American Bonanza Gold Corp (fka ABGFF)

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American Bonanza Gold Corp. (TSX:BZA)(OTCQX:ABGFF)(PINKSHEETS:ABGFF) ("Bonanza" or "Company") is pleased to announce that the 100% owned Copperstone gold mine in Arizona has placed onto transport its first shipment of gold bearing concentrates. The first concentrate shipment consists of 31.2 tons of concentrate grading an average of 22.8 ounces per ton of gold, containing an estimated 712 ounces of gold in concentrate. Gold content grades in the concentrates are over double the most optimistic expectations, and Bonanza continues to pursue further improvements to the gold grade in concentrate.

The gold-bearing concentrates have been produced during the mine and processing plant ramp up process, during early 2012. Bonanza's near term objective is to achieve the design gold production rate of approximately 3,000 ounces of gold per month, and the Company is encouraged to experience continued improvements to throughput as the miners and processing plant operators gain familiarity with the operation, and optimization of the mine and processing plant continues. As part of the optimization program to improve the gold grades in concentrate, a Gemini table has been installed and has been in use for about one month. Recently, a second Knelson concentrator has been installed, and is currently being brought on-line and optimized for best performance.