Mr. Morgan Poliquin reports

ALMADEN HITS 188.70 METERS 3.3 G/T AUEQ (1.32 G/T AU AND 97.8 G/T AG) ON MAIN IXTACA ZONE, TRACES NORTHEAST EXTENSION 400 METERS DOWN DIP

Almaden Minerals Ltd. has released further results from the continuing exploration drill program on the company's 100-per-cent-owned Tuligtic project, Mexico, with holes TU-12-159, 162, 164, 166 and 168. Holes TU-12-164 and 168 were drilled on Section 10+425E into the Main Ixtaca zone. Holes TU-12-159, 162 and 166 were drilled at 070 degrees on Section 50+000N into the Northeast Extension zone, which trends perpendicular to the Main Ixtaca zone. The intercepts in holes TU-12-159, 162 and 166, together with previously reported holes on this section, show the Northeast Extension zone to be continuously mineralized over 400 metres downdip. Holes TU-12-164 and 168 on Section 10+425E show the presence of variability and high grades in this part of the Main Ixtaca zone. Highlights from the holes released today include the following intercepts (a more complete list of intercepts is shown in the attached table):

Hole TU-12-159 (Northeast Extension zone, Section 50+000N):

• 59.10 metres of 0.59 gram per tonne gold and 53.4 g/t silver (1.7 g/t gold equivalent) including:
  • 9.50 m of 1.21 g/t gold and 101.2 g/t silver (3.2 g/t gold equivalent);
  • 16.05 m of 0.91 g/t gold and 90.3 g/t silver (2.7 g/t gold equivalent).

Hole TU-12-162 (Northeast Extension zone, Section 50+000N):

• 68.50 m of 1.16 g/t gold and 36.6 g/t silver (1.9 g/t gold equivalent) including:
  • 15.50 m of 2.42 g/t gold and 70.5 g/t silver (3.8 g/t gold equivalent);
  • 7.50 m of 2.25 g/t gold and 47.0 g/t silver (3.2 g/t gold equivalent).

Hole TU-12-164 (Main Ixtaca zone, Section 10+425E):

• 188.70 m of 1.32 g/t gold and 97.8 g/t silver (3.3 g/t gold equivalent) including:
  • 51.75 m of 2.34 g/t gold and 119.6 g/t silver (4.7 g/t gold equivalent);
  • 22.30 m of 2.73 g/t gold and 259.8 g/t silver (7.9 g/t gold equivalent).

Hole TU-12-166 (Northeast Extension zone, Section 50+000N):

• 149.90 m of 0.90 g/t gold and 12.0 g/t silver (1.1 g/t gold equivalent) including:
  • 99.80 m of 1.24 g/t gold and 14.9 g/t silver (1.5 g/t gold equivalent);
  • 59.60 m of 1.59 g/t gold and 18.5 g/t silver (2.0 g/t gold equivalent).

Hole TU-12-168 (Main Ixtaca zone, Section 10+425E):

• 99.80 m of 0.55 g/t gold and 33.1 g/t silver (1.2 g/t gold equivalent).

J.D. Poliquin, chairman of Almaden, commented: "Drilling continues to confirm and extend the Ixtaca mineralization, a strong system of veining with sections that carry high gold and silver grades. The new results reported today from the Main Ixtaca and Northeast Extension zones show that high grades exist in many areas of the Ixtaca vein system. The Northeast Extension zone is now interpreted to run perpendicular to the other zones, and results reported today are very encouraging." The company currently has four drills operating on the Tuligtic project. Almaden plans to continue drilling operations throughout 2012. Attached is a table of significant intervals which will be posted to the company's website.

                From      To   Interval      Au      Ag    AuEq    AgEq
Hole No.          (m)     (m)        (m)   (g/t)   (g/t)   (g/t)   (g/t)

