BLUE NOTE: FINAL ASSAYS FROM CROINOR PHASE 1 DRILLING CONFIRM WIDESPREAD RESERVE BLOCK EXTENSIONS

MONTREAL, May 18 /CNW/ --
MONTREAL, May 18 /CNW Telbec/ - Blue Note Mining Inc. (TSXV: BNT) and
Critical Elements Corporation (TSXV: CRE) are pleased to announce
results from the final 12 holes of the first phase 2011 diamond drill
program at the Croinor Gold Project located in Val d'Or, Quebec.

The 2011 drill program which commenced in February, 2011 set out to
increase Mineral resources and Mineral reserves laterally east and west
along strike, within the current reserve block and at depth (see press
release of December 6, 2010). This first phase of the Croinor drill
program included 7,185 meters drilled in 23 holes.

All assays have now been received for holes drilled to test the host
diorite sill to the west of the ore reserves reported in the July, 2010
43-101 compliant prefeasibility study. The assays confirm the potential
to significantly increase the resource along strike to the west, and
indicate the presence of gold mineralization near the footwall contact
between the diorite dyke and volcanics. This is significant in that
much of the historical drilling focused on testing the diorite dyke
closer to the hanging wall without drilling through to the footwall of
the dyke.

The results obtained for the 2011 drill program to date clearly
demonstrate the potential to increase the Croinor mineral resource to
the east of the current reserve (see press release dated 26 April
2011), within the current reserve block and to the west of the current
reserves. The results also indicate the potential to increase the
Croinor mineral resources at depth (Figure 1).

There is also a strong indication of gold mineralization at depth in the
form of multiple lenses at depth. Intersections from holes drilled on
Section 750W include 21.70 g/t gold over 1.0 meter and 28.15 g/t gold
over 1.0 meter in CR-11-395, 9.62 g/t gold over 2.5 meters including
17.83 g/t gold over 0.8 meter in CR-11-398 and 44.04 g/t gold over 0.5
meter in CR-11-400. The drill holes on Section 750W are 50 meters west
of planned development in the current ore reserves. Step-out drilling
on Section 880W intersected 4.04 g/t gold over 1.3 meters that included
6.88 g/t gold over 0.5 meter, indicating continuity of gold
mineralization further to the west.  Core analysis of the significant
mineralized zones in the western extension of the Croinor deposit are
presented in Table 1.

Table 1 - Mineralized Zones - Croinor Western Extension

 _______________________________________________________
|Hole no. |Section|Dip|From (m)|To (m)|Length(m)*|Au g/t|
|_________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|CR-11-395|  750W |-70|  259.7 |260.7 |      1   |21.70 |
|_________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|         |       |   |  285.0 |285.5 |     0.5  | 6.17 |
|_________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|         |       |   |  310.0 |311.0 |     1.0  |28.15 |
|_________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|CR-11-397|  750W |-69|  232.6 |233.6 |     1.0  | 0.74 |
|_________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|CR-11-398|  750W |-68|  158.4 |159.2 |     0.8  | 1.45 |
|_________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|         |       |   |  159.2 |159.7 |     0.5  |15.03 |
|_________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|         |       |   |  159.7 |160.4 |     0.7  | 2.73 |
|_________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|         |       |   |  160.4 |160.9 |     0.5  | 0.73 |
|_________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|         |       |   |  160.9 |161.7 |     0.8  |17.83 |
|_________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|CR-11-399|  880W |-68|  168.4 |169.2 |     0.8  | 0.79 |
|_________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|CR-11-400|  880W |-72|  263.5 |264.0 |     0.5  |44.04 |
|_________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|         |       |   |  314.8 |315.5 |     0.7  | 1.94 |
|_________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|         |       |   |  339.2 |340.3 |     1.1  | 2.79 |
|_________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|         |       |   |  359.8 |360.9 |     1.1  | 3.87 |
|_________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|CR-11-401|  880W |-79|  303.6 |304.1 |     0.5  | 6.88 |
|_________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|         |       |   |  304.1 |304.9 |     0.8  | 2.27 |
|_________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|         |       |   |  321.7 |322.7 |     1.0  | 1.89 |
|_________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|         |       |   |  335.3 |335.8 |     0.5  | 1.85 |
|_________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|         |       |   |  340.3 |342.9 |     2.6  | 1.58 |
|_________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|

*True width is estimated to be close to the core length since drilling
was executed perpendicular to the veins.

