Americas Gold and Silver Corporation T.USA

Scorpio Gold/BacTech

[romet]

BacTech Receives TSX Venture Conditional Approval for Merger With Scorpio Gold Corporation TORONTO, ONTARIO, Feb 8, 2008 (Marketwire via COMTEX) -- (CCN Mathews) BacTech Mining Corporation ("BacTech" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:BM) is pleased to announce that it has received the conditional approval of the TSX Venture Exchange for the merger (the "Merger") of the Company with Scorpio Gold Corporation ("Scorpio Gold"), a 93%-owned subsidiary of Scorpio Mining Corporation ("Scorpio Mining") (TSX:SPM). The combined company will hold interests in 2 past-producing gold mines in Nova Scotia, a polymetallic exploration project in the Gaspe, Quebec, as well as access to numerous projects under evaluation by BacTech. Approval for the Merger, in addition to approval for BacTech's name change and the change in size and composition of BacTech's board of directors in connection with the Merger, as set forth in the Company's management information circular dated November 12, 2007, was approved by shareholders on December 28, 2007 (see previous press release dated December 28, 2007). As consideration for the Merger, BacTech will issue 2.6 common shares for each common share of Scorpio Gold outstanding and will exchange any outstanding Scorpio Gold warrants for BacTech warrants based on the same 2.6:1 exchange ratio. The Merger constitutes a change of control of BacTech as Scorpio Mining will, on the closing of the Merger (and taking into account the completion of the private placement as described below), hold approximately 44% of the issued and outstanding common shares of BacTech. Closing of the Merger is anticipated to be on or prior to February 28, 2008 and remains subject to the completion of a brokered private placement financing by Scorpio Gold of up to 10,000,000 subscription receipts (the "Subscription Receipts") for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $4,000,0000, which will be placed into escrow pending the completion of the Merger. Immediately prior to the closing of the Merger, each Subscription Receipt will be automatically exercised into one unit (a "Unit") of Scorpio Gold, with each Unit being comprised of one common share of Scorpio Gold and one-half of one common share purchase warrant of Scorpio Gold. On closing of the Merger, the Scorpio Gold common shares and common share purchase warrants will be exchanged for BacTech common shares and BacTech warrants based on the 2.6:1 exchange ratio and the escrowed proceeds will be released to BacTech. The Company also wishes to announce that it has repaid, in full, a $250,000 bridge loan arranged in October 2007 with Gould Leasing Ltd. The Company satisfied the obligation through the sale of a portion of the shares it holds in Sino Gold Mining Ltd. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING REVERSE TAKEOVER TRANSACTION Completion of the transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including final TSX Venture Exchange acceptance. The transaction cannot close until the required acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange is obtained. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the Management Information Circular, any information released or received with respect to this transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of BacTech should be considered highly speculative. The TSX Venture Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. BACTECH PROFILE BacTech has developed and patented bacterial oxidation technology for the treatment of refractory ores and concentrates to enhance the recovery of gold, silver and base metals. BacTech has successfully commissioned three bioleach plants for gold and demonstrated its technology in the selective recovery of base metals from complex sulphide concentrates in a joint project with Industrias Penoles de C.V. of Mexico that was completed in 2001. The Company's focus is the acquisition of equity positions in projects amenable to bioleaching. Shares outstanding 57,607,206 SOURCE: BacTech Mining Corporation BacTech Mining Corporation Ross Orr President & CEO [phone] ext 222 Email: [e-mail] Website: www.bactech.com Investor Relations: Pierre Anglos 1-800-436-2027 Email: [e-mail] Copyright (C) 2008 Marketwire. All rights reserved