Commander Extends 2010 Baffin Gold Field Program
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwire) -- 08/12/10 -- Commander Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: CMD) reports that it is extending the 2010 field program at its Kanosak gold prospect with increased budgetary support from its joint venture partner, AngloGold Ashanti (AngloGold). AngloGold has approved an increased budget to carry out geophysical surveys at Kanosak and to pre-ship materials, such as fuel and other heavy goods, which will support an enlarged work program in 2011. This shipment is underway. In total the commitment to the project is being increased by close to 40% over the original budget of US$4.55 Million.
The extended program for this season will allow Commander to complete a 30 to 40 line-kilometre Induced Polarization (IP) survey over the Kanosak gold prospect trend and complete target definition work in preparation for the 2011 program. Since the last News Release (July 6, 2010), Commander has completed 13 holes, totaling 1,960 metres, on the Kanosak prospect area as the first test of this new discovery. Drilling on Kanosak has confirmed that the altered, arsenopyrite bearing stratigraphy, which carries gold values in surface sampling, extends to a 50 metre depth and extends over a strike length of 2.5 kilometres.
Eleven holes were drilled over a one kilometre strike extent starting at the Kanosak Main zone and continuing in a southerly direction at approximately 100 metre spacings. They encountered the favourable arsenopyrite-bearing metasediments and quartz veins over drilled thicknesses of 15 to 30 metres starting at very shallow depths (2 to 10 metres below surface). In addition, each of the holes encountered a second similarly mineralized horizon, ranging from 10 to 20 metres thick, at a depth of about 50 metres below the upper horizon. This second horizon is parallel to the upper horizon.
Two holes were also drilled at Kanosak North, located about one and one half kilometres north of the Kanosak Main drill area. Both upper and lower mineralized horizons were encountered in the first of these holes. The second hole cut the upper zone but was lost in a fault before it could reach the lower zone.
The surface sampling programs of 2008 and 2009 identified that arsenopyrite-bearing metasediments and quartz veins host the gold mineralization at Kanosak. This year's first pass drill program confirms the presence of arsenopyrite both as disseminations in the siliceous sediments, as well as aggregates in quartz veins cutting these sediments. Arsenopyrite content of the prospective sediments ranges from one to ten percent and higher over short intervals.
Since arsenopyrite at Kanosak can be measured with IP geophysical techniques, AngloGold has approved a US$500,000 budget, about half of which is assigned to cover Kanosak with an extensive IP survey. This will assist target selection and drill planning for the 2011 program.
At this time the Kanosak prospect covers a strike length of 3.5 km with a width of over 300 metres. To the east, the favourable strata are covered by younger sequences, but there are indications that the mineralization continues in that direction. The current IP survey will cover the full strike extent as well as the down-dip opportunity to the east. The results of this survey will be critical in identifying the anomalies defining stronger arsenopyrite mineralization within this extensive prospect.
Assays are expected imminently from portions of the 19 holes drilled at the Malrok target, previously described in the Company's July 6th News Release. All samples from the 13 Kanosak holes have been submitted to the lab. An exceptionally large increase in workload at the laboratory has resulted in much longer turnaround times for assay results this season.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors,
Eric Norton, President & CEO
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Contacts:
Commander Resources Ltd.
Cathy DiVito
Investor Relations
(604) 484-7111 or Toll-Free: 1-800-667-7866
info@commanderresources.com
www.commanderresources.com