AQM Copper Drills 231.7 Metres of 0.28% Cu at its Sicera Norte Copper Porphyry Discovery and 99.4 Metres of 0.54% Cu at the Eastern Extension of the Zafranal Main Zone
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwire) -- 06/22/11 -- AQM Copper Inc. (TSX VENTURE: AQM)(BVLAC: AQM) ('AQM Copper' or the 'Company') is pleased to provide results for an additional 8 diamond drill holes completed on its Sicera Norte porphyry copper discovery, located approximately 10 km northwest of the Zafranal deposit and results from the first 9 diamond drill holes completed on the 2011 Main Zone drilling program.
Sicera Norte:
Drilling at Sicera Norte continues to find copper mineralization on the northern and eastern extensions of the mineralized zone defined by earlier drilling. Results for new completed drill holes are summarized below:
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Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Cu%
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SNDDH11-017 37 68 31 0.29%
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SNDDH11-018(1) 44 194.7 150.7 0.26%
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Incl. 44 82 38 0.22%
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Incl. 108 172.25 64.25 0.31%
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Incl. 179.40 194.70 15.30 0.38%
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SNDDH11-019 254 313 59 0.27%
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SNDDH11-020 35.40 134 98.60 0.31%
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SNDDH11-021 17.70 44 26.30 0.26%
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SNDDH11-022 19.30 44 24.70 0.54%
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SNDDH11-023 320 348 28 0.34%
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SNDDH11-024(1) 28.30 260 231.70 0.28%
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Incl. 28.3 38 9.70 0.32%
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Incl. 50 58 8 0.24%
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Incl. 66 106 40 0.28%
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Incl. 114 142 28 0.36%
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Incl. 154 172 18 0.28%
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Incl. 186 260 74 0.34%
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And 338 348 10 0.28%
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Table 1: Significant results from the Sicera Norte discovery
Cut-off grade 0.2% Cu. Maximum internal dilution: 6m.
(1) Overall interval without cut-off grade
Drill holes SNDDH11-017, SNDDH11-019 and SNDDH11-023 were drilled along the same section (L180) as previously reported drill holes SNDDH11-014 (104.3m @ 0.35% Cu) and SNDDH11-016 (112m @ 0.3% Cu) and show that the zone deepens progressively towards the northeast. Hole SNDDH11-017 was collared close to the western boundary fault and shows that the zone is buttressed against that structure. The mineralization along this section extends over a width of up to 300 metres.
Drill holes SNDDH11-018, SNDDH11-020 and SNDD11-21 were drilled along a NE-SW trending section approximately 60 metres northwest of L180 and shows that the mineralization continues towards the northwest.
Drill hole SNDDH11-022 was drilled 100 metres north of drill hole SNDDH11-021 and shows the presence of secondary copper mineralization replacing chalcopyrite, with corresponding higher grades.
Drill hole SNDDH11-024 was drilled 40 metres northeast of previously reported drill hole SNDDH11-008 (99.85m @ 0.31% Cu) and shows that mineralization remains open towards the northeast along this section.
An updated drill plan for Sicera Norte is available from www.aqmcopper.com.
Zafranal Main Zone
The 2011 drilling program at the Zafranal Main Zone is aimed at testing mineralization towards the east, where the 2010 resource remained open, at depth, where several deep holes had ended in mineralization, and to complete those sections where mineralization had not been closed off. Results from the first 9 drill holes completed are as follows:
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Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Cu% Au ppm
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ZFDDH11-155 No Significant Results
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ZFDDH11-156 41 87 46 0.64% 0.07
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And 101 142 41 0.26% 0.03
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ZFDDH11-158 No Significant Results
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ZFDDH11-159 41 95 54 0.50% 0.04
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And 129 149 20 0.28% 0.04
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ZFDDH11-160 24 123.4(2) 99.4 0.54% 0.04
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Incl. 35.05 60 24.95 1.13% 0.07
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ZFDDH11-161 150 173 23 0.22% 0.01
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ZFDDH11-162 39 76 37 0.34% 0.03
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And 98 108 10 0.44% 0.05
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ZFDDH11-163 44 84 40 0.28% 0.01
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ZFDDH11-164 16 33 17 0.50% 0.03
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Table 2: Significant Results from the Zafranal Main Zone
(2) Hole ended in mineralization
Drill holes ZFDDH11-155 and ZFDDH11-158 were drilled along the same section 100 metres east of previously reported drill hole ZFDDH10-112 (108m @ 0.28% Cu). A north-south structure appears to have displaced mineralization along this section, and further drilling is warranted to test the continuity to the south. Drill hole ZFDDH11-156 was drilled 60 metres south of drill hole ZFDDH10-112 and shows that mineralization remains open to the south along this section.
Drill holes ZFDDH11-159, ZFDDH11-160, ZFDDH11-162, ZFDDH11-163 and ZFDDH11-164 were drilled progressively on 100 metre centres along the southeastern trend of the mineralization on the eastern extension of the Main Zone. The mineralized intervals found here show that mineralization remains open to the east, and further drilling is planned to incorporate this part of the deposit to the overall Main Zone resource. It should be noted that the easternmost drill hole reported today (ZFDDH11-164) is 800 metres further east than the eastern limit of the 2010 resource estimate grade shell. Hole ZFDDH11-160 ended in secondary copper mineralization due to drilling problems and will be re-entered.
Drill hole DDH11-161 was drilled towards the north from the same pad as previously reported drill hole ZFDDH11-091 (38.35m @ 0.35% Cu) and has closed off the mineralization towards the north along this section.
An updated drill plan for the Main Zone is available from www.aqmcopper.com.
On behalf of the joint venture AQM Copper is continuing its systematic drilling campaign on Sicera Norte with three diamond rigs. An additional 2 diamond rigs are drilling along the eastern extension of the Zafranal Main Zone, where a Measured and Indicated Resource of 301Mt of 0.47% Cu and 0.08 g/t Au remains open to the east and at depth.
The Company has established a rigorous QA/QC program at Zafranal, which includes the insertion of blanks, duplicates and certified standards into the sample stream. Core is photographed on site and subsequently sawed in half, with one half sent for analysis and the other half stored for future reference and assay verification. RC chips are split twice on site using a riffle splitter, with 25% of the sample being sent to the laboratory for assay and the rest stored for future verification purposes. All Zafranal samples are shipped to ALS Chemex's sample preparation facility in the city of Arequipa, where they are crushed and pulverized. Prepared samples are shipped to ALS Chemex's certified laboratory in Lima where they are analyzed for gold, copper and multi-element ICP.
Alvaro Fernandez-Baca, P.Geo, Vice President Exploration for AQM Copper Inc., the Company's Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101, has approved the information contained in this news release.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Bruce Turner, President and CEO
ABOUT AQM Copper: AQM Copper Inc. (formerly Apoquindo Minerals) is a Canadian based mineral exploration company developing copper deposits in South America. Through its wholly owned Peruvian subsidiary, Minera AQM Peru SAC, the Company is developing the Zafranal Copper-Gold Porphyry Project located in Southern Peru. Minera AQM Peru SAC is the operator of a 50/50 JV with Teck Resources Limited through a sole purpose Peruvian company being formed for Zafranal as announced in its press release on July 8, 2010. Management and directors have extensive experience working for the world's largest mining Copper producers. Please refer to the Company's website for further information regarding the Company and its projects.
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