Hunter Bay Minerals Enters Into Agreement to Acquire Operating Rights in Mazuruni and Puruni Areas of Guyana

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- (Marketwire) -- 06/06/11 -- Hunter Bay Minerals plc ('Hunter Bay') (TSX VENTURE: HBY) is pleased to announce it has entered into a share purchase agreement (the 'Agreement') with Chris Ellis (the 'Vendor') and Dinkely S.A. ('Dinkely') to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Dinkely. Dinkely, a Uruguayan company, has the right to operate, for a period of ten years, the alluvial tailings on 14 medium scale prospecting and mining permits (totalling 14,924 acres) in the Mazuruni and Puruni areas of Guyana.

In consideration for all of the issued and outstanding shares of Dinkely, Hunter Bay will pay an aggregate of USD $300,000 to the Vendor as follows:

--  (a) USD $100,000 on closing of the Agreement;
--  (b) USD $100,000 on or before the date that is three months after
    closing of the Agreement; and
--  (c) USD $100,000 on or before the date that is six months after the
    closing of the Agreement.

The Vendor has also agreed to supply a pilot gold washing plant which will be used for the purpose of Hunter Bay carrying out its operating rights on the alluvial tailings. Hunter Bay has agreed to purchase the plant at cost within 12 months of commissioning provided that the purchase price does not exceed USD $120,000.

Under the terms of the Agreement, Hunter Bay and the Vendor have agreed to form a 70/30 joint venture for the purpose of operating the alluvial tailings on closing. Hunter Bay will be responsible for the management, costs and operations of the joint venture. In the event that any profit is realized from the operations of the alluvial tailings, Hunter Bay will be entitled to 100% cost recovery.

About Mazuruni and Puruni Areas

The Mazuruni and Puruni alluvial fields are located in northern central Guyana where high grade alluvial gold deposits have been worked for decades. The alluvial deposits are hosted by generally well sorted, sand to pebble-sized quartz gravels, which are interpreted to represent palaeochannels. Gold is recovered using simple sluice boxes and recoveries are often poor. The tailings from this process form remain in situ and are identified by their fan-like morphology and their fine-grained, well sorted, quartz-rich composition.

Andrew Tunningley, MAusIMM, a director of Hunter Bay, is a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and is responsible for and approved all technical information in this news release.

About Hunter Bay

Hunter Bay is engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral resource properties located in Canada and South America. Hunter Bay currently owns a one-hundred percent (100%) interest in the Great Bear Lake Properties located in the eastern side of Great Bear Lake, NWT, has an option to acquire up to an eighty percent (80%) interest in the Sela Creek Project located in Suriname, and has an option to acquire a forty five percent (45%) interest in the net profits of the Fortuna Project located in the Nambija Gold District, Ecuador.

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. Hunter Bay cautions that all forward looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond Hunter Bay's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the exploration and development of Hunter Bay's properties, Hunter Bay's limited operating history; the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations; and potential defects in title to Hunter Bay's properties. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially form the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Hunter Bay undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Hunter Bay Minerals plc

Christopher Wilson

CEO and President

( 44) 203-178-2101

( 44) 207-724-2734 (FAX)