Strategic Minerals plc (AIM: SML): Iron Glen Update

TOWNSVILLE, Australia, July 15, 2011 -

Strategic Minerals plc (AIM: SML) today announces that the 2011
drilling programme is advancing with 10 holes completed (9 Reverse
Circulation & 1 Diamond Drill) and 2 holes nearing completion.
 A further 20 holes are scheduled over a 2 kilometer area of
interest over the next 6 weeks.

In total, the Company has drilled 1,563 metres, of which, 3
drill holes were geotechnical holes used to confirm the geological
structure of the area under study rather than being directly
related to resource definition.

All Reverse Circulation holes have been sampled and sent to ALS
Laboratories (Australian Libratory Services) for assay. All of
these holes have been drilled within the vicinity of the Iron Glen
Pit, which was the subject of the October 2010 drilling
programme.

Prior to sending Reverse Circulation samples for assay we were
able to conduct a preliminary analysis using a handheld Niton Model
XL3t 950 GOLDD+ analyser. We were also able to use this analyser on
the core obtained from the diamond drilling.

In summary, the results to date using the Niton are:

• Magnetite - 2 Reverse Circulation holes intersected magnetite
  bands in excess of 25 metres (downhole) with an average Fe grade of
  27% and a high of 55% that equates to approximately to 34% and 69%
  grade magnetite
• Copper - consistent with peaks in excess of 5%
• Zinc - consistent with peaks in excess of 5.00%
• Silver - consistency through all holes sampled with an average
  grade of 3.8 ozs/tonne and highs in excess of 9 ozs/tonne
• Gold - dispersed, indicating that it may be present throughout
  the mineralised zone. Readings varied with several holes showing an
  average greater than 1 oz/tonne. Some readings were considerable
  higher. However, the high readings came from an analysis of core
  material and therefore may not be indicative of the level of
  mineralisation throughout the entire sample range

Please refer to the note in Notes to Editors section at the
bottom of this release when considering the Niton results. It is an
important exploration tool; however, a number of laboratory
analyses are required to determine the composition of the
geological and mineralogical characteristics of the deposit to meet
industry standards. The Company expects to receive and compile
additional laboratory results over the coming weeks and will update
shareholders as more information becomes available.

Pat Griffiths, CEO of Strategic Minerals, commented:

“Whilst these results can only be considered preliminary, they
are consistent with our expectations for the area covered by the
work completed to date. The consistency of the silver value is
encouraging as is the presence of gold. The commercial value of
both can only be properly assessed when our geologists have
analysed the full assay results, combined with a subsequent
assessment of the mineability of the deposit and associated
factors. We look forward to updating shareholders on further
results and analysis in the coming months”

About Strategic Minerals plc

Strategic Minerals is a Queensland-based company incorporated in
the UK on 16 November 2010.  The Company’s wholly owned
subsidiary, Iron Glen Pty Ltd, has title to the Iron Glen Tenement
that is located approximately 40 kilometers southwest of
Townsville, Queensland. The Tenement covers an area of 2,100
hectares and lies 10kms from existing rail and road infrastructure
that links into Townville’s deep water port which has all year
round bulk loading facilities.

*Note: The Niton Model XL3t 950 GOLDD+ is a top-of-the-line XRF
Analyzer that is designed for use in mineral exploration and mining
applications. This model offers low-detection limits (similar to
those produced by a laboratory) and straight forward calibration
techniques, and is used to determine the concentration of a range
of elements occurring in the Iron Glen core  and drilling
samples, including gold, silver, and other elements. The results
reported depend on what minerals or mass of minerals are being
scanned over a 3 mm area on the surface of a meter-length of core
sample or of finely crushed drilling samples. The results should be
considered as a spot-specific indication of elements in cores or
samples produced by drilling. It should be noted that the
individual results are only part of a larger group of analyses that
will be necessary to indicate overall ore grade of the deposit as a
whole. The XRF Analyzer results do guide exploration in outlining
the mineralised zone of interest consisting of high-grade
mineralisation, as indicated by some of the reported samples to
date, but the zone may also contain much lower grades of
mineralisation. To correctly determine the ore grade at Iron Glen,
bulk sampling and coring followed by laboratory analysis of
hundreds of samples is in progress and will be required to assess
the grade and thickness of the mineralised zone. (Comments provided
July 11, 2011 by I2M Associates, LLC, Michael D. Campbell, P.G.,
P.H., Vice President and Chief Geologist/Hydrogeologist, Houston,
and M. David Campbell, P.G., Senior Geologist/Hydrogeologist,
Townsville, Independent Advisors to Strategic Minerals PLC
management).

For more information about Strategic Minerals, please go to href="strategicminerals.co.uk/">strategicminerals.co.uk.

You can also follow the Company on Twitter @StrategicMinrls as
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Company: Strategic Minerals plc: +61 755 324 448, Matthew Bonthrone, +44 (0) 7730 402 783; Nominated Adviser/Broker: Allenby Capital: Brian Stockbridge/James Reeve, +44 (0) 203328 5656; Public Relations: Threadneedle Communications: Laurence Read/Beth Harris, +44 (0) 20 7653 9850; Retail Investor Relations: GTH Communications Limited: Toby Hall/Christian Pickel, +44 (0) 20 3103 3903