoveries, potential mineralization, exploration result, future plans and objectives of the Company and the business and anticipated financial performance of the Company. These statements are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to mining and processing of mined ore, achieving projected recovery rates, anticipated production rates and mine life, operating efficiencies, costs and expenditures, changes in mineral resources and conversion of mineral resources to proven and probable reserves, and other information that is based on forecasts of future operational or financial results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management.

Exploration results that include geophysics, sampling and drill results on wide spacings may not be indicative of the occurrence of a mineral deposit. Such results do not provide assurance that further work will establish sufficient grade, continuity, metallurgical characteristics and economic potential to be classified as a category of mineral resource. A mineral resource which is classified as "inferred" or indicated" has a great amount of uncertainty as to its existence and economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that any or part of an "indicated mineral resource" or "inferred mineral resource" will ever be upgraded to a higher category of resource. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into proven and probable reserves.

Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or does not expect", "is expected", anticipates" or "does not anticipate" "plans", "estimates" or "intends" or stating that certain actions, events or results " may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to materially differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. 

Actual results may differ materially from results contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could differ materially from the Company's expectations include, among others, risks related to international operations, unsuccessful exploration results, conclusions of economic evaluations and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined as well as changes in metal prices, changes in the availability of funding for mineral exploration and development, unanticipated changes in key management personnel and general economic conditions. When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, oral or written, made by itself or on its behalf. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

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.