VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - March 18, 2010) - RockBridge Energy Inc. (RockBridge) (TSX VENTURE:RBE) is proceeding with its planned 2010 operations for its Cross Hills Rare Metals and Rare Earths Property in southern Newfoundland. The Cross Hills property consists of 100% ownership of 27 claims covering an area of approx. 675 hectares north of Fortune Bay in southern Newfoundland. The area is generally ice-free year round and is readily accessible by paved road from the coastal community of Grand Le Pierre. The operations are to commence in April and are to include mapping, sampling and a proposed diamond drilling program.
The Cross Hills property has reported historical assays by previous exploration companies active in the 1980's that returned values up to 20,000 grams per ton (g/t) of Zirconium (Zr), 2,968 g/t of Yttrium(Y), 2,334 g/t of Niobium (Nb), 1550 g/t of Cerium (Ce), and 725 g/t of Thorium (Th). The property and immediate environs, was the focus of a 1991, Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Mines and Energy geological report which also identified highly anomalous values in several additional rare earth elements including 391 g/t Dysprosium (Dy), 347 g/t Neodymium (Nd), and 345 g/t Ytterbium (Yb). (The values reported in this news release are historical in nature and have not been verified by Rockbridge).
Rare metals and earth elements are used in a variety of applications including in the production of engines and batteries in hybrid cars, in consumable electronics such as Blackberries, iPods and flat screen televisions, and in various green energy technologies and military applications.
The Cross Hills Property covers an Early Cambrian intrusive suite including a peralkaline granitic phase considered prospective for several heavy and light rare earth elements (Yttrium, Neodymium, Cerium, Dysprosium and Ytterbium) as well as several rare metals including Zirconium and Niobium. Government researchers have compared the mineralization as being similar to major deposits in Saudi Arabia including Ghurayyah which hosts in excess of 440 million tonnes of Nb, Zr, Y, and Ta mineralization.
President Gary Mathiesen stated " RockBridge is very pleased to have been able to acquire a prospect with high historical metal values including several heavy and light rare earths that has not yet been drill tested. We intend to move forward by thoroughly evaluating these showings prior to commencing drilling operations. With the historic numbers seen on this prospect, we very much look forward to commencing the 2010 work program."
About Rockbridge
RockBridge has a very diversified and broad resource base including the 27 Newfoundland mineral claims prospective for rare metals and rare earth elements, 6 B.C. mineral claims and 9 Yukon mineral claims prospective for gold, together with varying interests in 17 oil and gas wells and properties in Alberta and B.C.
This news release has been reviewed and approved by Timothy Froude, P. Geo., a "Qualified Person" under National Instrument 43-101.
ROCKBRIDGE ENERGY INC.
Gary Mathiesen, President and CEO
This news release may include statements about expected further events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. RockBridge cautions that actual performance will be affected by a number of factors, many of which are beyond its control. Future events and results may vary substantially from what RockBridge currently foresees. Discussion on the various factors that may affect future results is contained in RockBridge's recent filings, available on SEDAR.
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