Blackthorn Resources Limited (ASX:BTR) is an Australian-based resources company that is unearthing value from a diverse portfolio of base and precious metal projects in Africa.

The high-grade Perkoa Zinc Mine in Burkina Faso is currently under construction and targeting full production in second half of 2012. Joint venture partner Glencore International is managing and operating the mine, as well as funding mine development.

Blackthorn Resources is exploring for gold in Burkina Faso and an initial gold resource was defined at the Guido Prospect during 2010. Grassroots exploration of the Company’s extensive exploration permits is at an early stage and numerous targets remain to be thoroughly drill tested.

In Zambia, the Mumbwa Copper-Gold Project  is exploring for large Iron Oxide Copper-Gold (“IOCG”) deposits, similar to the style of mineralisation found at the Olympic Dam and Prominent Hill mines in South Australia, and the Ernest Henry mine in Queensland. Drilling has delineated an initial Inferred Mineral Resource of 87 million tonnes at 0.94% copper (using 0.5% Cu cut-off) at the Kitumba Prospect. Joint venture partner BHP Billiton progressed further drilling on the Mutoya-Mushingashi anomalies in 2010 prior to amicably announcing their intention to withdraw from the JV in 2011. Blackthorn Resources now owns 100% in the Mumbwa Project.
Blackthorn Resources (ASX:BTR)
Company Directors
Mr Derek Carter (Non-executive Director)
Mr Michael Oppenheimer (Non Exec. Director)
Mr Mr William Cash (Non Exec. Chairman)
Mr Nicole Bowman (Non Exec. Director)
Contact Information
Phone: (02) 9357 9000
Email:
Website:

Address
Level 5, Suite 502, 80 William Street, NSW, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 2011
Media Releases
Blackthorn resources limited, significant high-grade wide zone of Copper mineralisation intersected at mumbwa project
18 Jan,2012 11:10 AM

Blackthorn Resources Limited (ASX:BTR) is pleased to provide the following project update for the Phase 5 drilling program at Mumbwa in Zambia. The Company’s exploration model is targeting a large Iron Oxide Copper Gold (IOCG) style of mineralisation.
 
The Company is continuing drilling operations at Mumbwa despite the onset of the annual wet season. In late 2011, Blackthorn Resources engaged a replacement drilling contractor which has efficiently mobilised to site and now has 3 drill rigs progressing on planned targets. Drilling progress rates have improved significantly and are now in-line with expectations to complete the program by March 2012.
 
The Phase 5 program is planning to drill 16 targets as shown in Table 1 which includes a series of 14 ‘in-fill’ and ‘step-out’ holes over the Kitumba mineral resource area, and 2 ‘scout’ holes on a geophysical target at Mutoya which is located approximately 6km NW from Kitumba. Currently Phase 5 drilling has completed 9 holes for a total 4,612.66 meters, including 1 abandoned hole. A further 3 holes are in progress and another 5 target sites remain to be drilled.
 
The Company has received copper (Cu) assay results from a further 4 drill holes, namely S36-025 and S36-026 at Kitumba, and MUSH-002 and MUSH-003 at Mutoya.
 
The holes located at Kitumba were designed to test the continuity of mineralisation and improve confidence in the maiden inferred mineral resource model which was reported in October 2009. The other 2 holes at Mutoya were designed to test a geophysical anomaly generated through updating and re-processing of the original FALCON™ data-set which produced an anomaly with favourable characteristics similar to that at Kitumba. The physiology of the Mutoya target area is also expressed as a prominent topographical high.
 
Kitumba Inferred Mineral Resource Area 
 
Drill hole S36-025 was designed to test the continuity and eastern contact of the highgrade mineralised core of copper mineralisation previously identified at Kitumba. S36-025 is situated in the central-eastern part of the Kitumba mineral resource area as shown in Figure 1, and was drilled at an angle of 65 degrees towards the west (270 degrees) to an end of hole depth of 532.3 meters.
 
A total of 420 samples of core were taken from the entire length of the drill hole and submitted to the AH Knight Laboratory in Kitwe, Zambia for preparation and analysis for copper. A sample split was taken for gold analysis and sent to either the AH Knight Laboratory in Fairbanks, Alaska or ACME Analytical Laboratories in Vancouver, Canada.

For further information please download the PDF below.