(Toronto, Ontario/Marseilles, France) January 23, 2012 – Foraco International SA (TSX: FAR) (the “Company” or “Foraco”), a leading global provider of diversified drilling services, announced today it has engaged Fleishman-Hillard, one of the world’s leading strategic communications firms, to partner in the development of a communication strategy to communicate relevant company news to key stakeholders.

“Foraco is a company that operates on the founding principles of integrity, innovation, and involvement,” says Daniel Simoncini, Chairman and CEO of Foraco. “We have a long history of high performance, our employees do outstanding work and are an incredibly talented, yet our achievements have not yet been widely shared. This year marks our 50th anniversary; this is the perfect time to share our achievements and celebrate Foraco’s contributions to the drilling industry.” Foraco was founded in the early 1960’s and has grown both organically and through acquisition by proving itself as an industry leader in drilling for the mining sector.

“We made the decision to engage Fleishman-Hillard not merely to highlight Foraco’s work but to raise awareness of the drilling industry and the intricacies of this business,” says Jean-Pierre Charmensat, Vice-CEO and CFO of Foraco. “The business of drilling is absolutely crucial to a successful mining project, and it’s rewarding work for our employees because they really have the opportunity to demonstrate their highly diverse and sophisticated skill sets.” Fleishman-Hillard’s mandate will cover Foraco’s key regions and will focus on internal and external communications. The company will be appearing at this year’s Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention March 4th to 7th, 2012 where Mr. Simoncini, Mr. Charmensat, and their team will be sharing company news in more depth. “From pioneering new technology, to providing fresh water for communities in need, to investing in a strong and stable workforce, Foraco is more than just a drilling company,” says Bill Walker, General Manager of Fleishman-Hillard Toronto. “We are excited to help share the rich history, current projects, as well as communicate Foraco’s plans for the road ahead, and reshape what a drilling company means in the eyes of its stakeholders.”

About Foraco

Foraco International SA (TSX: FAR) is a global leading drilling services company that provides turnkey solutions for mining, energy, water and infrastructure projects. Supported by its founding values of integrity, innovation and involvement, Foraco has grown into the third largest global drilling enterprise with operations in 22 countries across five continents. For more information about Foraco, visit www.foraco.com.

About Fleishman-Hillard Fleishman-Hillard Inc., one of the world’s leading strategic communications firms, has built its reputation on creating integrated solutions that deliver what its clients value most: meaningful, positive and measurable impact on the performance of their organizations. The firm is widely recognized for excellent client service and a strong company culture founded on teamwork, integrity and personal commitment. Based in St. Louis, the firm operates throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Latin America through its 80 owned offices. For more information, visit the Fleishman-Hillard website at www.fleishmanhillard.com.

Fleishman-Hillard is a part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com). Omnicom is a leading global advertising, marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom’s branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, interactive, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to more than 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.

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For further information, please contact: Sonia Tercas, Manager, Investor Relations Andrew Addison, Fleishman-Hillard Email: tercas@foraco.com Email: andrew.addison@fleishman.ca Tel: (647) 351-5483 Tel: (416) 645-3648

Caution concerning forward-looking statements This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements and information include estimates, forecasts, information and statements as to management's expectations with respect to, among other things, the future financial or operating performance of the Company and capital and operating expenditures. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "will", "should", "plans", "expects", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "budget", and "scheduled" or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements and information are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements and information are not guarantees and there can be no assurance that such statements and information will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form dated March 31, 2010, which is filed with Canadian regulators on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements and information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All written and oral forward-looking statements and information attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements.