Commerce Resources Corp. Announces PhD Student Wins Competition for Environmental Work on the Ashram Deposit, Quebec

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2019 / Commerce Resources Corp. (TSXV:CCE)(FSE:D7H0) (the "Company" or "Commerce") is pleased to announce that Sophie Costis, a PhD student with the Université du Québec, has won the "défi de la recherche en géosciences" (Geoscience Research Challenge) for her work related to the characterization of flotation tailings generated using the flowsheet for the Ashram Rare Earth and Fluorspar Deposit in Quebec.

The competition was organized by "l'Association Québécoise des Sciences de la Terre" (AQUEST) and consisted of candidates presenting their research projects in the field of geosciences at the Quebec Mines + Energy conference held in Quebec City last month. Mme. Costis won first prize for her oral presentation on Ashram and received a certificate of excellence as well as a $2,000 scholarship for her efforts.

Company President Chris Grove states, "the Company is thrilled to see Sophie recognized for her hard work on the project over the last few years. We are committed to advancing the Ashram Project in an environmentally responsible manner and Sophie's work will help build this foundation through high-quality data gathering and analysis in a very important field."

The PhD work is being jointly funded through a grant, totaling $300,000, from the Fonds de recherche du Québec - Nature et technologie (FRQNT) and the Ministère de l'Énergie et des Ressources naturelles (MERN) (see news release dated June 16, 2016). This work is being completed in partnership with the Centre Eau Terre Environnement of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), a research-oriented branch of the Université du Québec, which has considerable experience in environmental management and sustainability. The PhD project is expected to conclude in late 2020 and will provide a sound basis for continued work on the tailings management of the flotation process plant.

The work to date has been encouraging, with no "red flags" or serious concerns with the management of the flotation tailings identified, and concluding that there is no acid generating potential as well as strong indications of no metal leaching potential (see news release dated June 5, 2018).

In order to characterize the flotation tailings, a sound understanding of the potential contaminants, their mobility, and their stabilization is required. This is first assessed through a series of permeability and static tests (TCLP, SPLP, and CTEU) under conditions representative of a northern Quebec environment (low temperature control room at laboratory installations). This test work phase has now been completed with encouraging results in line with expectations. Follow-up kinetic test work is now underway. In general, static tests are considered less representative of real onsite conditions as they are more "aggressive" than kinetic tests, and therefore, the encouraging indications of the static tests bodes well for the results of the kinetic tests. Additionally, sequential extraction tests are planned which will further assess the potential mobility, bioavailability, and toxicity of metals and therefore provide information on the metal removal mechanisms.

NI 43-101 Disclosure

Darren L. Smith, M.Sc., P.Geo., Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd., a Permit holder with the Ordre des Géologues du Québec and Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release.

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 Ashram Rare Earth and Fluorspar Deposit in Quebec and the Upper Fir Tantalum-Niobium Deposit in British Columbia.

For more information, please visit the corporate website at www.commerceresources.com or email info@commerceresources.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors
COMMERCE RESOURCES CORP.

"Chris Grove"

Chris Grove
President and Director
Tel: 604.484.2700
Email: cgrove@commerceresources.com
Web: http://www.commerceresources.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information which is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements in this press release include that, the sale of the fluorspar would reduce the footprint of the Project's tailings management facility as well as provide another revenue stream while also serving as a source of secure supply for the market; and that additional infill drilling may be considered ahead of a resource update, anticipated in 2020; . These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Risks that could change or prevent these statements from coming to fruition include changing costs for mining and processing; increased capital costs; the timing and content of upcoming work programs and reports produced on work done; geological interpretations based on drilling that may change with more detailed information; potential process methods and mineral recoveries assumption based on limited test work and by comparison to what are considered analogous deposits that with further test work may not be comparable; testing of our process may not prove successful and even it tests are successful, the economic and other outcomes may not be as expected; the availability of labour, equipment and markets for the products produced; and despite the current expected viability of the project, conditions changing such that the minerals on our property cannot be economically mined, or that the required permits to build and operate the envisaged mine can be obtained. The forward-looking information contained herein is given as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.

SOURCE: Commerce Resources Corp.