Issue of Options

Issue of Options

ECR Minerals plc

AIM: ECR

US OTC: MTGDY

ECR MINERALS plc

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

ISSUE OF OPTIONS

LONDON: 27 FEBRUARY 2017 - The directors of ECR Minerals plc (the “Directors”), a gold exploration company with assets in Australia, Argentina and the Philippines, announces the grant of 8,153,968 share options (the “Options”) to two executive directors. The Options have been granted under the Company’s unapproved share option plan (the “Option Plan”).

Each Option is exercisable to acquire one ordinary share of the Company at a price of 1.725 pence per share. The Options will remain valid, subject to the rules of the Option Plan, until the fifth anniversary of the date of grant. The Options will vest immediately.

The exercise price of the Options equates to a premium of 50% to the closing mid-market price of the Company’s shares on AIM on 24 February 2017.

Options have been granted to directors of the Company as follows:

Director		Number of options held prior to this grant		Number of options granted		Total number of options held		% of current issued ordinary share capital
Craig Brown		0		4,076,984		4,076,984		3.00%
Ivor Jones		0		4,076,984		4,076,984		3.00%
William Howell		0		0		0		0%
Christian Dennis		0		0		0		0%

William Howell, Non-Executive Chairman of ECR, commented:

“The executive directors are working hard in a smart, efficient and results oriented manner to drive the business forward and build value for our shareholders. It is crucial that this high level of commitment is maintained and that the interests of directors remain aligned with those of shareholders. Incentive share options are an important means of achieving this.”

The grant of options to directors of the Company constitutes related party transactions under the AIM Rules for Companies. William Howell and Christian Dennis, being the directors who are independent of the related party transactions, consider, having consulted with Cairn Financial Advisers LLP, the Company’s Nominated Adviser, that the terms of the transaction are fair and reasonable insofar as ECR’s shareholders are concerned.

Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 (MAR). Upon the publication of this announcement via Regulatory Information Service (RIS), this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

ECR Minerals plc		Tel: [phone]
William (Bill) Howell, Non-Executive Chairman
Craig Brown, Director & CEO Ivor Jones, Director & COO
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.ecrminerals.com
Cairn Financial Advisers LLP		Tel: [phone]
Nominated Adviser
Emma Earl / Jo Turner
Optiva Securities Ltd		Tel: [phone]
Broker
Graeme Dickson
FlowComms		Tel: [phone]
Investor Relations
Sasha Sethi
Blytheweigh		Tel: [phone]
Public Relations
Tim Blythe / Camilla Horsfall / Nick Elwes

ABOUT ECR

ECR is a mineral exploration and development company. In addition to the Danglay project discussed in this update, ECR’s wholly owned Australian subsidiary Mercator Gold Australia has 100% ownership rights in respect of the Avoca and Bailieston gold projects in Victoria, Australia. ECR’s wholly owned subsidiary Ochre Mining has a 100% interest in the SLM gold project in La Rioja, Argentina. Exploration at SLM has focused on identifying small tonnage mesothermal gold deposits which may be suitable for relatively near term production.

The information below, set out in accordance with the requirements of the EU Market Abuse Regulation, provides further detail on shares acquired.

1		Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated
a)		Name		Craig Brown
2		Reason for the notification
a)		Position/status		Chief Executive Officer & Director
b)		Initial notification/ Amendment		Initial Notification
3		Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a)		Name		ECR Minerals Plc
b)		LEI		N/A
4		Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
a)		Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument		Issue of options over ordinary shares of 0.001p each
		Identification code		GB00BYYDKX57
b)		Nature of the transactions		Issue of options over Ordinary Shares
c)		Price(s) and volume(s)				Price(s)		Volume(s)
						1.725 p		4,076,984
d)		Aggregated information
		- Aggregated volume		4,076,984
		- Price		1.725 p
e)		Date of the transaction		27 February 2017
f)		Place of the transaction		London Stock Exchange, AIM

1		Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated
a)		Name		Ivor Jones
2		Reason for the notification
a)		Position/status		Chief Operating Officer & Director
b)		Initial notification/ Amendment		Initial Notification
3		Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a)		Name		ECR Minerals Plc
b)		LEI		N/A
4		Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
a)		Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument		Issue of options over ordinary shares of 0.001p each
		Identification code		GB00BYYDKX57
b)		Nature of the transactions		Issue of options over Ordinary Shares
c)		Price(s) and volume(s)				Price(s)		Volume(s)
						1.725 p		4,076,984
d)		Aggregated information
		- Aggregated volume		4,076,984
		- Price		1.725 p
e)		Date of the transaction		27 February 2017
f)		Place of the transaction		London Stock Exchange, AIM

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