Altan Rio Minerals Limited, TSX.V: AMO (“Altan
Rio” or the “Company”) announces today that the earn-in for 90%
ownership in one of the Onon epithermal gold project (“Onon”)
tenements in northeastern Mongolia, as referred to in the Company”s July 10th,
2012 announcement, is now complete.

Altan Rio completed the earn-in with Erdenyn Erel
LLC, a private Mongolian company, for 90% interest in one of the three Onon
tenements with a final payment of 240,000 common shares in the capital of Altan
Rio. The shares are subject to a four-month escrow expiring on November 13th,
2012, in accordance with TSX Venture Exchange policy. The Company owns 100% of
the remaining two tenements.

The earn-in dated August 2008, as amended May 2010,
October 2010, May 2011, and May 2012, gives Altan Rio Mongolia LLC, a wholly
owned subsidiary of the Company, the option to acquire an undivided 90%
interest in one of the Onon tenements. With this final share payment of 240,000
shares (substituted for the final cash payment of USD $60,000, as per the May
2012 amendment), the Company has satisfied all requirements of the earn-in
including exploration expenditures of USD $900,000, cash payments totaling USD
$100,000 and a share payment of 240,000 shares made to Erdenyn Erel LLC.

Canada Newswire