Business & Finance
Business and FinanceBusiness and Finance 
Mon, December 21, 2009
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Dec. 21, 2009) - Commander Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:CMD) reports initial high-grade gold assay results from the Hébert Main Zone and additional results from channel samples on the Hébert South Prospect, part of the Company's large Baffin Island Gold Project, Nunavut. These samples, collected specifically from gold-bearing quartz veins, expand both the Hébert South Prospect and the Hébert Main Zone previously reported in the Company's news releases dated December 3, 2008 and November 9, 2009, respectively.
At the Hébert Main Zone, the results extend the known parallel gold-bearing veins and mineralized metasediments originally sampled in 2008 and revealed new areas of gold mineralization. The latest results from gold-bearing quartz veins include numerous high grade results such as 104.30 grams per tonne gold over 0.40 metres, 74.40 grams per tonne gold over 0.20 metres and 95.08 grams per tonne gold over 0.20 metres. In conjunction with geophysical test surveys, a well-defined area is now ready for drill-testing. Refer to Maps 1 and 2 accompanying this release on our website for the location and results of the 2008 and 2009 channel samples. There is also a schematic cross section of the Hébert Main Zone and some illustrative photos. More detailed maps and interpretations will be added when all results have been received.
At the Hébert South Prospect, detailed close-spaced channel samples along portions of two parallel quartz veins revealed high average gold grades over significant strike lengths (please refer to Maps 1 and 3 accompanying this release on the Company's website). The new results, which included 173.0 grams per tonne gold over 0.25 metres and 26.34 grams per tonne gold over 0.25 metres, combined with those previously reported in the Company's news release dated November 9, 2009, identify a vein (C-80) with an average grade of 70.88 grams per tonne gold over a 20 metre vein length, based on 10 channel samples spaced between 1 and 2.5 metres apart; a second vein (C-90) averages 12.88 grams per tonne gold over a 12 metre length, based on 3 equally spaced channel samples. These two veins are only partially exposed as shown in Map 3 and are about 20 metres apart. Their full extent is obscured by overburden. Tables with all available results and the composites for the Hébert South prospect are included on Map 3.
Ken Leigh, President & CEO states, "These results are the icing on the cake for us this year; we can hardly wait to get the drilling started in 2010. We are fully funded and excited! I want to take this opportunity to wish all of you the best for a happy and healthy holiday season and New Year. To our shareholders, I extend a personal thank-you for your continued support."
A final batch of surface channel samples from the 2009 program is awaited and includes channel samples of wall rock material adjacent to gold-bearing quartz veins in areas where favourable and receptive sulphide-bearing rock units are exposed at surface. These results are expected early in the New Year. At that time wider composite results will be provided incorporating the vein and wall rock sample results.
The most significant results from this batch of Hébert Main Zone samples are tabulated below.
| Channel ID | Quartz Vein | Gold Assay |
| Sample width | (g/t) | |
| (m) | ||
| C9-98 | 0.20 | 74.40 |
| C9-99 | 0.44 | 14.10 |
| C9-125 | 0.35 | 49.79 |
| C9-126 | 0.20 | 95.08 |
| C9-134 | 0.65 | 6.78 |
| C9-151 | 0.60 | 14.82 |
| C9-153 | 0.30 | 14.74 |
| C9-155 | 0.27 | 43.51 |
| C9-156 | 0.50 | 9.15 |
| C9-158 | 0.40 | 104.30 |
| C9-158 | 0.26 | 19.39 |
| C9-159 | 0.40 | 20.83 |
| C9-163 | 0.42 | 16.20 |
| C9-164 | 0.29 | 57.58 |
The quartz veins were emplaced into gently dipping metasediments, some of which were highly reactive allowing subsidiary quartz veins and/or gold bearing arsenopyrite to develop outside the stronger quartz veins into the favourable stratigraphy. The quartz veins may occur as sigmoidal, cross-cutting or bedding parallel veins, all containing 5-20% arsenopyrite, or solely disseminated and stratabound arsenopyrite, all carrying variable gold values. Strong alteration in the form of potassium rich sericite accompanies this disseminated gold-arsenopyrite mineralization and is supportive of an aggressive mineralizing event.
The amount of sulphide (arsenopyrite) is sufficient to be detectable by geophysical Induced Polarization (I.P.) survey as demonstrated by the small test survey completed during the program. As reported in the Company's news release dated September 24, 2009, a 300 m x 350 m anomaly that is only limited by the extent of the survey coverage, coincides with the main Hébert Zone and is directly associated with a strong resistivity anomaly reflecting the silica rich nature of the host rocks and quartz veining. A representation of the I.P. profile is included on the Schematic cross-section for illustrative purposes. I.P. will be employed over a larger extent of the Hébert Prospect Area in 2010.
The Hébert gold system is more than 3.5 kilometres in strike length within a well-defined and potentially productive structural corridor that is at least 10 kilometres long.
The location of Hébert Zone and the other gold prospects on the 100 kilometre long Baffin Property, including the Malrok, Ridge Lake, Brent and Durette gold zones, can be found on the Commander's website and in the Company's news releases pertaining to the Baffin Island Gold Project. The property is readily accessible to tidewater, contains abundant fresh water and is located near two "Distant Early Warning" (DEW line) radar stations, each with an operational 4,000 foot airstrip.
The Baffin Gold Project is subject to a new Farm-in J.V. Agreement, announced September 3, 2009, with AngloGold Ashanti Limited's subsidiary AngloGold Ashanti Holdings Plc ("AGA") that provides AGA the option to earn an initial 51% interest in the project by funding $20 million in exploration over a six year term along with other considerations as detailed in the Company's September 3rd News Release.
GeoVector Management Inc. of Ottawa managed the field program this year. Alan Sexton, MSc, P.Geol. is the Project Manager and the Qualified Person under NI 43-101 supervised the technical aspects of the 2009 field program and has reviewed and approved the contents of this release.
Analytical Procedures
All samples were transported to TSL Laboratories in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for analysis. The channel samples containing quartz veins were prepared and assayed by metallics assay methods for gold. The samples were crushed using a primary jaw crusher to minimum 70% passing 10 mesh. The entire sample was then pulverized to a minimum 95% passing 150 mesh. A silica wash was done after each sample. A single 1 AT charge was analyzed by FA/Gravimetric with a detection limit of 0.03 g/t Au on the +150 mesh material. Two 1 AT charges were analyzed by FA/Gravimetric with a detection limit of 0.03 g/t Au on the -150 mesh material.
TSL Laboratories inserts certified gold standards, which are purchased from CDN Resource Labs and inserted on a routine basis. Results from all internal QC samples and repeats were reported. In addition, Commander sequentially inserts certified gold standards, which are purchased from CDN Resource Labs, and "blank" rock samples. One standard and one blank were inserted with every batch of 5 channel samples prior to shipment to TSL Laboratories.
All the certified standards inserted by Commander in the channel and grab samples from the Hébert Zone all returned gold values within the accepted limits of the standards inserted.
All the blanks inserted by Commander in the channel and grab samples from the Hébert Zone all returned non-detected to negligible gold values.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors,
Kenneth Leigh
President & CEO
Shares Issued:90,207,516
The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.