September 4, 2012- Blackthorn Resources Limited (ASX: BTR) (“the Company”) is pleased to provide the following update on activities at the Company’s 100% owned Mumbwa Project in Zambia which hosts the flagship Kitumba resource, as well as other prospective targets including the Kakozhi prospect.
KEY POINTS
– Three drill rigs currently operating, with fourth soon to be operational.
– Approximately 5,000m drilled with 7 holes completed to date.
– Abundant copper mineralisation observed in latest drill core.
– Initial assays expected late September 2012.
– Orion 3D Induced Polarisation (IP) and Magnetotelluric (MT) data received with evidence of positive correlation between chargeability and sulphide mineralisation.
– Budget provision made for 16,000m drilling in FY2013 subject to technical review after 8,000m drilled.
– Collar, location, depth and inclination designed for 19 holes.
– Scoping study report expected mid-September 2012.
Diamond cored exploration drilling status
Drilling, recently restarted at Kitumba and on the Kakozhi prospect, has continued to make good progress. To date approximately 5,000m has been drilled with five holes completed at Kitumba and two holes completed at Kakozhi. Three rigs are operating (two on Kitumba and one on Kakozhi) with a fourth rig having arrived on site and scheduled to start drilling early September.
Observed mineralisation and assays
Holes KITDD_001 to KITDD_004 were drilled to test potential shallow mineralisation and the potential eastern extension of the high-grade core to the deposit. Handheld XRF readings collected according to a standard procedure indicate anomalous copper concentrations in parts of these holes. Minor native copper and malachite are observed in places. KITDD_005 has intersected abundant native copper from approximately 380m depth in an oxidised supergene enriched zone. Handheld XRF measurements have indicated the presence of high-grade Cu mineralisation. Supergene mineralisation transitions from 330- 390m to hypogene primary sulphide mineralisation. Copper mineralisation has been logged from 100m to the end of hole. This long intersection indicates the potential extension of the Kitumba resource to the west and at depth. Further, the long intersection of hypogene mineralisation at depth is consistent with the Company’s exploration model which assumes a westerly dip to the system, a hypogene zone at depth below the supergene and transition type mineralisation already drilled in the upper parts of the Kitumba resource (see Figures 1-6).
KITDD_006 is currently being drilled and will attempt to confirm a contiguous zone of hypogene mineralisation extending from KITDD_005 to the previous best hypogene intersection drilled in S36_026.
The two Kakozhi holes KAKDD_001 and KAKDD_002 were drilled to test a copper soil geochemical anomaly and gravity anomaly, as well as to follow up on promising copper mineralisation intersected in MUSH001/MUSH003 in the Phase 5 drilling program. Both holes intersected metasediments, primarily dolomite, which are variably iron and manganese altered in their upper parts. Handheld XRF readings indicate anomalous copper associated with this alteration. Minor pyrite and subordinate chalcopyrite are observed in both holes.
Copper, gold and multi-element assays are expected to be received from late-September.
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