MacDonald Mines Begins Metallurgical Testing of the Oxide Sands at its Wawa-Holdsworth Project

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - April 5, 2017) - MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:BMK) ("MacDonald Mines", or the "Company") has shipped approximately 100kg of oxide sands to SGS Minerals Services to conduct metallurgical testing and investigate potential processing methods for the Wawa-Holdsworth Pyrite prospect.

The Wawa-Holdsworth Pyrite prospect is a gold and silver bearing, black coloured, "oxidized cap" ("oxide sands") that overlies a massive pyrite zone. The strike of the pyrite zone runs over 2 km and its thickness ranges from 2 to 10 metres. The oxide sands reach a depth of more than 8 metres. A sampling program of the oxide sands conducted in 2002 produced an average grade of 4.03 g/t gold and 30.89 g/t silver. Preliminary mill testing by normal vat leach processing without crushing or other processing resulted in a 94 % gold recovery (Seymour M. Sears, P. Geo., 2002).

The metallurgical testing initiated by MacDonald Mines will investigate simple processing methods that require no chemicals to concentrate the gold and silver and achieve the highest possible recovery.

To evaluate multiple options the following will be completed:

• Head assays;
• Mineralogical characterization of the feed;
• Bond ball mill grindability test;
• Heavy liquid separation testing;
• Knelson Concentrator testing;
• Flotation and leach testing on gravity tailings as diagnostic tests.

Quentin Yarie, MacDonald's President and CEO commented: "In the few months our team has worked on the Wawa-Holdsworth Project, we've already initiated a bulk sampling program of the oxides sands, initiated metallurgical test work on the immediate gold target on the property and secured a 100% interest in the property. Following spring breakup, the Company will ramp up its sampling program to better define the oxide sands and continue to prepare for their potential extraction."

Wawa-Holdsworth Project Highlights

• Approximately 285 hectares, 20 kilometres northeast of the town of Wawa
• Neighbouring Argonaut's >6Moz gold Magino Deposit & Richmont's >1Moz gold Island Gold Mine
• Numerous gold showings with diversified mineralization styles occurring in a 500 metres-wide deformation corridor
• Year-long road access and easy access to rail, road, electrical power, labour force and suppliers

Qualified Person

Quentin Yarie, P Geo. is the qualified person responsible for preparing, supervising and approving the scientific and technical content of this news release.

About MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd.

MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd. is a mineral exploration company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario focused on gold and silica exploration in Canada. The Company has built a portfolio of safe-jurisdiction, infrastructure-rich projects that demonstrate the greatest market potential for return. The Company is aggressively advancing its highly prospective Wawa-Holdsworth Project and has recently signed a binding LOI to secure 100% interest in the Holdsworth property.

The Company's common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "BMK".

To learn more about MacDonald Mines, please visit www.macdonaldmines.com

This News Release contains forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may", "should", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "predicts", "potential" or "continue" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our or our industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.