Desert Sun Outlines New Conglomerate Zone at Jacobina Mine, Bahia Brazil.

TORONTO -- - Deep drilling program initiated to test main ore zone at depth

DESERT SUN MINING CORP. (TSX:DSM)(AMEX:DEZ) reports that it has encountered a new conglomerate reef the Foot Wall Reef (FW reef), approximately 40 meters in the footwall of the ore zone that is currently being mined. The new reef was encountered during main access ramp development at the 555 meter level and the 530 meter level. Work has included development of two cross-cuts to fully expose the reef on the 530 and 555 meter levels, channel sampling and diamond drilling.

An ongoing development program has exposed the FW reef over a continuous strike length of 180 meters and a step-out drilling program is underway. Drill hole JBA-390 intersected 5.2g Au/t over 0.6m true width within a broader zone of low grade mineralization (0.58g Au/t over an 8.3m true width) in the FW reef 200 metres north of the 530 level cross cut, suggesting a potential strike length of over 300 metres. The FW reef is open along strike both to the north and south as well as down-dip.

Significant channel sampling results from the cross-cuts are as follows:

- 4.25g Au/t over a true width of 9.05m in the 530 level cross cut

- 3.38g Au/t over a true width of 8.40m in the 555 level cross cut

"The discovery of the FW reef close to our current production area is a very exciting development for Desert Sun," commented Peter Tagliamonti, P.Eng. Vice President of Operations and COO. "A program is underway to further define the limits of this zone and estimate a resource and reserve. The preliminary grades and widths we are seeing would enable us to use our present equipment and infrastructure to mine this zone."

Geological work by DSM mine staff and a recent review of the new zone by Dr. Paul Karpeta, a well known expert on Precambrian conglomerate-hosted gold deposits, indicates that the FW Reef is probably a north-south oriented gravel channel fill which likely lenses out laterally before it reaches the surface. The reef is typically a very coarse conglomerate with fracturing and widespread hematite alteration. There appears to be two stages of gold mineralization - an earlier pyrite-gold stage which has been overprinted by a later hydrothermal hematite-gold stage related to cross-cutting fractures; the latter appears to be responsible for the elevated grades seen in several areas. Dr. Karpeta commented "This is one of the conglomerate channels that trend along strike and hence do not necessarily crop out on surface. Where they are intersected by cross-cutting mineralizing fracture systems, they can be significantly upgraded. Other such "blind" conglomerate channels can be expected."

Deep Drilling Program Initiated at Jacobina Mine

A deep drilling program has been initiated at the Jacobina Mine (Joao Belo Zone) to test the potential down dip extension of the ore zone to a depth of 600 metres below the main haulage level and along strike to the south. A total of eight holes are planned totaling 6,700 metres. Three surface drills are currently working at the site on this program with the first 4-5 holes expected to be completed by the end of this year.

"We expect that this drill program will be able to significantly expand our inferred mineral resources," Peter Tagliamonte commented. "Experience at the Jacobina Mine indicates that the conversion rate of inferred resources to indicated is generally quite high. Knowing the location and extent of these resources will enable more effective mine exploration and development."

Assaying for the program was carried out at the mine site laboratory which is an independent laboratory operated for the Jacobina mine by SGS Lakefield Geosol, an ISO 9001, 2000 laboratory based in Brazil, using fire assay on 50 gram pulps. Blanks, duplicates and independent standard reference samples are inserted at regular intervals into each batch of analyses. The mine laboratory uses the full SGS QA/QC protocols and participates in regular intra-laboratory checks. Security is maintained at the core logging and sampling facility. Peter Tagliamonte, P.Eng., is the Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 responsible for all mining and engineering work at the Jacobina Mine. Dr. Bill Pearson, P.Geo. is the Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 responsible for the geoscientific and technical work.

Desert Sun Mining is a Canadian gold mining company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the American Stock Exchange with 100% ownership of the Jacobina Mine and the 155 km long Bahia Gold Belt in the state of Bahia, in northeastern Brazil. Proven and Probable mineral reserves in the Jacobina Mine area are 17,620,000 tonnes at 2.11 g Au/t containing 1,200,000 ounces of gold. As a result of the Desert Sun's exploration programs to date, Measured and Indicated resources total 24,800,000 tonnes at 2.53 g Au/t containing 2,050,000 ounces of gold, and Inferred Resources total 22,200,000 tonnes at 2.61 g Au/t containing 1,900,000 ounces of gold. The mineral reserves are included within the Measured and Indicated mineral resources. For additional information, contact Naomi Nemeth, Vice President, Investor Relations at 416-861-5901 ([e-mail]) or visit Desert Sun's website at www.desertsunmining.com.

Statements in this release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual developments or results may vary materially from those in these "forward-looking statements". This news release also uses the terms "measured resources", 'indicated resources' and 'inferred resources'. Desert Sun Mining Corp. 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.

Desert Sun Mining Corp. (TSX:DSM) (AMEX:DEZ)