Monday, November 02, 2009
Vancouver, B.C.: Bell Copper Corporation ("Bell Copper" or the "Company") (TSX-V Symbol: BCU) is pleased to announce the initiation of drilling in hole K-7 at its 100% owned Kabba Project in Mohave County, Arizona. Drill hole K-7 is currently being drilled at a depth of 15 meters in post mineral gravel by Brown Drilling Ltd of Kingman, Arizona. K-7 is testing a relatively shallow IP anomaly in a new target area located 1.1 kilometers north of drill hole K-4, where the strongest evidence to date has been found of the decapitated top of a major porphyry Cu-Mo system. Depth to bedrock at this location is expected to be about 200 meters. The new target location takes into consideration recent drill results combined with new surface geological and geophysical data.
Drill hole K-6 was terminated at a depth of 754 meters after cutting multiple geological features believed to be associated with the periphery of the decapitated top of the Kabba porphyry system. These features included:
- weak disseminated chalcopyrite
- two sericitically altered quartz monzonite porphyry sills
- a thick leached capping comprising abundant arsenic-rich goethite and hematite veinlets after primary ankerite
- locally strongly anomalous copper, molybdenum, lead, and zinc
- common scheelite and fluorite veinlets
Drillhole K-6 added new strong evidence that these types of features are present in widely separated areas and are therefore most likely part of a single large covered porphyry system. Bell's targeted porphyry Cu-Mo system in the hangingwall of a major fault is expected to ultimately have total areal dimensions of about 5000 meters in a north-south direction by 3000 meters in an east-west direction, based on the dimensions of the system in the outcropping footwall of the fault. Rock types and vein types encountered in K-6 most strongly resemble rocks in the footwall of the fault about 2 kilometers south of the southern edge of the outcropping porphyry system to the west of the Kabba target area.
Downhole IP measurements conducted from drill hole K-6 by Zonge Engineering demonstrated that no significant quantities of disseminated sulfides are present within one kilometer of the drill hole in the southerly or westerly directions. Modestly increasing chargeability was noted beginning more than 700 meters in a northeasterly direction from K-6.
Previously, drill holes K-5 and K-6 were sited to test a model of slip on the fault amounting to 6 kilometers in a due easterly direction. An accumulating body of geological and geophysical observations now supports a fault slip amount of 7 kilometers but in a direction of N65�E. This new interpretation places the targeted porphyry system in the hangingwall about 2.5 kilometers north-northwest of K-6 and 1.1 kilometers north of K-4. New evidence supporting this slip direction and amount of offset includes: 1) a major magnetic anomaly (COTOB anomaly) in the hangingwall block north of the target which correlates using this model with a similar major anomaly in the footwall (TOB anomaly) of the fault, 2) rotated postmineral sedimentary rocks near K-5 and K-6 strike in a direction compatible with movement in a N65�E direction, 3) a bedrock window 6.5 kilometers north of drillhole K-4 shows sericitized porphyry plugs carrying strong lead, zinc, arsenic, and manganese typical of fringing mineralization around the new, more northerly porphyry target, 4) vegetation linears in the hangingwall postmineral sediments interpreted to be tear faults are oriented parallel with the northeasterly slip direction.
In response to this new target location, the Company has applied for mineral exploration permits from the State of Arizona covering about 2300 acres and has swapped an additional 2100 acres of leased mineral rights with Newmont. Recent completion of the applications and bonding over the new target area now allows drill testing to continue in the most prospective locations, beginning with the K-7 test. The Company has bonded a total of 18 drill sites over the new target area.
Once land acquisitions were completed over the new target area, Zonge Engineering completed about 9 kilometers of surface IP/resistivity surveys. These surveys showed modest chargeabilities in two areas spanning about 2 kilometers in an east-west direction. The chargeability anomalies represent the strongest yet measured on the Kabba project, providing encouragement about the greater prospectivity of the new target area. The chargeability anomalies are interpreted to be caused by disseminated sulfide minerals. A north-northwesterly trending fault separates the two anomalies and significantly downdrops the eastern anomaly. Drill hole K-7 is testing the shallow western anomaly. Electrical resistivity measurements near K-7 taken together with drill data from K-4 suggest the depth to bedrock at K-7 will be around 100 meters.
Bell is strongly optimistic that the recent advancements in our geological interpretation at Kabba provide new predictive ability and will ultimately bring value to our shareholders through drilling success.
No mineral resource currently exists on the Kabba property. The Company cannot guarantee that further exploration work on the property will result in the delineation of a mineral resource.
Timothy Marsh, PhD, P. Eng, a Qualified Person, continues to oversee the drilling operations at Kabba.
About Bell CopperBell Copper is focused on the exploration and development of copper assets in the Americas through internal efforts and via strategic partnerships.
More information on Bell Copper:
www.bellcopper.netOn behalf of the Board of Directors of
Bell Copper Corporation"Brian Leeners"Brian Leeners, CFO & DirectorFor further information please contact the Company
Tel: 604 669-1484 or email:
info@bellcopper.netTHE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the 'safe harbor' provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties
You can also view this News Release on our website at:
http://www.bellcopper.net/s/News_Releases.asp?ReportID=370049