VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA (February 27, 2012) – New Pacific Metals Corp. (TSX: NUX) (the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it’s solely owned subsidiary Tagish Lake Gold Corp.  has received a five year exploration permit for its Tagish Lake Gold Project (the “Project”) valid from February 23, 2012 to February 22, 2017 known as a “Mining Land Use Approval,” under the Quartz Mining Act, Yukon, Canada. The approval is subject to adhering to Mining Land Use Operational Guidelines, Quartz Mining Act Operating Conditions, as well as the determination and account of security for reclamation.

The exploration permits allows the following activities:

• up to 60,000 metres of surface and underground drilling;

• up to 9,600m3 of sampling and trenching;

• up to the 200,000 tonnes of rock excavation during the period, of which 100,000 tonnes may be mined in any single year;

• construction of 10 kilometres of new single lane surface roads and an additional nine kilometres of drill trails; and

• up to a 50 person camp operating year round.

The Project is currently on winter shutdown; however the Company has plans to activate the Project site this spring.  For 2012, the Company plans surface drilling to “step-out” and “step-down” the known resource zones in the inferred and indicated categories to get a better understanding of the overall resource.

About New Pacific Metals Corp.
New Pacific Metals Corp. is a Canadian near-term gold and silver production mining company engaged in the exploration and development of gold and silver poly-metallic properties in the Yukon, Canada. The Company’s current project is the Tagish Lake Gold Property in Yukon Territory.  With experienced management and sufficient technical and financial resources, the Company is well positioned to build shareholder value through discovery, exploration and resource development.

For more information about New Pacific, visit New Pacific’s website at www.newpacificmetals.com or contract New Pacific Metals Corp., Jason Nickel, Vice President Engineering, Phone: (604) 669-9397, Fax: (604) 669-9387, or  New Pacific Investor Relations at 604-633-1368 or send inquires to info@newpacificmetals.com Website: www.newpacificmetals.com

CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMER — FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain of the statements and information in this press release constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian provincial securities laws. Any statements or information that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as “expects”, “is expected”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “plans”, “projects”, “estimates”, “assumes”, “intends”, “strategies”, “targets”, “goals”, “forecasts”, “objectives”, “budgets”, “schedules”, “potential” or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements or information.  Forward-looking statements or information relate to, among other things: the price of silver and other metals; the accuracy of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates at the Company’s material properties; the sufficiency of the Company’s capital to finance the Company’s operations; estimates of the Company’s revenues and capital expenditures; timing of receipt of permits and regulatory approvals; availability of funds from production to finance the Company’s operations; and access to and availability of funding for future construction, use of proceeds from any financing and development of the Company’s properties.

Forward-looking statements or information are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information, including, without limitation, risks relating to: fluctuating commodity prices; calculation of resources, reserves and mineralization and precious and base metal recovery; interpretations and assumptions of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates; exploration and development programs; feasibility and engineering reports; permits and licences; title to properties; First Nations title claims and rights; property interests;  joint venture partners; acquisition of commercially mineable mineral rights; financing; recent market events and conditions; economic factors affecting the Company; timing, estimated amount, capital and operating expenditures and economic returns of future production; integration of future acquisitions into the Company’s existing operations;  competition;  operations and political conditions; regulatory environment in Canada;  environmental risks; insurance; risks and hazards of mining operations; key personnel; conflicts of interest; dependence on management.

This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company’s forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information are statements about the future and are inherently uncertain, and actual achievements of the Company or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, without limitation, those referred to in the Company’s Annual Information Form for the year ended June 30, 2011 under the heading “Risk Factors”.  Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described or intended.  Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.  

The Company’s forward-looking statements and information are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this press release, and other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements and information if circumstances or management’s assumptions, beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, or changes in any other events affecting such statements or information. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information.