MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Jan 30, 2018) - Midland Exploration Inc. ("Midland") (TSX VENTURE:MD) is pleased to report that drilling will resume on the Vortex zone, located in the west part of the Casault property held in joint venture (50/50) with SOQUEM INC. ("SOQUEM"). The Vortex zone is a new "syenite-associated disseminated gold" discovery located along the Sunday Lake Fault, about 40 kilometres east of the Detour Lake mine. This open pit mine hosts mineral reserves estimated at 14.1 million ounces of gold ("Moz Au") consisting in proven reserves of 87.7 million tonnes grading 1.27 g/t Au for 3.58 Moz Au, and probable reserves of 353.8 million tonnes grading 0.92 g/t Au for 10.49 Moz Au. (Midland cautions that the mineralization at the Detour Lake Mine may not be indicative of the mineralization that may be identified on the Casault property and Vortex Zone). The Casault gold project consists of 315 claims (173 square kilometres) that cover the Sunday Lake Fault over more than 20 kilometres strike length.

This new drilling program will consist in a minimum of nine (9) drill holes totalling approximately 3,500 metres and its main objective will be to test the strike extensions of the Vortex zone at a 100-metre spacing to the east, and a 200-metre spacing to the west. The program will also test the continuity of the Vortex zone at a vertical depth of 250 metres, below drill holes CAS-17-93, CAS-17-95 and CAS-17-96. Subsequent to this campaign, which is scheduled to begin in mid-February, the Vortex zone will have been tested over a strike length of more than 800 metres and to vertical depths ranging from the surface to approximately 250 metres. This campaign is also expected to result in the identification of new vectors to locate the core of this major gold system.

The Vortex zone includes four (4) parallel gold-bearing zones named 475, 450, 435 and 425, and was discovered in the fall of 2017, at the junction between the Sunday Lake Fault and the western end of a Timiskaming-type conglomerate basin. The gold system has been traced in drill hole over a strike length of at least 500 metres and remains open in all directions (see press release by Midland dated January 17, 2018).

Zone Vortex 450 (best results)

• 1.38 g/t Au over 26.2 m (from 155.80 to 182.00 m), incl. 7.87 g/t Au over 2.2 m (from 179.8 to 182.0 m), incl. 14.55 g/t Au over 0.8 m (from 180.2 to 181.0 m) (CAS-17-96)
• 1.30 g/t Au over 23.5 m (from 77.0 to 100.5 m), incl. 3.46 g/t Au over 6.0 m (from 89.0 to 95.0 m), incl. 23.6 g/t Au over 0.5 m (from 94.5 to 95.0 m) (CAS-17-95)
• 2.10 g/t Au over 6.7 m (from 182.8 to 189.5 m), incl. 6.82 g/t Au over 0.4 m (from 188.4 to 188.8 m) and 5.58 g/t Au over 0.4 m (from 189.1 to 189.5 m) (CAS-17-93)
• 1.91 g/t Au over 7.2 m (from 259.8 to 267.0 m), incl. 5.18 g/t Au over 1.4 m (from 265.6 to 267.0 m) (CAS-17-94)

Zone Vortex 435 (best results)

• 3.45 g/t Au over 2.8 m (from 209.85 to 212.65 m), incl. 5.0 g/t Au over 0.95 m (from 211.7 to 212.65 m) (CAS-17-93)

Zone Vortex 475 (best results)

• 18.7 g/t Au over 0.5 m (from 126.5 to 127.0 m) (CAS-17-96)

Note: True thicknesses cannot be determined with the information available at this time; intervals are therefore reported in core length.

The Vortex gold zone is characterized by the presence of monzonitic alkaline intrusions that are predominantly altered to hematite, magnetite, carbonates and albite, and that contain disseminated pyrite mineralization. These alkaline intrusions commonly occur along contacts and within a sequence of highly deformed fragmental units near the regional Sunday Lake Fault. The high-grade Lower Detour gold deposit (Zone 58N), located approximately 40 kilometres west of Vortex, is also described as associated with alkaline intrusions. This type of gold mineralization is known as "syenite-associated disseminated gold" (Robert, 2001). A number of very significant gold deposits in the southern Abitibi belong to this category, namely Canadian Malartic, Young-Davidson and Holt-McDermott (Robert, 2001).

Maps showing the location of the Casault property and the new Vortex gold zone may be consulted by using the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Casault_Janvier.pdf.

Quality Control

All analyses were performed by ALS Minerals in Val-d'Or, Quebec. All samples were analyzed for gold by fire assay with atomic absorption (AA) finish on 30-gram fractions, and all samples with grades above 3.0 g/t Au were reanalyzed with gravimetric finish. For quality control purposes, certified standards and blanks were inserted in all sample batches at regular intervals in the sample stream. All data were reviewed by Mario Masson, certified geologist and VP for Midland, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

About SOQUEM

SOQUEM, a subsidiary of Ressources Québec, is a leading player in mineral exploration in Québec. Its mission is to explore, discover and develop mining properties in Québec. SOQUEM has participated in more than 350 exploration projects and contributed to major discoveries of gold, diamonds, lithium and other minerals.