Vancouver’s Commerce Resources reports on rare earth Eldor property
Commerce Resources Corp. is pleased to report the results of a limited prospecting and sampling program carried out in 2013 on the Eldor Property, Northern Quebec.
Although the 2013 field season's focus was on advancing the Eldor Property's primary asset, the Ashram Rare Earth Deposit with the infill and step out drilling program reported January 10, 2014, a small prospecting and sampling program was also completed targeting the tantalum-niobium potential of the Miranna Area. Several very high-grade tantalum and niobium boulders were collected with one sample assaying 1,220 ppm Ta2O5, 15,700 ppm Nb2O5, 10.6% P2O5, and 0.46% TREO (enriched in the HREOs). The significance of these results is considerable for four reasons:
1. The tantalum grades are amongst the highest in the world where >300 ppm Ta2O5 in mining operations is considered high-grade.
2. Potential exists for all four commodities (Ta-Nb-REE-Phosphate) to be present in significant grade within the host body.
3. Prior mineralogical work of the Southeast Area infers the commodities may be present in only two well-known minerals (pyrochlore - Ta, Nb, and REE; apatite - P2O5) that have been commercially processed elsewhere in the world from similar rock types (Niobec Mine, Canada - pyrochlore, Cargill Mine, Canada - Apatite). In addition, pyrochlore mineralization within the boulders is very coarse grained.
4. The presumed source(s) of the mineralized boulder train in the Miranna Area is not one of the known mineralized zones, and thus, represents a new discovery.
President Dave Hodge states: "Since the acquisition of the Eldor Carbonatite in early 2007, exploration has identified multi-commodity potential on this claim group. This was first realized with the discovery of the Ashram Deposit which now ranks amongst the world's largest REE projects. The truly significant aspect of these current results is the future exploration potential of the overall Eldor Carbonatite where other commodities, identified in boulders, soil surveys and outcrop, include: Niobium, Tantalum, Phosphate, Copper and Nickel. These early stage results point out a clear long term direction for Commerce, in that when Commerce is successful in establishing industry partners to advance the Ashram Rare Earth Deposit, as well the Upper Fir Tantalum and Niobium Deposit into production, Commerce will have multiple targets to begin the process of exploration and discovery again on both claim groups in Quebec and British Columbia."
A total of 15 samples were collected, focused over two exploration areas; south Glim Lake, and Miranna (east of the northern half of Centre Pond). Click here to view a location map of the Miranna Area.
About Tantalum and Niobium
Tantalum is a niche commodity that dramatically improves performance of high-tech devices. The element is critical to miniaturization and efficiency of cell phones and similar products and is essentially found in every electronic device produced on the planet. It may not be required in large amounts but is absolutely essential to the electronics industry.
Niobium is commonly marketed as ferroniobium and is used dominantly as an additive in high-strength low-alloy steel production. The addition of up to 0.1% niobium will considerably enhance the strength of the final product and is a critical component to steel production in the world. Brazil dominates world production, supplying ~80% of the market, with notable production from the Niobec mine in Quebec, Canada (~4,200 ppm Nb2O5 head grade). Other notable deposits include Niocorp's Elk Creek Deposit (~6,500 ppm Nb2O5), and Taseko's Aley Deposit (~3,700 ppm Nb2O5)
About Commerce Resources Corp.
Commerce Resources Corp. is an exploration and development company with a particular focus on deposits of rare metals and rare earth elements. The Company is focused on the development of its Upper Fir Tantalum and Niobium Deposit in British Columbia and the Ashram Rare Earth Element Deposit in Quebec.
