VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, Dec 05, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — Southern Silver Exploration Corp. (“Southern Silver”) (frankfurt:SEG) announces that it has closed the first tranche of its previously reported non-brokered private placement by issuing 6,417,000 units at a price of $0.15 per unit for gross proceeds of $962,550. Each unit consists of one common share and one share purchase warrant exercisable to purchase one additional common share for a period of two years at an exercise price of $0.20 per share.

Securities issued pursuant to this tranche of the private placement, including common shares, share purchase warrants and finder’s warrants issued as finder’s fees, carry a legend restricting trading of the securities until April 6, 2012. The private placement and finder’s fees are subject to regulatory approval.

Net proceeds from the offering will be utilized to fund an expanded and accelerated exploration program on Southern Silver’s flagship project, Cerro Las Minitas. The Cerro Las Minitas property comprises 17 concessions which total 10,980 hectares and an approximate 25 kilometre lineal strike length. The property is located about 70 kilometres to the northeast of the city of Durango, Durango State, Mexico and has an excellent infrastructure.

Twenty-seven drill holes totalling 7400 metres of an anticipated and fully funded 18,000 metre drill program have been completed on the project to date. Seventeen holes have now been completed on the Blind zone and assays for seven of these drill holes are still pending.

Future drilling will target specific occurrences located within the area of historic mining and several targets derived from the recently completed surface IP geophysical program.

About Southern Silver Exploration Corp.

Southern Silver Exploration Corp. is a precious/base metal exploration company and a member of the Manex Resource Group; a private company comprised of an exceptional multi-disciplinary team of professionals with specific expertise in all areas of exploration, development, corporate finance and public company administration.

Southern Silver’s growth strategy is to acquire, explore and develop high-quality properties in progressive jurisdictions within North America. Its current projects include the silver-lead-zinc Cerro Las Mintas project and the copper-gold-silver Minas de Ameca in Mexico, the porphyry copper-molybdenum Dragoon project in Arizona and the gold-silver Oro project in New Mexico.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Lawrence Page, Q.C., President, Southern Silver Exploration Corp.