Vancouver, B.C., February 27, 2006. Alto Ventures Ltd. (ATV: TSX-V) and Commander Resources Ltd. (CMD: TSX-V) are pleased to announce results from the first three holes of their ongoing 5,000 metre (m) winter diamond drilling program at the Despinassy Gold Project near Val d'Or, Quebec. Encouraging gold mineralization was intercepted in all three holes testing multiple veins in the DAC deposit. Gold values on DES06-85 contained up to 19.6 grams per tonne (g/t) over 9.9 m and included an intersection grading 178.5 g/t over 1.0 m.
Drill holes DES06-84 and DES06-85 targeted the down plunge extensions of Zone 2 veins while DES06-86 tested extensions of Zone 3 and 4. Results are summarized as follows:
DDH From (m) To (m) Width (m) Assay Zone
(g/t Au)
DES06-84 160.9 161.9 1.0 6.7 Zone 2
DES06-85 214 223.9 9.9 19.6 Zone 2
includes
214.0 216.5 2.5 4.27
216.5 221.7 5.2 0.71
221.7 222.7 1.0 178.5
222.7 223.9 1.2 1.11
DES06-86 56.8 58.8 2.0 2.27 Zone 3
80.3 81.3 1.0 7.79 Zone 4
High grade mineralization in these holes, within the Despinassy Shear Zone, occurs in wide shearalteration envelopes which carry elevated gold values. The alteration envelope averages 0.44 g/t gold over 72.1 m in DES06-84 and 3.56 g/t gold over 61.1 m in DES06-85 with the high grade intercepts included. The results of these three holes have confirmed continuity of veining and high-grade gold mineralization along the westerly plunge direction. The zones remain open along strike and to depth along the plunge line. Gold mineralization has been intersected by drilling for over six kilometres along the Despinassy Shear Zone.
Two additional drill holes have been completed on the DAC deposit veins with the core having been logged, split and sent to the lab for assaying. The drill rig has now moved to test additional targets in Area 2 located approximately one kilometre east of the DAC deposit where previous drilling intercepted mineralization up to 34.8 g/t gold along 0.3 m and 4.4 g/t along 1.2 m in a similar geological setting.
Quality Assurance/Quality Control
Core processing included descriptive logging and selection of samples for analyses. The cores selected for analyses were sawed in half and one half was delivered to a commercial laboratory and the other half retained for future reference. Gold assays were performed at ALS Chemex Laboratories in Val d'Or, Quebec. The gold assaying method uses a standard Fire Assay with AA or Gravimetric finish technique, as requested by the Company, on a 30 gram sub-sample taken from a 250 gram split of the sample submitted.
The laboratory was instructed to prepare and analyze a second 250 gram split from the reject for those samples that indicated greater than 2 g/t Au on the initial analysis. The results reported represent composites using weighted averages of all analyses performed on each specific sample. Commercially prepared standards were inserted every 25 samples to ensure precision of the results. The Despinassy Gold Project is a joint venture between Alto Ventures Ltd. (70%) as operator and Commander Resources Ltd. (30%). Robert J. Tremblay P.Geo (Quebec) is supervising the drill program. Mike Koziol, P.Geo, P.Eng Alto's Vice President, Exploration is the company's Qualified Person.
About Alto Ventures Ltd.
Alto Ventures Ltd. is a gold exploration and development company with a portfolio of nine properties in the Canadian Shield. The Company is focused on projects located within the Abitibi Greenstone Belt in Ontario and Quebec as well as in historic gold producing districts. Alto's strength is firmly founded upon the broad capabilities of its management team, which is highly accomplished in the realms of property acquisition, project financing, exploration and mine development. For further information visit our website at www.altoventures.com
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
Richard Mazur, P.Geo.
President & CEO
The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
For further information contact:
Doug Fosbrooke
Investor Relations
Tel: 604-681-2409
Fax: 604-689-3609
info@altoventures.com
