El Condor intercepts 18.1 meters 0.87% Cu & 0.31% Ni In SW holes

TSXV: LCO
US Symbol:  ECNRF

VANCOUVER, May 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - El Condor Minerals Inc. ("El Condor" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the analytical results from a third and final portion of the twelve-hole, 2,037 meter diamond drilling program at its Horden Lake property completed during the 2012 winter drilling program.  The drilling program was designed to provide metallurgical samples for preliminary processing work and to test for expansion of resources to the northeast and southwest of the known mineralization and resource.  Analytical results reported in this release are from four holes completed to the southwest of the known resource, along two drill sections 150 and 200 meters south of the drilling completed in 2008 by Southampton Ventures Inc.

The Horden Lake resource occurs in a copper-nickel-platinum group element ("PGE") deposit associated with a gabbro sill complex. The mineralization occurs primarily as semi-massive to massive sulfide in the footwall of the gabbro sill ("Main Zone"). Most of the mineralization is hosted in the underlying meta-sedimentary rocks, but there are also disseminated sulfides in the gabbro complex itself, offering potential for widespread lower grade but shallow extensions to the resource.

Results from the four drill holes are summarized in Table 1.3.  Drill hole locations are shown on Figure 1.3.

Table 1.3  Horden Lake Diamond Drill Hole Results

"The fence of drill holes completed to the southwest of the resource area demonstrates continued presence of good metal grades in the Main Zone, and adds 200 meters to the strike length of mineralization beyond the resources outlined by the Southampton drilling in 2008" commented Leigh Freeman, El Condor President & CEO.

Discussion of Geology and Drill Results

These holes were all drilled towards the southeast in order to intercept the mineralized body at a high angle.  Nominal drill spacing along the section is approximately 50 meters. These new intercepts represent an extension of approximately 50 meters along strike from previous drilling.

The Cu-Ni-PGE mineralization at Horden Lake is associated with a northeast trending, northwest dipping gabbroic sill-like complex. INCO and Noranda discovered the gabbro body and associated mineralization during a regional airborne and surface exploration program in the 1960's. The Main Zone of mineralization is comprised of massive to semi-massive and disseminated mineralization occurring in the footwall contact zone of the gabbro with metasedimentary rocks, but is primarily hosted by the metasedimentary package.  At the property scale, the Main Zone is tabular in shape, dipping approximately 55º northwest.

The Horden Lake resources are predominantly contained in the metasediments beneath the gabbro.  However, disseminated mineralization also occurs in certain phases of the igneous suite, offering potential for more widespread, lower-grade but shallow mineralization.

Quality Control and Qualified Person Review

Caracle Creek International Consulting Inc. ("CCIC") performed the on-site management of drilling operations, core logging and core sampling. CCIC managed the QA/QC program including the insertion of standards, blanks and duplicates into the sampling routine at the rate of approximately 17%. Protocols for the core sampling and QA/QC program were developed by CCIC in collaboration with El Condor. Fire assays for precious metals and total digestion ICP analysis for base metals and other elements were completed by Activation Laboratories Ltd.

Donald Baker, PhD, the Company's Horden Lake Project Manager and Qualified Person under NI 43-101 standards (MMSA - #01088QP), is responsible for the technical and geological content of this news release, and for approval of the QA/QC program.

About El Condor Minerals Inc.

El Condor Minerals Inc. is currently developing the Horden Lake Copper Project, an advanced exploration stage copper-nickel deposit in Quebec. Horden Lake is a NI 43-101 compliant resource calculated effective April 2009 using the Ordinary Kriging method and a 0.5% copper cut-off, with 8,759,200 Indicated Tonnes at 0.88% Cu and 0.21% Ni and 7,791,195 Inferred Tonnes at 0.87% Cu and 0.25% Ni. The resource is unbounded at depth as well as along both its northeasterly and southwesterly strike extensions, where historic drilling by INCO continues to intersect the mineralization.

Additional information on El Condor, its properties and its exploration and development activities is available at the Company's website: www.elcondorminerals.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"Leigh W. Freeman"

President & CEO

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This press release contains forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur.  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 may differ materially from those in forward looking statements.  Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date such statements were made.  The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the 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.

 

 

SOURCE El Condor Minerals Inc.

Image with caption: "Figure 1.3 Drill Hole Location Map (CNW Group/El Condor Minerals Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120524_C2273_PHOTO_EN_14119.jpg