Initial Exploration Returns High Grade Rare Ear...

African Consolidated Resources plc / Ticker: AFCR / Index: AIM / Sector: Mining
                                  17 May 2011
          African Consolidated Resources plc ('ACR' or 'the Company')
 Initial Exploration Returns High Grade Rare Earth Elements at Nkombwa Project

African  Consolidated Resources  plc, the  AIM listed  southern African focussed
resource  development company, is pleased to announce results from a preliminary
exploration  sampling programme at  the Nkombwa Project  in Zambia ('Nkombwa' or
'the  Project'), which  has demonstrated  high grade  rare earth element ('REE')
mineralisation.   This exploration programme is  being conducted and financed by
ACR's  joint  venture  partners  ASX-listed  Southern  Crown  Resources  Limited
(following  its acquisition  of Rare  Earth International  Limited ('REI')).  As
more  fully explained in the Company's announcement of 11 June 2010, REI has the
right  to earn a 50% equity interest in the Nkombwa Hill project in exchange for
a  minimum spend of US$1,350,000 in order to  define an Indicated JORC Resource.
 Thereafter,  ACR may elect to share expenditure equally with REI and maintain a
50% interest.  In the absence of such an election, REI may obtain a 75% interest
by funding a Bankable Feasibility Study.

ACR  Chairman Roy Tucker said, "These results further underpin the prospectivity
of   the   Nkombwa   Project,  and  the  significant  proportion  of  high-grade
mineralisation,  including the  identification of  the highest-grade  sample yet
found  at Nkombwa, gives  solid credence for  further exploration on the Project
area.   This sampling  programme also  succeeded in  identifying the western and
southern  quadrants of Nkombwa Hill as  particularly prospective, and these have
been  deemed as high  priority areas for  further detailed mapping and sampling,
with the objective of delineating targets for exploration drilling."

To view a full version of the Southern Crown Resources Limited announcement,
which includes the figures referenced below, please visit
www.southerncrown.com.au.

Southern Crown Resources Limited announcement:

 Initial Exploration Returns High Grade Rare Earth Elements at Nkombwa Project
               Grid Sampling Returns Grades of up to 22.09% TREO

Highlights

  * Preliminary  grid sampling at the Nkombwa REE Project in Zambia has returned
    a significant proportion of highly mineralised samples.


  * Initial grid based rock sampling program comprising 259 samples:


      * 10 samples had Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO) over 5%, with a maximum of
        22.09%, the  highest concentration yet found in an exploration sample at
        the Nkombwa Project;
      * 29 samples  had TREO  concentrations in  excess of  2% with other highly
        significant values of 11.18%, 13.09% and 13.47% also returned.


  * Anomaly  open to the west of  the sample area requires further investigation
    below shallow cover.
  * A  program of detailed mapping and sampling aimed at delineating targets for
    exploration drilling is planned to commence next month.


Nkombwa Project, Zambia

Situated  in the north-eastern part  of Zambia, (Figure 1),  is  one of two rare
earth  element (REE) projects  to be held  by Southern Crown Resources (Southern
Crown)  (ASX code:  SWR) following  the acquisition  of Rare Earth International
(REI).   The  Nkombwa  project  is  a  joint  venture  with African Consolidated
Resource  plc ("ACR") under  which Southern Crown  can achieve a 75% interest in
the REE by fully funding a bankable feasibility study.

While  the Nkombwa  carbonatite has  been previously  explored for phosphate and
niobium, little attention has been focussed on the REE potential of the complex.

Preliminary Exploration Sampling Program

In  November 2010, REI completed a preliminary sampling program over the area of
outcrop  of the carbonatite in which  kilogram-sized rock samples were collected
systematically  over a 100m by 50m grid; producing 259 samples of which 178 were
in situ from outcrop, the remaining 81 from loose rock (scree) close to outcrop.
 At  the same  time, radiometric  measurements were  collected using a gamma-ray
spectrometer at points at a 100m by 25m spacing.

Final  assay results on  the rock samples  have been received  and are extremely
encouraging.   The highest grade  sample - an  outcrop sampled collected towards
the  northern  end  of  the  hill  crest  -  contains  22.09% total  rare earths
(lanthanides  plus  Y  as  oxide:  "TREO").   More  than 10% of the grid samples
returned   TREO  concentrations  in  excess  of  2% while  10 samples  had  TREO
concentrations  of over 5%.  Full REE assay  results for all samples having over
2% TREO  are  presented  in  Table  2.  The  distribution  of  REE values in the
complete suite of samples is summarised on the map of Nkombwa hill in Figure 2.
 Also  shown on  the map  are three  areas of  anomalous Thorium  (Th) radiation
(higher than 100ppm equivalent Th) identified by the ground radiometric survey.

