Pallas Green Drilling

28 April, 2010

Minco Plc

MINCO ANNOUNCES NEW DRILL RESULTS AT PALLAS GREEN

Dublin, 28 April, 2010 - Minco Plc (AIM-"MIO"), the Irish exploration and development company, announces the completion of 34 holes for a total of 14,606 metres in the first quarter of 2010 on its Pallas Green Zinc-Lead Joint Venture project in Co. Limerick. The drilling is part of a planned US$10 million exploration programme for 2010 comprising about 70,000 metres of diamond drilling in approximately 150 drill holes.

Sixteen drill rigs are currently on site, making this one of the largest exploration drilling programmes ever carried out in Ireland.

Drilling is primarily focussed on the Tobermalug zinc-lead deposit where holes are targeted on infill drilling as well as step-out drilling to explore the lateral extensions of the known mineralized zone, particularly to the north and east. In addition, holes have been drilled to the south of the Caherconlish South deposit, in a new emerging area of mineralization (Knockroe) and at Kilculleen and Srahane West as well as 7 holes in a programme of more regional exploration. Out of the holes completed, two were abandoned for technical difficulties and only two were barren of any mineralization.

Results for the mineralized intersections of the 2010 Q1 drilling are only partially available at this time.

Commenting on the first quarter drill results from Pallas Green, Terence McKillen, Minco's CEO said: "The step out drilling has been particularly positive with several new areas of mineralization being identified. We have particularly high hopes for the newly emerging Knockroe area which may be associated with a major boundary structure and the area between Caherconlish South and Kilculleen."

Tobermalug Zone

Drilling in the Tobermalug zone has focussed on testing a range of target types on different parts of the deposit. The drilling can be subdivided into three broad categories - 50m infill drilling; 100m infill drilling and lateral orebody extension drilling at the external margins of the main deposit. The intention of the detailed infill drilling was to assist in the eventual classification of reserves and resources as well as to establish the potential for narrow, higher grade zones or lenses of mineralization to occur within the main deposit which might not otherwise have been detected by the wider pattern of drilling adopted to date.

Hole MN-2529-081. - a 50 metre infill hole in the central part of the Tobermalug deposit returned 9.90 metres averaging 12.05% zinc and 1.29% lead between 398.25 and 408.15 metres depth. The mineralization comprises massive to semi-massive and breccia hosted sphalerite, galena and pyrite mineralization. It is located mid-way between (50m) holes MN-2529-028 and MN-2529-026 which returned 16.85 metres averaging 14.93% zinc and 2.57% lead and 8.20 metres averaging 31.52% zinc and 5.46% lead respectively.

Hole MN-2529-082. - a 50 metre infill hole in the central part of the Tobermalug deposit returned a 6.65 metre zone averaging 3.57% zinc and 0.40% lead from 384.20m to 390.85m, including 4.0 metres averaging 5.54% zinc and 0.55% lead from 385.85m to 389.85m and including a narrow 1.00 metre intersection of high grade mineralization which averaged 18.09% zinc and 0.93% lead from 386.85m to 387.85m.

Hole MN-2529-083. - a 100 metre step out hole located east-northeast of hole MN-2529-072 (7.70m at 3.01% Zn and 1.22% Pb and 2.20m at 13.47% Zn and 0.85% Pb) and in the southern part of the Tobermalug deposit intersected two zones of mineralization within a wider zone of 26.65 metres averaging 2.38% zinc and 0.28% lead from 537.45m to 564.10m. The upper zone of 2.60 metres averaged 7.36% zinc and 0.68% lead from 538.45m to 541.05m and the lower zone 6.65 metres averaging 4.80% zinc and 0.45% lead from 547.35m to 554.00m.

Northwest Extension Zone (NWEX)

Hole MN-636-134. - a 100 metre infill hole on the southern part of the NWEX zone intersected 2.55 metres grading 14.96% zinc and 0.81% lead from 360.95 m to 363.50 m. The hole is centred 100 metres west of hole MN-636-101 which returned 3.90 metres averaging 7.99% zinc and 0.16% lead.

