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Vancouver, British Columbia - Artha Resources Corporation (TSX.V: AHC) is pleased to announce that results from Phase 1 reconnaissance mapping and sampling program have confirmed the potential for discovery of precious and base metal mineralisation on the Company's properties in Jujuy Province, NW Argentina immediately adjoining the Pirquitas Mine which is owned and operated by Silver Standard Resources.

  • The previously identified Noelia Breccia prospect adjoining Pirquitas shows geochemical and geological signatures suggestive of the upper levels of a Au-Ag low sulphidation epithermal system and
  • A broad, 6km by 2km contact zone on the Vallecito property (40km east of Pirquitas) between sediments and dacitic intrusives suggest potential for skarn replacement mineralisation.

The geological reconnaissance work consisted of mapping 12,995 hectares to a scale of 1:50,000 on the Crosby (previously named Davcha Option) and Pirquitas Norte (previously named Davcha JV) properties as well as 6,373 hectares on the Vallecito (previously named Davcha 1) property. A total of 63 rock ship samples were collected and submitted to ALS-Chemex laboratories in Lima, Peru for analysis.

Results from this first phase work have clearly demonstrated that a number of high priority targets exist with geological, geochemical and structural indications consistent with both low sulphidation Au-Ag epithermal systems and large skarn deposits similar to the Aguilar mine approximately 100km south of Artha's properties.

These ore deposit models have potential for large bulk tonnage, precious and based metal deposits and are considered highly prospective based on a number of important factors including;

  • their geological setting in one of the most highly mineralised areas of South America, the Bolivian Silver-Tin Belt;
  • their proximity to currently operating mines at both Pirquitas (large, medium grade silver-tin-zinc deposit with reported reserves of just under 200 million ounces of silver, see www.silverstandard.com) and Aguilar (a large skarn replacement deposit with historical production exceeding 25 million tonnes of ore mined at an average grade of 6.2% zinc, 5.5% lead and 60-100 g/t silver, Sureda and Martin, 1990).
  • Their geological setting and surface expression observed to date, including lithilogical, structural and geochemical signatures and
  • The work completed by Artha to date, is the first modern exploration ever to be done on these properties which provides a very exciting opportunity for discovery. Detailed work will continue immediately on these prospects with surface mapping and sampling followed by induced polarisation surveys.

PIRQUITAS PROPERTIES

Noelia Breccia Prospect

  1. A potential Au-Ag epithermal system on the Noelia Breccia prospect consists of a large mapped outcrop 1.6km by 0.8km on the eastern limb of the anticline structure which hosts the Pirquitas Mine. Anomalous values up to 120ppm As, 137ppm Sb, 249ppm Zn, 23ppb Au and 256ppm Cu.
  1. A good geochemical correlation was observed between Au-Ag, As-Sb-Hg and Cu-Cd-Zn, which is considered as an affinity with epithermal systems containing Au-Ag mineralization.

Pirquitas South Prospect

  1. This prospect contains an observed large stockwork 1.8 km x 1.5 km in size containing moderate quartz and iron oxide mineralisation with evidence of remnant sulphides.
  1. Geochemical assays of eight samples of weathered rock from outcrops show moderate to weak anomalies of Zinc up to 119ppm; Arsenic up to 550ppm and Mercury up to 1300ppb.
  1. The anomalous assay values and large footprint of the structure of the stockwork in the mapped zone suggest that the stockwork may be related to a mineralization phase similar to that found in Pirquitas.

VALLECITO PROPERTY

Los Gossan Prospect.

  1. A contact zone between Ordovician sediments and dacite domes where two gossan bodies 300m x 300m were mapped. The gossans show intense silicification and breccia content. The mineralogy is essentially massive hematite and goethite in a breccia matrix.
  1. A zone 6.0 km x 2.0 km was identified and is a contact zone between the sediments and the dacite intrusives where iron gossans occur.
  1. Geochemical assays of five samples of rock and gossan outcrop revealed some anomalous values including Zinc values up to 422ppm, Arsenic up to 106ppm and Antimony up to 42ppm.
  1. The evidence suggests that this might be an IOCG type deposit but also has potential for an iron skarn deposit linked to contact metasomatism. Charles Straw, B.Sc., is the qualified person under NI 43-101 responsible for the technical information in this news release.

Artha was founded by a team of mining industry professionals with a proven track record in project generation, exploration, mining and finance. The team's primary goal is to build Artha into a world class mining company, focused on the development and mining of economic minerals deposits world wide.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Todd McMurray"

President

For Information Contact:
Todd McMurray 
President, Director
Tel: 1 604 648 1530
Email: todd@artharesources.com
www.artharesources.com

Bernie Kennedy
BK Consulting
1-877-489-4440
berniekc@telus.net

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

 
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