Nov 16 2010
Empire Mining Corporation (TSX VENTURE:EPC) has announced that drilling has commenced at its Bursa copper-molybdenum-gold porphyry project in western Turkey.
The Bursa Property is situated 120 km south of Istanbul and comprises exploration licenses within a trend of demonstrated copper, molybdenum and gold porphyry systems in Bursa and Kutahya provinces.
There are a number of target areas at Empire's Bursa Project. Previous work conducted mostly by Rio Tinto was concentrated in two of these areas, Karapinar and Gurculer. Drilling at Karapinar by Rio Tinto, and in 2008 by Empire Mining intercepted thick intervals of copper mineralized porphyry with significant molybdenum and gold over a surface area of approximately 600 by 650 metres.
The current drilling will consist of up to 1,000 metres of diamond drilling in up to four holes at a newly-identified target called Demirtepe (Iron Hill) that lies about 6 km to the north of the Karapinar copper porphyry target.
The newly identified Demirtepe target is characterised by a wollastonite skarn deposit with diopsite garnet skarn and disseminated copper mineralisation. Copper values from a cluster of scattered outcrop rock chip composite samples range from 0.28% to 1.06% from a number of locations over a 350 by 750 metre area. More scattered samples assayed 0.63 to 2.09 g/t gold. In addition, two samples from the bornite-bearing wollastonite skarn 500 metres south of this cluster assayed 3.88% and 9.26% copper and 2.41 g/t and 1.37 g/t gold respectively. The skarn at Demirtepe is attributed to a blind intrusive body that gives rise to the copper mineralisation.
Soil geochemistry shows widespread copper-gold-molybdenum anomalies over a 1,000 by 1,500 metre area with copper ranging from 124 ppm to 12,050 ppm and gold from 10 ppb to 1.24 g/t. The IP/Resistivity survey shows an anomaly at about 100 to 150 metres depth lying between the geochemistry clusters that could be attributed to a blind porphyry system.
In addition, a recently completed 13.6 line kilometre magnetic survey has identified two magnetic highs that coincide with the copper-molybdenum soil anomaly. The relationship between copper-gold and copper-molybdenum soil anomalies and the separate magnetic highs could be interpreted as representing more than one porphyry-related mineralising event.
The drill-holes are aimed at attributing the soil geochemical and geophysical anomalies to a porphyry/skarn source.
Empire can earn a 65% interest in the Bursa project by delivering a pre-feasibility study to Anatolia Minerals, the operator, by September 2013.
Empire's Qualified Person, David C. Cliff, BSc (Hons), MIMMM, C Eng, FGS, also Empire's President & CEO, has reviewed and approved the content of this news release.
Source: Empire Mining Corporation