Sirius Minerals Regulatory News (SXX)

18 January 2012

Sirius Minerals Plc

("Sirius" or the "Company")

Directorate Changes

·    Lord Hutton of Furness appointed as Non-Executive Director; and

·    Richard Poulden steps down as Non-Executive Director

The Directors of Sirius Minerals Plc (AIM: SXX, OTCQX: SRUXY), the globally diversified potash development group, announce the appointment of Lord Hutton of Furness as a Non-Executive Director of the Company and that Richard Poulden will be stepping down as Non-Executive Director.  Both changes to the Board will take place with immediate effect.

Richard Poulden has decided to step down from the Board of Sirius having served as Chairman of the Board since the Company was established in 2004 until 2010 and since then as Deputy Chairman and, more recently, Non-Executive Director. During Richard's tenure on the Board of Sirius, the Company has established a portfolio of projects in North America, Australia and the United Kingdom.

John Matthew Patrick Hutton, Baron Hutton of Furness, 56, was a distinguished member of the Government for thirteen years from 1997 to 2010, including eleven years as a Minister and four years serving on the Cabinet.  He was subsequently appointed Chairman of the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission established by the current Government in June 2010.

Lord Hutton was a legal adviser to the Confederation of Business Industry in the late 1970s before becoming a researcher and senior law lecturer at Newcastle Polytechnic. In 1992 he was elected to the Barrow and Furness seat in Cumbria where he remained as MP until he stood down at the 2010 general election.

During Lord Hutton's varied career in Government, he served first as a Permanent Parliamentary Secretary in the Department of Trade and Industry before becoming Leader of the House of Commons and then moving to the Department of Health in 1998 where he became Minister of State for Health in 1999, a position he held until 2005.

In 2005 Lord Hutton was briefly appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister of the Cabinet Office before being made Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.  In 2007 Lord Hutton was appointed Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.  In 2008 he became Secretary of State for Defence until he stepped down from the Cabinet in 2009.  Following the general election in 2010 he was created a life peer as Baron Hutton of Furness and now sits in the House of Lords.

In June 2010 the current Conservative Government appointed Lord Hutton as Chairman of the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission, which delivered its final report in March 2011.

Russell Scrimshaw, Chairman of Sirius, said:

"I wish to thank Richard Poulden for serving on this company's Board with such distinction for the last eight years.  Richard was one of the founders of Sirius and contributed greatly to its development and evolution into the company it is today.

"I am very pleased that Lord Hutton has accepted our invitation to serve as a Non-Executive Director of Sirius.  His experience will be of great benefit to the Company as we move forward with the development of Sirius, and especially our flagship York Potash Project, and undertake one of the largest mining investments in this country.  I look forward to working with him over the coming years."

Lord Hutton said: 

"I am delighted to be involved in such an exciting company and particularly one that can lead much needed growth in this country.  Opportunities to work with companies like Sirius and management teams of this calibre really don't come along too often.  I'm incredibly enthusiastic about bringing my experience to bear and look forward to adopting my role as a Non-Executive Director on the board. "

Past directorship:

Aldbourne Consulting Ltd

There is no further information on Lord Hutton required to be disclosed under Schedule Two, paragraph (g) (i)-(viii) of the AIM Rules for Companies.

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About Sirius Minerals Plc

Sirius Minerals is a globally diversified potash development company. Its primary focus is to bring on stream major potash mining facilities through the acquisition and development of projects overlying recognised potash deposits.  Today it holds properties in the United Kingdom (North Yorkshire), the United States (North Dakota), and Australia (Queensland and Western Australia).

The Company is additionally progressing ongoing innovation initiatives into the secondary uses of salt and potash beds for energy storage and carbon dioxide sequestration.

Incorporated in 2003, Sirius Minerals' shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market.  Its shares are also traded in the United States on the OTCQX through the use of a sponsored ADR facility.  Further information on the Company can be found at www.siriusminerals.com.