Cardero Resource Corp.: Nanjinzhao Requests Revisions to Pampa De Pongo Purchase Agreement

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, May 19 (MARKET WIRE) --
Cardero Resource Corp. ("Cardero" or the "Company") - (TSX: CDU)(NYSE
Amex: CDY)(FRANKFURT: CR5) reports that that Zibo Hongda Mining Co.,
Ltd., a subsidiary of Nanjinzhao Group Co. Ltd. ("Hongda") to which
Nanjinzhao assigned its right to purchase Pampa de Pongo pursuant to the
October 24, 2008 sale agreement (as amended), has declined to pay the USD
10 million deposit required by May 17, 2009 unless certain changes are
made to the agreement, primarily to reduce the final sale price. Hongda
has advised Cardero that, due to current difficult global economic
conditions, tight credit markets and weakened iron ore prices, it
requires a reduction in the overall purchase price in order to proceed
with the agreement, including making the USD 10 million deposit.

Negotiations among the parties are ongoing, and Cardero will provide
further news as soon as available. However, there can be no certainty
that the agreement will be successfully amended or that any purchase
price that may be agreed will not be significantly lower than USD 200
million.

About Cardero Resource Corp.

Cardero's focus through 2009 is to realise the considerable value it
believes is locked in its significant iron ore assets in the Marcona
District of southern Peru, the Baja district of Mexico and in Minnesota,
USA while continuing to progress its base and precious metal exploration
projects in Argentina and Mexico. The common shares of the Company are
currently listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol CDU), the New York
Stock Exchange Amex (symbol CDY) and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (symbol
CR5). For further details on the Company readers are referred to the
Company's web site (www.cardero.com), Canadian regulatory filings on
SEDAR at www.sedar.com and United States regulatory filings on EDGAR at
www.sec.gov.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of CARDERO RESOURCE CORP.

Hendrik van Alphen, President

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning
of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 27E of the Exchange Act.
All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein
including, without limitation, statements regarding the potential
successful renegotiation of the Pampa de Pongo purchase agreement with
Hongda, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes
that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such
expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are
typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate,
intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which,
by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors
that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of
future results or performance, and that actual results may differ
materially from those in forward looking statements as a result of
various factors, including, but not limited to, variations in the nature,
quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located,
variations in the market for, and pricing of, any mineral products the
Company may produce or plan to produce, the Company's inability to obtain
any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its
activities, the Company's inability to produce minerals from its
properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth,
to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its
business strategies, the inability of the Company and Hongda to
successfully renegotiate the terms of the Pampa de Pongo purchase
agreement, the determination of either of the Company or Hongda not to
proceed with the Pampa de Pongo purchase agreement and other risks and
uncertainties disclosed in the Company's annual information form filed
with the B.C., Alberta and Ontario Securities Commissions and the annual
report on Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "SEC"), and other information released by the Company and
filed with the appropriate regulatory agencies. All of the Company's
Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and
its United States public disclosure filings may be accessed via
www.sec.gov, and readers are urged to review these materials, including
the technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral
properties.

NR09-06

The Toronto Stock Exchange has not reviewed and
does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the
content of this news release, which has been prepared by management.

Contacts:
Cardero Resource Corp.
Quentin Mai
Manager - Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
1-888-770-7488 (604) 408-7488
(604) 408-7499 (FAX)
qmai@cardero.com
www.cardero.com

Copyright 2009, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

-0-