African Queen Achieves Important Advances in its Yellowjacket Gold Project During Summer 2016 Work Program

(via Thenewswire.ca)

Vancouver, British Columbia / TheNewswire / October 5 2016 - AFRICAN QUEEN MINES LTD. (the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has advanced its Yellowjacket Gold Project in Atlin, BC (the “Project”) in a number of important respects during its summer 2016 work program which commenced in June.  These include:

1. (i)completion of numerous steps to bring the Yellowjacket Gold Mine Permits into compliance with provincial and federal environmental rules and regulations; 

2. (ii)upgrades to the Project infrastructure; 

3. (iii)completion of a successful Phase 1 diamond drilling program;  

4. (iv)expansion of the Company’s mineral tenures nearly five-fold in the Atlin District; and 

5. (v)assembling an outstanding technical team comprised of highly experienced professionals, many with local experience.  

At the time of acquisition of the Yellowjacket Project by the Company, environmental monitoring and filing of annual reports required for compliance with the Yellowjacket Mine Permit were delinquent as a result of a lapse by predecessor operators.  African Queen’s Management has made it a top priority to move toward full compliance with provincial and federal environmental regulations as quickly as possible.  To this end, the Company conducted an intensive program consisting of collecting stream, groundwater and leachate samples and has filed a number of required reports.  

At the Federal level, Management has been working with the Federal Environmental Protection Operations Directorate and is in compliance with the Federal Metal Mining Effluent Regulation (MMER).  At the Provincial level, as required under its Mining Permit M-235, as amended, the Company has provided the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines with: (a) an Annual Reclamation Report for 2015, (b) a 2016 Mine Plan and Reclamation Program Update, detailing the current status of operations, monitoring and maintenance at the Yellowjacket Gold Mine, and (c) a 2016 Care & Maintenance Manual, which details environmental management objectives and monitoring being implemented by the Company.  In this connection, the Company has now re-initiated required environmental monitoring activities, the final round of which has now been completed.  The Company is presently working to effectuate transfer of the prior operator’s BC Ministry of Environment Effluent Discharge Permit to the Company.

At the time the Company assumed control of the Project, it had fallen into a state of neglect with little or no maintenance for an extended period of time.   The Company has worked diligently in recent months to improve the infrastructure at the Project site and bring it into compliance with applicable health and safety standards as well as best industry practices.  To this end, the Company undertook a comprehensive site clean-up, repaired and upgraded office, lab and first aid trailers, repaired an important bridge accessing the site, fixed roads, and examined, inventoried and secured equipment on site.  All in all, management made big strides in rejuvenating the project and restoring it to a proper state of care and maintenance.

As detailed in the Company’s Press Release dated September 28, 2016, the Company recently completed a 4-hole diamond drilling program at the Project.  This program confirmed continuity of the gold mineralized down-dip and up-dip at the Yellowjacket Zone with several significant intersections, including 37.1 g/t gold over 1.08 metres in hole YJ16-02.

As detailed in the Company’s Press Release dated September 21, 2016, the Company completed a series of property acquisitions over the summer with the result that the Company now controls 51 mineral claims, 3 placer claims and one placer lease covering an aggregate of 271 km2 of strategic ground in the Atlin District.  This represents a nearly five-fold increase in the Company’s mineral tenures in the District from its initial acquisition of 55 km2 covering and surrounding the Yellowjacket Gold Mine.  The preponderance of its tenures are comprised of hard rock mineral claims associated with historically significant placer gold mining areas including Pine Creek, Spruce Creek, McKee Creek, Wright Creek and others.

Management is delighted to have been able to assemble an outstanding team of technical professionals to carry out the Company’s exploration programs in the Atlin District, including:

• -Linda Dandy, P.Geo., Consulting Geologist, is a Qualified Person under NI 43-101 and provides on-site supervision and guidance at the Project.  She is a local resident with over 35 years experience in exploration and development, including prior experience at the Project.  

  -Reinhard Ramdohr, Ph.D., is serving as Head of Exploration and Project Manager and brings 40 years of exploration experience worldwide.  

  -Ian Coster, B.Sc., is an Atlin-based geologist with 35 years of experience including supervision of drill programs and core logging.  

  -Jill Pardoe, P.Geo., Consulting Geologist, is a Qualified Person with over 35 years experience in exploration as well as previously serving as Senior Inspector of Mines, Permitting with the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines.  She oversees environmental compliance and permitting matters for the Project.  

  -Clive Aspinall, P.Geo., Consulting Geologist, brings 40 years exploration experience and a keen understanding of Atlin’s regional geology.  

  -Matt Conley, experienced fabricator of mining and drilling equipment with over 5 years experience including work in Atlin, is serving as the Mine Manager of the Project.  

According to Irwin Olian, CEO of the Company, “We are delighted with the progress our outstanding technical team has made in recent months in advancing the Project on all fronts.  We have brought the Project back to life and created an outstanding opportunity for future success through our extensive property acquisitions.  The Company is now well-positioned as the leading hard-rock explorer in the Atlin District.”  

Linda Dandy, P.Geo., a Qualified Person within the meaning of N.I. 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this press release.  

About African Queen

The Company is an exploratory resource company engaged in exploration and development of mineral properties in Canada and Africa.  It is presently focusing on development of its Yellowjacket Gold Project in Atlin, British Columbia, which covers an aggregate of approximately 271 km2.  The Company has its executive offices in Vancouver, Canada.  The Company was incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, Canada, on April 30, 2008, and received certain southern African assets in a spin off transaction related to the acquisition of Pan African Mining Corp. by Asia Thai Mining Co., Ltd.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
AFRICAN QUEEN MINES, LTD.

“Irwin Olian”                       
Irwin Olian
Chairman & CEO

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The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of the information contained herein.  The statements made in this press release may contain certain forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties.  Actual events or results may differ from the Company’s expectations.

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