TU-12-159      51.82   76.50      24.68    0.40    16.8     0.7      37
TU-12-159     240.50  299.60      59.10    0.59    53.4     1.7      83
including     240.50  250.00       9.50    1.21   101.2     3.2     162
including     244.00  246.50       2.50    3.10   232.9     7.8     388
including     270.00  299.60      29.60    0.75    69.0     2.1     106
including     271.50  287.55      16.05    0.91    90.3     2.7     136
including     273.00  276.50       3.50    0.81    91.0     2.6     131
including     280.00  283.05       3.05    1.34    88.6     3.1     156
including     286.05  287.55       1.50    2.00   233.0     6.7     333
including     295.60  298.10       2.50    1.70   141.0     4.5     226
TU-12-159     337.60  341.10       3.50    1.01     7.2     1.2      58
including     340.10  341.10       1.00    2.76     9.3     2.9     147
TU-12-162      51.82   71.80      19.98    0.38     1.3     0.4      20
TU-12-162      84.00   94.00      10.00    0.16     6.0     0.3      14
TU-12-162     250.50  319.00      68.50    1.16    36.6     1.9      95
including     263.50  314.50      51.00    1.47    41.6     2.3     115
including     264.50  280.00      15.50    2.42    70.5     3.8     191
including     264.50  268.00       3.50    5.24   125.1     7.7     387
including     293.50  301.00       7.50    2.25    47.0     3.2     159
TU-12-162     333.00  347.60      14.60    0.43    16.1     0.8      38
TU-12-164      64.80  253.50     188.70    1.32    97.8     3.3     164
including     115.00  230.80     115.80    1.83   123.0     4.3     215
including     141.00  192.75      51.75    2.34   119.6     4.7     237
including     183.25  192.75       9.50    3.02   213.6     7.3     365
including     208.50  230.80      22.30    2.73   259.8     7.9     397
including     226.80  230.80       4.00    8.95   398.0    16.9     845
TU-12-166      54.25   69.00      14.75    0.49     2.4     0.5      27
TU-12-166     284.00  433.90     149.90    0.90    12.0     1.1      57
including     302.00  401.80      99.80    1.24    14.9     1.5      77
including     302.00  305.50       3.50    1.34    16.6     1.7      84
including     322.00  381.60      59.60    1.59    18.5     2.0      98
including     334.70  338.20       3.50    2.77    40.0     3.6     178
TU-12-168      68.00   78.25      10.25    0.15    26.1     0.7      34
TU-12-168     103.00  202.80      99.80    0.55    33.1     1.2      61
including     115.50  117.00       1.50    0.60   222.0     5.0     252
including     149.00  151.50       2.50    1.13    71.3     2.6     128
TU-12-168     231.50  289.90      58.40    0.16    15.5     0.5      24
including     239.00  241.00       2.00    0.31    69.3     1.7      85
including     278.00  280.00       2.00    0.86   170.1     4.3     213

About the Ixtaca property

The 100-per-cent-owned Ixtaca zone is a blind discovery made by the company in 2010. The Main Ixtaca and Ixtaca North zones of veining are thought to have a northeasterly trend. Holes to date suggest that the Main Ixtaca and Ixtaca North zones are subvertical with local variations. This interpretation suggests that true widths range from approximately 35 per cent of intersected widths for a minus-70-degree hole to 94 per cent of intersected widths for a minus-20-degree hole. The drilling completed to date has traced mineralization over 1,000 metres along this northeast trend. Based upon observations at surface and of core as drilling progresses, there seems to be a variety of veinlet orientations within the Northeast Extension zone; however, over all, the zone is currently interpreted to be dipping shallowly to the west and striking roughly north-south. Until this interpretation is confirmed, true widths for the Northeast Extension intersections cannot be calculated with confidence at this time.

Norm Dircks, PGeo, a qualified person under the meaning of NI 43-101, is the qualified person and project manager of Almaden's Ixtaca program, and reviewed the technical information in this news release. The analyses reported were carried out at ALS Chemex Laboratories of North Vancouver using industry-standard analytical techniques. For gold, samples are first analyzed by fire assay and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Samples that return values greater than 10 g/t gold using this technique are then reanalyzed by fire assay but with a gravimetric finish. Silver is first analyzed by inductively coupled plasma -- atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). Samples that return values greater than 100 g/t silver by ICP-AES are then reanalyzed by HF-HNO3-HCLO4 digestion with HCL leach and ICP-AES finish. Of these samples, those that return silver values greater than 1,500 g/t are further analyzed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish.

Blanks, field duplicates and certified standards were inserted into the sample stream as part of Almaden's quality assurance and control program which complies with National Instrument 43-101 requirements. Gold equivalent and silver equivalent values were calculated using silver-to-gold ratios of 50 to 1. The ratio of 50 to 1 was used for the sake of consistency with past news releases. Intervals that returned assays below detection were assigned zero values. Metallurgical recoveries and net smelter returns are assumed to be 100 per cent for these calculations.

We seek Safe Harbor.