VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 10/17/06 -- ROMARCO
MINERALS INC. (TSXV: R) announces that the 2006 drilling programs at its Buckskin-National and Roberts Mountains (Cortez) Gold Projects in Nevada have been completed and assays are pending. All assays are being completed by ALS Chemex.

Buckskin-National Gold Project

Romarco drilled all but one of its targets for the 2006 drill program. Romarco completed 3275 feet of core drilling on the project as follows:

1. Bell Vein - in 2005, Romarco intersected the past-producing Bell Vein (approx. 35,000 ounces of gold at 1.0 opt) 700 feet below the old workings (1100 feet from surface). Romarco intersected the Bell Vein again this year.

2. Lawry Vein - Romarco identified this new vein during the 2005 season which contained 5 feet of 16 opt silver.

3. Bobcat Vein - A blind vein system (not previously known) discovered in the 2005 season containing 55 feet of 0.04 opt gold and 0.06 opt silver.

Romarco was unable to drill test a bulk tonnage target - a 100 foot wide breccia zone on the western side of the mountain which was identified in the 2004 geological mapping program - due to mechanical downtime with the drill rig before having to return the rig to another company by a preset deadline.

Romarco is still waiting to receive assay results from this drill program.

Romarco contracted Connors Drilling LLC to perform the drilling, and the program was supervised by Dr. Tommy Thompson, Romarco's V.P. Exploration and Qualified Person for Buckskin-National.

Buckskin-National is a volcanic-hosted gold-silver exploration project situated within the National Mining District, Humboldt County, Nevada. Romarco controls a 100% operating interest in the 103 unpatented lode mining claims that comprise the project area, subject to the terms of agreements with three private parties.

Roberts-Mountains Gold Project

Romarco completed a total of 7,235 feet of reverse circulation drilling in ten holes at its 100% owned Roberts Mountains Gold Project, located in the Cortez Trend of Nevada. The project is approximately six miles southeast of the Tonkin Springs Mine (U.S.
Gold) and is immediately adjacent to the Gold Stone deposit, one of five deposits from which Atlas Precious Metals produced gold.

The target for the 2006 drill program is the contact zones (identified in the 2005 mapping program) which are known to host significant ore deposits in the trend. All ten holes will be drilled into these contact zones. The contact zones are:

1. The Devonian Devils Gate Limestone overlying the Devonian Denay
Formation - which is the historic ore host in the district and is the
equivalent unit to the ore-hosting zone at Placer Domes' Cortez
Complex; and

2. The Devils Gate contact with the Mississippian Webb Formation which is the primary zone where gold is mined at the Rain (Newmont Mining) and Emigrant (Newmont Mining) Mines.

The 2005 soil sampling program demonstrated strong gold values along
the contacts. (See map on Romarco's website: www.romarco.com).

Romarco contracted Lang Exploratory Drilling (a division of Boart Longyear Company) to perform the drilling, and the program was supervised by Dr. Tommy Thompson, Romarco's V.P. Exploration who also is a Qualified Person pursuant to NI 43-101.

Romarco is an advanced stage exploration company engaged in the
acquisition and exploration of precious metals mineral properties.
Romarco's strategic objective is to focus on geologically known areas of gold mineralization that exhibit excellent potential for discovery. Romarco's management and Board of Directors are comprised of senior mining executives who have extensive experience identifying, developing, financing and operating precious metals deposits in the Americas. It is Romarco's goal to become a producer through development of its own projects as well as through the
acquisition of advanced stage projects. The Company currently has
five exploration projects in Nevada, one in Mexico and one in Peru.

ON BEHALF OF ROMARCO MINERALS INC.

Diane R. Garrett, President and C.E.O.

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release,
which has been prepared by management.

Contacts:
Romarco Minerals Inc.
Diane Garrett
President and C.E.O.
(830) 634-7489
Email: dgarrett@romarco.com