Assays received for drill holes completed between sections 200E and 
390W to test extensions of ore lenses proximal to the current ore
reserves, returned up to 10.11 g/t gold over 0.9 meter in CR-11-390 and
6.35 g/t gold over 1.2 meters in CR-11-393. Core analyses of the
significant mineralized zones within the current reserve block
identified during this phase of the 2011 drill program are presented in
Table 2.

Table 2 - Mineralized Zones - Croinor Reserve Block

 ________________________________________________________
|Hole no.  |Section|Dip|From (m)|To (m)|Length(m)*|Au g/t|
|__________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|CR-11-389 |  320W |-62|  279.5 |280.5 |     1.0  | 2.01 |
|__________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|CR-11-390 |  200E |-61|  153.8 |154.7 |     0.9  |10.11 |
|__________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|          |       |   |  175.5 |176.6 |     1.1  | 3.69 |
|__________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|          |       |   |  227.9 |228.4 |     0.5  | 1.07 |
|__________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|CR-11-391 |  390W |-70|  136.0 |136.6 |     0.6  | 1.73 |
|__________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|          |       |   |  205.3 |205.8 |     0.5  | 1.38 |
|__________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|CR-11-392A|  240W |-65|  297.0 |299.0 |     2.0  | 4.24 |
|__________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|          |       |   |  319.0 |320.3 |     1.3  | 1.19 |
|__________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|CR-11-393 |  160W |-70|  180.2 |181.1 |     0.9  | 1.38 |
|__________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|          |       |   |  181.1 |181.6 |     0.5  | 5.73 |
|__________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|          |       |   |  245.8 |247.0 |     1.2  | 6.35 |
|__________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|          |       |   |  247.0 |248.1 |     1.1  | 0.69 |
|__________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|          |       |   |  248.1 |249.0 |     0.9  | 4.00 |
|__________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|
|CR-11-396 |  540E |-57|  188.4 |189.5 |     1.1  | 0.22 |
|__________|_______|___|________|______|__________|______|

*True width is estimated to be close to the core length since drilling
was executed perpendicular to the veins.

Drilling has resumed with 2,000 meters planned in the next phase to
follow up the western extension of the Croinor deposit.

The drill program was carried out by Forages La Virole and was
supervised by InnovExplo personnel under Carl Pelletier P.Geo., a
qualified and independent person as defined under NI 43-101 guidelines.
Gold values were determined by fire assay and AAS, or fire assay and
gravimetric analyses if over 3 g/t, at the ALS Laboratory Group,
Minerals Division laboratory in Val d'Or.

Arthur Hamilton, P.Geo., Exploration Manager for Blue Note Mining Inc.
is a Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101 guidelines and has
reviewed the technical information contained in this release.

About Blue Note Mining

Blue Note Mining is a mineral exploration and mining company
headquartered in Montreal with properties located in known gold regions
of Canada, including the prolific Val-d'Or region of Quebec and
northern New Brunswick.

About Critical Elements Corporation

Critical Elements is actively developing its 100%-owned Rose
lithium-tantalum flagship project located in Quebec. The project hosts
a current Indicated resource of 11.4 million tonnes of 1.34% Li(2)O and 165 ppm Ta(2)O(5) and Inferred resource of 2.1 million tonnes of 1.27% Li(2)O and 138 ppm Ta(2)O(5).

Critical Elements has commissioned a prefeasibility study for the
project from Genivar, one of the largest independent engineering firms
in Canada. Genivar is also doing an environmental study, and Acme
Metallurgical Ltd. of Vancouver is carrying out project metallurgy.

Critical Elements' portfolio also includes rare-earth and
tantalum-niobium projects in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia
and in Quebec, as well as a 50% interest in the Croinor project, which
is located in Quebec and contains a measured and indicated resource of
814,228 tonnes at 9.11 g/t Au, for 238,414 ounces of gold at a 5 g/t
cut-off.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains discussion of items that may constitute
forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities laws that
involve risks and uncertainties. Although the company believes the
expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on
reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurances that its expectations
will be achieved. Factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from expectations include the effects of general economic
conditions, actions by government authorities, uncertainties associated
with contract negotiations, additional financing requirements, market
acceptance of the Company's products, technical uncertainties
associated with operating an underground mine and competitive
pressures. These factors and others are more fully discussed in Company
filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities.

'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 for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.'

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Blue Note shareholders, please contact:
Jean Mayer
Executive Vice President
(800) 937-3095 x236
jmayer@bluenotemining.ca
www.bluenotemining.ca

Critical Elements shareholders, please contact:
Jean-Sébastien Lavallée, P.Geo President & CEO
819-354-5146
president@cecorp.ca
www.cecorp.ca

Paradox Public Relations
514-341-0408