Bell Copper's MT Survey Identifies Large Conductor at Big Sandy
Vancouver, October 6, 2020 - Bell Copper Corp. (TSXV: BCU) ("Bell Copper" or the "Company") reports that it has received the final report of a SPARTAN Magnetotelluric ("MT") survey completed in August at its Big Sandy project, a large, truncated porphyry copper-molybdenum prospect located in northwestern Arizona, approximately 30 kilometers south of the Company's Perseverance Project.
Highlights
- Survey detected a large conductivity anomaly measuring 2400 meters by 2100 meters and extending at least 1500 meters vertically.
- Apex of the anomaly is estimated to lie 150 meters below surface.
- Core of anomaly has resistivities below 15 Ohm-meters.
- Anomaly is contiguous with surficial copper-bearing fanglomerate discovered in July.
No copper occurrences had been previously reported in any government databases from the area, but upon field investigation by the Company, several surficial occurrences have now been discovered. The Company believes that the unusual copper occurrences may be linked to a shallowly covered porphyry copper deposit.
Magnetotelluric Survey
Quantec Geoscience Limited crews completed the SPARTAN MT survey at Bell Copper's Big Sandy property pursuant to strict COVID 19 safety protocols. The survey started out as 61 deep search geophysical soundings over the area, but was quickly increased to 78 total soundings after fanglomerate carrying angular pieces of chrysocolla and chalcocite were discovered and the Company expanded its claims east of the initial survey area.
Interpretation of survey reveals a large 2400 meter by 2100 meter conductive anomaly that is believed to be hosted by Precambrian crystalline igneous rocks similar to those seen in outcrops east of the Company's claims. Whereas pristine, unaltered Precambrian crystalline igneous rocks would be expected to have electrical resistivities of 1000 Ohm-meters or higher, the modeled resistivities in the core of the anomaly are below 15 Ohm-meters. The Company believes that this 60-fold reduction in expected resistivity might indicate the presence of copper porphyry-related sulfide mineralization and hydrolytic alteration contiguous with the copper-bearing fanglomerate on the surface of Big Sandy.
Depth of Cover
Interpolation between outcrops east of the Company's property and bedrock intersections in shallow water wells to the west supports the MT interpretation that depth of cover over the conductor is in the range of 150 meters to 200 meters. The angular nature of the clasts in the copper-bearing fanglomerate is consistent with a nearby source, like the immediately contiguous MT anomaly rather than the 14-kilometer-distant footwall porphyry outcrops.
Figure 1
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Property Expansion
In that the interpreted conductivity anomaly extended to the southern limit of the Company's claim block, an additional 133 lode claims were staked by Bell last month on open federal ground. With the newly staked claims, the Company's Big Sandy property now covers 5880 hectares of federal lode claims and State of Arizona mineral exploration permits.
Tim Marsh, Bell's President and CEO, and a Qualified Person as defined by NI43-101, said,
"SPARTAN MT did just what Quantec said it would do: show Bell the distribution of conductive rocks to depths over 2 kilometers beneath the surface. In fact, the conductor that Quantec showed us under our claims started at 150 meters depth and just kept going right on down to the deepest limits of the survey. The sheer size and proximity to surface of that conductor was highly interesting, but in retrospect was consistent with the reason we staked the Big Sandy claims and got Quantec on the job in the first place. With the context provided by the MT conductor, the copper fanglomerate that we see on the surface now makes sense."
Future Activities
The Company has made an application for permitting of a multi-hole drill program on the project. It is Bell Copper's intention to begin the drill program as soon as permits have been approved.
About Quantec's Spartan MT
The magnetotelluric method, typically abbreviated as MT, is an electromagnetic geophysical technique that uses natural electric fields from lightning sources, solar flares and ionospheric resonances that induce current flow in the ground which may be used to image the earth's electrical resistivity structure from surface to great depths. MT data are processed and presented as resistivities which may be correlated with various geological features including conductive features which are of particular interest to the Company at Big Sandy.
About Bell Copper
Bell Copper is a mineral exploration company focused on the identification, exploration and discovery of large copper deposits located in Arizona. Bell Copper is exploring its 100% owned Big Sandy Porphyry Copper Project and the Perseverance Porphyry Copper Project which is under a Joint Venture - Earn In.
Qualified Person
The technical content of this release has been reviewed and approved by Timothy Marsh, PhD, PEng., the Company's CEO and President. No mineral resource has yet been identified on the Big Sandy Project. There is no certainty that the present exploration effort will result in the identification of a mineral resource or that any mineral resource that might be discovered will prove to be economically recoverable.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of
Bell Copper Corp.
"Timothy Marsh"
Timothy Marsh, President, CEO & Director
For further information please contact the Company
Tel: 1 800 418 8250
Email: info@bellcopper.net
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward Looking Statements
This news release includes "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements included in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "potential", "target", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof.
Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management based on the business and markets in which Bell Copper operates, are inherently subject to significant operational, economic, and competitive uncertainties, risks and contingencies. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results, and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include actual exploration results, interpretation of metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, delays or inability to receive required approvals, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators, including those described in the Company's most recently filed MD&A. The Company does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable law.
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