drilling update

Hambledon Mining PLC

12 July 2011

Hambledon Mining plc
(â€œHambledonâ€ or â€œCompanyâ€)

Latest drilling results from Sekisovskoye Underground Project, Kazakhstan

Hambledon Mining plc (AIM: HMB), the Kazakhstan gold mining and development company, continues to advance its underground drill programme to validate and expand the geological resources at Sekisovskoye, and today reports the assay results of a further 12 drill holes.

Key assay results from the programme carried out during May and June 2011 are as follows:

29 drill holes completed to date, all have intersected gold mineralisation
150% increase in the average thickness of gold mineralisation
Over 4,800 metres drilled of planned 25,000 metre programme
Significant intersections include:
- Hole D132 â€“ 10m at 9.8 g/t Au, 11m at 2.61 g/t Au,
- Hole D128 â€“ 29m at 2.6 g/t Au, 11m at 4.5 g/t Au, 8.7m at 2.6 g/t Au
- Hole D128.1 â€“ 22m at 2.82 g/t Au, 34m at 2.71 g/t Au, 24m at 2.87 g/t Au, 5.4m at 9.6 g/t Au,
- Hole D129 â€“ 5.6m at 5.26 g/t Au, 12m at 2.2 g/t Au
- Hole D126.1 â€“ 10.3m at 5 g/t Au

To date, 29 drill holes have been completed and the results have confirmed the geometry of the resource and validity of the current resource model. The analytical work was carried out in the Altai Ken-Bayitu laboratory with independent assay verification undertaken by the Alex Stewart Group in Karabalta, Kyrgyzstan.

The Sekisovskoye deposit comprises approximately ten large mineralised zones intermingled with an additional 190 narrow and sinuous mineralised zones. The zones of mineralisation show wide variation in thickness from 0.35 metres to 30 metres with a new revised average of 5.5 metres and localised pinch and swell structure, with variable gold and silver content. This increase in average width of mineralisation is significant as it is greater than assay results received from drilling undertaken in the 1990s and historically by the Soviet exploration programmes. These width extensions hence lead to an increased volume of economic mineral resources, and enhance mine-ability and extraction.

The recent drilling has been aligned to the mine planning work for stope definition. This information is to be used by Golders Associates in their current geological modelling of Sekisovskoye at 1.0 g/t Au cut of grade boundary. This modelling forms the basis for the detailed mine engineering that is also being undertaken by Golders. The Board expect to be able to update shareholders of the result of both studies together with its mineable underground reserve statement in Q4 2011.

Tim Daffern, CEO, commented â€œFollowing on from the early encouraging results of the first 17 drill holes, we are pleased to report additional assay results from a further 12 holes of our underground drill programme. It is particularly pleasing to see an increase in the average thickness of gold mineralisation which, if continued along the orebody, would increase the volume of economic mineral resources. The latest set of results are in line with, and in some cases better than, our expectations.

Appendix 1
Sekisovskoye 2011 - Drill result summary hole 18 to hole 29.

â„–

HOLE

COORDINATES

DEPTH

GOLD MINERALIZATION_ore intervals

AZI

DIP

drilled

core

total

FROM

LENGTH

AA-AKB LAB, AU, g/t

D76

7512.076

6936.655

324.24

226

-31

170.1

6.00

7.00

1.00

2.87

64.00

65.00

1.00

1.51

75.00

76.00

1.00

1.78

93.00

94.00

1.00

115

117

8.75

D132

7568.109

6653.11

325.013

-52

219

1.88

2.82

1.2

1.33

1.01

1.17

1.45

1.5

1.96

9.8

101

102

1.94

110

121

2.61

167

168

1.18

180

181

198

200

4.08

207

208

1.2

D131

7568.645

6653.06

325.384

42.5

-43

216

2.83

1.79

1.02

2.01

1.61

1.2

2.1

9.64

111.5

112.5

137.5

141.5

1.89

164.5

165.5

1.08

167.5

168.5

2.22

201.5

202.5

1.77

D66.1

7453.572

6934.403

323.943

-63

136.8

1.6

1.1

3.03

9.61

1.27

D128

7610.455

6693.385

323.633

225

-79.5

161.7

1.43

1.26

2.17

2.07

1.63

1.58

7.77

1.14

102

131

2.6

135

136

1.12

139

150

4.5

153

161.7

8.7

2.57

D84

7559.281

6928.389

323.373

225

-45

184

1.74

111

112

1.41

179

183

1.18

D128.1

7610.375

6693.141

323.576

223.5

-67

160.4

2.82

1.17

2.04

8.4

2.27

1.36

1.06

124

2.71

128

152

2.87

155

160.4

5.4

9.59

D129

7610.41

6693.216

323.676

224

-54

151

1.98

6.65

1.36

6.71

2.94

2.55

102

107

5.26

113.4

119

5.6

2.65

122

129

2.55

132

144.7

12.7

2.15

D130

7608.602

6692.994

324.415

226

-32

125.8

1.58

1.79

1.66

1.08

1.21

2.26

5.27

D85

7559.279

6928.365

323.639

225

-29

199

100

101

111

112

1.38

129

130

1.64

148

149

1.1

150

151

1.1

179

180

3.83

D127

7572.081

6710.801

324.15

228.5

-29

124.4

3.66

3.29

2.3

1.26

2.61

82.5

2.5

2.1

1.04

1.87

115

116

2.55

D126.1

7576.253

6715.763

323.914

-43

164.9

1.62

1.06

1.17

1.91

2.39

1.22

72.3

10.3

Qualified Person

Information in this report relating to the exploration results is based on data reviewed by Timothy Daffern, BEng, MBA, FIMMM, MIMMM, MCIM, Chartered Mining Engineer, Chief Executive Officer of Hambledon Mining plc. Timothy Daffern has in excess of 22 yearsâ€™ experience in mineral project development and evaluation including exploration and is a Qualified Person under the AIM Rules.

ENQUIRIES:

HAMBLEDON MINING:

Telephone +44 (0)207 233 1462

Charles Zorab

FAIRFAX I.S. PLC (NOMAD AND BROKER):

Telephone +44 (0)207 598 5368

Ewan Leggat/Katy Birkin

TAVISTOCK COMMUNICATIONS:

Telephone +44 (0)207 920 3150

Ed Portman/Jos Simson