Bellhaven Copper & Gold Inc. (TSX-Venture: BHV) is pleased to report on behalf of itself and Joint Venture partner Empire Minerals Corp. (OTC Bulletin Board: EMPL - News), assay results for gold, copper and silver from surface trenches located over the center of the Cerro Chorcha porphyry copper deposit in the western highlands of Panama. These results provide a complete update on the partial results reported previously by Bellhaven.

The combined trench results to date now return a total of 585 meters at an average grade of 0.66 g/t gold, 0.50 % copper, and 9.72 ppm silver. These results continue to validate the presence of precious metal mineralization at Cerro Chorcha in addition to previously-reported copper mineralization.

Julio Benedetti, Bellhaven's President and CEO, had this to say of the results:

"We are very pleased with these results which seem to indicate the validity of our model and subsequent approach. We are anxious to test these structures at depth, and are very enthusiastic about the prospects. The presence of precious metals mineralization at Cerro Chorcha, if confirmed at depth, will have a drastically positive affect on the over-all economics of this resource."

Two-meter chip-channel samples were collected from two separate structurally controlled zones of copper-gold-silver bearing quartz-magnetite stockwork that occur within the central area of the larger mineralized body at Cerro Chorcha. The surface expression of these mineralized stockwork zones were unrecognized previous to Bellhaven's efforts.

Four trenches, TNE1, TNE2, TNE3 and TNE4 have now been excavated and sampled to test the northeast-southwest striking stockwork zone. The trench exposures follow the mineralized stockwork structures for at least 250 meters along strike and 100 meters across strike. In relation to central trenches TNE1, TNE2 is located about 50 meters to the south, TNE3 is located about 50 meters to the north, and TNE4 is located about 150 meters to the east of TNE1.

Three trenches, TNS1, TNS2 and TNS3 serve to expose the north-south striking mineralized zone for at least 250 meters along strike and 75 meters across strike. TNS1 was the first trench to expose this structure. TNS2 is located 100 meters to the south of TNS1. TNS3 is located 100 meters to the north of TNS1.

A map of the trenches is available on Bellhaven's web site.

    Lower copper grades along some intervals may reflect near surface leaching

of copper mineralization within breccia zones in stockwork structures.  Gold

values are by fire assay prep and ICP-MS finish, and copper and silver values

by multi-acid digestion and ICP-MS analysis.  Analyses were performed by ACME

Labs in Vancouver.

    Trench        Length         Gold           Copper         Silver

    TNE1          166 m          0.63 g/t       0.56 %         6.61 ppm

      including   64 m           1.15 g/t       1.06 %         10.77 ppm

    TNE2          60 m           0.48 g/t       0.27 %         16.61 ppm

    TNE3          22 m           1.12 g/t       0.37 %         18.31 ppm

    TNE4          22 m           0.54 g/t       0.19 %         3.53 ppm

    TNS1          86 m           1.15 g/t       0.23 %         11.0 ppm

    TNS2          54 m           0.41 g/t       0.40 %         10.65 ppm

      including   20 m           1.52 g/t       0.57 %         14.5 ppm

    TNS3          8 m            0.48 g/t       0.21 %         4.58 ppm

   

 

Michael D. Druecker, Ph.D., P.Geo. is the Independent Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 responsible for ensuring that the geological information in this release is accurate.

Bellhaven Copper & Gold Inc. is a Panama-based mineral exploration company with a portfolio of gold and copper properties in the Republic of Panama. The company has issued 20,793,151 shares and has no debt. For more information, please visit the web site at http://www.bellhavencg.com or call Miguel Villahermosa at toll free 1-866-599-5930.

    On behalf of the board of directors,

    Julio C. Benedetti, President, CEO

    BELLHAVEN COPPER AND GOLD, INC.

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.