Avrupa Minerals makes a report on Covas Tungsten Project, NW Portugal .

Highlights of the recent drilling program included previously-reported intercepts of high grade tungsten mineralization, particularly 2.11% tungsten trioxide over 7.98 meters starting at a depth of 44.57 meters in Hole CO 7/12 at the Telheira target and 1.56%  tungsten trioxide over 11.40 meters starting at a depth of 52.70 meters in Hole CO 13/12 at the Lapa Grande target. Other results from the drilling confirmed extensions of tungsten mineralization in the skarn zones at Covas (see news releases dated November 26, 2012 and March 1, 2013 for further details). Only results from the final two holes at the Lapa Grande target have not been previously reported.

Hole CO 20/13 tested an area to the east of the known mineralized zone and returned weak tungsten grades, but with anomalous gold and silver mineralization averaging 0.31 g/t Au and 4.4 g/t Ag over 5 meters, starting at a depth of 53.70 meters. The anomalous precious metal mineralization may be part of an intrusion-related gold target associated with a NW-trending fault zone passing close to the Lapa Grande prospect. Hole CO 21/13 tested an extension to the west of the known Lapa Grande mineralization and intercepted 4.02 meters of skarn rocks starting at 62.63 meters and averaging 0.142%  tungsten trioxide (see news release dated March 1, 2013 for drill hole locations). The drill holes are all vertical, and intercepts are considered to represent close to true thickness of the mostly flat-lying mineralized zones.

Paul W. Kuhn, President and CEO of Avrupa Minerals commented, "The work, to date, indicates positive potential for the Covas prospect. We will continue our targeting work this spring, with the objective of increasing the size of the known skarn-related tungsten deposits, and with developing a larger tungsten-gold target in the Covas Dome area. We expect to advance the next exploration phase with a drilling program designed to fulfill both objectives during 2013."

Traders in the European ferro-tungsten market have reported a slower start to activities this week compared with the frantic movements seen in the early days of April. Sources have speculated over ferro-tungsten prices climbing above USD43.00kg W in warehouse Rotterdam last week, however, on Monday, inter-trade prices appeared marginally softer between USD41.50-42.00kg W in warehouse Rotterdam.

A large Central European trader of ferro-tungsten revealed that the wave of consumer enquiries that forced numbers of the noble alloy to increase almost USD4.00kg W in around two weeks at the end of March, 

Avrupa Minerals Ltd.  is pleased to report on further progress at the Covas Tungsten Joint Venture exploration program in NW Portugal. The tungsten project is operated by Avrupa, and funded by Blackheath Resources Inc. ("Blackheath"), under a previously-announced earn-in agreement (see AVU news release, dated May 18, 2011).

Phase 1 of the exploration program at Covas is now complete, with all outstanding results in hand. The program successfully confirmed and tested known skarn-related mineral occurrences and extensions, as well as new targets. Work in Phase 1 included re-interpretation of historic magnetic data, completion of a gravity survey in the Covas Dome area, as well as geological mapping, rock sampling, and a total of 1,606 meters of core drilling in 15 completed drill holes in five separate target areas. Review of all data and results is underway in preparation for the next phase of work, which will commence later this April and will include further core drilling later this year.

From late March, the tungsten concentrate prices moved up gradually because some companies purchased materials in relatively large quantities, and the tungsten concentrate market showed the uptrend. Many tungsten concentrate suppliers hold offers firm and even increase slightly, but the trading volume does not improve obviously with the soft demand.