Minco PLC Regulatory News (MIO)

MINCO REPORTS NEW MINERAL INTERSECTIONS FROM NORTH PENNINES LEAD-ZINC EXPLORATION PROJECT

London, 02 December, 2013 Minco Plc (AIM - "MIO") (the "Company" or "Minco") reports completion of twelve drill holes on its North Pennines zinc-lead exploration project in northern England.

Results from three most recent drill holes CA009, CA010 and CA011 have extended the disseminated zinc-lead mineralization within the Great Limestone horizon, the primary historic mining level, previously reported in holes CA006 and CA008.

TABLE 1: SUMMARY OF ASSAY RESULTS (BY HOLE)

Holes CA006, CA008, CA009, CA010 and CA011 have now outlined disseminated zinc-lead mineralization approximately 60 metres (m) in width striking parallel to a north east striking fault. Mineralisation has been traced in drilling over a strike length of 150m and remains open to the southwest and northeast. Previous mining in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries demonstrated continuous mineralization along this structure over 2.4 kilometres (km), extending 500m to the southwest and 1.7km to the northeast of current drilling. It would appear that most of this mineralization was not mined out by previous operators. This northeast structure is one of five, similarly mineralized structures outlined by past mining and totaling 10.5km in length. None have been explored by drilling, either from surface or underground.

Hole CA003, previously reported, intersected 7.1m averaging 2.60% zinc (Zn), 0.55% lead (Pb) and 4.9 g/t silver (Ag) at a depth of 142.9m in the Great Limestone, approximately 100m to the north of one of these structures.

In addition, drilling to depth below the historic mining horizon has demonstrated low grade mineralization at the Tyne Bottom and Jew horizons, respectively 160m and 265m below the Great limestone. Best intersection was in CA003 which intersected 2.35m averaging 4.32% Zn and 13.43 g/t Ag in the Jew Limestone at a depth of 429.7m.

The North Pennines Orefield, located in the northern English counties of Cumbria, Northumberland and Durham, covers an area of approximately 350 square miles and had a significant past production of lead, zinc, barite and fluorite in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It is the second largest occurrence of zinc-lead mineralization in the British Isles, after the Irish Midlands, and was one of the primary production areas for lead mineralization in Europe during the nineteenth century.

The area has a long history of metal production from many vein like structures, with an estimated production of, 2.85 million tons of lead concentrate and 248,000 tons of zinc concentrate (Dunham 1948).

Minco's ongoing exploration drilling, centered around the town of Nenthead, adjacent to the county boundaries of Cumbria, Northumberland and Durham, has identified disseminated zinc and lead mineralisation at multiple elevations in ten of the twelve holes drilled to date, with seven of the holes delineating zinc within the prolific Great Limestone formation.

The total of 4029 metres drilled to date is the first diamond drilling ever undertaken in the Nenthead area which was extensively mined in the past, especially in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Hole CA009, a 55 degree inclined hole, intersected 3.42m (estimated true width 2.7m) wide section of disseminated zinc-lead mineralization averaging 8.33% combined Zn+Pb and 11.7g/t Ag, within the Great Limestone formation, including: 1.87m (estimated true width 1.5m) averaging 14.54% combined Zn+Pb, and 20.1g/t Ag.

TABLE 2: RESULTS FOR CA009

Hole CA010 intersected a 3.60m wide section of disseminated zinc-lead mineralization averaging 9.21% combined Zn+Pb and 14.7g/t Ag within the Great Limestone formation.

TABLE 3: RESULTS FOR CA010

Hole CA011 intersected a 13.5m wide section of disseminated zinc-lead mineralization averaging 6.78% combined Zn+Pb and 11.5 g/t Ag within the Great Limestone, including 9.85m averaging 8.92% combined Zn+Pb and 15.4 g/t Ag.

TABLE 4: RESULTS FOR CA011

A 3.85m old mine working was intersected in Hole CA011 below 146.9m indicating a pre-mining width of 17.35m.

Hole CA012, sited to test the Rampgill Vein close to the south western edge of mineralization as defined by historic mining, proved unmineralised in The Great Limestone. However, minor zinc mineralization was intersected adjacent to historic workings in the deeper Four Fathom Limestone formation.

The picture is beginning to develop of a horizontal replacement zone extending laterally from the previously worked out lead stopes, in a strataform manner, over several tens of metres. The average thickness to date is 5.7m with an average zinc plus lead grade of 8.80%.

The seven intersections of disseminated mineralisation within the Great Limestone are comparable in width and grade to those associated with the major Irish zinc/lead deposits. It appears that historically only part of the mineralization within the Great Limestone was mined and initial indications are that the remaining mineralisation could form a resource of potential economic interest.

Holes CA008 and CA011, both of which returned wide intersections, are closest to the controlling structure. These indicate potential for a partially mined lens extending up to 40m to the north of the controlling structure with a thickness of approximately 10m and average grade of approximately 8.5 percent combined zinc plus lead. Thinner stratiform mineralisation, intersected in CA006, CA010 and CA009, extends an additional 10 to 20m beyond this.

Historic mining demonstrated that the Great Limestone was continuously mineralised over a strike length of 2.4km to the north, and in places also to the south, of the north east striking Scaleburn vein, of which only about 150m strike length has been explored by Minco to date. Previous mining has demonstrated four additional north east tending structures, all similarly mineralised, and suggesting significant potential for the area as a whole.

Minco is very encouraged by the results of the first twelve holes in this large area which has a rich mining history. The results to date confirm the potential of the Northern Pennine Orefield for the discovery of new mineralization both extending laterally around and at depth below historic workings. Results to date indicate that the Nenthead area, the most prolific producing area within the Pennines ore field, may have the potential to host a new economic zinc-lead deposit.

Some 5000 meters of drilling is planned to be carried out during the winter 2013 and into the first half of 2014. The objective will be to confirm that the disseminated zinc "halo" observed to date is widespread on the major fault systems in the area, to gain a better understanding of the lateral extent or spread of this mineralization and to identify zones that warrant more detailed drilling to establish estimates of potential resources.

QUALIFIED PERSON

Terence N McKillen, B.A. (MOD), M.A., M.Sc., P.Geo, Director, is Minco's Competent Person for the purposes of the AIM Guidance Note on Mining, Oil and Gas Companies dated March 2006. Mr. McKillen is a graduate in Natural Sciences (Geology) from Trinity College Dublin and holds a Master of Science degree in Mineral Exploration and Mining Geology from the University of Leicester. He has over 40 years of exploration experience in Ireland and internationally.

Samples of split core were sent to OMAC Laboratories, an ALS Group company, in Co. Galway, Ireland for analysis of lead and zinc content. Samples were crushed to 70%-2mm, split using a riffle splitter and 500g pulverized to 85%-75um for analysis, using an oxidizing digestion and an ICP-AES instrument. QA/QC for all elements, using duplicates, blanks and standards, was within acceptable ranges.

ABOUT MINCO

Minco Plc, registered in the Republic of Ireland and listed on the AIM Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange ("MIO"), is an exploration and development company, currently engaged in zinc-lead exploration in the United Kingdom, Canada and Ireland and in evaluating a manganese project in New Brunswick, Canada and with investments in zinc‐silver projects in Mexico through holding 30 million shares (approximately 29%) in Xtierra Inc. listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX.V-"XAG").

Minco also holds a 2% NSR royalty on the Curraghinalt gold property in Northern Ireland which is being explored by Dalradian Resources Inc. (TSX-"DNA").

For further information of Minco refer to Minco's website at www.minco.ie.

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