Blackthorn Resources Limited (ASX: BTR) (“the Company” or “Blackthorn Resources”) is pleased to provide assay results for drill holes KITDD_006 and KITDD_007.


KITDD_006 was drilled on an azimuth of 090, dipping 65 degrees to an end of hole depth of 725.36 meters. It was designed as a step-out hole drilling from the west and angled in underneath the Kitumba deposit in a zone of high chargeability identified by the recent Orion 3D IP and MT geophysical survey.
KITDD_007 was drilled vertically and designed to test for shallow mineralisation at the north-eastern extent of Kitumba in the vicinity of the Mumbwa Fault Zone. This hole has now closed off the Kitumba deposit to the east.



Managing Director, Mr Scott Lowe said:
“KITDD_006 has returned another stellar result at Kitumba and further validates our exploration approach. With each hole our understanding of the deposit improves and we look forward to feeding the Phase 6 data into a resource update and prefeasibility study next year. With assays outstanding on a further 5,000m of core and the rigs still turning, we look forward to delivering more results as our drilling continues into the  New Year.”

 
About The Phase 6 Drilling Program
Drilling restarted on both the Kitumba and Kakozhi prospects in July 2012. Four diamond drill rigs are now operating on the Kitumba hills following the completion of three planned holes on Kakozhi. Seventeen holes have been completed for a total of 10,102 meters. The Company has made provision for $11m to drill 16,000m for the financial year ending 30 June 2013.

 
Kitumba
The planned drilling includes both infill and step-out drilling. Infill drilling is designed to add to the confidence level of the recently released Kitumba Mineral Resource estimate and upgrade areas of the resource from the Inferred to Indicated categories. The design of the step-out drilling seeks to expand the area of known mineralisation and potentially increase total tonnes at Kitumba.

 

Kakozhi
At the Kakozhi high-priority satellite target, drilling was focused on testing a coincident soil geochemical and airborne gravity anomaly. The three holes were designed to gain the best stratigraphic coverage centred on a gravity and soil copper geochemical anomaly.

 
Notes:
A total of 48 elements were analysed. Gold analyses were performed using conventional fire assay procedures with an Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) finish on 30g aliquots by the fully SANAS accredited  Intertek Genalysis Laboratory in Johannesburg, South Africa. Multi-element analyses (including copper) were performed using Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Inductively Coupled  Plasma – Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) analyses by the fully NATA accredited Intertek Genalysis Laboratory in Perth, Australia. Samples were analysed for total copper by 4-acid digest with an ICP-OES  finish and acid soluble copper (ASCu) by cold acid leach with an AAS finish. A Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) program includes chain of custody protocol, a systematic submittal of 20% QA/QC samples including field duplicates, field blanks and certified reference samples into the flow of samples submitted to the laboratory as well as re-assaying of the mineralised zones.

 

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