VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - May 9, 2011) -

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Macarthur Minerals Limited (News - Market indicators) ("the Company") announces that it is consolidating and expanding its development team with recent new appointments.

The Company plans to commence production of its hematite from its Lake Giles project at a rate of 2 million tonnes per annum beginning late 2012 to early 2013. Production is subject to receiving all necessary governmental and environmental approvals.

Chris O'Brien (General Manager Iron Ore Projects)

Chris is a mining engineer with over 20 years of experience comprising open pit, underground, project management and project development; he has worked for owners, consultants and contractors during this time and has a good rounded experience base. His last several years have being directly involved in leading high performing teams in project development in Western Australia, leading studies and following through into construction. Chris has lead teams that have built new operations at Widgiemooltha Nickel, developed a new mine and new infrastructure at Woodie Woodie Manganese operation and restarted the Coobina Chromite mine. Chris has experience across a large number of commodities and has a strong network in the construction and consulting industries in Western Australia.

Albert Thamm (Chief Geologist)

Albert Thamm is the Chief Geologist at Macarthur Minerals during its development phase. Albert is an Associate Consultant at Coffey Mining in West Perth and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists and a Chartered Professional Member of the AusIMM. He has 20 years experience in exploration and project development and is a QP/CP for iron-ore exploration and resources. Albert has had active involvement in project development in Western and South Australia and his experience includes iron-ore, diamonds, gold, nickel laterite, coal and industrial minerals. Albert has been actively involved in project development at the resource/reserve transition and his experience also includes resource audits, technical valuations, the preparation of Competent and Independent Persons Reports and general exploration consulting.

Cathy Galli (Environmental Manager)

Cathy Galli has 23 years of environmental management experience in five countries in resource ecology, conservation, land management, eco-tourism and mining. She has obtained international recognition for her work in resource ecology, ecotourism and conservation. Cathy has experience in delivery of several projects from conceptual to operational phase involving team building and delivery on management commitments. Her West Australian mining experience includes obtaining environmental approvals for mining in iron ore, gold, nickel, copper and quarrying.

Tony Thompson (Consultant Architect – mining camp planning and construction)

In the ensuring years, Tony has practiced mainly in Queensland on a wide range of projects including high rise apartment buildings, low rise multi-unit complexes, specialist restaurant and entertainment projects as well as manly individual residences.

A large proportion of Tony's work has involved taking projects from inception to completion. Many of these projects have been difficult service and authority intensive restaurant and nightclub projects. These were Project Managed through all of the various Authority applications and approvals to Contract Administrating builders, sub-consultants and suppliers.

Megan Orchard (HR and Camp Services Manager)

Megan brings over 30 years experience in both public and private organizations. She has worked in the areas of human resources, change management, project delivery, customer service and corporate planning. Along with expertise in the area of policy development she has a personal commitment to the development of teams and to the delivery of quality results.

In addition to these recent appointments, the following organisations are continuing their role as consultants to the Company.

Engenium (Engineering Consultants)

Engenium are engaged for consulting on the Company's feasibility and pre-feasibility studies.

Engenium is a project delivery company servicing the resource and infrastructure sectors of Australia. Engenium's service offering includes all aspects of project development from early metallurgical testwork programs, scoping/feasibility studies, engineering design and construction management. Founded in 2003, Engenium has assisted numerous junior, mid-tier and major companies in the Australian mining sector with the development of their iron ore projects. Clients include Atlas Iron, BC Iron, BHPBilliton, Brockman Resources, Cazaly Mining, Golden West Resources, Polaris Metals, Reed Resources, Rio Tinto, Sherwin Iron and Warwick Resources. Over the past 8 years Engenium has built up a significant database of knowledge with resource projects, and in particular hematite and magnetite operations. For further information regarding Engenium, please view the company website www.engenium.com.au

CSA Global (Geological and Mining Consultant)

CSA Global is a leading geological, mining and management consulting company whose staff include geologists, mining engineers, project managers, data management professionals and technical personnel. CSA has been operating from Perth, Western Australia since 1986. It an independent company, with origins dating back to 1984 as part of CSA Group founded in Ireland. CSA now has offices in the UK, Indonesia, Darwin and Brisbane. CSA Global has a high level of technical expertise in most mineral commodities gained from over twenty years' experience within the exploration and mining industry at an international level. It has experience in all stages of the mining cycle from project generation to production.

ABOUT MACARTHUR MINERALS LIMITED (News - Market indicators)

Macarthur Minerals Limited, is a Perth, Australia based resource development company that is currently focused on developing its Lake Giles Iron Ore project, located in the Yilgarn iron ore district in Western Australia. The Lake Giles project is located 110Km from rail with direct access to the Port of Esperance, Western Australia. The project has a resource of 1.3 billion tonnes of Magnetite mineralization that has been reported in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, and 18 million tonnes of potential Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) Goethite/Hematite at 55.5% Fe.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

MACARTHUR MINERALS LIMITED

Alan Phillips, President, Chairman & CEO

Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements

The forward-looking statements in this document reflect the current expectations, assumptions or beliefs of the Company based upon information currently available to the Company. With respect to forward-looking statements contained in this document, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the reliability of information prepared and/or published by third parties that is referenced in this document or was otherwise relied upon by the Company in preparing this document. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct as actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The term "ore" in DSO is not meant to imply economic viability has been established. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forwardlooking statements include unforseen technology changes that results in a reduction in iron or magnetite demand or substitution by other metals or materials, the discovery of new large low cost deposits of iron ore or magnetite and the general level of global economic activity. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. Such statements relate to future events and expectations and, as such, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are made as of the date of this document. Except as may otherwise be required pursuant to applicable laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.