Vancouver, B.C., August 23rd, 2011. Empire Mining Corporation (EPC: TSX-V) ("Empire") is pleased to announce results of the first two holes assayed from diamond drilling at the Karapinar Target area of the Bursa Project located in Turkey. The drilling at Karapinar totaled 1,282.2 metres in six holes and was carried-out in parallel with drilling at the Demirtepe Target area of the Bursa Project where drilling by Empire has encountered significant grades and intervals of copper-gold-silver and molybdenum skarn mineralization.
Drilling at Karapinar has intersected a 60 meter zone of chalcocite enrichment in hole KDH-018 grading 0.93% copper, 0.11 gpt gold and 0.017% molybdenum from a hole depth of 79.6 to 139.6 metres. The secondary enrichment lies beneath a 48 meter zone of oxide mineralization grading 0.25% copper from a hole depth of 31.6 metres. The combined oxide and chalcocite mineralization grades 0.63% copper, 0.11 gpt gold and 0.01% molybdenum over 108 metres. Hole KDH-018 lies 90 metres northeast of hole KDH-008 and 100 metres southwest of KDH-007, both of which intercepted secondary copper mineralization in Empire's 2008 drilling campaign.
[The 2008 drilling program was designed to confirm and expand the zone of porphyry copper mineralization indicated in three holes drilled by Rio Tinto in 2003 and intercepted significant copper mineralization in five of six holes including 99.7 metres from surface averaging 0.50% copper, 0.007% molybdenum and 0.10 gpt gold in hole KDH-006. KDH-008 and KDH-011 intercepted zones of supergene enrichment in heavily fractured porphyry containing native copper and other secondary copper minerals from surface to depths up to 100 metres. A table of 2008 drill results is available at the following link: http://www.empireminingcorp.com/i/nr/2011-08-23-table-2008.pdf]
KDH-018 is one of the easternmost holes drilled at Karapinar so far and has revealed significant expansion potential where past exploration was incorrectly indicative of unfavorable geology. For instance:
- Past drilling in hole KDH-007 was believed to mark the eastern extent of the porphyry mineralization, however it is upslope of KDH-018 and the copper is presumed to have migrated down the slope. The hole was inclined to the WNW 290/-70 but still intersected secondary copper for 11 metres from 5.5 to 16.5 metres but the average copper grade was lower at 0.43% copper.
- Past geological mapping eastward indicated unfavorable schist, based principally on a few scattered boulders, however, recently-opened road cut has revealed a further 100 metres of argillically-altered porphyry to the east of KDH-018 where schist had been previously incorrectly mapped;
- Past soil sampling results strongly reflect the sub-surface geology over much of the mapped mineralized porphyry deposit, however, close to KDH-018 and to the east, it is now believed that the anomalous but subdued copper in soils indicates a possible leached environment over an undrilled area of 600 x 400 metres. This view is supported by the IP and resistivity geophysical profile and calculated metal factor as shown in the following link: http://www.empireminingcorp.com/i/nr/2011-08-23-resistivity.pdf
Various Karapinar maps can be viewed at the following link:
http://www.empireminingcorp.com/i/nr/2011-08-23-maps.pdf
Photos of KHD-018 diamond drill core can be viewed at the following link:
http://www.empireminingcorp.com/i/nr/2011-08-23-photos.pdf
KHD-018 was prioritized for assaying since secondary copper mineralization was visible in the core. Results are awaited for four more holes at Karapinar, however results for KDH-012 drilled 90 metres northwest of KDH-008 and 120 metres southwest of KDH-018 have been received and the hole intersected an average 0.30% copper, 0.10 gpt gold and 0.014% molybdenum over its entire length of 266.30 metres. The available drilling results are tabulated in the following link:
http://www.empireminingcorp.com/i/nr/2011-08-23-table-2011.pdf
On a larger scale, the intrusive porphyry deposit possibly extends 1 km to the north, based on copper and molybdenum anomalies to the north and lead zinc in the dolomites north of the drilled porphyry. This carbonate mass is interpreted as a large roof pendant and one hole drilled by Rio Tinto in 2003 (KDH-005) penetrated through the marble and contact skarns and into porphyry.
The presence of a chalcocite blanket at Karapinar is unusual in Turkey, due to relatively rapid uplift and erosion, although a transition from oxide to sulphide has been noted in previous drill holes and characterised by a varied amounts of chalcopyrite, chalcocite, bornite, native copper and copper oxides which enhance the copper grade in the shallower sections of drill hole.
Empire is planning additional geophysical work to seek extensions to the known porphyry deposit, in tandem with mapping and sampling, before the next phase of drilling.
Given the significant results received to date at both the Karapinar and Demirtepe targets of the Bursa Project, that can be interpreted as having considerable potential, and considering the distance between the two targets of approximately 6 km; management of Empire has decided to treat the two project areas as distinct and separate. Moving forward the Bursa-Karapinar Target and the Bursa-Demirtepe Target will therefore be known respectively as the Karapinar Project and the Demirtepe Project. Empire's financial reporting will therefore be adjusted retroactively in the quarter to account for two separate projects in the Mineral Properties notes.
Quality Assurance/Quality Control
Gold assays were determined by fire assay with an AA finish at ALS Chemex Assay Laboratories in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. ALS Chemex performed internal check assaying on about 5% of the samples, and also included analyses of internal standards inserted into the sample string. In addition, check analyses are in progress on a duplicate second split on a further 5% of the samples. The second split was collected at the drill rig during drilling, at the same time as the first, and retained for check assaying.
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.