RNS Number:7669F
Neptune Minerals Plc
16 October 2007



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                   16 October, 2007



                              NEPTUNE MINERALS PLC

                          ("Neptune" or the "Company")



           VANUATU GOVERNMENT GRANTS PROSPECTING LICENCES TO NEPTUNE



Vanuatu licences

Neptune Minerals Plc (NPM.L) - the AIM listed explorer and developer of Seafloor
Massive Sulphide ("SMS") deposits - announces that it has been granted, pursuant
to the Mines and Minerals Act of the Republic of Vanuatu ("Vanuatu"), ten
prospecting licences (PL 1627-1636) in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Vanuatu.

The licences have been granted to Neptune Minerals (Vanuatu) Limited, a
wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, and cover a total area of 914km2.  Each
licence has been granted for an initial three-year period, with a work
commitment during that time to complete high resolution surface mapping and
geophysics and to collect surface and sub-surface samples.

The tenements are contiguous and cover the Gemini-Oscostar Volcanic Complex,
part of the New Hebrides Arc situated to the south of Aneityum, the southernmost
island of Vanuatu's Tafea island chain. Exploration over this area by
researchers from CSIRO in 2004 recovered sulphide rock samples by dredging and
detected hydrothermal activity. Both are considered strong indications of the
presence of SMS mineralization.



Management Additions

Neptune is pleased to announce further strengthening of its management team with
the appointment of Mr Glen Parsons as Corporate Development Manager and Mr Glenn
Creed as Environment Manager.

Glen Parsons has over 15 years' international experience in corporate finance,
treasury and general management.  During this time he has built new teams and
divisions within various organisations. He became an executive director of RFC
Corporate Finance Ltd, a niche focussed minerals resources investment bank.
Glen was responsible for the successful implementation of the strategic
investment by Newmont Mining Corporation, being a 10.85% equity interest in
Neptune.  He has specific experience in terms of AIM regulation and has been
involved with a number of successful equity and debt raisings for junior and
developing mining companies.

Glenn Creed has 13 years' experience in environment and safety management within
the mining and construction industry, throughout Australia and internationally.
He was part of Placer Dome's global EHS team, consulting to numerous projects
across the South West Pacific, Canada, Africa, China and the Americas.  Through
this position, Glenn was responsible for the environmental management of Placer
Dome's deep sea mineral exploration.  This involved the design, coordination and
management of deep sea monitoring and scientific research programs.  Glenn has
also held positions of Vice President of Sustainability for Nautilus Minerals
and most recently, EHS Manager with a global engineering and construction group.



Neptune's Chief Executive Officer, Dr Simon McDonald, said:

"The granting of the prospecting licences in Vanuatu is another important step
in Neptune's strategy of building a diverse geographic portfolio of quality SMS
acreage. Neptune now has 265,000km2 of granted tenements in New Zealand, Papua
New Guinea, the Federated States of Micronesia and now Vanuatu. This is
complemented by the 362,000km2 of applications Neptune has in five countries".

"We are also delighted that two individuals of the calibre of Glen Parsons and
Glenn Creed have joined the Company. The experience they bring will be critical
as Neptune enters an important growth phase".





                                      END



For further information please contact:



Simon McDonald (Neptune MD and CEO):                     info@nepmins.com

Olly Cairns (Blue Oar Securities Plc, Nomad and Broker): T: +61 (0) 8 6430 1631

Sofia Rehman (Cardew Group, PR):                         T: +44 (0) 20 7930 0777



The Neptune Minerals Website is www.neptuneminerals.com







                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END

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