Romarco drills 21.3 meters of 43.1 g/t gold at Snake

TORONTO, Jan. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - ROMARCO MINERALS INC. (TSX: R) (the "Company") is pleased to provide an update of recent assay results from the on-going drill program at its 100%-owned Haile Gold Mine project in South Carolina. The 2011 fourth quarter drill results continue to demonstrate the sustained growth and continuity of the mineralized system at Haile.  Highlighted holes from zones throughout the property from this drilling program include:

• At Snake:
• RCT-83 intersected 21.3 meters of 43.1 g/t gold, 18 meters north of historical drilling and identified 10.6 meters of 8.7 g/t gold at depth;
• At Horseshoe:
• RCT-123, an in-fill, geotechnical hole that was drilled specifically for an analysis of the structural strength of the rock for the underground study, encountered 62.3 meters of 11.4 g/t gold, including 14.9 meters of 35.2 g/t gold;
• DDH-418 encountered 41.1 meters of 8.4 g/t gold, 14 meters southwest of RCT-29 (23.0 meters of 45.8 g/t gold - see July 25, 2011 press release);
• RCT-144 encountered 9.1 meters of 4.0 g/t gold, 38 meters southeast of RCT-79 (19.8 meters of 6.9 g/t gold - see September 14, 2011 press release);
• At Mustang:
• DDH-404, an in-fill hole, encountered 57.9 meters of 6.8 g/t gold and 62.5 meters of 1.3 g/t gold, 29 meters west of hole DDH-384 (69.8 meters of 4.5 g/t gold - see March 9, 2011 press release) and 48 meters east of DDH-399 (47.6 meters of 3.4 g/t gold - see September 14, 2011 press release);
• At Palomino:
• RCT-139 at Palomino encountered 84.7 meters of 3.4 g/t gold, 68 meters southwest from hole RCT-140 (26 meters of 1.6 g/t gold - see November 1, 2011 press release);
• RCT-143 intersected 22.9 meters of 3.9 g/t gold, 70 meters east of RCT-140.

Recent drilling at Haile including the Snake, Ledbetter, Mustang and Horseshoe zones are dual purpose: single drill holes begin as in-fill holes from surface to approximately 200 meters and transition to step-out holes at depth.

Diane Garrett, President and CEO commented: "This new hole, RCT-83 at Snake, is a perfect example of a multi-purpose hole at Haile.  We were able to in-fill the upper portion of the mineralization and gain confidence in the quality of the resources, and we were also able to step-out at depth and discover new mineralization."

RC-2058 has identified 21.3 meters of 4.9 g/t approximately 400 meters northwest of Mustang. New results from Champion indicate that shallow mineralization remains adjacent to the historic pit.  DDH-419 encountered 18.3 meters of 0.9 g/t gold, 10 meters below the surface and 100 meters outside of the old pit. DDH-425 encountered 9.1 meters of 2.1 g/t gold, 50 meters below the surface and 107 meters northeast of the historic pit rim. DDH-408 intersected 15.2 meters of 2.0 g/t gold, 41 meters northwest from a historical intercept and may indicate potential for down-dip mineralization. Additional holes have been planned to determine the continuity of these intercepts.

A table of selected drill results is included in the Appendix.

Plan view maps are available on the homepage of the Company's website: www.romarco.com

Sample Procedure

Drilling is being performed by Romarco's company-owned drills (4 core, 1 reverse circulation), Connors Drilling (3 core), and Boart Longyear (3 reverse circulation).  Drill samples are prepared by either Acme Labs (formerly AHK Geochem) at their facility in Spartanburg, SC, or at the Company's wholly owned Kershaw Mineral Laboratories, Kershaw, SC. All reported mineralization has been confirmed by assays completed in Fairbanks, AK by Acme Labs, an independent laboratory. Blank samples and third party standards are inserted at random for submittal with all of the drill samples. The results of the control samples are within acceptable ranges. Periodic duplicate and check samples are analyzed by ALS Chemex in Reno, NV. For a full discussion of the Company's sampling, analysis, quality assurance, quality control, and other technical disclosure, please see the Company's National Instrument ("NI") 43-101 Feasibility Technical Report dated February 10, 2011 on SEDAR. Romarco's Qualified Person under NI 43-101 is James M. Berry, P.G., Chief Geologist at Haile.  Mr. Berry has reviewed and approved this news release.

About Romarco Minerals Inc.

Romarco Minerals Inc. is a gold development company focused on production primarily in the US. The Company has completed a positive Feasibility study and is continuing exploration drilling and permitting for its flagship project, the Haile Gold Mine in South Carolina.

Please note:

This entire press release may be accessed via fax, e-mail, Romarco's website at www.romarco.com and through CNW Group's website at www.newswire.ca. All material information on Romarco Minerals Inc. can be found at www.sedar.com

Appendix

Table of Selected Drill Holes

SOURCE ROMARCO MINERALS INC.