Besshi Project Update
An initial field examination of the Besshi Project was recently completed by Company personnel. The existing roads are all open and accessible by 2 wheel drive vehicles.
Logging roads extend to within 200m of the high-grade Discovery showing on Polaris Creek. High water due to recent rains precluded sampling during this phase of exploration. Samples were collected west of the showing and general logistical and geological parameters were examined.
A program of channel sampling the principal showings with a diamond blade, soil sampling for precious metals and trenching are planned for 2010.
The Besshi property consists of 800 hectares and is located five kilometres northeast of Aiken Lake on the Omineca Development Road 250 kilometres north of Fort St. James, B.C.
The property covers a belt of volcanic and sedimentary rocks that was prospected by the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company (CM&S, now Teck Corp.) in the 1930s. Shallow till covers much of the property, however, significant showings of gold, copper, a pyrrhotite-rich massive sulphide and silver-lead-zinc were discovered on Polaris and Jupiter creeks.
On Jupiter Creek more than 300 metres of drifting and 200 metres of crosscutting are completed on several gold and silver-base metal showings. The main structure, the No. 2 vein, is a shear-zone structure consisting of carbonate-altered pyritic graphytic rock with some green mica (mariposite) alteration. The showing has many aspects similar to greenstone-type or orogenic-type gold deposits. Based on historic assay plans, N. Carter, PEng (1993), estimated the main drift exposed a mineralized zone of 1.3 metres wide assaying an average of 6.34 grams per tonne Au and 42.5 g/t Ag, for a length of 24.4 metres. Cross structures host classical vein-type silver-rich galena and sphalerite mineralization in quartz-carbonate fissure veins.
In the Polaris Creek area, a strongly (silicified and carbonatized) altered contact area between mafic volcanic and clastic sedimentary rocks have been traced by airborne and ground geophysical surveys for three kilometres. Showings of massive sulphide (pyrrhotite-pyrite) nine metres in thickness are exposed in Polaris Creek Canyon. The massive sulphides are characteristic of a paleo-geothermal system and black smoker hydrothermal activity, and could host a Besshi-type volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit. Although the massive sulphides exposed in Polaris Creek were barren of base and precious metals, such deposits can change facies along strike and in the stratigraphic footwall into productive base and precious metal environment. Soil geochemical surveys have outlined targets in the recessively weathered gulley along strike east and west of the exposed massive sulphides. Copper-in-soil values range up to 275 parts per million, zinc to 800 ppm silver to 3.8 ppm gold to 165 parts per billion and molybdenum to 120 ppm.
Also in the Polaris Creek area, approximately 550 metres above the massive sulphide horizon, an adit with several branches was driven a total of 45 metres to intersect quartz vein mineralization cutting porphyritic diorite found in talus. The adit reportedly stopped short of the target, however the talus material returned assays of between 6.9 and 415 g/t (0.2 and 12.1 ounces per ton) gold. Geophysical conductors 10A and 10B, interpreted to be caused by a five-metre to 10-metre concordant tabular body, are located along strike 100 metres southeast of the adit, as are anomalous copper-in-soil samples to 245 ppm Cu.
Perhaps of more significance, and approximately 850 metres above the massive sulphide zone, Consolidated Mining & Smelting Company found the Discovery zone, an area of quartz-carbonate veining in argillite measuring 35 by six metres, carrying pyrite, arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite, galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and minute particles of free gold. Grab samples from the veins yielded assays of up to 1,015 g/t Au (60 ounces per ton), with 36 samples of vein material averaging 2.2 ounces per ton Au, with the entire zone estimated to carry 0.11 ounce per ton Au. Along strike from the Discovery zone to the southeast, highly anomalous soil samples (to 616 ppm Cu, 2.0 ppm Ag and 165 ppb Au) with an associated zone of conductivity.
One hundred metres above the Discovery zone, Consolidated Mining & Smelting Company trenched a base metal occurrence called the Nanny zone, where a 20- to 100-centimetre-thick zone containing chalcopyrite, pyrite and pyrrhotite yielded assays of 3.56 per cent Cu, 2.1 grams per tonne Au and 20.0 g/t Ag across 0.6 metre.
Atocha has just begun to investigate the Besshi property but has not independently analyzed the results of previous exploration, and therefore the historical sampling should not be relied upon. However, the company believes that these historical results provide a conceptual indication of the potential of the property and are relevant to continuing exploration.
No drilling has been undertaken by Consolidated Mining & Smelting Company or any of the other operators to date despite the highly encouraging results. Host rocks are Upper Triassic to Jurassic in age and are similar to the host rocks in the Toodogonne epithermal district. The target at Besshi is a greenstone or epithermal Au-Ag deposit and/or precious metal-rich VMS-style deposit.
The Besshi property was one of the most important exploration targets for the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company (Cominco, now Teck Corp.) in the late 1930s. Prospecting outlined five significant gold showings, with 500 metres of underground development on the Jupiter Creek showings.
J. T. Shearer, M.Sc., P.Geo, is the Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 who supervised the preparation of the technical material of this release.
ABOUT ATOCHA
Atocha is a natural resources company engaged in the acquisition and exploration of mining properties. The Company’s main focus is on exploration for copper and precious metals. The Company has an option to acquire a 100% undivided interest in the McGillivray Property, located in the Kamloops Mining Division of British Columbia. Atocha also has a 100% option on the Besshi gold project in B.C. and the Atkinson (Detour Lake) gold project in Ontario.
For further information on Atocha, please refer to the Company’s Prospectus dated May 21, 2009 and available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
For further information, please contact
A. Salman Jamal, Chief Executive Officer
Telephone: 604 696-1111
Facsimile: 888 266.3983
E-mail: asj@atocharesources.com
Website: www.atocharesources.com
Keir Reynolds
Contact Financial
Tel: 604-689-7422
Toll Free: 877-689-7411
email: keir@contactfinancial.com
Forward-Looking Statement
This document may contain or refer to forward-looking information based on current expectations, including, but not limited to timing of mineral resource estimates, future exploration or project development programs and the impact on the Company of these events. Forward-looking information is subject to significant risks and uncertainties, as actual results may differ materially from forecasted results. Forward-looking information is provided as of the date hereof and we assume no responsibility to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. For a detailed list of risks and uncertainties, as it relates to Atocha Resources Inc., please refer to the Company's Prospectus filed with SEDAR.
The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release.
