Eagle Plains Resources has released the results from 2009 exploration work on its 100% owned Eagle Lake uranium project located 28km southeast of Cameco's Key Lake uranium deposit in north-central Saskatchewan, Canada.
The focus of the $100,000 exploration program was to further delineate uranium occurrences discovered during 2007/2008 field programs. The work was funded 100% by a third party and was successful in outlining a new uranium-mineralized zone on the property. Further work is recommended for 2010.
Bootleg Exploration, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eagle Plains, was engaged to carry out the field work, which commenced in September. Work consisted of line-cutting followed by ground geophysics, geochemical sampling, prospecting and geological mapping and sampling.
Mapping, prospecting and radon-in-soil analysis started on line 15 east (L15E) at the 2008 discovery mineralized subcrop site. Fieldwork quickly outlined a NE-SW-trending, 130 m wide mineralized train of subcrop and float boulders. From west to east, the results include 1220 ppm U, 8700 ppm U , 772 ppm U, 1890 ppm U and 2250 ppm U. The 800+ meter long boulder-train led to the discovery of an insitu swarm of mineralized dykes and host rock.
The company said that mapping and a detailed scintillometer survey reveals that the dyke swarm is 80 to 150+ meters wide, and consists of magnetic pegmatite and host psammopelite. Individual dykes have a typical width of 60cm, but may exceed greater than 10m in width. Two of the dykes returned googd uranium assays: a 1m yellow-stained chip sample returned 1.56% U3O8 and a grab sample of a yellow-stained black alteration selvage returned 2.24% U3O8.
Based on geological mapping, it appears that several pegmatite dykes coalesce into a radioactive stock-sized body. Nine channel samples over 9m were collected across one such body. The 9m series of channel samples returned an average of 360 ppm U, including 0.52m at 1390 ppm U, and 1.5m at 615 ppm U .The ultimate size of the stock-like body is unknown due to overburden cover and is a recommended target for future trenching.
The claims cover 14,000 ha and contain numerous uranium occurrences, some discovered by Great Plains Development Company of Canada during the 1969 Athabasca Basin uranium rush. The 1969 work program was carried out under the supervision of R W Termuende, later a founding director of Eagle Plains.
Exploration in the area now covered by the Eagle Lake property by Great Plains between 1969 and 1971 reportedly identified a float boulder train 1.5 kilometers in length. Great Plains reported high radon gas values from both water and soil samples collected near the uraniferous boulder train. Notably, the bedrock source for these float boulders was not located.
Mulligan Capital (now Blue Sky Uranium) optioned the property in August, 2006 and in 2007, carried out systematic exploration work including an airborne geophysical survey, soil geochemical sampling, mapping and prospecting. Blue Sky subsequently relinquished its option in August, 2008. A number of areas of interest were identified during the course of this work, including the Red October showing, where grab samples returned up to 1.02% U3O8.
Follow-up work was completed in September 2008 and included layout of a 7.5 line km grid with ground magnetic geophysical survey and collection of 195 soil samples completed. Preliminary analysis of results indicate that mineralization is coincident with a linear magnetic high feature. This magnetic feature is contiguous for at least 1.5 km and is coincident with several radioactive features.