Update on Mercator Gold Australia

Update on Mercator Gold Australia

ECR Minerals plc

ECR MINERALS plc
(“ECR Minerals”, “ECR” or the “Company”)

AIM: ECR
US OTC: MTGDY

UPDATE ON MERCATOR GOLD AUSTRALIA

LONDON: 27 AUGUST 2014 - ECR Minerals plc is pleased to announce, further to its announcements of 4 July 2014 and 15 July 2014, that the Company has been informed by the external administrators (the “Administrators”) of its 100% owned Australian subsidiary Mercator Gold Australia Pty Ltd (“MGA”) that the Administrators expect to despatch cheques in respect of a second and final dividend to unsecured creditors of MGA (excluding ECR) during early September 2014.

The Administrators advise that after completing their statutory duties, which include awaiting the presentation of all dividend cheques to MGA’s bank account, the Administrators expect to release MGA from administration. The Claim, as that term is defined in ECR’s announcement of 4 July 2014, has now been assigned to Main Roads Western Australia.

Following MGA’s release from administration it is expected by the Company that MGA will possess tax losses estimated to total approximately A$80 million, as previously announced. These tax losses will be of significant benefit to MGA should it be successful in establishing profitable business activities following its release from administration.

The availability of MGA’s tax losses is subject, inter alia, to MGA’s compliance with the “continuity of ownership test”, as that term is used in the context of Australian taxation, at all relevant times. Compliance with this test is determined by reference to ECR’s register of shareholders and the variations thereto that occur over time. The figure of approximately A$80 million is the latest available estimate of MGA’s accumulated tax losses and is stated as at 30 June 2013. Analysis to confirm MGA’s tax loss position as at 30 June 2014 is in progress (30 June being MGA’s financial year-end). The Company considers that at the present time, MGA is in compliance with the continuity of ownership test.

ABOUT ECR

ECR is a mineral exploration and development company with, among other interests, the right to earn a 50% interest in the Itogon gold project in the Philippines. Itogon is an advanced exploration project located in a gold and copper mining district on the island of Luzon in the north of the Philippines.

ECR has a 100% interest in the Sierra de las Minas gold project in La Rioja Province, Argentina, the exploration strategy for which is to delineate multiple high grade, low tonnage deposits suitable for advancement to production on a relatively low capital, near term basis.

ECR holds a substantial minority stake in THEMAC Resources Group Ltd (TSX-V: MAC), which is focused on the development of the Copper Flat copper-molybdenum-gold-silver porphyry project in New Mexico, USA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

ECR Minerals plc			Tel: [phone]
Paul Johnson, Non-Executive Chairman
Stephen Clayson, Director & Chief Executive Officer
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.ecrminerals.com
Daniel Stewart & Company plc			Tel: [phone]
Emma Earl/Harrison Clarke (Nominated Adviser)
Colin Rowbury (Broker)

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This announcement may include forward looking statements. Such statements may be subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and therefore actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Any forward looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date hereof (unless stated otherwise) and, except as may be required by applicable laws or regulations (including the AIM Rules for Companies), the Company disclaims any obligation to update or modify such forward looking statements as a result of new information, future events or for any other reason.