America West Resources Secures Rights to 50 Million Tons of Metallurgical Grade Coal Reserves in Utah

Signs Coal Mining Lease and Option to Purchase Columbia Coal Property 


SALT LAKE CITY, July 8  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- America West Resources, Inc. (OTC:AWSR) (BULLETIN BOARD: AWSR) , a domestic coal producer with mining operations in Central Utah, today announced that the Company has entered a Coal Mining Lease and Option to Purchase Agreement with C&P Coal Resources, LLC for an undeveloped leasehold known as the "Columbia" property covering approximately 5,200 acres in Carbon County, Utah - near where America West is currently mining thermal coal from its Horizon Mine.

Based on geological studies, tonnage analysis reports and core hole drillings, the Columbia property is estimated to have approximately 50 million tons of raw, recoverable, metallurgical grade coal reserves in place. Metallurgical (or coking) coal is primarily used in steelmaking and is currently commanding contract prices in excess of $300 per ton, due largely to strong industrial growth in the world markets.

"Securing this sizable, high grade resource base materially strengthens our existing coal reserves and provides America West with a very promising growth platform that we intend to fully optimize.  Moreover, it helps to distinguish our Company as a serious, emerging player in what we see are expanding coal markets," stated Alexander Walker III, President and CEO of America West Resources.

Assuming the Company proves successful in securing necessary financing for the project, its three year mine development plan provides for underground mining operations to commence on Columbia as early as 2011.

About America West Resources, Inc.

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, America West Resources, Inc. is an established domestic coal producer focused on the mining of clean and compliant (low-sulfur) coal and its sale primarily to U.S. utility companies for use in generating electricity.  Since 2003, the Company has extracted over 1.4 million tons of coal from its owned and operated Horizon Coal Mine based in Central Utah.  For more information, please visit http://www.americacoal.com/ .

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.  Please refer to the Company's Form 10-KSB and other filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") for additional information regarding risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed from time to time in such SEC reports.  Copies of these filings are available through the SEC's electronic data gathering analysis and retrieval system (EDGAR) at http://www.sec.gov/ .

  FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
  ELITE FINANCIAL COMMUNICATIONS GROUP
  Dodi B. Handy, President & CEO
  For Media Inquiries: Tiffany Korkis, Director of Elite Media Group
  407-585-1080 or via email at 

DATASOURCE: America West Resources, Inc.



CONTACT: Dodi B. Handy, President & CEO of ELITE FINANCIAL COMMUNICATIONS

GROUP, or for Media: Tiffany Korkis, Director of Elite Media Group,

[phone], or  



Web site:  http://www.americacoal.com/ 

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