Several high TREO samples cluster along a zone at the base of Nkombwa Hill along
the  north-west  contact  of  the  carbonatite  intrusion  - these are all scree
samples  and not in situ  suggesting the presence of  an area enriched in REE on
the  adjacent slope.  A substantial proportion  of the samples from the southern
and south-eastern sides of Nkombwa Hill have TREO above 2-5% and the radiometric
measurements  reveal a well-defined Th  anomaly in this area.   The area lies at
the opposite end of the complex from the drilling that took place in 1965/6 that
returned  the previously reported highly  encouraging results presented in Table
1.

+----+--------+-------+-------+-----+------+------+------+-----+
|Hole|Northing|Easting|Azimuth| Dip | From |  To  |Width |TREO%|
|    |        |       +-------+-----+------+------+------+     |
|    |        |       | (deg) |(deg)|metres|metres|metres|     |
+----+--------+-------+-------+-----+------+------+------+-----+
|NB-1|8878565 |483200 |  180  | -45 |69.68 | 75.9 | 6.22 |7.98%|
|    |        |       |       |     +------+------+------+-----+
|    |        |       |       |     |84.56 | 85.5 | 0.94 |7.58%|
|    |        |       |       |     +------+------+------+-----+
|    |        |       |       |     |183.49|185.6 | 2.11 |7.78%|
|    |        |       |       |     +------+------+------+-----+
|    |        |       |       |     |398.9 |402.8 | 3.9  |2.59%|
+----+--------+-------+-------+-----+------+------+------+-----+
|NB-2|8878622 |483200 |  180  | -60 |298.3 |302.4 | 4.1  |5.47%|
|    |        |       |       |     +------+------+------+-----+
|    |        |       |       |     |377.2 |380.06| 2.86 |6.37%|
+----+--------+-------+-------+-----+------+------+------+-----+
Table  1: REE Mineralised zones from boreholes NB-1 and NB-2 drilled in 1965/66
by Roan Selection Trust

Coordinates are UTM Zone36S, 1950 Arc
Widths are downhole intervals
%TREO is percentage of total rare earth oxides including yttrium
Samples analysed by Genalysis Perth, November 2010

Conclusions

Southern  Crown  is  extremely  encouraged  by  the  results  achieved  from the
preliminary  exploration sampling program.  Four of the rock samples had TREO in
excess  of 10% while the TREO  concentration in the most  enriched sample is the
highest  yet found  at Nkombwa.   Despite the  relatively coarse  spacing of the
sampling  grid,  and  the  restricted  coverage  of  the radiometric survey, the
sampling  program succeeded in identifying the western and southern quadrants of
Nkombwa Hill as particularly prospective areas.

Further Work

A  program of  detailed geological  mapping and  outcrop sampling,  supported by
closer  spaced ground radiometric measurements, is  planned to assess the nature
and  extent of the  mineralised carbonatite units  identified by the preliminary
exploration.   At the  same time,  the potential  for REE  mineralisation in the
soils that surround Nkombwa Hill will be assessed using a series of pits.

Results  from this program are expected in the third quarter and will be used to
design  a program of combined RC  and diamond-core exploration drilling to start
later in the year.

For further information please contact:

Rhod Grivas
Executive Director
Ph: [phone]

Jock Harmer
CEO Rare Earth International
Ph: [phone]

About Southern Crown Resources Limited

Southern  Crown Resources Limited, named after  a prominent arc constellation in
the Southern Hemisphere, listed on the ASX on 2 December 2010 with approximately
29.5 million shares on issue.

Southern  Crown  was  formed  with  the  purpose  of  acquiring,  exploring  and
developing mineral deposits and on 20 December 2010 entered into an agreement to
acquire  Rare Earth  International which  is developing  the Nkombwa  and Xiluvo
projects  located in Zambia  and Mozambique respectively  and has an application
over  a third project in Burundi.  On 5 May 2011 the Southern Crown shareholders
voted in favour of the acquisition of Rare Earth International.

The  Company continues to evaluate additional mineral projects considered likely
to add value to shareholders.

The  Board of Directors has  a strong mix of  technical, financial and corporate
skills to successfully explore the Company's existing projects as well as source
and develop further acquisition opportunities globally.


