Nautilus Minerals: State Nominee's Option

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Dec. 11, 2015) - Nautilus Minerals Inc. (TSX:NUS)(OTCQX:NUSMF)(OTC:NUSMF Nasdaq Intl Designation) (the "Company" or "Nautilus") announces that the Independent State of Papua New Guinea's nominee, Eda Kopa (Solwara) Limited ("State Nominee"), the Company's joint venture partner in the Solwara 1 Project ("Project") in Papua New Guinea, has elected not to exercise its option to take up to a further 15% interest in the Project.

Nautilus and the State Nominee, which maintains a 15% interest in the Project, continue to work together to complete the seafloor production system to be used at the Project site when mining is planned to commence in Q1 2018.

Links:

http://www.nautilusminerals.com/IRM/PDF/1601/NautilusandStateNomineeagreetoextendoptionexercised

http://www.nautilusminerals.com/IRM/PDF/1455/US113millionreleasedtoNautilusandSolwara1JVformed

For more information please refer to www.nautilusminerals.com.

Neither the TSX nor the OTCQX accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Certain of the statements made in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements with respect to the plan to commence mining at the Project site in Q1 2018. We have made numerous assumptions about such statements, including assumptions relating to the funding, completion and operation of the Company's seafloor production system. Even though our management believes the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information by its nature involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Please refer to our most recently filed Annual Information Form in respect of material assumptions and risks related to the prospects of extracting minerals from the seafloor and other risks relating to the Company's business and plans for development of the Solwara 1 Project. The Company is assuming that the seafloor production system will be built and operate according to the Nautilus specifications and on schedule. Risks related to such arrangement include delay to the delivery of the seafloor production equipment and a consequent delay to the commencement of production. Risks related to advancing towards production include the risk that the Company will be unable to obtain at all or on acceptable terms the remaining financing necessary to fund completion of the build and deployment of the Company's seafloor production system. As the Company has not completed an economic study in respect of the Solwara 1 Project, there can be no assurance that the Company's production plans will, if fully funded and implemented, successfully demonstrate that seafloor resource production is commercially viable. Except as required by law, we do not expect to update forward-looking statements and information as conditions change and you are referred to the full discussion of the Company's business contained in the Company's reports filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada.

About Nautilus Minerals Inc.

Nautilus is the first company to explore the ocean floor for polymetallic seafloor massive sulphide deposits. Nautilus was granted the first mining lease for such deposits at the prospect known as Solwara 1, in the territorial waters of Papua New Guinea, where it is aiming to produce copper, gold and silver. The company has also been granted its environmental permit for this site.

Nautilus also holds highly prospective exploration acreage in the western Pacific (granted and under application), as well as in international waters in the Central Pacific.

A Canadian registered company, Nautilus is listed on the TSX:NUS stock exchange and trades on the OTCQX:NUSMF. Its corporate office is in Brisbane, Australia. Its major shareholders include MB Holding Company LLC, an Oman based group with interests in mining, oil & gas, which holds a 28.14% interest, Metalloinvest, the largest iron ore producer in Europe and the CIS, which has a 20.89% holding and global mining group Anglo American, which holds a 5.99% interest (each on a non-diluted basis, excluding loan shares outstanding under the Company's share loan plan).