MN-636-135. - a 100 metre step out hole in the Northwest Extension area intersected 3.15 metres of mineralization averaging 11.26% zinc and 1.36% lead from 369.85 m to 373.0 m within a wider zone of mineralization over 15.9 metres averaging 3.82% zinc and 0.38% lead. The hole is located 100 metres northwest of hole MN-2529-107 which intersected two zones of mineralization of 1.20 metres averaging 18.75% zinc and 1.19% lead and 4.15 metres averaging 9.05% zinc and 1.46% lead.

Hole MN-636-145. - a hole collared 100 metres to the west of hole MN-636-134, intersected two zones of mineralization of 6.20 metres averaging 8.25% zinc and 3.51% lead from 321.75 m to 327.95 m and 2.50 metres averaging 4.91% zinc and 0.47% lead from 375.35 m to 377.85 m.

Hole MN-636-146. - a hole collared 115 metres to the northwest of hole MN-636-127 (1.55 m at 7.47% zinc and 1.0% lead) and 335 metres to the northwest of hole MN-636-145 intersected 1.65 metres of mineralization averaging 41.05% zinc and 3.72% lead from 337.90 m to 339.55 m adjacent to the northwest fault structure believed to control the NWEX mineralization.

Hole MN-636-152. - located 100 metres east of hole MN-636-125 (1.20 m at 25.38% zinc and 3.31% lead and 3.0 m at 15.13% zinc and 5.03% lead), at the northern-most extension of the NWEX, intersected 4.0 metres averaging 6.56% zinc and 0.58% lead from 282.10 m to 286.10 m.

Hole MN-636-155. - located approximately 100 metres north of hole MN-636-107 (1.20 m at 18.75% zinc and 1.19% lead and 4.15 m at 9.05% zinc and 1.46% lead), this hole has intersected 18.40% zinc and 6.95% lead over a 3.04 metre interval from 331.60 m to 334.70 m.

Hole MN-636-161. - a 100 metre step out to the north from MN-636-152 (reported above) intersected 18.95 metres of low grade mineralization (assays are not yet available) which may open up an entirely new area of mineralization on the northern margin of the NWEX.

Hole MN-636-148. - located approximately 500 metres north of the main Tobermalug deposit has intersected mineralization which may be related to an additional northwest trending structure sub-parallel to but 1,200 metres apart from the NWEX. This new, North Zone Extension area has returned 3.95 metres averaging 2.77% zinc and 0.11% lead from 224.25 m to 228.20 m.

Knockroe

Hole MN-2529-085A. - a step out hole located approximately 750 metres southeast from the Caherconlish South deposit has intersected a new zone of mineralization over an apparent width of 7.85 metres comprising breccia hosted massive/semi-massive sulphides between 471.8m and 479.65m depth. The mineralization correlates well with that noted in holes MN-2529-035 and MN-2529-070 located 560m to the east and 275m to the north-northwest respectively. Assay results are not yet available for this hole, however, three rigs are currently following up on this new discovery area which has been termed the Knockroe Zone and which may be associated with a northwest-southeast trending fault structure.

Kilculleen

MN-636-138. - a 700 metre step out hole southeast of the Kilculleen discovery area has intersected a narrow zone of high grade mineralization of 0.70m 12.95% zinc and 2.04% lead from 366.55m to 367.25m, opening up an area of potential mineralization between Kilculleen and the Caherconlish South area.

The Pallas Green Project is a joint venture between Minco 23.6% and Xstrata Zinc 76.4%. Minco is relying on the technical information supplied by Xstrata Zinc.

Qualified Persons

The above information has been reviewed and verified by Mr. Terence N McKillen, B.A. (MOD), M.A., M.Sc., P.Geo, Chief Executive Officer. Mr. McKillen is the Qualified Person for the purposes of the AIM Guidance Note on Mining, Oil and Gas Companies dated March 2006. Mr. McKillen is a graduate in Natural Sciences (Geology) from Trinity College Dublin and holds a Master of Science degree in Mineral Exploration and Mining Geology from the University of Leicester. He has 40 years of exploration experience in Ireland and internationally.

About Minco

Minco PLC is an AIM quoted precious and base metals exploration and development company engaged in zinc exploration on the Pallas Green property in Ireland in a 23.6%/76.4% joint venture with Xstrata Zinc and investments in zinc-silver projects in Mexico through its shareholding in Xtierra Inc. listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (Toronto) under the symbol "XAG".