+--------+-------------------------+------+------------------------------
| Sample |   X        Y      Type  |TREO+Y|La2O3 Ce2O3 Pr6O11 Nd2O3 Sm2O3
|        |                         |  %   |
+--------+-------------------------+------+------------------------------
|N K05025|483 300 8 878 149 outcrop|22.09 |5.04  11.19 1.30   4.13  0.29
|        |                         |      |
|N K01017|482 900 8 877 745  scree |13.47 |4.67  6.61  0.55   1.52  0.08
|        |                         |      |
|N K01022|482 896 8 878 002  scree |13.09 |4.33  6.60  0.55   1.52  0.07
|        |                         |      |
|N K01024|482 890 8 878 106  scree |11.18 |4.17  5.40  0.42   1.10  0.06
|        |                         |      |
|N K06010|483 408 8 877 392 outcrop|9.22  |2.87  4.54  0.44   1.24  0.08
|        |                         |      |
|N K01020|482 898 8 877 903  scree |8.38  |2.54  4.21  0.38   1.15  0.07
|        |                         |      |
|N K05015|483 303 8 877 649 outcrop|7.33  |2.06  3.69  0.37   1.10  0.07
|        |                         |      |
|N K07016|483 501 8 877 701 outcrop|7.31  |2.05  3.71  0.37   1.08  0.07
|        |                         |      |
|N K04006|483 200 8 877 201  scree |6.13  |2.38  2.92  0.22   0.56  0.03
|        |                         |      |
|N K06006|483 401 8 877 201 outcrop|5.16  |1.97  2.45  0.20   0.50  0.03
|        |                         |      |
|N K06003|483 399 8 877 046  scree |4.98  |1.95  2.35  0.19   0.46  0.02
|        |                         |      |
|N K07024|483 504 8 878 101 outcrop|4.58  |1.34  2.28  0.22   0.64  0.05
|        |                         |      |
|N K01025|482 903 8 878 154  scree |4.54  |1.70  2.20  0.17   0.43  0.02
|        |                         |      |
|N K02018|483 003 8 877 791 outcrop|4.42  |1.41  2.20  0.19   0.57  0.04
|        |                         |      |
|N K01019|482 905 8 877 864 outcrop|4.15  |1.26  2.09  0.19   0.57  0.03
|        |                         |      |
|N K01014|482 900 8 877 602  scree |3.90  |0.94  1.96  0.21   0.71  0.06
|        |                         |      |
|N K09003|483 703 8 877 051 outcrop|3.85  |1.49  1.83  0.14   0.34  0.02
|        |                         |      |
|N K02003|482 999 8 877 050  scree |3.74  |1.03  1.88  0.18   0.58  0.04
|        |                         |      |
|N K06018|483 403 8 877 800 outcrop|3.48  |1.00  1.74  0.17   0.51  0.03
|        |                         |      |
|N K06001|483 399 8 876 950  scree |3.14  |1.25  1.47  0.12   0.28  0.02
|        |                         |      |
|N K10003|483 801 8 877 046 outcrop|2.93  |1.20  1.34  0.10   0.25  0.02
|        |                         |      |
|N K04015|483 199 8 877 653  scree |2.91  |0.93  1.42  0.13   0.39  0.03
|        |                         |      |
|N K06015|483 404 8 877 650 outcrop|2.74  |0.68  1.37  0.15   0.49  0.04
|        |                         |      |
|N K09008|483 698 8 877 304 outcrop|2.66  |1.07  1.25  0.09   0.22  0.01
|        |                         |      |
|N K03015|483 101 8 877 652  scree |2.61  |0.71  1.32  0.13   0.41  0.03
|        |                         |      |
|N K06014|483 402 8 877 599 outcrop|2.39  |0.66  1.21  0.13   0.37  0.03
|        |                         |      |
|N K10009|483 805 8 877 352 outcrop|2.29  |0.81  1.11  0.10   0.25  0.02
|        |                         |      |
|N K06005|483 399 8 877 152 outcrop|2.07  |0.76  0.98  0.08   0.21  0.01
|        |                         |      |
|N K10013|483 799 8 877 550 outcrop|2.04  |0.85  0.95  0.07   0.16  0.01
+--------+-------------------------+------+------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------+
 Sample  Eu2O3 Gd2O3 Tb2O3 Dy2O3 HO2O3 Er2O3 Tm2O3 Yb2O3 Lu2O3 Y2O3 |
--------------------------------------------------------------------+
N K05025 0.046 0.059 0.002 0.008 0.001       0.000       0.000 0.022|
                                                                    |
N K01017 0.013 0.015 0.000 0.002 0.000       0.000       0.000 0.005|
                                                                    |
N K01022 0.011 0.009       0.002 0.000       0.000       0.000 0.003|
                                                                    |
N K01024 0.009 0.010 0.000 0.002 0.000       0.000       0.000 0.005|
                                                                    |
N K06010 0.014 0.023 0.001 0.004 0.000       0.000       0.000 0.007|
                                                                    |
N K01020 0.011 0.013 0.000 0.002 0.000       0.000       0.000 0.005|
                                                                    |
N K05015 0.012 0.017 0.001 0.002 0.000 0.000 0.000       0.000 0.006|
                                                                    |
N K07016 0.012 0.018 0.001 0.003 0.000 0.000 0.000       0.000 0.007|
                                                                    |
N K04006 0.005 0.007 0.000 0.002 0.000       0.000       0.000 0.003|
                                                                    |
N K06006 0.005 0.008 0.000 0.002 0.000 0.000 0.000       0.000 0.003|
                                                                    |
N K06003 0.004 0.005 0.000 0.001 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.002|
                                                                    |
N K07024 0.011 0.021 0.001 0.004 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.007|
                                                                    |
N K01025 0.003 0.003       0.001 0.000       0.000       0.000 0.002|
                                                                    |
N K02018 0.006 0.008 0.000 0.001 0.000       0.000       0.000 0.003|
                                                                    |
N K01019 0.005 0.006 0.000 0.001 0.000       0.000       0.000 0.002|
                                                                    |
N K01014 0.009 0.013 0.000 0.001 0.000       0.000       0.000 0.003|
                                                                    |
N K09003 0.004 0.007 0.001 0.004 0.001 0.001 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.013|
                                                                    |
N K02003 0.007 0.008 0.000 0.002 0.000 0.000 0.000       0.000 0.005|
                                                                    |
N K06018 0.005 0.007 0.000 0.001 0.000       0.000       0.000 0.002|
                                                                    |
N K06001 0.002 0.004 0.000 0.001 0.000 0.000 0.000       0.000 0.002|
                                                                    |
N K10003 0.003 0.006 0.001 0.002 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000       0.004|
                                                                    |
N K04015 0.005 0.007 0.000 0.001 0.000       0.000       0.000 0.003|
                                                                    |
N K06015 0.006 0.009 0.000 0.001 0.000 0.000 0.000             0.002|
                                                                    |
N K09008 0.003 0.007 0.001 0.003 0.000 0.001 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.009|
                                                                    |
N K03015 0.005 0.006 0.000 0.001 0.000       0.000       0.000 0.002|
                                                                    |
N K06014 0.004 0.006 0.000 0.001 0.000 0.000 0.000             0.002|
                                                                    |
N K10009 0.003 0.005 0.000 0.001 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000       0.004|
                                                                    |
N K06005 0.002 0.005 0.000 0.002 0.000 0.001 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.007|
                                                                    |
N K10013 0.002 0.003 0.000 0.001 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.002|
--------------------------------------------------------------------+


