VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - April 8, 2010) - Timmins Gold Corp. ("Timmins Gold") (TSX VENTURE:TMM) is pleased to announce that commercial gold production commenced as of the start of April, 2010 at its wholly owned San Francisco open pit gold mine located in northern Sonora, Mexico. Mining rates and process plant throughput have steadily built up during the commissioning phase and are now exceeding budget and plan by almost 10%. Management is confident that the operation will achieve the previously announced annual gold production rate for 2010 of 80,000 ounces of gold. The life of mine cash cost is projected at approximately $412 per ounce.

This is another significant milestone for Timmins Gold and management congratulates all operations staff in achieving this important goal.

About Timmins Gold

Focused solely in Mexico, Timmins Gold is now in commercial gold production at its wholly owned San Francisco gold mine in Sonora, Mexico. The mine is a past-producing open pit heap leach operation from which Timmins Gold has projected production at a rate in excess of 80,000 ounces of gold per year at a life of mine cash cost of approximately $412 per ounce (Micon International Preliminary Feasibility Study, March 2008).