Search Minerals Announces the Granting of a United States Patent for the Starved Acid Leach Technology (SALT) Process. Testing and Evaluation of SALT Continues

VANCOUVER, Feb. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ – Search Minerals Inc. (“Search” or the “Company”) (TSXV: SMY) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Alterra Resources Inc., are pleased to
announce that the United States Patent Office has granted a United
States patent for the Starved Acid Leach Technology (SALT).  United
States Patent Number 8,361,191 was issued January 29, 2013 with the
title “Low Acid Leaching of Nickel and Cobalt from Lean Iron-Containing
Nickel Ores”.  Dr. David Dreisinger (Vice President of Metallurgy and
Director) and Jim Clucas (President, CEO and Director) are listed as
the inventors with all patent rights assigned to Search.

Search expects to be able to treat lower grade saprolite ores and Caron
plant residues by this technology and Search intends to seek out such
deposits around the world.

Search is further pleased to announce that patent applications have been
filed in several countries for nickel laterite processing using the
SALT Process.  Separate applications have been lodged with the national
patent offices in Brazil, Cuba, the Philippines, Australia, Europe
(including the French overseas territory of New Caledonia), Indonesia,
Colombia and the Organization of African States (including the Ivory
Coast, the Republic of Cameroon and the Republic of Guinea).  The
national patent applications will be examined by the respective
national patent offices in each of these countries.  The national
patents will be granted once the national patent applications comply
with the requirements of the relevant patent office.

Search has now received a positive report from Votorantim Metais
(Brazil) with respect to pilot plant testing of Caron plant waste
materials from Niquelandia (Brazil). The report is under review and
consideration by Votorantim and Search. Pilot plant testing of the Cipo
nickel laterite project (Votorantim Novos Negócios Ltda) has also been
successfully concluded. Evaluation of the technical results and the
associated cost and engineering studies is ongoing.

Bench scale evaluation of a suite of nickel laterite samples from the
Pomalaa deposit of PT ANTAM (Persero) Tbk has been conducted via a
service agreement at the University of British Columbia Hydrometallurgy
Laboratory under the supervision of Dr. David Dreisinger.  The results
of the testing have been forwarded to PT ANTAM for review and comment.

About Search:

Search Minerals Inc. (TSXV:SMY) is a TSX Venture Exchange listed
company, headquartered in Vancouver, B.C. Search is the discoverer of
the Port Hope Simpson REE District, a highly prospective light and
heavy REE belt located in southeast Labrador where the company controls
a dominant land position in a belt 135km long and up to 12km wide.  In
addition, Search has a number of other mineral prospects in its
portfolio located in Newfoundland and Labrador, including a number of
claims in the Strange Lake Complex, where Quest Rare Minerals has an
earn-in agreement with the Company; and at the Red Wine Complex, where
Great Western Minerals Group has a Joint Venture with the Company.

Furthermore, Search Minerals is the owner of the Starved Acid Leaching
Technology (patents pending) (“SALT”), a process with the potential to
economically recover nickel and cobalt from known deposits currently
considered sub economic.

Search Minerals is led by a management team and Board of Directors with
a proven track record in the mining industry. The Company has
experienced geological and metallurgical teams led by Dr. Randy Miller
and Dr. David Dreisinger, respectively.

All material information on the Company may be found on its website at www.searchminerals.ca and on SEDAR at sedar.com.

About PT ANTAM (Persero) Tbk

ANTAM(ASX:ATM; IDX:ANTM), is a vertically integrated, export-oriented,
diversified mining and metals company.  With operations spread
throughout the mineral-rich Indonesian archipelago, ANTAM undertakes
all activities from exploration, excavation, processing through to
marketing of nickel ore, ferronickel, gold, silver and bauxite.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider
(as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange)
accepts responsibility of the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Search Minerals Inc.