VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Dec. 17, 2012) - Commander Resources Ltd. (News - Market indicators) ("Commander") reports that results from this year's soil geochemical sampling program conducted at its Sabin property have now been received. The property is situated approximately 400 km NW of Thunder Bay, ON at the northern extent of the Sturgeon Lake greenstone belt and is accessible by highway. This is the first time that a soil sampling program has been conducted on this property. The property is known to host a VMS base-precious metal deposit called the Marchington Zone. Four other zones have been identified but have not been drill tested.
The intent of the 2012 soil sampling program was to correlate soil geochemistry with the known Marchington VMS deposit, and to determine if this method could be useful for detecting anomalous levels of metals on other zones. Approximately 650 samples were collected on a north-south grid at 50m spacing with lines 100m apart.
Conclusions from the 2012 geochemical program are as follows:
- The method was successful in outlining the existing zones as well as identifying additional zones to the west and north that have not been drill tested.
- Numerous anomalous gold samples are irregularly distributed, likely due to overburden variation, however there is a co-incidence of gold values with the Marchington zone.
- The program indicates that the area has potential for further discoveries. Previous work did not close off the existing known mineralized zones, with potential to depth and along strike, and additional new zones have been identified.
- The detailed plot showing the combined results of base metals in soils across the area, as well as anomalous values (>10ppb) for gold is posted on the Company's website at www.commanderresources.com.
Eric Norton, President and CEO states, "This is the first time in 16 years that the Sabin property has been explored. The known deposit was identified in the 1970's by an airborne survey followed by ground surveys and drilling by Union Miniere. Approximately 53 holes were drilled across the mineralized zones. The deposit was left open at depth and along strike. In fact, at that time a mining plan was developed but not implemented. With today's better analytical methods and lower levels of detection, soil sampling has been carried out for the first time and we can now move the project forward, under favourable market conditions, with a planned IP survey and exploration drilling of our own."
The samples were collected by Commander's personnel and a contracted crew from Billington Resources Ltd, based out of Toronto. The samples were submitted to SGS Mineral Services, based in Toronto and Vancouver, and were analyzed using lead fire assay technique, with an ICP-MS 35 element finish.
About the Property:
The Sturgeon Lake greenstone belt is host to several commercial deposits. Historic mining 40 km to the south of the Sabin property (the Mattabi, Sturgeon Lake and Lyon Lake mines) recovered zinc, copper and lead with significant silver and gold credits. The Pickle Lake gold mining camp is located 120 km to the north. The Sabin property falls within the Savant Lake greenstone belt (part of the Sturgeon Lake belt), underlain by the Archean Handy Lake volcanic belt: a complex assemblage of moderately to intensely altered felsic volcanic sequences. The majority of the known mineral occurrences in the region are hosted by the lower felsic cycle. To date four significant base metal showings including a small deposit have been discovered on the property. Widespread alteration characterized by sodium and calcium depletion is evident in areas underlain primarily by sericitized lower cycle felsic volcanics containing chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena and pyrite carrying significant precious metals. Previous drill programs targeted base metals, and did not consistently assay for gold. In 1995 Noranda, now Xstrata entered into a JV partnership with Commander and drilled three holes, one of which reported 3.75 g/t Au over 0.5m. Noranda carried out enough work to earn a 41% partnership on some of the claims owned by Commander. With a better understanding of the value of precious metals associated with base metals in VMS style deposits, Commander recognizes the potential for Sabin as a base metal property with significant precious metal credits.
The Table below summarizes some of the mineralized sections from previous drill programs. In total, 53 holes for a combined 8,748 m have been completed, with 22 holes intersecting significant mineralization.
Historical Drill Results - Sabin 1977 to 1995
|
| Drill hole |
From
(m) |
To
(m) |
Intersected
Width
(m) |
Cu
(%) |
Zn
(%) |
Pb
(%) |
Ag
(g/t) |
Au
(g/t) |
| SA-5 |
46.52 |
49.88 |
3.35 |
1.92 |
5.71 |
2.03 |
102.00 |
Tr |
| SA-42 |
134.91 |
137.20 |
2.29 |
0.13 |
4.48 |
1.51 |
27.00 |
2.11 |
| SA-50 |
89.94 |
93.84 |
3.90 |
3.14 |
1.43 |
0.59 |
88.00 |
0.53 |
| SA-52 |
110.40 |
110.98 |
0.58 |
5.26 |
1.18 |
0.93 |
222.00 |
3.42 |
| SA-63 |
17.38 |
20.88 |
3.50 |
1.67 |
7.71 |
2.21 |
160.00 |
0.33 |
| SA-68A |
6.55 |
11.43 |
4.88 |
1.47 |
5.15 |
1.46 |
83.00 |
0.83 |
| SA-68B |
19.21 |
22.94 |
3.73 |
1.53 |
3.21 |
0.93 |
109.00 |
0.68 |
| SA-69 |
5.79 |
8.99 |
3.20 |
4.28 |
4.75 |
1.62 |
161.00 |
1.07 |
| SAB 95-1 |
120.25 |
123.00 |
2.75 |
1.86 |
1.62 |
NA |
97.00 |
1.41 |
| Tr = Trace NA= not assayed |
| |
Steve Potts, P. Geo, VP of Exploration is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure contained in this release.
COMMANDER trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "CMD". For additional information, please visit the Company's website at http://www.commanderresources.com.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Eric Norton, President and CEO
The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. 
