San Marco Drills Los Hondidos Zone at Tecomate

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Jan. 20, 2012) - San Marco Resources (TSX VENTURE:SMN) (the Company) has completed approximately 1625m of drilling at its 100% owned Tecomate property in Sinaloa State, Mexico. Exploration to date has focused on a 200 hectare area (Main Zone) of this 12,300 hectare property. The primary target area was the Los Hondidos Zone, where recent surface exploration indicated a 60 - 80m wide mineralized shear structure. This drill campaign is the first program to test the vertical extent of surface mineralization discovered by Company geologists over the last year. Tecomate is believed to be an intermediate sulphidation system, where gold, silver, zinc, copper and lead appear to be collectively important to potentially economic mineralization. Drilling in the Los Hondidos Zone indicates the shear structure is 80m wide, where drilling intersected it 80 -120m below surface. Three of five drill holes intersected significant mineralization in various parts of the structure. Preliminary analysis indicates a specific fault/feeder zone hosts higher grade mineralization which is flanked by parallel precious and base metal mineralization, and is open along strike and at depth. Drill intercepts are in oxide or mixed oxide/sulphide zones.

Significant results include:

BDT11-07 - 42.2m of 0.27g/t gold, including 23.5m of 0.45g/t gold, 5g/t silver, 0.3% zinc and 0.2% lead.
This intersection is 80m below surface.

BDT11-12 - 31.5m - 41.5m; 10m of 0.46g/t gold, 5g/t silver, 0.2% zinc.

54.5m - 58.m ; 4.0m of 2.6g/t gold, 15g/t silver, 1.1% zinc, 1.1% lead and 0.40% copper.

84.5m - 98.0m; 13.5m of 0.20g/t gold.

BDT11-11 - 23.3m - 40.5m; 17.2m of 0.18g/t gold.

53.85 - 57.60m; 3.8m of 2.1g/t gold; 14g/t silver; 0.7% zinc; 0.5% lead; and 0.5% copper.

94.5m - 102.0m; 7.5m of 0.32g/t gold.

With assay results now in hand, project geologists are detail logging the core and identifying certain zones in the shear structure, which appear to host metal values of interest. This information will be used to help identify additional drill targets along strike and at depth, not only in the Los Hondidos area, but also in the parallel Santo Nino zone 200m to the east. Recent exploration has identified five other mineralized zones which appear to be significant drill targets.

San Marco Chairman, Robert Willis, stated: "We are pleased that this drill program has confirmed the mineralized shear structure continues to depth with similar grades indicated at surface. Our current detailed analysis of drill core is expected to identify drill targets extending along strike and down dip. Of significance is the similarity of the Santo Nino structure 200m to the east, which exhibits similar surface size and grades. Since this drill program targeted near surface mineralization, it appears that bulk tonnage, as well as higher grade underground styles of mineralization are developing."

Two additional holes were drilled in the Los Hondidos zone, one was stopped due to drilling conditions, and the other drilled into a post-mineral dike and was terminated. Three holes were drilled in the NW Zone, where broad intervals of lower grade mineralization were encountered. This area appears to be much higher in the system and is silver dominant. Localized interesting drill intersections were encountered such as 7.5m grading 21.4g/t silver and 130m of 5g/t silver. Drill holes BDT11-12 and BDT11-11 are drilled from the same drill platform.

A table of drill results and a location map will be posted on the company's website once detailed logging of core is complete.

In keeping with the Company's plan to split 3000m of drilling between Tecomate and the Company's 100% optioned Los Carlos property, the drill has been demobilized to Hermosillo for maintenance. It is expected that drilling will commence February 15th at Los Carlos, where an I.P. survey is currently underway. Results of recent surface channel sampling, as well as the current geophysical I.P.survey are expected in 10 days.

Sampling methodology, quality control and assurance include: drill core was cut or split on site, photographed, tagged, bagged and secured in a locked facility. Samples were either picked up and transported by SGS Labs' personnel (Durango), or delivered to SGS Lab (Durango) by the company's project geologist. SGS Labs is a certified preparation and analysis laboratory located in Durango City in Durango State.

Commercial standards, blanks, and duplicate samples were systematically inserted in every drill core sample batch. San Marco Resources employs a high standard of protocol with respect to the handling and chain of custody of its samples. All assays are reported as drill intervals and are not necessarily true widths.

The technical information contained in this press release has been approved by San Marco's President, Robert D. Willis, P. Eng., a 'qualified person' for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators.