C3 Metals drills 0.37% copper over 286 metres at Bellas Gate, Jamaica

C3 Metals Inc. [CCCM-TSXV; CUAUF-OTCQB] has intersected strong porphyry copper-gold mineralization in the first two holes of its recently commenced drill program on the 100%-owned Bellas Gate project in Jamaica.

Complete assays have been received for hole PVT0900-001 (EOH 152 metres) and partial assays for PVT0900-002 down to 350 metres depth (EOH 480.7 m). PVT0900-001 was the maiden drill hole with the company’s recently purchased, man-portable drill rig and was a training hole for the new Jamaican drilling team and trainers. Both holes confirmed broad zones of near-surface copper-gold mineralization.

To date, approximately 1,650 metres of a fully financed and recently announced 8,500-metres drill program have been completed. Continuing drilling will continue evaluating a cluster of discrete high-priority porphyry copper-gold targets. These targets are defined by geology, soil geochemistry and geophysics along the two parallel Camel and Connors porphyry belts at the Bellas Gate project.

Drilling highlights: Longest interval of copper-gold mineralization intersected at Provost to date; 285.9 metres at 0.37% copper and 0.21 g/t gold (0.52% CuEq) from 64.1 metres, including 191.5 metres at 0.45% copper and 0.27% gold (0.64% CuEq) intersected in the upper 350 metres of hole PVT0900-002.

Copper sulphide mineralization logged to the end of hole PVT0900-002 at 480.7 metres. Assays are pending for the lower 130.7 metres with the last assay interval returning 12.0 metres (338.0m to 350.0m) at 0.46% copper and 0.27 g/t gold (0.64% CuEq); 92.0 metres at 0.24% copper and 0.12 g/t gold (0.32% CuEq) from 60.0 metres intersected in hole PVT0900-001. End of Hole assayed 0.23% copper and 0.10 g/t gold (0.30% CuEq) over its last 2.0-metre interval;.

Multiple phases of alteration, veining, and mineralization evident, porphyry copper-gold mineralization overprinted by intermediate and high-sulphidation epithermal veining.

C3 Metals’ recently purchased man portable drill rig is performing strongly with excellent penetration rates being achieved at very low direct drilling costs to date. Three holes for approximately 1,100 metres now completed at Provost with a fourth hole in progress.

A larger contractor rig is drilling on the Camel Hill porphyry target where historical hole depths average only 220 metres below surface. The first hole has been extended from its planned 450 metres depth, as visual copper mineralization is evident to the current depth of 615 metres.

Dan Symons, President and CEO, stated, “We believe we are in the initial stages of a significant discovery at the Bellas Gate project in Jamaica. We are currently drill testing multiple porphyry targets over a 4km trend of copper-gold mineralization. We have confirmed multiple, near-surface porphyries and believe there are deeper seated, high-grade drivers of such an extensive trend of porphyry alteration and mineralization. Prior drilling was sporadic with average hole depths of less than 225m at Bellas Gate.

“For the first time in the project’s history, C3 Metals is now well set up to systematically evaluate both the strike extent and depth extent of these two distinct porphyry trends. We have designed this program utilizing all available data from surface geological mapping, soil and rock geochemical sampling, geophysics (mag and IP) and the limited previous drilling. Successfully drilling the broadest interval of copper-gold mineralization ever at Provost in the second hole of the demonstrates the significant advances we have made in our modelling and 3D understanding of the geology at Bellas Gate.”

Drilling at Provost confirms a telescoped, fully intact (not eroded) porphyry copper-gold system which is interpreted to be spatially interrelated to a larger porphyry system at depth, as illustrated in a cross section.

Recent and historical drilling at Provost confirms porphyry and epithermal copper-gold mineralization is open in most directions. C3 Metals’ man-portable drill rig is lightweight, maneuverable and ideally suited to step out extension drilling of the high-grade porphyry mineralization intersected in PVT0900-002. The Company plans to systematically evaluate this extensive zone of alteration and surface geochemistry at Provost with multiple drill holes.

A larger capacity contractor drill rig is currently drilling approximately 3.5km southeast of Provost at the Camel Hill porphyry target. The first hole planned to a depth of 450m has been extended due to the continued presence of appreciable chalcopyrite copper mineralization in the drill core.

C3 Metals is exploring in Jamaica where it has identified 16 porphyry and 40 epithermal prospects over a 30km strike extent across its 20,700 hectare exploration licences package. The company has published a maiden resource estimate on the first of these skarn targets, which contained Measured & Indicated Resources of 52Mt at 0.5% copper and 0.2 g/t gold.