Bell Copper Drills Copper Sulfide in Porphyry at Big Sandy
Suite 900 - 885 West Georgia Street | Vancouver, British Columbia | V6C 3H1 | Canada
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February 2, 2022
News Release
Bell Copper Corporation
Bell Copper Drills Copper Sulfide in Porphyry at Big Sandy
VANCOUVER, B.C. - Bell Copper Corporation (TSXV:BCU) (OTCQB:BCUFF)(“Bell Copper” or the
“Company”) reports that it has drilled a supergene chalcocite (copper sulfide) deposit hosted by quartz
porphyry at its Big Sandy project. Big Sandy is a large, truncated porphyry copper -molybdenum target
located in northwestern Arizona, approximately 30 kilometers south of the Company’s Perseverance
Project.
Highlights
• BS-3 is now cutting chalcocite-pyrite mineralization in pervasively sericitized quartz porphyry cut
by pyrite and quartz +/- molybdenite veinlets at an inclined depth of 1589 meters.
• Disseminated chalcocite mineralization began at an inclined depth of 1303 meters beneath 111
meters of hematitic leached capping.
• The 179-meter chalcocite-bearing interval from 1293-1472m has been sampled and shipped to
the laboratory for copper assaying.
• Geological logging, sawing, and sampling of the chalcocite -bearing interval from 1472 -1589
meters is underway.
• Drilling of BS -3 continues, and is encountering sparse but increasing quantities of disseminated
chalcopyrite, which is variably coated by chalcocite.
Drilling and Analysis
Drillhole BS -3, which was oriented to test a 2400 meter by 2100 meter area of high electrical
conductivity that was detected in an earlier Magneto-telluric survey ( refer to news release dated
October 6, 2020), passed out of gravel and into hematite-rich, pervasively sericitized quartz porphyry
(i.e. “leached capping”) at an inclined depth of 1192 meters . The true thickness of the gravel layers
penetrated by BS-3 at an oblique angle is estimated to be 860 meters. Disseminated chalcocite (copper
sulfide) and pyrite was first encountered at an inclined depth of 1303 meters, immediately beneath
leached capping . Chalcocite variably overprints predominantly pyritic mineralization from inclined
depths of 1303m to at least 1589m, the current bottom of BS-3 (Figures A through C) . Chalcocite
mineralization in this 286 -meter interval is interrupted by spotty jarosite-bearing shear zones lacking
pyrite and chalcocite. No copper oxide minerals have been encountered in the ongoing intersection.
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Figure A, B, and C. Core box photos representative of the 179 meters of supergene chalcocite mineralization in BS-3.
Chalcocite (Cu 2S, 80 percent by weight copper) is present as 1) steely black coatings surrounding
disseminated pyrite, 2) partial to complete replacement of disseminated pyrite grains, and 3) partial to
complete replacements of pyrite veins (Figures D through F). Minor amounts of bornite (Cu 5FeS4, 65
percent by weight copper) have been seen rimmed by chalcocite in the center of particular pyrite veins.
To date, only trace quantities of chalcopyrite (CuFeS 2, 33 percent by weight copper) have been
encountered, mainly in the deepest few meters of co re. Sparse quartz-molybdenite veinlets appear to
increase in abundance with depth in BS-3.
Figures D, E, and F. Photomicrographs of chalcocite in BS-3 core samples, field of view 5 millimeters in each.
D. Chalcocite forming steely black rims surrounding disseminated pyrite grains in strongly sericitized quartz porphyry.
E. Steely black chalcocite invading cracks and grain boundaries in pyrite vein.
F. Steely black chalcocite almost completely engulfing pyrite in veinlet.
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Oriented core collected near the base of the gravel cover shows that at BS -3 the porphyry system is
tilted about 45 degrees from its orientation before faulting. This tilt suggests that the supergene copper
blanket in BS-3 can be targeted at shallower depth in the direction of drillhole BS-1, located 1200 meters
to the east. A 2 -meter interval of chalcocite supergene enrichment underlying h ematitic leached
capping was cut at a depth of 936 meters in BS -1 (Figure G), suggesting continuity of supergene copper
enrichment and porphyry-related alteration across a distance of 1200 meters. The intervening ground
showed anomalously high electrical conductivity in the August 2020 magneto -telluric survey. A future
drillhole is now contemplated to test that shallower target. Drillhole BS -2, located 2.3 kilometers
southeast of BS -3, showed only trace amounts of chalcocite, spotty chalcopyrite (Figure H) and pyrite
veins, and “fringy” propylitic alteration in Precambrian host rocks.
Tim Marsh, Bell’s President and CEO, and a Qualified Person as defined by NI43-101, said,
“Bell Copper continues to build on the discovery at Big Sa ndy, first announced in January 2020 with BS -1
cutting chalcocite, chalcopyrite, and molybdenite mineralization hosted by a strongly altered 74. 2 Ma
porphyry. Our original model of a decapitated, large copper-rich top to the Laramide Diamond Joe
porphyry root, which concept also underpins the exploration target at our nearby Perseverance property,
is being borne out in the ongoing Big Sandy drilling program. The Company intends to follow the copper
outward and downward in BS -3 to a lo gical conclusion, and immediately follow up with a 500 -meter
step-out hole from the same drill pad. Meanwhile, we will construct a new drill site under our existing
permits directly above the BS-3 intersection and mobilized a second drill to push down additional stepout
holes from that pad.”
Figure G. Photomicrograph of chalcocite from BS-1 at of depth
of 936 meters, located 1200 meters east of BS-3. Field of view 7
millimeters. Compare with identical rimming chalcocite texture
in Figure D.
Figure H. Core sample from BS-2 showing spotty chalcopyrite
mineralization in sericitized Precambrian granite. BS-2 is
located 2.3 kilometers southeast of BS-3.
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About Bell Copper
Bell Copper is a mineral exploration company focused on the identification, exploration and discovery of
large copper deposits located in Arizona. Bell Copper is exploring its 100% owned Big Sandy P orphyry
Copper Project and the Perseverance Porphyry Copper Project which is under a Joint Venture - Earn In.
Qualified Person
The technical content of this release has been reviewed and approved by Timothy Marsh, PhD, PEng.,
the Company’s CEO and Presiden t. No mineral resource has yet been identified on the Big Sandy
Project. There is no certainty that the present exploration effort will result in the identification of a
mineral resource or that any mineral resource that might be discovered will prove to be economically
recoverable.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of
Bell Copper Corporation
"Timothy Marsh"
Timothy Marsh, President, CEO & Director
For further information please contact the Company
Tel: 1 800 418 8250
Email: [email protected]
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the
policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward Looking Statements
This news release includes “forward -looking statements” and “forward -looking information” within the meaning of Canadian
securities legislation. All statements included in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward -looking
statements. Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified
by the use of words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "pote ntial", "target", "budget" and "intend"
and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar
expressions and includes the negatives thereof.
Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by
management based on the business and markets in which Bell Copper operates, are inherently subject to significant
operational, economic, and competitive uncertainties, risks and contingencies. There can be no assurance that such statements
will prove to be accurate and actual results, and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
Important factors that could cause actual results to differ material ly from the Company's expectations include actual
exploration results, interpretation of metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization, changes in project parameters as plans
continue to be refined, future metal prices, availability of capital and fi nancing on acceptable terms, general economic, market
or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, delays or inability to receive required approvals, and other
exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators,
including those described in the Company’s most recently filed MD&A. The Company does not undertake to update or revise
any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable law.