Orbite Ramps up Alumina Production

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Oct. 11, 2011) - In another milestone for its Cap-Chat plant achieved again on schedule, Exploration Orbite (TSX VENTURE:ORT.A) is pleased to announce that the production mode of alumina has shifted from a batch process a to semi-continuous process. This clear and significant acceleration in production will allow the Company to meet industry and partner demand as well as prepare for the transition of the plant towards a commercial High-Purity Alumina (HPA) production facility. This additional production capability will again make full use of Orbite's unique and recognized patented process and demonstrate the process's potential to operate within full-scale industrial conditions over three daily shifts (24h) allowing for operations to produce, 24/7 days a week. This boost should enable critical system optimization focussing on upcoming commercial operations.

Recent tests and analyses carried out by independent organizations such as SINTEF and INRS, have confirmed that the physicochemical properties of Orbite's alumina material meet or exceed the standard specifications of the aluminum smelter industry. These specifications, which include bulk density, particle size and specific surface, are specific to the aluminum smelter industry.

These results are further confirmed by the recent production of a high-quality aluminum ingot. SINTEF and INRS, both recognized centres of excellence and reference for the aluminum industry, have reported the excellent quality of aluminum produced by Orbite alumina as well as comparable behaviour under cell electrolysis conditions with competitor alumina resulting from the Bayer process.

Cap-Chat plant confirms reliability of the Orbite process

Production at Orbite's plant used the first 400 tonnes of the aluminous clay bulk sample collected from the deposit located 23 km south of Grande-Vallée in 2010. A new bulk sample of over 3,000 tonnes (see press release dated September 22, 2011) has recently been extracted and will be shipped to the Cap-Chat plant within next few weeks. This sample will enable the continued operations of the facility for approximately an additional 12 months.

"Some 250 to 300 tonnes of clay have already been processed at the Cap-Chat facility, demonstrating the reliability of the Orbite process to operate consistently and produce superior quality material over an extended period of time," said Joel Fournier, Vice president and Chief Scientific Officer of Orbite. "The company has produced about 70 tonnes of alumina and associated products and has begun making the necessary investments in order to convert its Cap-Chat facility for continuous production of high-purity alumina," explained Richard Boudreault, CEO of Orbite.

The alumina, alumina hydrates and aluminum leachate samples have been used in producing external tests and analyses with research centres of excellence in Canada and in Europe, in the production of aluminum products and samples, for third party validation and testing with engineering development partners in Canada and abroad, for the continuous testing as well as for economic optimization.

Cap-Chat primed to transform other mineral resources

Over the last few months, the equipment at the Cap-Chat plant has also been operated to successfully test the extraction potential of alumina from samples of bauxite, kaolin and other aluminous ores from regions around the world. These tests, performed for various aluminum firms and mining deposit owners have demonstrated the potential to adapt the Orbite patented extraction process to broader ore value-added chains. This, in turns, is leading to further discussions about the opportunity for licensing agreements with third party users.

About Orbite

Orbite (pronounced "Or-bit") owns 100% of the mining rights on approximately 6,400 hectares of a Grande-Vallée property, the site of an aluminous clay deposit located 23 km to the south of Grande-Vallée, and a 28,000 sq. ft. full scale redundant line pilot plant in Cap Chat, in the Gaspé region. The NI 43-101 report issued in August 2011 has identified an Indicated Resource of about 1 billion tonnes of aluminous clay in part of the deposit. The Company also owns the intellectual property rights to a unique Canada and U.S.-patented process for extracting alumina from aluminous ores and for which patents are also pending in other countries. www.orbitealuminae.com

About SINTEF

SINTEF is the largest independent research organization in Scandinavia with international top-level expertise in technology, medicine and the social sciences. It employs 2,100 staff from 67 countries and performs more than 7,000 research projects for some 2,000 clients every year. Its core areas of industrial research include, among other areas: advanced characterization and analysis; biotechnology; chemical engineering and process chemistry; materials production and recycling; and processing and manufacturing. In 2010, SINTEF's turnover was NOK 2.8 billion, more than 90% of which stems from industry and the public sector, as well as project grants from the Research Council of Norway. SINTEF is a centre of expertise for most is not all the aluminum firms around the world.

About INRS

INRS (Institut national de la recherche scientifique) is one of Canada's top universities in terms of research intensity (funding per faculty member). It brings together 150 professors, over 700 graduate and postgraduate students, and a hundred postdoctoral researchers at four centres in Montreal, Quebec City, Laval, and Varennes. INRS ranks first in Quebec and second in Canada in terms of grants per professor according to Canada's Top 50 Research Universities. INRS is an incubator of post-graduate social, technological, and scientific innovation. INRS is also the host of a Canadian industrial chair in aluminum processes.

Regulation 43-101 and forward-looking statements

The information and the analyses contained therein do not constitute any type of feasibility study or economic assessment within the meaning of Regulation 43-101 respecting standards of disclosure for mineral projects (Québec) ("Regulation 43-101"). No preliminary feasibility study, pre-feasibility study or feasibility study pursuant to the requirements of Regulation 43-101 has been completed to date.

Certain information and statements contained herein constitute forward-looking statements. Words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "estimate" and similar words and the negative form thereof are used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether, or the times at or by which, such future performance will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time and/or Exploration Orbite's management's good-faith beliefs with respect to future events and are subject to known or unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond the Corporation's control. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to those described in the section of the Annual Information Form entitled "Risk Factors", and could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements.

Readers are invited to consult the Report on the Geological Study prepared in conformity with Regulation 43-101 and the Annual Information Form of the Corporation, both amended and restated and respectively filed on August 21 and 25,2011 and are available at www.sedar.com or on the Corporation's website at www.orbitealuminae.com. The resulting technical report in no way alters technical and mineral disclosure or conclusions provided in the initial report.