Blackthorn receives encouraging copper assays

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Blackthorn Resources has received copper assay results from the second drill hole of its Phase 5 drilling campaign, which is testing 16 targets at the company’s Mumbwa project in Zambia.

The drill hole was designed to intersect and drill through a higher-grade core of copper mineralisation the company had previously identified at Kitumba.

 

Phase 5 Drill hole location plan for the Kitumba Mineral Resource area, Mumbwa project. Source: Company announcement

Drilled thickness intercepts from the drill hole include:

–    272.6 metres at 0.72 per cent copper between 142.4 metres and 415 metres; which included

–    3.9m at 2.59 per cent copper between 144.6m and 148.5m;

–    12.6m at 1.8 per cent copper between 160.4m and 173m;

–    6m at 1.78 per cent copper between 348m and 354m;

–    9m at 2.85 per cent copper between 362m and 371m; and

–    25m at 1.03 per cent copper between 375m and 400m.

A total of 722 samples of core were taken from the entire length of the drill hole.

Only copper assay results have been received by the company to date as gold assay results for the two completed holes are overdue as a result of delays in freight, customs and international border crossings.

The Phase 5 drilling campaign was designed to enable Blackthorn to test the inferred mineral resource it had already defined at Kitumba.

The aim of the program is to potentially upgrade the mineral resource category by further defining the geological model through tighter drill hole spacing.

The Phase 5 program has been planned to drill test 16 targets at Mumbwa through a series of fourteen ‘infill’ and ‘step-out’ drill holes.

Two more holes are currently being drilled at Kitumba and have reached approximately 301 metres and 316 metres depth, having respective target depths of 500 metres and 600 metres.

“These excellent assay results provide yet more evidence of high-grade copper mineralisation at Mumbwa,” Blackthorn resources managing director Scott Lowe said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“Drilling delays notwithstanding, we are very pleased with the results and very positive about the future of this project.

“In addition to enhancing the already attractive mineral resource at Kitumba, the company is very excited about testing new target areas at Mumbwa.

“2012 will no doubt be a very important year at Mumbwa as the project evolves.”