K-20 Drilling at Perseverance Supports Proximity to Copper Porphyry Deposit
K-20 Drilling at Perseverance Supports Proximity to
Copper Porphyry Deposit
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 21, 2019) -
Bell Copper Corporation
(TSXV: BCU)
("Bell Copper"
or the "Company")
is pleased to provide an update from the Perseverance porphyry copper project, located in northwestern
Arizona, USA. The Perseverance project is under a Joint Venture with
Cordoba Minerals Corp
. (TSXV: CDB) (OTCQX:
CDBMF).
Highlights
Drill hole K-20, a 2.1 km step-out from prior deep drilling at Perseverance, encountered the best mineralization to date
indicating proximity to the targeted 2 km by 3 km Laramide porphyry buried beneath 200m to 400m of basin fill.
More than 700 meters of anomalous copper minerals were intercepted, comprising Chalcopyrite, Bornite, and Chalcocite,
suggesting the porphyry target is proximal.
Quartz veins encountered in the lower part of K-20 are aligned 20 to 45 degrees to core axis.
Approaches to properly
orient these "guide veins", using either a downhole acoustic televiewer or downhole induced polarization, are currently
being evaluated prior to wedging and directionally advancing K-20.
High Power Exploration Inc.
will deploy their proprietary Typhoon™ induced polarization technology to complete the
mapping of shallow sulphide distribution left wide open by the prior optionee on the project, and to probe deeply beneath
previous geophysical surveys and even beneath previous drillholes for overlooked copper porphyry targets.
K-20 Diamond Drill Hole
K-20 is the first hole drilled under the Perseverance Joint Venture Agreement between Cordoba and Bell Copper. The hole was
pre-collared to a depth of approximately 300 metres before core drilling commenced in September 2018. The hole is being
drilled vertically and is currently at a depth of approximately 1045 meters.
Initial observations of mineralization and geological structures encountered by drill hole K-20 are encouraging and suggest close
proximity to a potential Laramide copper porphyry deposit. Beginning at a depth of approximately 300 metres K-20 passed
through a long interval of largely propylitic alteration, epidote-chlorite with disseminated pyrite and minor chalcopyrite and
bornite.
At approximately 1,030 metres deep, the drill core became more potassically altered with disseminated pyrite, chalcopyrite on a
1:1 ratio, with more frequent veins and quartz-molybdenite stringers. This was observed with an occurrence of hydrothermal
magnetite filling fractures and veins and secondary biotite alteration. The appearance of potassic alteration with more frequent
veins and quartz stringers suggests that K-20 has approached the higher temperature region of the porphyry system.
Full assays
are pending.
Figure 1*: Chalcopyrite veins partially replaced by bornite-chalcocite, 765 metres (left) and 1029 metres (right).
Photomicrographs of sulphide minerals from 1029 meters (field of view about 4 millimeters) showing intergrown pyrite and
chalcopyrite, which is veined and rimmed by bornite (purple-brown), which in turn is rimmed by chalcocite (steely gray).
To view an enhanced version of
Figure 1
, please visit:
https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2825/42334_bell1enhanced.jpg
Figure 2*: Bornite veinlets cutting and rimming chalcopyrite and subsequently replaced by chalcocite at (approximately depth
1,028.9 metres)
To view an enhanced version of
Figure 2
, please visit:
https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2825/42334_bell2enhanced.jpg
*Mineralization shown is from selected intervals, and not necessarily representative or indicative of the mineralization hosted on
the Perseverance property
Figure 3*: Sheeted chalcopyrite veins (748 metres).
To view an enhanced version of
Figure 3
, please visit:
https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2825/42334_bell3enhanced.jpg
*Mineralization shown is from selected intervals, and not necessarily representative or indicative of the mineralization hosted on
the Perseverance property
Future Activities
The perceived proximity of long intervals of K-20 to a large porphyry copper deposit provides the opportunity to utilize directional
drilling to avoid redrilling poorly consolidated and weathered cover rocks.
In order to determine the optimal direction for
wedging, plans have been made to use a downhole acoustic televiewer to image copper-bearing veins in the walls of the
drillhole.
Once the source direction of these veins has been determined, wedges can be used to turn the hole across the
adjacent target.
Because the interval of copper-bearing veinlets is so long in K-20, multiple deflections across the target volume
are expected to be possible from the single K-20 parent hole.
Additionally, a downhole radial induced polarization survey, like those completed in drillholes K-6 and K-9, is being considered
to confirm whether anomalous chargeable sulfide mineralization is present in the direction indicated by the downhole acoustic
televiewer.
By placing a source electrode deep into K-20, any chargeable sulphide mineralization within a kilometer or two of the
drillhole could be detected.
High Power Exploration Inc. ("HPX") proprietary Typhoon™ technology
The High Power Exploration Inc. ("HPX") proprietary Typhoon™ technology will be coming to the site, to help extend geophysical
coverage and image to greater depths than previous surveys.
Figure 4: Cross section looking northwest with projected IP anomaly, K-20 and past drilling shown. Noting that past drill holes K-
13, 14, 18 and 19 were all stopped short of the anomaly in mineralization.
To view an enhanced version of
Figure 4
, please visit:
https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2825/42334_7b023fc594ea7a36_007full.jpg
"K-20 demonstrates that all of the geological processes necessary to produce a porphyry copper deposit were operating at
Perseverance while the dinosaurs were stomping around on the surface.
Seeing these copper veinlets carrying minerals like
chalcopyrite, bornite and chalcocite over such a long interval supports the idea that we are directly above or alongside a
significant copper-rich body.
The quartz-molybdenite veins in the current bottom of the hole do not typically wander far from
the heart of a copper porphyry, so we are very close
." - Dr. Tim Marsh, Bell Copper President & CEO
About Bell Copper
Bell Copper is a mineral exploration company focused on the identification, exploration and discovery of large copper deposits
located in a region responsible for 10% of the world's copper production: Arizona.
Perseverance Porphyry Copper Project
A primary focus for Bell Copper is the ongoing exploration and development at the Perseverance Porphyry Copper Project near
Kingman, AZ, where we are pursuing the faulted-off top of a major porphyry copper system, the bottom of which is exposed in
the foothills 8+ km west of the Company's property.
Qualified Person
The technical content of this release has been reviewed and approved by Timothy Marsh, PhD, PEng., the Company's CEO and
President.
No mineral resource has yet been identified on the Perseverance 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:
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", "potential", "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 materially 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 financing 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.