Bell Copper Corp : Geochemistry Confirms Porphyry Copper Potential at Bell Copper's Kabba Project

January 19, 2012
Geochemistry Confirms Porphyry Copper Potential at Bell Copper's Kabba Project

Toronto, Ontario-- Bell Copper Corporation ("Bell Copper" or the "Company") (TSX-V:BCU) is pleased to provide further information on the most recent drill hole, K-10, at its Kabba project in Mohave County, Arizona. Full geochemical results from hole K-10, drilled to a depth of 1,347 m last fall, have now been received and continue to support management's view that the Company's efforts to date have resulted in the discovery of the buried top of a major Laramide porphyry copper-molybdenum system. The last two holes drilled into the system, K-8 and K-10 (hole K-9 having been abandoned at the same location as hole K-10 before hitting the target depth), have both encountered the outer edges of a diatreme breccia above the porphyry, with no prior holes having tested the 1.6 km area between holes K-8 and K-10.

Drill hole K-10 intersected a strongly altered diatreme breccia cut by multiple dacite porphyry dikes. The diatreme interval in K-10 hosted several hundred shallowly dipping quartz-molybdenite-carbonate veinlets, providing further evidence that the breccia is a very receptive host rock and that it served as a conduit to molybdenum-rich hydrothermal fluid. Assay results in the diatreme show that it carries gold (13 to 366 ppb), molybdenum (15-46 ppm), rhenium (12-46 ppb), thorium, and uranium, elements that attest to the strongly magmatic nature of the hydrothermal fluids that moved through it and that geochemically tie the diatreme to the known mineralization in the footwall root zone. The diatreme remains the focus of further exploration as it hosts the most intense hydrothermal alteration found to date in the hangingwall target. The 1.6 kilometer width of the diatreme between holes K-8 and K-10, together with the intense alteration to which it has been subjected, compare well with the 3 km by 5 km size and intensely altered nature of the footwall root zone.

Beyond the wall of the diatreme breccia, drill hole K-10 intersected an array of more than ten different varieties of igneous dikes ranging in composition from dacite porphyry to andesite to minette (biotite ultramafic rock). High grade base metal veins cut by K-10 include the following intervals located well outside the limits of the diatreme breccia:

From (m)	To (m)	True Width (m)	Au g/t	Ag g/t	Cu %	Pb %	Zn %
1234.00	1234.53	0.06	0.52	193	0.18	1.44	1.43
1329.03	1329.93	0.10	0.09	51	0.44	2.18	10.05

These veins are interpreted to be intermediate sulfidation veins that are commonly associated with the margins of porphyry copper-molybdenum deposits. They bear a strong resemblance to veins at the nearby Century and Enterprise mines along the western edge of the 3 km by 5 km outcropping roots of the porphyry system, 7.5 km to the west of K-10. Their presence in K-10 supports the geological model wherein the drill hole is located within the buried top of a major Laramide porphyry copper-molybdenum system that has been displaced from its outcropping roots eastward and downward by a major, post mineral, low-angle fault. Correlation of these veins in K-10 with the Century and Enterprise veins in the footwall provides an improved location of the center of the porphyry copper-molybdenum system as lying 800 meters to the east of K-10.

The best copper mineralization encountered in the drill hole was hosted by a variably biotite-altered granodiorite porphyry dike which yielded anomalous mineralization 125 meters thick averaging 0.03% copper. Copper in this interval was present in the form of disseminated chalcopyrite. While this interval is beyond the limits of the diatreme and it is not the copper shell that the Company is seeking, it serves to demonstrate that significant thicknesses of anomalous copper mineralization were produced in relation to Laramide igneous activity within the target area.

Bell's target at Kabba is a Resolution-type system. Resolution is owned by Rio Tinto and BHP-Billiton, hosts published inferred resources of 1.624 billion tonnes grading 1.47% copper and 0.037% molybdenum and is one of several billion-tonne copper deposits that have been discovered in Arizona. There are many key features of the Resolution system that are being observed in hole K-10, including multiple overlapping intrusions, early potassic alteration, late advanced argillic alteration, distal lead-zinc-copper veins, and pervasive phyllic alteration in a pyrite-rich halo. Management continues to believe that Kabba is a major porphyry system which displays the same characteristics that were identified in the discovery and definition drilling of the Resolution orebody, which was previously overseen by Tim Marsh, the Company's President and former Chief Geologist at Resolution Copper.

The Company is committed to seeing exploration continue at Kabba. Given the large funding commitments required for a new multi-hole drill program to the depths required, the Company is examining all avenues to maximize shareholder value at Kabba, including examining joint venture possibilities, as well as possibly seeking to secure additional funding for Kabba following the upcoming completion of the Company's feasibility study at its La Balsa project in Mexico.

Sampling, Assaying and Quality Control

Sampling was conducted under the direct supervision of Dr. Timothy Marsh, PhD, P. Eng., President of the Company and Sebastian Mollapaza, BSc, geological consultant to the Company. Samples were kept in a locked storage shed and were delivered in person to Skyline Laboratories, Tucson, Arizona, by Dr. Marsh. Control samples, including field blanks, and copper standards, were inserted into the sample stream at an average rate of one control sample per fifteen unknowns.

Qualified Person

Dr. Timothy Marsh, PhD., P. Eng., President of the Company and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical content in this press release.

About Bell Copper

Bell Copper is a public company with a focus on copper exploration, development and production in North America. The Company has an extensive portfolio of exploration and development projects located in two of North America's premier copper producing regions: Mexico and Arizona.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of
Bell Copper Corporation

"Michael Werner"

Michael Werner, CEO & Director

For further information, contact:

Bell Copper Corporation
Bulgan Orgilsaikhan
Investor Relations
Tel.: [phone]
[e-mail]

Renmark Financial Communications Inc.
Christine Stewart
Tel.: [phone] or [phone]
[e-mail]

This press release contains "forward looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding exploration prospects, the identification of mineral reserves and resources, and the timing of future exploration. Generally, forward looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; acquisition risks, the actual results of current exploration activities; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; the Property not being integrated successfully or such integration proving more difficult, time consuming or costly than expected, not realizing on the potential benefits of the proposed transaction; conclusions of economic evaluations; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; future prices of mineral prices; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes and shortages and other risks of the mining industry; and, delays in obtaining governmental approvals or required financing or in the completion of activities. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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