Commander Partner Southern Empire Provides Results from Drilling at the Pedro Gold Project, Durango, Mexico

April 27, 2022 Download PDF

Commander was provided an update from project partner Southern Empire Resources Corp. (“Southern Empire”) (SMP:TSX-V) on the recently completed drill program (which began on February 14, 2022) on the Pedro Gold Project (1,750 ha), located in northeastern Durango State, México. Southern Empire completed 6 core holes for a total of 856.3 metres (m) (see table 2 below for hole details and figure 1 attached above for locations). Drill holes were widely spaced from 270 metres to 460 metres apart, except for holes 2 and 3 which were collared on the same site.

Highlights:

  • Southern Empire completes 856.3 metres of core drilling at Commander’s Pedro Gold project in Durango, Mexico
  • Top results include 15.23 m @.577 grams/tonne gold (g/t Au) in hole P22-03 (core length)
  • Trace element association, alteration and regional setting indicate a possible “Carlin-like” mineral system
  • Southern Empire is earning a 100% interest in the Pedro Gold Project for consideration of $700,000 staged over four payments (3 years) and 100,000 shares and work expenditures of $1,500,000. Commander retains a 2% NSR royalty with no buydown provision.

Core holes P22-01, -02, -03 and -06 intercepted thick zones (intervals up to 19.2 m) of moderately silicified, brecciated, limestone-clast dominated conglomerate of probable Oligocene age that is strongly anomalous in gold (up to 1.18 grams Au per tonne; g Au/t), as well as trace elements typical of Carlin-type mineralization such as arsenic (to >10,000 parts per million; ppm As), antimony (up to 387 ppm Sb), mercury (up to 23.4 ppm Hg), thallium (up to 280.0 ppm Tl) and tellurium (up to 1.95 ppm Te). The Au-As-Sb-Hg-Tl-(Te) geochemical suite, in association with visually strong realgar (AsS) and orpiment (As2S3) mineralisation in core, are signatures indicative of Carlin-Type gold mineral occurrences (figure 2). The general tectonic and stratigraphic geological setting of the Pedro Project area add to the probability that the Pedro prospect is a Carlin-type gold occurrence.

“The Au-As-Sb-Hg-Tl-Te geochemical suite associated with strong orpiment (As2S3) and realgar (AsS) mineralization observed in the Pedro drill core is, in part, indicative of Carlin-style gold deposits” commented Dave Tupper, VP Exploration for Southern Empire. “When you also consider the lithology, stratigraphic and extensional tectonic geological setting of the Pedro Gold Project, the probability that the Pedro prospect is a Carlin-style gold occurrence becomes compelling.”

To assist in the assessment and understanding of the Pedro gold deposit, Southern Empire has contracted LISA CAN Analytical Solutions Inc. of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in collaboration with Western University, to objectively determine similarities and differences between samples from the Pedro project and Carlin-type deposits by utilizing X-Ray Fluorescence (“XRF”) and Electron Probe MicroAnalysis energy-dispersive spectroscopy (“EPMA EDS”) to analyze gold-mineralized Pedro drill core (Sample 643048, P22-02: 46.00 - 47.04 m).

About Pedro

The Pedro property is located 80 km from Torreon, Mexico in the northeastern part of the State of Durango and approximately 30 km west of the town of Mapimi and covers a large multi-kilometre gold target. The wholly owned property was acquired by Commander in 2016 from Bearing Lithium.

The Pedro gold system is outlined at surface by a gold (>10 ppb) soil anomaly with dimensions of 4000 metres by 1000 metres which sits within a much broader arsenic soil anomaly. Outcrop exposure comprises prominent hematite-stained and variable silicified conglomerates comprised dominantly of carbonate sedimentary rocks. The mineralization extends beneath post-mineral volcanic rocks, colluvium (range front fanglomerate) and alluvium to the north and east. Historical rock sampling of the exposed zones returned gold values in rock from background levels to a maximum of 2.3 ppm (58 greater than 0.25 ppm Au and 11 greater than 1 ppm). Induced Polarization geophysics outlined the known zones as elevated chargeability and has identified discreet deep features.

Pedro covers prospective “Basin and Range” geology including the Caracol Formation, which is a rhythmically interbedded sequence of carbonaceous limestone, calcareous siltstones, weakly calcareous turbiditic sandstones, and shales. The Caracol Formation is the main underlying sedimentary formation at Pedro and is the dominant clast component of the younger conglomerates that host mineralisation.