                                    **ENDS**

For further information visit www.acrplc.com or please contact:
Roy  Tucker                 African  Consolidated Resources [phone]
                            plc                             [phone]

Michael Kellow              African  Consolidated Resources [phone]
                            plc

Andrew Godber               Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited     [phone]

Callum Stewart              Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited     [phone]

Abhishek Majumdar           Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited     [phone]

Susie Geliher               St Brides Media & Finance Ltd   [phone]


                          Competent Person's Statement

The  information in  this report  that relates  to Exploration  Results, Mineral
resources and/or Ore Reserves is based on information provided by Dr R.E. "Jock"
Harmer,  PrSciNat, FGSSA and compiled  by Dr Harmer and  and Mr R Grivas, MAIG ,
MAusIMM,  for Southern Crown Resources Limited and reviewed by Mr Michael Kellow
(the  Company's Technical  Director).  Michael  Kellow (BSc)  is a member of the
Australian  Institute of Geoscientists (AIG) and a full-time employee of African
Consolidated  Resources  Plc.  Mr  Kellow  has  sufficient  experience  which is
relevant  to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration
and  to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as
defined in the 2004 Edition of the 'Australian Code for Reporting of Exploration
Results,  Mineral Resource  and Ore  Reserves' (JORC  Code) and  as a "qualified
person"  as defined in the  AIM Note for Mining,  Oil and Gas Companies. Michael
Kellow consents to the publication of this report.






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