Keegan Continues to Encounter Significant Gold Intercepts in Resource and Exploration Drilling

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - June 2, 2011) - Keegan Resources Inc. (TSX:KGN)(NYSE Amex:KGN) ("Keegan") is pleased to announce the latest assay results from its Esaase Project drilling programs in southwest Ghana. In its resource infill drilling program, Keegan has encountered significant, consistent gold intercepts including 138 m of 1.63 g/t Au (KGRC010), 116 m of 1.4 g/t Au (KEDD987), 85 m of 1.4 g/t Au (KERC976), and 43 m of 1.89 g/t Au (KERC982). In its Main Zone resource expansion program, Keegan continues to encounter significant gold bearing intercepts in down dip step-out holes, including 100.9 meters of 1.64 g/t Au (KEDD956), 48 meters of 1.83 g/t Au (KEDD965), 155 meters of 0.64 g/t Au (KEDD974) and 10 meters of 6.01 g/t Au (KEDD953). At the D-1 Zone, Keegan drilled 38 meters of 1.79 g/t Au (KGDD038) down dip from the current resource. At the E zone, recently discovered under alluvial cover (see NR dated January 21, 2011), Keegan intercepted 26 meters of 1.23 g/t Au (KEDD988). In a hole drilled 400 m to the north of the current extent of the Main Zone resource, Keegan intercepted 6 meters of 5.55 g/t (KGRC030). Keegan currently has over 88 drill holes pending assay and is continuing its aggressive development and exploration drill programs. For detailed listing of intercepts see Tables 1 and 2. Please see www.keeganresources.com for a drill hole location map and sections.

President and CEO Maurice Tagami states, "We are pleased with these new drill results as they show the strength and consistency of mineralization within the current resource as well as the potential of adding to the Esaase resource through resource expansion and the exploration of new zones. We are well financed and expect to continue the aggressive pace of our exploration and development programs throughout 2011, while at the same time progressing and expanding our community engagement and environmental permitting programs."

Table 1: Recent results from Keegan's Resource Infill program.

Table 2. Recent results from Keegan's Resource Expansion and Exploration program.

Richard Haslinger, P. Eng. is the Qualified Person with respect to NI 43-101 at Esaase. RC samples were taken at one-meter intervals under dry drilling conditions by geologic and resource consultant Coffey Mining Inc. utilizing drilling and sampling techniques widely accepted in resource definition studies of other West African gold deposits. All reverse circulation drill samples are weighed on site and all core is drilled at HQ diameter and sawed into equal halves on site. All samples are assayed using standard 50 gram fire assay with atomic absorption finish by ALS Chemex Labs in Kumasi, Ghana. QA/QC programs using internal and external standard samples, re-assays, and blanks indicate good accuracy and precision in a large majority of standards assayed. Repeatability in duplicate samples is generally within 10% variance. In instances where variance is greater than 10%, the assays from both samples are averaged. Intercepts were mostly calculated to emphasize width rather than grade: a minimum of a 0.2 g/t cut off at beginning and end of the intercept and allowing for no more than eight consecutive samples (eight meters) of less than 0.2 g/t Au. Mineralization in the main zone strikes approximately 10 to 30 degrees east of north and dips 45 to 90 degrees to the west. Holes are drilled at 110 degrees azimuth and are inclined at 45 to 60 degrees, so true widths are estimated to be over 80% of the drilled widths. Intercepts are calculated using a 0.5 g/t lower cutoff over at least 5 meters. The intercepts reported in this release were only those with grade-widths above 8 g/t times meter. Those above 20 g/t meter are shown in bold, italicized (i) font. The techniques by which drill hole assays have been previously used in resource estimation at Esaase can be found in Keegan's most recent 43-101 technical report on www.sedar.com.

About Keegan Resources

Keegan is a junior gold company offering investors the opportunity to share ownership in the rapid exploration and development of high quality pure gold assets. The Company is focused on its wholly owned flagship Esaase Gold project (3.23 million ounces gold indicated resources with an average grade of 1.2 g/t Au at a 0.4 g/t Au cutoff and 1.68 million ounces in an inferred category at an average grade of 1.0 g/t Au applying a 0.4 g/t Au cut-off for a total inferred and indicated resource of 4.91 Moz) as well as its Asumura gold project, both of which are located in Ghana, West Africa, a highly favourable and prospective jurisdiction. Managed by highly skilled and successful technical and financial professionals, Keegan is well financed with no debt. Keegan is also strongly committed to the highest standards for environmental management, social responsibility, and health and safety for its employees and neighbouring communities. Keegan trades on the TSX and the NYSE AMEX under the symbol KGN. More information about Keegan is available at www.keeganresources.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

Shawn Wallace, Executive Chairman

Forward Looking and other Cautionary Information

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address estimated resource quantities, grades and contained metals, possible future mining, exploration and development activities, are forward-looking statements. In particular, Preliminary Economic Assessments are preliminary in nature, including Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves, and there is no certainty that the findings of the Preliminary Assessment will be realized. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in the Preliminary Economic Assessment and other forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements should not be in any way construed as guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices for metals, the conclusions of detailed feasibility and technical analyses, lower than expected grades and quantities of resources, mining rates and recovery rates and the lack of availability of necessary capital, which may not be available to the Company on terms acceptable to it or at all. The Company is subject to the specific risks inherent in the mining business as well as general economic and business conditions. For more information on the Company, Investors should review the Company's annual Form 20-F filing with the United States Securities Commission and its home jurisdiction filings that are available at www.sedar.com.

Information Concerning Estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resources This news release also uses the terms 'indicated resources' and 'inferred resources'. Keegan Resources Inc. advises investors that although these terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations (under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize them. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. In addition, 'inferred resources' have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of Inferred Mineral Resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, or economic studies except for Preliminary Assessment as defined under 43-101. Investors are cautioned not to assume that part or all of an inferred resource exists, or is economically or legally mineable.

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