Blackthorn Resources has hit more high grade copper from the Phase 6 Kitumba drilling program at its Mumbwa project in Zambia.

Assay results from drill show that mineralization started from 55 meters with best copper intersections identified at 175 meters at 2.03 % copper from 230 meters including 11 meters at 4.2% copper and 28 meters at 4.1% copper.

Drilling on both Kitumba and Kakozhi prospects started in July this year and assays on a further 5,000 meters of core are still outstanding. A total of 17 holes have been completed for a total of 10,102 meters.

Four diamond drill rigs are now operating on the Kitumba hills potentially offering further results upside. Three holes were drilled in Kakozhi. These three holes were designed to gain the best stratigraphic coverage centered on a gravity and soil copper geochemical anomaly. The Phase 6 drilling data will be fed into a resource update and a pre feasibility study planned for next year.

Blackthorn has made provision for USD 11 million to drill 16,000 meters for the fiscal year ending June 30th 2013 with both infill and step out drilling planned. While the infill drilling is set to add to the confidence level of the recently release Kitumba mineral resource estimate and upgrade areas of the resource from the inferred to indicated categories, the step out drilling ail help expand the area of known mineralzsation.