Blackthorn Resources (ASX: BTR) is an Australian-based resources company with a diverse portfolio of African assets including zinc, gold, copper, nickel and platinum group metals.
The company's primary assets are in west and southern Africa targeting copper, zinc and gold. The company also seeks and evaluates other projects in Australia and internationally to add to the diverse mineral asset portfolio.
Blackthorn Resources and BHP Billiton announce copper gold drilling results at Mumbwa JV Project
Blackthorn Resources Limited (ASX: BTR) has reported encouraging drilling results from Phase 3B of the drilling program conducted by its Joint Venture partner BHP at the Mumbwa Project in Zambia.
Assay results were received from 2 drill holes (ZMMUM-004 and ZMMUM-005) completed on the Kitumba Anomaly, (not included in the recent Inferred mineral resource estimate) and a single hole (ZMMUM-006A) completed on the Mushingashi Anomaly.
Kitumba Anomaly Drill hole ZMMUM-004
- 6m at 1.34 g/t Au between 206m and 212m, including 2m at 2.80 g/t Au between 210m and 212m
- 2m at 3.56 g/t Au between 264m and 266m
- 6m at 0.45 g/t Au between 384m and 390m, including 2m at 0.82 g/t Au between 388m and 390m
- 1m at 0.74 % Cu between 550m and 551m
- 2m at 0.99 % Cu between 628m and 630m
- 2m at 0.59 % Cu between 652m and 654m
- 2m at 0.65 % Cu between 758m and 760m
Kitumba Anomaly Drill hole ZMMUM-005
- 12m at 0.51 % Cu between 246m and 258m, including 2m at 1.24 % Cu between 246m and 248m, and
- 2m at 0.59 % Cu between 254m and 256m
- 2m at 0.67 % Cu between 318m and 320m
- 1m at 0.35 % Cu between 390m and 392m
Mushingashi Anomaly Drill hole ZMMUM-006A revealed minor copper mineralisation
- 3m at 0.35 % Cu between 490m and 493m
- 1m at 0.26 % Cu between 494m and 495m
- 1m at 0.32 % Cu between 507m and 508m
- 1m at 0.35 % Cu between 509m and 510m
BHP Billiton (40% JV partner) is currently managing and funding the Phase 3B drilling program, which has been temporarily suspended while safety improvements and camp relocation are underway. Drilling is planned to re-commence upon the finalising site improvements and appointment of a new drilling contractor by BHP Billiton.
The holes drilled on the Mushingashi Anomaly are located approximately 5-10 km northwest from the previously drilled Kitumba Anomaly, and are excluded from the recent mineral resource estimate commissioned by Blackthorn Resources and reported to the ASX on 19 October 2009.
It is anticipated that any significant mineral resource potentially identified at Mushingashi would complement the existing Inferred Mineral Resource already defined at Kitumba, said Blackthorn managing director Scott Lowe.
Assay results were received from cored drillhole ZMMUM-004 and ZMMUM-005 representing results from the 4th and 5th holes respectively from 5 holes drilled on the Kitumba Anomaly in 2009 during the Phase 3B campaign.
From these five holes drilled on the Kitumba Anomaly, only one hole (ZMMUM-001) was included in the recent Inferred Mineral Resource estimate reported to the ASX on 19 October 2009.
Drillholes ZMMUM-004 and ZMMUM-005 are situated towards the southeast and southwest of the resource area and indicate that mineralisation is present outside of the current mineral resource envelope, and inclusion of these holes into the resource model may provide some additional upside to the resource quoted.
ZMMUM-004, drilled outside the Kitumba mineral resource envelope on the southeastern side, contains gold mineralisation in the upper part of the hole above 630m downhole depth, followed by dominantly copper mineralisation to a down hole depth of 908 metres. Geologically the gold bearing zone is associated with feldspar porphyry syenite while the copper bearing zone is associated with quartz porphyry granite.
