VANCOUVER, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Great Basin Gold Ltd. ("Great Basin Gold" or the "Company"), (TSX: GBG; NYSE Amex: GBG; JSE: GBG) announces another step forward in the permitting process for the Company's Hollister Project in northeastern Nevada. The Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") issued a final approval Decision Notice for a Plan of Operation Amendment to construct a second Alimak raise to surface at the western end of the Project's underground workings. The first Alimak raise on the eastern section of the mine was completed in 2008. The Alimak method of a raise construction was selected because of the minimal surface disturbance required. This was an important consideration due to the cultural sensitivity of the surface lands in the vicinity of the Hollister Project. This raise will be excavated from the underground workings up to the surface. The surface footprint is minimized to the size of a small exploration drill site. The Alimak raise climber itself is powered by compressed air and all of the powering components are housed underground to prevent additional surface disturbances. The Western Shoshone Native American Tribes were consulted during the permitting process by the BLM and the conditions of approval include the constraining of surface activities to the small temporary disturbance area created during the successful geotechnical drill hole completion. The approval incorporated the utilization of "playpen" fencing for the Alimak raise construction site, an environmentally friendly concept introduced in 2008 by the Company for its surface exploration drilling sites at Hollister, up to the completion of the construction. Construction of the surface collar of the Alimak raise will begin immediately to take advantage of fall weather conditions. The Alimak raise is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2010. President and CEO Ferdi Dippenaar commented: "The health and safety of our employees is our first and foremost priority. The Alimak raise provides an alternative point of egress from our underground workings thereby assuring the safety and continued well being of our employees. This raise would also increase ventilation in the western section of the mine allowing for further exploration of the newly discovered Gloria vein system as well as expanded trial mining activities." No regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained in this news release. Cautionary and Forward Looking Statement Information This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address possible future commercial production, reserve potential, exploration drilling results, development, feasibility or exploitation activities and events or developments that Great Basin expects to occur are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and those actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on the Company, Investors should review the Company's annual Form 40-F filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and its home jurisdiction filings that are available at http://www.sedar.com/. DATASOURCE: Great Basin Gold Ltd. CONTACT: on Great Basin Gold and its gold properties, please visit the Company's website at http://www.grtbasin.com/ or contact Investor Services: Tsholo Serunye in South Africa, 27 (0) 11 301 1800; Michael Curlook in North America, 1-888-633 9332; Barbara Cano at Breakstone Group in the USA, (646) 452 2334

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