VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwire) -- 02/10/10 -- Far West Mining Ltd. (TSX: FWM) is pleased to report on the progress of the drill program at the Santo Domingo Project, Region lll, Chile. Far West Mining (the "Company") has completed thirty-two drill holes for a total of 9,594 metres. The drill program has now been expanded to 14,200 metres. There are currently four drill rigs on site in order to complete the drill program by mid-March.

Recent metallurgical test work has achieved copper recoveries and concentrate grades comparable to the results previously reported for fresh water. This is very positive news for the project as it removes the need to secure fresh water rights. A major risk for the development of the project has now been eliminated.

Drilling Update

In December 2009, the Company initiated a drill program at its Santo Domingo Project in Chile. The purpose of the program is to obtain sample material for pre-feasibility level metallurgical test work including crushing, grinding and variability test work for copper and iron extraction. Additional RC (reverse circulation) drill holes to tighten the drill spacing were planned in the area of the initial production area.

As of February 9, 2010 the Company has completed 6,852m of RC drilling in nineteen drill holes and overburden pre-collars for diamond drill holes. A further thirteen diamond drill holes have been completed for 2,742m. There are currently three diamond drill rigs and one RC drill rig on site in order to complete eight diamond drill holes and nine RC holes. The program has been expanded from 10,000m of drilling to 14,200m and will be completed by mid-March.

The first shipment of 1,500 samples from thirteen drill holes has been submitted for assay. Results are expected in two to three weeks.

Crushing and grinding samples from nine diamond drill holes have also been selected for processing test work that will include work indices.

Assay results from the entire program will be added to the current block model. A new resource estimate will be completed and, in conjunction with the metallurgical test results, will form the basis of a pre-feasibility level economic assessment for the Santo Domingo Project.

Metallurgy

The Company recently received very positive results from ongoing metallurgical test work. The scoping study in 2008 assumed the use of fresh water for the copper extraction process. Sea water tests were designed to duplicate the results for copper recovery and concentrate grade previously achieved using fresh water. The Company is extremely pleased to announce that copper recoveries of 85%-87% with high concentrate grades of 27%-28% Cu have now been achieved using sea water. As the project is located in the very dry Atacama Desert where water rights are expensive and in high demand, these recent results open the very appealing avenue of using sea water instead. The development of the project is now independent of the acquisition of water rights in the region.

The in-house qualified person responsible for the Project is Richard Zimmer, P. Eng., Chief Executive Officer, President and a director of the Company who has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release.

Far West Mining Ltd. is an international mineral exploration company engaged in the evaluation, acquisition, exploration and development of mining properties. The Company has current operations in Chile and Australia.

FAR WEST MINING LTD.

Richard N. Zimmer, P.Eng., President and C.E.O.

For further information investors should review the Company's filings that are available at www.sedar.com.

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address future production, reserve potential, exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans" "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Information inferred from the interpretation of drilling results and information concerning mineral resource estimates may also be deemed to be forward looking statements, as it constitutes a prediction of what might be found to be present when and if a project is actually developed. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

The TSX does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.