Columbus Copper's 2013 Drilling Confirms Extension of Primary Copper Porphyry Mineralization at Karapinar

Government Permits for Next Round of Drilling Received

VANCOUVER, BC -- (Marketwired - Sep 18, 2013) - Columbus Copper Corp. ("Columbus Copper") (TSX VENTURE:CCU) (formerly Empire Mining) is pleased to report results from its 2013 diamond drilling program at its 100% owned Karapinar copper-molybdenum project in Turkey. These include 31.2 meters of 0.45% copper and 0.08 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold from 269 meters depth, 9 meters of 0.48% copper and 0.06 g/t gold from 312.5 meters depth, and 68 meters of 0.36% copper and 0.08 g/t gold from 379 meters depth in drill-hole KDH028. The latest phase of drilling has focused on the primary, potassically-altered mineralization intersected in some of the earliest holes at Karapinar and demonstrate continuity to the northwest that is still open and remains to be drill-tested.

First Quantum Minerals Ltd., has been granted an option to earn an initial 51% interest in Karapinar and is funding the work program.

All eleven drill-holes from the Phase I drilling program have been completed for a total of 4,358 meters of drilling and results for all have been received. All assays, except for drill-holes KDH022 and KDH025, returned significant intercepts within porphyry or skarn mineralization, that confirm interpretations from the 2011 IP geophysical survey and the 2012 mapping campaign. A map with collar locations over plans of IP chargeability, simplified geology and ground magnetics is available at the following link:

www.columbuscopper.com/i/nr/2013-09-18-ipgeomag.pdf

Drill-hole KDH028 was the last from the Phase I drilling program and targeted sulfide mineralization where recent drilling demonstrated an increase in primary copper at depth, as exemplified by drill-hole KDH026 that intersected 19.6 meters of 0.50% copper, 0.15 g/t gold and 0.0103% molybdenum from 181.10 meters depth and drill-hole KDH027 that intersected 153.7 meters of 0.48% copper, 0.10 g/t gold and 0.0142% molybdenum from 91.3 meters depth and 49.35 meters of 0.47% copper, 0.12 g/t gold and 0.0087% molybdenum from 408 meters depth respectively. The above intervals represent primary copper grade intercepts and can all be attributed to intervals in potassic (K-Feldspar) alteration and quartz-chalcopyrite-magnetite mineralization (see news release of May 30th, 2013).

A similar mineralization style to KDH027 has now been intersected in drill-hole KDH028, collared 230 meters to the west, suggesting continuity of the higher primary grade zone to the west and northwest. Drill-hole KDH028 intersected 31.2 meters of 0.45% copper, 0.08 g/t gold and 0.0075% molybdenum from 269 meters depth,9 meters of 0.48% copper, 0.06 g/t gold and 0.0065% molybdenum from 312.5 meters depth, and 68 meters of 0.36% copper, 0.08 g/t gold and 0.0085% molybdenum from 379 meters depth. The drill-hole also intersected a skarn interval of 10.8 meters at 0.57% copper and 0.08 g/t gold from 573 meters depth.

An alteration map, cross sections with downhole assay results and 3D views of the interpreted potassic alteration and overprint envelopes are available at the following link:

www.columbuscopper.com/i/nr/2013-09-18-xmaps.pdf

A summary of significant intercepts is available in the following table:

Hole No.	Tot. Depth (m)		From (m)	To (m)	Intercept (m)	Cu (%)	Mo (%)	Au (g/t)
KDH019	327.00		106.40	114.73	8.33	0.37	0.0043	0.07
			160.70	167.00	6.30	0.53	0.0075	0.09
KDH020	102.00		5.00	35.75	30.75	0.34	0.0072	NS
		including	5.00	13.10	8.10	0.53	0.0159	0.10
		including	21.20	34.50	13.30	0.41	0.0060	NS
KDH020a	424.30		2.50	10.50	8.00	0.64	0.0098	0.16
			31.80	36.10	4.30	0.30	0.0196	NS
KDH021	247.00		48.00	80.50	32.50	0.38	0.0122	0.07
			135.00	183.00	21.00*	1.05	0.0023	NS
		including	137.60	145.50	7.90	1.61	0.0032	0.05
		including	172.50	183.00	10.50	0.87	0.0021	NS
KDH023	336.40		0.00	140.00	140.00	0.30	0.0011	0.11
		including	5.20	27.00	21.80	0.56	0.0003	0.22
			152.50	157.80	5.30	0.58	0.0038	0.13
			199.50	206.40	6.90	0.45	0.0046	0.08
			224.40	243.50	19.10	0.30	0.0070	0.07
			270.00	282.50	12.50	0.50	0.0090	0.08
KDH024	607.20		66.00	75.60	9.60	0.34	0.0083	0.10
		including	66.00	71.00	5.00	0.54	0.0091	0.16
			219.10	279.00	59.90	0.55	0.0021	0.06
		including	220.10	255.50	35.40	0.67	0.0023	0.09
		including	235.10	244.50	9.40	1.27	0.0029	0.14
		including	267	274	7.00	0.85	0.0015	0.03
KDH026	540.90		48.00	53.00	5.00	0.61	0.0061	0.10
			66.00	78.50	12.50	1.64	0.0071	0.26
		including	66.00	71.20	5.20	3.22	0.0105	0.43
			103.00	258.80	155.80	0.34	0.0175	0.09
		including	181.10	200.70	19.60	0.50	0.0103	0.15
			274.90	392.00	117.10	0.26	0.0220	0.07
			446.85	456.60	9.75	0.41	0.0118	0.08
			482.50	490.60	8.10	0.53	0.0054	0.13
KDH027	577.90		64.00	490.40	426.40**	0.36	0.0101	0.08
		including	91.30	245.00	153.70	0.48	0.0142	0.10
		including	408.00	457.35	49.35	0.47	0.0087	0.12
KDH028	610.60		269.00	300.20	31.20	0.45	0.0075	0.08
			312.50	321.50	9.00	0.48	0.0065	0.06
			379.00	447.00	68.00	0.36	0.0085	0.08
			573.00	583.80	10.80	0.57	0.0040	0.08

