Star Diamond Corp.: Orion South Diamond Project - Commencement of the 2019 Trench Cutter Bulk Sampling Program

Cutter rigs by Bauer Maschinen GmbH ("Bauer") are used around the world for complex engineering projects. Bauer has indicated that this will be the first time in the world that this technology will be used in an active project to sample kimberlite at depths of up 250 meters. The Trench Cutter Sampling Rig consists of a Bauer BC 50 Cutter mounted on a Bauer MC 128 Duty-cycle Crane. The Trench Cutter Sampling Rig is designed to sample large volumes of kimberlite by excavating a rectangular hole of 3.2 by 1.5 metres. Each ten metres of advance down hole, within the kimberlite, will yield some 100 tonnes of sample. The Trench Cutter Sampling Rig's cutter head has been designed to excavate kimberlite fragments up to 80 millimetres in diameter, which are then pumped in a slurry to surface.

The Trench Cutter Sampling Rig was successfully initiated in October 2018, prior to winter shutdown, with the first hole reaching a depth of 37.1 metres below surface. The Trench Cutter Sampling Rig successfully excavated the sand and till overburden and returned a substantial proportion of large (up to 80 millimetre) fragments from the till. The encouraging performance of the Trench Cutter Sampling Rig was unfortunately constrained by the commissioning of the first desanding plant, which did not operate at design capacity. A redesigned Kimberlite Separation Unit ("KSU") has been manufactured and delivered to site. This KSU is designed to recover kimberlite fragments between 80 and 0.85 millimetres from the Trench Cutter Sampling Rig slurry. Washed kimberlite material will then be collected in cubic metre bulk bags for delivery to an on-site Bulk Sample Plant ("BSP"). Assembly of the BSP is currently underway. The Trench Cutter Sampling Rig and associated KSU have been designed by RTEC to minimize diamond breakage during sample excavation, washing and bagging. Well washed kimberlite material will help ensure optimal performance of RTEC's on-site BSP. Final diamond recovery is to be conducted by RTEC at a secure off-site facility.

Senior Vice President Exploration and Development, George Read, states: "The Trench Cutter Sampling Rig bulk sample program is an important milestone in the evaluation of the Star Kimberlite by RTEC. The successful use of this new Trench Cutter Sampling Rig technology for the recovery of kimberlite bulk samples has the ability to revolutionize future bulk sampling and mining of kimberlites, particularly for kimberlites characteristic of the Fort à la Corne diamond district of central Saskatchewan, Canada."

Star Diamond Corp. is a Canadian based corporation engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties. Shares of the Corporation trade on the TSX Exchange under the trading symbol "DIAM". The Corporation's Fort à la Corne kimberlites (including the Star - Orion South Diamond Project, or "Project") are located in central Saskatchewan in close proximity to established infrastructure, including paved highways and the electrical power grid, which provide significant advantages for future mine development.

All technical information in this press release has been prepared under the supervision of George Read, Senior Vice-President of Exploration and Development, a registered Professional Geoscientist in the Provinces of Saskatchewan and British Columbia and Mark Shimell, Project Manager, a registered Professional Geoscientist in the Province of Saskatchewan, who are the Corporation's "Qualified Persons" under the definition of NI 43-101.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined by certain securities laws, including the "safe harbour" provisions of Canadian securities legislation and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "forecast", "target", "project", "guidance", "may", "will", "should", "could", "estimate", "predict" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or language suggesting an outlook. In particular, statements regarding the Corporation's future operations, future exploration and development activities or other development plans constitute forward-looking statements. By their nature, statements referring to mineral reserves, Mineral Resources Ltd., PEA or TFFE constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained or implied in this press release include, but are not limited to, RTEC's and the Corporation's objectives for the ensuing year, including the proposed bulk sampling program.

These forward-looking statements are based on the Corporation's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to it and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific.

Risks exist that forward-looking statements will not be achieved due to a number of factors including, but not limited to, developments in world diamond markets, changes in diamond prices, risks relating to fluctuations in the Canadian dollar and other currencies relative to the US dollar, changes in exploration, development or mining plans due to exploration results and changing budget priorities of the Corporation or its partners, the effects of competition in the markets in which the Corporation operates, the impact of changes in the laws and regulations regulating mining exploration, development, closure, judicial or regulatory judgments and legal proceedings, operational and infrastructure risks and the additional risks described in the Corporation's most recently filed Annual Information Form, annual and interim MD&A. The Corporation's anticipation of and success in managing the foregoing risks could cause actual results to differ materially from what is anticipated in such forward-looking statements.

Although management considers the assumptions contained in forward-looking statements to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, those assumptions may prove to be incorrect. When making decisions with respect to the Corporation, investors and others should not place undue reliance on these statements and should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Unless required by applicable securities law, the Corporation does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that is made herein.

SOURCE Star Diamond Corp.



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