In 2014, Newmont de Mexico, S.A. de C.V optioned Pedro to specifically explore for Carlin-style gold deposits that are typically hosted by “dirty limestones”, lithologies such as those of the Caracol formation. Newmont’s limited, 11 drill hole exploration, although producing results of up to 5.55 m of 0.59 g Au/t in hole LP-011-D.

Table 1: Drill Hole Summary (core length reported, true thickness unknown)

Hole

From(m)

To (m)

Core Length (m)

Au (g/T)

P22-01

9.60

18.86

9.26

0.087

P22-02

12.50

17.78

5.28

0.151

38.35

58.17

19.82

0.311

P22-03

13.00

18.26

5.26

0.115

40.77

56.00

15.23

0.577

62.07

67.95

5.88

0.098

P22-04

0

no sig. results

P22-05

0

no sig. results

P22-06

2

16.75

14.75

0.230

QA/QC Data Verification Statement

Historical samples mentioned in this release were prepared and analyzed at various times by ALS Chemex at its labs in Chihuahua, Mexico, and Vancouver, Canada. Soils were analyzed as part of a multi-element inductively coupled argon plasma (ICP) package using aqua regia digestion with over-limit results being reanalyzed with assay procedures using ICP-AES. Gold analyses for rocks were performed on a 30-gram sub-sample by fire assay with an ICP-AES finish. See news dated September 16, 2012, and July 2, 2014 (historical drill results) posted on SEDAR under Bearing Lithium, and news dated February 19th, 2020 and March 30th, 2021 and July 27, 2021 for Commander Resources.

Quality Assurance/Quality Control (“QA/QC”)

Drill core was HTQ (holes P22-01 to 03) and NQT (holes P22-04 to 06) with recoveries typically above 90 per cent. After drilling, the core is logged for geology, structure and geotechnical characteristics, marked up for sampling, and photographed on site. The cores for analyses are marked for sampling based on geological intervals with individual samples averaging 1.5 m in length. The core was cut in half lengthwise, with a rock saw on site with one half-core stored on site for future reference. The other half-core was bagged in individual plastic bags along with ID tag and sealed. All samples were delivered by Southern Empire staff to the ALS Geochemistry preparation lab facility in Chihuahua, Chihuahua State, Mexico on March 9, 2022 where they were crushed (>70% passing 6mm; “CRU-21”), re-crushed (>70% passing 2mm) from which a 250g rotary split was pulverized (>85% passing 75 microns; PREP-31). Sample pulps were then shipped by ALS to its North Vancouver, British Columbia facility for gold (50 g aliquot; Fire Assay with Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FA/AAS); Au-AA24) and multielement analysis (0.5 g aliquot aqua regia digestion with Induced-Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry analysis (ICP-MS); ME-MS41 TM).

A single lab check and sample duplicate was undertaken by Southern Empire. A quartered section of core from hole P2202 (sample S43351: 46.00-47.04m) was collected (duplicating sample S643068), couriered to the Saskatchewan Research Council (“SRC”) Geoanalytical Laboratories in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for both Fire Assay with a Gravimetric finish and an Atomic Absorption Spectrometry finish, and multielement ICP. The results from the two labs are considered comparable although adequate comparison is limited based on the number of sample checks completed.

Southern Empire undertook a program of sample Quality Control and Quality Assurance during its 2022 Pedro drilling program that included the insertion of mineral assay reference material (standards and blanks) into the sample stream. A total of 188 samples were collected from core and 16 certified standards, 9 certified blanks and 7 field blanks were inserted into the stream at regular intervals. Certified standards and blanks were obtained from CDN Resource Laboratories in Langley, British Columbia. Both ALS Geochemistry and SRC undertook internal QA/QC programs, complete with the insertion of lab standards, blanks and sample duplicates. All QA/QC analytical results were within acceptable ranges.

Direct field supervision of the drill program and additional observations provided by Southern Empire are credited to David Tupper, P.Geo. (British Columbia), Southern Empire's VP Exploration and a Qualified Person (“QP”) within the context of Canadian Securities Administrators' National Instrument 43-101; Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”).

Robert Cameron, P. Geo. of Commander Resources is a qualified person within the context of National Instrument 43-101 and has read and takes responsibility for the technical aspects of this release.

About Commander Resources

Commander Resources is a Canadian focused exploration company that has leveraged its success in exploration through partnerships and sale of properties, while retaining equity and royalty interests. Commander has a portfolio of base and precious metal projects across Canada. Commander also retains royalties from properties that have been partnered, optioned or sold.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Robert Cameron, P. Geo.

President and CEO

Neither 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.

This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws.