News

Grant of Stock Options to Directors and Employees

January 21, 2015

Back

21 January 2015

Aureus Mining Inc.

TSX : AUE

AIM : AUE

NEWS RELEASE

Grant of Stock Options to Directors and Employees

The Board of Aureus Mining Inc. (“Aureus” or the “Company”) announces that, pursuant to its Stock Option Plan, it has granted incentive stock options to certain directors and employees of the Company as part of its annual incentive stock options programme. The stock options were granted on 20 January 2015 over a total of 5,631,875 common shares, representing approximately 1.81% of the issued share capital of the Company at an exercise price of C$0.35 per share, being equal to the closing price of the common shares on 19 January 2015 on the TSX. 575,000 of the stock options are exercisable immediately and the remainder vest over the next two years upon completion of certain service and performance vesting conditions. The stock options issued are capable of being exercised up to 19 January 2020.

The allocation of stock options to directors was as follows:

Director Position New Options Issued Total Options Held Current Shareholding in Aureus Percentage of Current Issued Share Capital
David Reading President & CEO 675,000 3,462,500 378,334 0.12
David Netherway Chairman 450,000 2,405,123 213,595 0.07
Adrian Reynolds Director 200,000 700,000
Jean-Guy Martin Director 200,000 700,000 15,000
Karin Ireton Director 150,000 350,000
Loudon Owen Director 150,000 350,000

These options were issued for nil consideration.

Contact Information

Aureus Mining Inc.

David Reading / Paul Thomson

Tel: +44(0) 20 7010 7690

Buchanan

Bobby Morse / Gordon Poole

Tel: +44(0) 20 7466 5000

Numis Securities Limited (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker)

John Prior / James Black / Paul Gillam

Tel: +44(0) 20 7260 1000

GMP Securities Europe LLP (Joint Broker)

Richard Greenfield / Alexandra Carse

Tel: +44(0) 20 7647 2800

About Aureus Mining Inc

The Company’s assets include the New Liberty gold deposit in Liberia (the “New Liberty Gold Project,” “New Liberty” or the “Project”), which has an estimated proven and probable mineral reserve of 8.5 Mt with 924,000 ounces of gold grading 3.4 g/t and an estimated measured and indicated mineral resource of 9,796 Kt with 1,143,000 ounces of gold grading 3.63 g/t and an estimated inferred mineral resource of 5,730 Kt with 593,000 ounces of gold grading 3.2 g/t. A Definitive Feasibility Study (“DFS”) has been completed on the Project and construction is well progressed. The Project is expected to have an 8 year mine life and annual production of 119,000 ounces for the first 6 years of production. The Company has financed the Project’s equity and debt funding requirement. The foregoing mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates and additional information in connection therewith are set out in the Company’s technical report dated July 3, 2013 and entitled “New Liberty Gold Project, Liberia, West Africa, Updated Technical Report.”

The New Liberty Gold Project is located within the Southern Block of the 100% owned Bea Mountain mining licence. This licence covers 457 km² and has a 25 year, renewable, mineral development agreement. The Northern Block of the Bea Mountain mining license also hosts additional gold projects of Ndablama, Gondoja and Weaju, which are the focus of exploration programs during 2014-2015. Ndablama has an indicated and inferred mineral resource of 901,000 ounces of gold grading 1.6 g/t and Weaju has an inferred mineral resource of 178,000 ounces of gold grading 2.1 g/t. The Archaen Gold exploration licence, which covers 89 km², is also a focus of exploration for 2014-2015, with Leopard Rock being the main target. The Yambesei (759 km2), Archaen West (112.6 km2), Mabong (36.6 km2) and Mafa West (15.6 km2) licences will also be subject to preliminary reconnaissance geological work. The foregoing mineral resource estimates and additional information in connection therewith are set out in the Company’s technical report dated December 1, 2014 and entitled “Ndablama and Weaju Gold Projects, Bea Mountain Mining Licence, Northern Block, Technical Report on Mineral Resources” (“Ndablama and Weaju Technical Report 2014”).

The Company also has a gold exploration permit in Cameroon.

Qualified Persons

The estimates of mineral Resources for the DFS and the Ndablama and Weaju Technical Report 2014 were calculated in accordance with the National Instrument 43-101 “Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Project” (“NI 43-101”) and carried out by Chris Arnold BSc (Hons), MSc, MAusIMM (CP) of independent consultants AMC Consultants (UK) Limited (“AMC”). The Reserve Study for the DFS was prepared by Martin Staples of AMC.

Chris Arnold and Martin Staples are Qualified Persons for the purposes of the reports, under the standards set forth by NI 43-101, of the Canadian Securities Administrators.

The Company’s Qualified Person is David Reading, who holds a MSc in Economic Geology from University of Waterloo, Canada and is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining. David Reading is the President and CEO of Aureus Mining Inc. and approves this press release.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain information in this news release relating to Aureus is forward-looking and related to anticipated events and strategies. When used in this context, words such as “will”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “plan”, “intend”, “target” and “expect” or similar words suggest future outcomes. Forward-looking information contained in this press release includes, but may not be limited to, mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, the expected mine life and production of the New Liberty Gold Project and the anticipated exploration and development activities of Aureus. By their nature, such statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations, including: risks normally incidental to exploration and development of mineral properties; uncertainties in the interpretation of results from drilling and test work; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with expectations; regulatory and government decisions; the possibility that future drawdowns under the loan facilities may not be available; construction of the New Liberty Gold Project being delayed and/ or over budget; economic conditions; availability and cost of financing; estimates of capital and operating costs and start-up costs; plans regarding construction activities; and future unforeseen liabilities and other factors including, but not limited to, those listed under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Information Form dated March 25, 2014, a copy of which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and in the Aureus Mining Admission Document, a copy of which is available at www.aureus–mining.com. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as actual results could differ materially from the plans, expectations, estimates or intentions expressed in the forward-looking information. Forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable law, Aureus disclaims any obligation to update or modify such forward-looking information, either as a result of new information, future events or for any other reason.

Any mineral resource and mineral reserve figures referred to in this press release are estimates and no assurances can be given that the indicated levels of minerals will be produced. Such estimates are expressions of judgment based on knowledge, mining experience, analysis of drilling results and industry practices. Valid estimates made at a given time may significantly change when new information becomes available. While the Company believes that the mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates in respect of its properties are well established, by their nature mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates are imprecise and depend, to a certain extent, upon statistical inferences which may ultimately prove unreliable. If such mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates are inaccurate or are reduced in the future, this could have a material adverse impact on the Company. Due to the uncertainty that may be attached to inferred mineral resources, it cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will be upgraded to an indicated or measured mineral resource as a result of continued exploration. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.