Big Sandy Project Assays Received

VANCOUVER - Bell Copper Corporation has received complete assay results from drillhole BS-3 at its Big Sandy project. Big Sandy is a large, truncated porphyry copper-molybdenum target located in northwestern Arizona, approximately 30 kilometers south of the Company's Perseverance Project.

Inclined drillhole BS-3 cut 200 meters grading 0.42 percent copper (8.4 lbsCu/st) and 2.4 grams of silver per tonne from 1302 meters to 1502 meters, including 54 meters grading 0.67 percent copper (13.4 lbsCu/st) and 3.7 grams of silver per tonne from 1445 meters to 1499 meters. BS-3 drilled an additional 524.33 meters from 1502 to 2026.33 meters (total depth) grading 0.16 percent copper and 2.2 grams of silver per tonne. The entire bedrock interval in BS-3, extending 834.33 meters from 1192 meters to 2026.33 meters (total depth), consisted of pervasively sericitized quartz monzonite porphyry typical of the low grade, outer "phyllic" or "QSP" (quartz-sericite-pyrite) alteration zone of a porphyry copper system. Metallurgical testing continues on the 200-meter chalcocite-bearing interval 1302-1502 meters for copper recovery via routine froth flotation and leaching.

Disseminated chalcocite (copper sulfide) and pyrite was first encountered in drillhole BS-3 at an inclined depth of 1302 meters, immediately beneath leached capping. Chalcocite variably overprints predominantly pyritic mineralization from the inclined depth of 1302m to at least 1589m. Chalcocite mineralization in this 287-meter interval is interrupted by spotty jarosite-bearing shear zones lacking pyrite and chalcocite. No copper oxide minerals were encountered in the intersection. Pyrite content averaged over 9 percent by weight across the interval.

The 200-meter interval between 1302 meters and 1502 meters returned an average grade of 0.42 percent copper (8.4 lbsCu/st) and 2.4 grams of silver per tonne, including 54 meters from 1445 meters to 1499 meters grading 0.67 percent copper (13.4 lbsCu/st) and 3.7 grams of silver per tonne. The true thickness of the 200-meter chalcocite-bearing interval is not known. The maximum copper assay in the interval was 4.30 percent copper over 0.3 meters. Two other copper assays in the interval exceeded one percent copper, including 2.65 percent copper over 1.6 meters and 2.12 percent copper over 0.60 meters.

From an inclined depth of 1502 meters to the bottom of the hole at 2026.33 meters, sulfide minerals were dominated by pyrite, accompanied by minor chalcopyrite, tennantite, sphalerite, and trace molybdenite, with pyrite averaging 10 percent by weight over the interval. This interval averaged 0.16 percent copper and 2.2 grams of silver per tonne. The average ratio of pyrite to chalcopyrite in this interval is 20:1 by weight.

The entire bedrock interval in BS-3, extending 834.33 meters from 1192 meters to 2026.33 meters (total depth), consisted of pervasively sericitized quartz monzonite porphyry typical of the low grade, outer "phyllic" or "QSP" (quartz-sericite-pyrite) alteration zone of a porphyry copper system.

BS-3 was terminated when the mechanical limits of the drill were reached. The inclination of the hole steepened to over 80 degrees at the bottom of the hole, so negligible progress was being made to cross laterally through the pyrite zone and into any adjacent copper shell. Future drilling will test hypothetical supergene chalcocite that would be expected to overlie any adjacent copper shell.

A composite sample of coarse assay rejects from the chalcocite-bearing (copper-bearing) interval 1302-1502 meters was shipped to SGS Lakefield lab in Ontario for a bank of scoping metallurgical studies (see March 22 release). Chalcocite is being tested for its amenability to recovery by both froth flotation and acid leaching. Molybdenite is being tested for its amenability to concentration by froth flotation and for its rhenium content. The testing allows Bell to consider multiple extraction scenarios as we drill future intersections at Big Sandy.

Tim Marsh, President and CEO, said, "Bell Copper has demonstrated the existence of a new supergene enriched porphyry copper deposit at Big Sandy. We have shown that significant copper grades are present over a length scale of 200 meters, though we lack knowledge of the true thickness in this first intersection. Drilling a half-mile of QSP with little primary geochemical gradient gives us our first clue that this is the large porphyry system that we went looking for. We have not yet found the primary source of the copper, though the veins and minerals in the core all suggest that BS-3 was close. The Company is following up the BS-3 intersection with a 900-meter step-out hole, BS-4, from a new drill pad. Precollar drilling and casing into bedrock will be completed with an angle-capable mud rotary drill, which is expected to significantly accelerate the pace of future drilling at Big Sandy."