Western Areas Wins 'Emerging Exporter Award' for Western Australia

PERTH, AUSTRALIA--(Marketwire - Oct. 17, 2011) -

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The Board of Western Areas (TSX:WSA)(ASX:WSA) is pleased to announce that the Company has won the Western Australian 'Emerging Exporter Award' for 2011. This important award recognises Western Areas' substantial business of exporting nickel concentrate from Western Australia to China, with a gross metal value of approximately US$450 million to date. Western Areas automatically qualifies as a finalist in the National Exports Awards for 2011.

Western Areas uses sealed half-height containers which are filled at the Forrestania processing plant, loaded onto ships at Esperance Port and unloaded at Xinjang Port in China. The containers are then railed to Jinchuan's smelter in Gansu Province in central China. The use of sealed containers represents the highest possible environmental standards, increases handling efficiencies and reduces the potential for costly demurrage delays. Western Areas is paid Free On Board (FOB) at Esperance Port.

Three shipments are scheduled from Esperance in October alone. The increase in shipments is starting to reduce the stockpile of high grade concentrate currently held on site at Forrestania.

Managing Director Mr. Julian Hanna said, "The award is a great credit to the processing and logistics team at Western Areas and to our shipping contractor Merchant Shipping. The export process has operated seamlessly since the first shipment in July 2010. Yesterday also marked a milestone with a total of 5,500 containers exported to date through Esperance Port".

The full release can be viewed at our website www.westernareas.com.au.