Meridian Reports on Strategic Expansion of its Land Portfolio

LONDON, April 12, 2018 /CNW/ - Meridian Mining SE (TSX V: MNO) ("Meridian " or the "Company") today reported on developments in its manganese and tin licences, in the state of Rondônia, NW Brazil.

Figure 1: Map of the licences at the Espigão do Oeste manganese operations. The two final report licence areas north of the current mining lease are highlighted. The newly approved exploration licence 886252/2016 is shown also in the inset, with manganese occurrences are shown in yellow. (CNW Group/Meridian Mining S.E.)

Figure 2: Map of the Ariquemes District, showing the Bom Futuro Joint Venture Area with CooperSanta, and Meridian’s applications and approved license. (CNW Group/Meridian Mining S.E.)

• The landbank for the Espigão do Oeste Manganese Project has been enhanced following the recent DNPM approval of final reports and the grant of new exploration tenure.
• Final reports have been presented and approvals published for licences 886303/2009 and 886170/2010. The approval of the final reports in a important step in the process of converting these licences to mining leases ("Lavras").
• A new licence has been approved for exploration, less than two kilometres from the Company's plant (886252/2016). This licence hosts manganese occurrences along extensions of prospective structures identified in the Company's HeliTEM survey. The total area of the manganese licences now covers 131,589 ha.
• In the Ariquemes tin district, thirteen exploration licences have been approved, covering 96,173 ha.
• The new licences are registered 100% to Meridian and provide a strategic exploration foothold in addition to the joint-venture area at Bom Futuro with project partners CooperSanta.
• Additional licence applications have been registered and await approval. These licences target intrusive complexes and structures associated with the Ariquemes tin province, identified through the Company's assessment of the regional geophysical data.

"These new licences add significant strategic value to our position in Rondônia", said Anthony Julien, President and CEO of Meridian. "The new manganese tenure enhances our land position as we increase our production capacity, following the upgrades to our Jaburi Plant. Our investment in the Ariquemes district reflects similarly our confidence in the Bom Futuro project and regional exploration opportunities through the district. Rondônia is one of the least explored states in Brazil, and our strategy is to take these properties through the cycle of exploration to development to grow our business".

MANGANESE PROJECT

Meridian has gradually expanded production from colluvial and vein sources at the Company's operations at Espigão do Oeste, building to 51,580t of premium manganese oxide for the steel and fertilizer industry in 2017. Production to date has been sourced from a single mining lease (a "Lavra") and a series of Guias de Utilização (GU's). The GU's offer scope of limited trial production tonnage on exploration licences – normally capped at 6,000t of manganese oxide per area.

The DNPM has completed assessment of two final exploration reports presented for licences 886303/2009 and 886170/2010, These licences host manganese mineralization on east-west trending structures and are located to the north of the Lavra (Figure 1). The assessment included site visits completed in March 2018. Approval of these reports has been formally published on the Diário Oficial da União on 11 April 2018.

The approval of the final reports in an important step in the process of converting these licences to mining leases ("Lavras"). The Company will now prepare an economic utilization plan for the DNPM's assessment (Plano de Aproveitamento Econômico). Application for mining tenure can be formally lodged after DNPM approval of this plan. The Company will be lodging additional final reports on other licences in the project areas through the course of the year.

Opportunities are also being taken to consolidate new licences in the project area. A new licence - 886252/2016 – has been approved for exploration and is located to the immediate west of the Rio Madeira Plant. The licence has a conductivity anomaly extending northwest from manganese showings in the Jaburi area. Targets defined by geophysical anomalies will be preliminary in nature and not conclusive evidence of the likelihood of the occurrence of a mineral deposit. Initial prospecting shows the presence of manganese boulder trails at the western end of this trend, with evaluation ongoing.

ARIQUEMES TIN DISTRICT

Meridian Mining's strategy in the Ariquemes tin district has been to build a balanced portfolio, comprising advanced properties such which offer near-term resource definition and development potential, and grassroots properties to test for new discoveries.

In 2017, the Company established a joint venture with CooperSanta at Bom Futuro, where it has defined a significant Tin Tailings Resource (Indicated Resources: 3.3Mt @ 626ppm Sn for 2,076t of tin; Inferred Resources: 57.9Mt @ 526 ppm Sn for 30,447t of tin). The Company has completed a positive preliminary economic assessment on tailings reprocessing scenarios and is currently evaluating financing options for construction of a powerline and the next phase of resource definition and exploration.

The Ariquemes district has produced over 270,000t of tin, with principal operations being centred at Bom Futuro, Massangana, Santa Barbara, and a range of satellite mines. A variety of mineralization styles have been worked, including lower-grade bulk tonnage stockwork and sheeted vein deposits, higher grade greisen and pegmatite mineralization, and placer / palaeochannel mineralization.

Meridian's strategy is test the near-mine discovery potential for primary and placer mineralization in the Bom Futuro area, and to extend its search more broadly under cover for palaeochannels and concealed primary mineralization. An unconsolidated cover sequence blankets much of the bedrock through the district. The known deposits are centered on areas of exposure and have been found by traditional prospecting methods. Modern under-cover geophysical exploration methodologies have not been applied regionally and offer scope to assess the potential for a new generation of discoveries in the district. The Company is currently conducting desktop targeting exercise, to formulate exploration proposals whilst awaiting DNPM approvals on the broader tenure.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of
Meridian Mining SE

"Anthony Julien"
Anthony Julien
President, CEO and Director

QUALIFIED PERSON

The technical information about the Company's exploration activities has been has been prepared under the supervision of and verified by Dr Adrian McArthur (B.Sc. Hons, PhD. FAusIMM), the Chief Geologist of Meridian Mining, who is a "Qualified Person" within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101.

ABOUT MERIDIAN

Meridian Mining SE is focused on the acquisition, exploration, development and mining activities in Brazil. The Company is currently focused on exploring and developing the Espigão manganese project, the Bom Futuro tin JV area, and adjacent areas in the state of Rondônia. The Company employs a two-pronged strategy with the objective of growing pilot production while advancing a parallel multi-commodity regional exploration program. Meridian is currently producing high grade manganese at its project located at Espigão do Oeste.

Further information can be found at www.meridianmining.co.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information or forward-looking statements for the purposes of applicable securities laws. These statements include, among others, statements with respect to the Company's plans for exploration and development of its properties and potential mineralization. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such risk factors include, among others, failure to obtain regulatory approvals, failure to complete anticipated transactions, the timing and success of future exploration and development activities, exploration and development risks, title matters, inability to obtain any required third party consents, operating hazards, metal prices, political and economic factors, competitive factors, general economic conditions, relationships with strategic partners, governmental regulation and supervision, seasonality, technological change, industry practices and one-time events. In making the forward-looking statements, the Company has applied several material assumptions including, but not limited to, the assumptions that: (1) the proposed exploration and development of mineral projects will proceed as planned; (2) market fundamentals will result in sustained metals and minerals prices and (3) any additional financing needed will be available on reasonable terms. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation.

The Company cautions that it has not completed any feasibility studies on any of its mineral properties, and no mineral reserve estimate has been established. In particular, because the Company's production decision relating to BMC's manganese project is not based upon a feasibility study of mineral reserves, the economic and technical viability of the Espigão manganese project has not been established.

The TSX Venture Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed Arrangement and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.  Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Meridian Mining S.E.

Jonathan Richards, T: [phone], E: [email protected]