Newcastle Begins Geophysical Survey of Chester Property

VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, Jan 5, 2011 (Marketwire via COMTEX News Network) --

Newcastle Minerals Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:NCM) is pleased to announce that it has commenced a ground geophysical survey at its 100-per-cent-owned Chester Project in Ontario, Canada.

The three-unit (30 hectare) claim sits roughly one kilometre from Trelawney Resources' Cote Lake deposit and is surrounded by Augen Gold Corp's South Swayze Project. While Trelawney continues its successful exploration in the Cote Lake area, Augen Gold has recently announced it will be drilling several deep holes in early January, 2011, on the eastern part of its claim group bordering Trelawney Resources' Cote Lake deposit.

Trelawney's project area is host to at least 12 known mineralized structures characterized by wide zones of low to moderate grade gold +/- copper associated with brecciated intermediate to felsic (locally mafic) intrusive rocks. Newcastle's Chester Project covers 30 hectares of felsic intrusive and felsic metavolcanic rocks. Mineralization in Trelawney's project area consists of disseminated and fracture controlled sulphides that generally correlate to gold values. The Cote Lake deposit has now been intersected on seven sections spaced 100 metres apart and traced to depths of up to 500 metres. It is open along strike and to depth on all sections.

Under the direction of Newcastle Minerals, Vision Exploration of Timmins, Ontario, has commenced line cutting and will follow up immediately with a three line-kilometre induced polarization (IP) survey on the Chester Project. This IP survey follows up on a VLF-EM and Magnetics survey that was completed in June of 2010 that was successful in outlining several prospective areas that warrant further exploration. Results from the VLF-EM survey may be reflecting disseminated or semi-massive accumulations of sulphide minerals similar to those associated with the mineralized zones on Trelawney's Chester Project. The current IP survey will enhance the understanding of these anomalous zones as they are often prospective for gold and base metal mineralization.

Newcastle's president, Michael Romanik, states that "Due to the recent exploration success of Trelawney Resources and the new technical and geological information made available on their website, Newcastle has decided to ramp up the exploration program at our Chester Gold Project. This new information will help our geologists to maximize the potential of the property. "

The technical information herein was prepared under the supervision of Mr. Garry Clark, P. Geo., of Clark Exploration Consulting Inc., who acts as Newcastle's Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 for this release.

Newcastle Minerals Ltd. is a Canadian gold and base metal exploration company trading on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX VENTURE:NCM). The company is advancing its three key properties: its 120-hectare Carscallen Property in the West Timmins area of Ontario, its 11,100-hectare Pickle Lake Property in northwestern Ontario and its 6,600-hectare property located in the Swayze greenstone belt of Ontario near Trelawney Mining and Exploration Inc.'s Chester Project.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Michael Romanik, President