Issue of Convertible Performance Shares

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 6 February 2008 NEPTUNE MINERALS PLC ("Neptune" or the "Company") ISSUE OF CONVERTIBLE PERFORMANCE SHARES Neptune (AIM: NPM), a leading explorer and developer of precious- and base-metal seafloor massive sulphide (SMS) deposits in off-shore New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Federated States of Micronesia and Vanuatu, announces that it has issued 200,000 convertible performance shares in the Company as part of the Company's staff executive incentive plan. The total number of convertible performance shares on issue following this award is 2,011,250. The recently issued convertible performance shares have the same conversion conditions attached to them as those previously on issue and have no voting rights prior to conversion occurring. One quarter of the convertible performance shares will be capable of vesting as each of the following separate Performance Conditions is satisfied: * A Share Price Performance Condition that will be satisfied when the Company's share price remains above £0.75 per share over a period of more than sixty (60) consecutive days; * A Phase One Milestone Performance Condition will be satisfied when the Company's exploration activities of SMS targets, verifies, to the satisfaction of the board, that the geological model as set out in the Admission Document has been established; * A Phase Two Milestone Performance Condition will be satisfied upon completion of an independent technical study, commissioned by the Company, demonstrating to the satisfaction of the Board, that the mining and lifting the ore to the sea surface can be achieved; * A Phase Three Milestone Performance will be satisfied upon completion of an independent feasibility study, commissioned by the Company, demonstrating to the satisfaction of the Board, both the technical and commercial viability of mining SMS deposits. The share price performance condition is separate from the three milestone conditions. The three milestone conditions must be satisfied consecutively unless the Board decides otherwise. END For further information please contact: Simon McDonald (Neptune MD and CEO): info@nepmins.com Richard Hail (Fox Davies Capital Limited, Broker): T: +44 (0) 207 936 5200 Fiona Owen (Grant Thornton Corporate Finance, Nomad): T: +44 (0) 20 7383 5100 Rozanne Ichikowitz (Grant Thornton, Nomad) T: +61 (0)2 8297 2522 Sofia Rehman (Cardew Group, PR): T: +44 (0) 20 7930 0777 The Neptune Minerals Website is www.neptuneminerals.com ---END OF MESSAGE---