*	Interval is intersected by a post-mineral dyke between 145.5m and 172.5m
**	Interval includes 12.5m of barren dykes, assay results for which are pending
NS	No Significant grade

The Phase I drilling program outlined two main aspects of the porphyry mineralization model at Karapinar. The endoskarn lithology that has been intersected in most of the drill-holes from the north-eastern part of the project area coincides with the strong IP responses. The IP anomalies can be attributed to skarn and secondary copper mineralization, often exceeding 1% copper and might have a significant positive impact on resource potential. The primary mineralization in the range of 0.4-0.5% copper identified in the recent drill-holes to the north and north-west of the previously drilled cluster correlates with quartz-chalcopyrite-magnetite mineralization from the potassic core zone of the porphyry system. This zone which has been intersected in three of the recently completed drill-holes, representing 350 meters of strike length, remains open to the north-west where mapping has identified continuation of potassic alteration that is yet to be drill tested.

The next phase of drilling on recently permitted sites, and developed jointly with First Quantum Minerals Ltd., will be focused on the area north and north-west following the continuation of the recently identified primary copper mineralization. A deep geophysical survey is also intended to aid the generation of deep primary copper targets that reflect the recently intersected mineralization style and the re-interpretation of geochemical data and the SWIR and NIR spectral study on drill core samples.


Quality Assurance/Quality Control

All drill-core was sawn in half with sample widths determined by geology and mineralization. Individual samples within visible mineralization did not exceed 1.0 metre, while the maximum sample interval was 3.0 meters in intervals of post-mineral dykes. Samples were bagged, security tagged and sent to the ALS Chemex sample preparation facility in Izmir, Turkey and, following preparation, to the ALS Chemex laboratory in Vancouver BC. For all drill-holes to KDH022 inclusive, gold was determined by fire assay with AA finish, ore grade repeats were run with ICP-AES and a total of 33 elements determined by ICP after four-acid digestion. Starting with KDH023, the ICP multi-element suite was changed to ICP-MS after four-acid digestion, determining 48 elements, while gold was determined by fire assay with AA finish as before. The change is driven by the indicated rhenium potential, will apply to all future Karapinar drill-core samples and will allow to further evaluate potential for elements that have not been assayed for in the earlier drill-holes.

Blank, duplicate and Certified Reference Material QAQC samples were distributed regularly in the assayed batches and their total numbers for Karapinar project are presented in the following table.

Total Number of Assayed Samples	Number of Standards	Number of Duplicates	Total Number of QAQC Samples
4288	222	185	407

In addition, ALS Chemex performed internal check assaying on about 5% of the samples, and also included analyses of internal standards inserted into the sample string.

Columbus Copper's Qualified Person, David C. Cliff, BSc (Hons), MIMMM, C Eng., FGS, also Columbus Copper's President & CEO, has reviewed and approved the content of this news release.


ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

David Cliff
President & CEO



Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This release contains forward-looking information and statements, as defined by law including without limitation Canadian securities laws and the "safe harbor" provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 ("forward-looking statements"), respecting Columbus Copper's exploration plans. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including without limitation that plans may change as results are obtained; whether First Quantum Minerals Ltd. will be willing and/or able to continue funding additional exploration at Karapinar; the ability to acquire necessary permits and other authorizations; environmental compliance; cost increases; availability of qualified workers; competition for mining properties; risks associated with exploration projects, mineral reserve and resource estimates (including the risk of assumption and methodology errors); dependence on third parties for services; non-performance by contractual counterparties; title risks; and general business and economic conditions. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions that may prove to be incorrect, including without limitation assumptions about; drilling plans based on present knowledge and expectations; general business and economic conditions; that First Quantum Minerals Ltd. will be willing and able to continue funding additional exploration at Karapinar; the timing and receipt of required approvals; availability of financing; power prices; ability to procure equipment and supplies; and ongoing relations with employees, partners and joint venturers. The foregoing list is not exhaustive. Although Columbus Copper has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Columbus Copper undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.



Contact

Columbus Copper Corp.
Investor Relations
604-634-0970 or 1-888-818-1364
604-634-0971
info@columbusgroup.com
www.columbuscopper.com