Skyharbour et al. survey up to 98 pCi/l at Preston Lake
2013-09-26 07:35 ET - News Release
See News Release (C-SYH) Skyharbour Resources Ltd (2)
Mr. Jordan Trimble of Skyharbour reports
WESTERN ATHABASCA SYNDICATE DISCOVERS STRONG RADON ANOMALIES AT PRESTON LAKE URANIUM PROPERTY IN THE PATTERSON LAKE REGION, SASKATCHEWAN
Skyharbour Resources Ltd. has released results from its initial radon in water survey on the Western Athabasca Syndicate's 246,643-hectare (609,469-acre) Preston Lake property located south of Fission Uranium and Alpha Minerals' Patterson Lake South high-grade uranium discovery. The Western Athabasca Syndicate consists of Skyharbour Resources, Athabasca Nuclear Corp., Noka Resources Inc. and Lucky Strike Resources Ltd.
Highlights:
- The initial radon survey at Preston Lake has successfully identified a number of significant radon anomalies occurring both as clusters and as discrete point anomalies.
- Nine of the 291 radon samples collected returned radon values in excess of 23 picocuries per litre with a peak value of 98 picocuries per litre.
- Radon in water survey results were instrumental in identifying first-pass drill targets at the nearby PLS discovery (see Fission Uranium's news release dated May 6, 2013).
- Twenty-five discrete geographic areas on the Preston Lake property were identified that have radioactivity measurements of more than 1,000 counts per second (background being typically less than 500 counts per second) using an RS-125/RS-120 spectrometer/scintillometer, with a maximum reading of 5,200 counts per second.
- Final results from the phase 2 exploration program, including the rest of the rushed assays, are pending and will be reported when received.
- The current phase 3 exploration under way at Preston Lake will include focus on specific high-priority areas identified from the work to date.
Radon discoveries in the phase 2 exploration program
Recently completed fieldwork included the collection of 291 water samples from lakes, local swamps and ponds using a float-equipped helicopter and boats. Sample targets included both regional reconnaissance areas and the 14 high-priority targets identified by the syndicate's technical committee. The samples were analyzed for radon in the field by Terralogic Exploration geologists using a Pylon AB5 series portable radiation monitor, which provides real-time analysis of radon levels in both water and soil.
The survey has successfully identified a number of radon in water anomalies occurring both as clusters and as discrete point anomalies. The larger clusters are typically kilometre-scale or greater and are in places that appear to follow basement conductor trends identified by the 2013 VTEM plus survey. Nine of the 291 water samples collected returned radon values in excess of 23 picocuries per litre with a peak value of 98 picocuries per litre. Further, two of the radon anomaly clusters are associated with areas identified as being underlain by metasediments. Anomalous radon in water readings are values above the survey background reading of three picocuries per litre.
Radon in water survey results were instrumental in identifying first-pass drill targets at the nearby PLS discovery and helped vector in on most of the high-grade discovery zones (see Fission's May 6, 2013, news release -- "New Radon Survey Identifies Strongest Anomaly to Date").
Management cautions that past results or discoveries on proximate land are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved on the Western Athabasca Syndicate property.
Scintillometer traces in the phase 2 exploration program
In addition, a total of 217 kilometres of scintillometer surveying have been completed over areas of interest identified by the 2013 radiometric survey. A total of 25 discrete geographic areas on the Preston Lake property have been identified with counts per second of greater than 1,000 using an RS-125/RS-120 spectrometer/scintillometer, with a maximum count of 5,200 counts per second. Two of the anomalies are associated with metasedimentary units.
Management cautions that scintillometer readings are not directly or uniformly related to the uranium content of the rock sample measured, and should be used only as a preliminary indication of the presence of uranium-bearing materials.
Remaining phase 2 rushed assays and current phase 3 exploration program
Final datasets from the helicopter-borne VTEM plus survey (time domain EM and aeromagnetic gradiometer) and the fixed-wing radiometric survey have been received and are currently being analyzed by Phil Robertshaw, PGeo, for a final detailed interpretation. Other fieldwork to date includes geological mapping and prospecting, soil and silt sampling, and biogeochemical sampling. Final results from the phase 2 exploration program are still pending and will be reported when received. Targets continue to be prioritized based on a detailed criteria set consisting of similar geological features and exploratory indicators present at Fission and Alpha's nearby PLS discovery.
The phase 3 exploration program, currently under way at the Preston Lake property, will include groundwork focused on high-priority areas identified from the findings to date, including the radon in water anomalies. By the end of this summer/fall field program in October, a total of approximately $1.5-million will have been spent in exploration on the property via airborne geophysical surveys and follow-up groundwork. The goal of this summer's exploration program is to identify uranium showings and potential drill targets through detailed airborne geophysical surveys, silt and soil sampling, radon sampling, and prospecting for radioactive boulder fields. The exploration methodology is similar to that which led to the discovery of significant mineralization at PLS.
Jordan Trimble, president and chief executive officer of Skyharbour, stated: "The initial data and findings from the first couple of phases of fieldwork are very encouraging and have greatly exceeded our expectations. In particular, the highly anomalous radon discoveries coincident with prominent geophysical targets illustrate the prospectivity of our ground as we expeditiously forge ahead with the exploration at Preston Lake. We continue to advance and value add the property, and our focus is now narrowing to high-priority areas as we refine targets to a drill-ready state."
Qualified person
Athabasca Nuclear president and chief executive officer, Charles C. (Chuck) Downie, PGeo, is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and has approved the technical information in this release.
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