Pancontinental Uranium Corporation (TSX VENTURE: PUC) ("Pancon" or
"the Company") is pleased to update shareholders on its exploration
plans for 2009 on the Australian uranium properties in joint
venture with Crossland Uranium Mines Limited ("Crossland"). Pancon
is earning a 50% interest in Crossland's uranium properties.
Crossland holds a 100% interest in these properties, with the
exception of Kalabity. Crossland is the operator. Pancon's current
cash position exceeds $5 million.
Chilling Project
The primary targets at Chilling remain deposits of the
unconformity-related style, which, if present, will probably occur
below the capping sediments of the Tolmer Group. The Company's
rationale for staking over 130 kilometres of the unconformity on
the west side of the Pine Creek Orogen is that it may be a geologic
mirror to the unconformity structures on the east side of the
Orogen, which hosts the large Jabiluka, Koongara and Ranger uranium
deposits. Pancon's strategy is to initially use airborne
electromagnetic surveys to obtain infill data to assist in
identifying large structures beneath the sandstone cover rocks that
have the potential to host large uranium deposits.
The 2008 drill season opportunity to test these targets was lost
due to the delay in the Government of Australia (Geoscience
Australia) sponsored regional airborne programme, which is designed
to include the entire Chilling property. If this survey, now
scheduled for 2009, is not completed in time for an adequate review
of the results, Pancon and Crossland will consider contracting
their own airborne survey to accelerate the initial investigation
of the unconformity-style targets to facilitate 2009 drilling.
In late January, Pancon and Crossland announced the results of
samples assayed from the 2008 core drilling of the March Fly
uranium project. Interpretation of the recent drill results,
incorporating the results of earlier drilling by previous
explorers, has been advanced. Following receipt of further gold
assays, the assessment of the tonnage potential of March Fly will
be completed. March Fly is a relatively accessible, open-pittable
target with potential for a modest uranium resource extending from
surface. As well, this target represents a relatively low
permitting risk which, with the right grade, may be saleable to an
operating mill in the area, such as Ranger. The modelling will
assist in determining additional 2009 drilling targets that would
be designed to expand tonnage at March Fly.
Field exploration emphasis in 2009 will be on the Buchanan
Exploration License (EL22738) at the southern end of the Chilling
project area. EL22738, which covers an area of 539.2 sq. km., has
recently been granted. This title contains roughly half of the
uranium anomalies revealed in the detailed airborne radiometric
survey completed by Pancon and Crossland in 2007, and includes a
uranium prospect called T2, discovered in the early 1970s. These
anomalies will be the focus of the field program in 2009. Ground
radiometric follow-up, along with surface mapping and sampling,
will define targets for drilling in the 2009 field season. These
targets, along with initial targets identified beneath the
sandstone cover, are expected to be the main drilling focus at
Chilling during 2009.
Field work is scheduled to commence at Chilling in late
June.
Charley Creek
At the Charley Creek Project, Pancon is targeting
granite-related uranium mineralization in the Teapot Granite; this
style of mineralization has potential for large uranium deposits
with low extraction costs. Calcrete and redox-related palaeo
drainage uranium targets as well as layered mafic intrusive-related
copper, nickel and platinoids are secondary targets at Charley
Creek.
During 2008, Crossland geologists began the evaluation of the
radiometric anomalies within the Teapot Granite and discovered
numerous occurrences of outcropping uranium mineralization with
grades of outcrop grab samples that ranged from 13.9 ppmU to 2,530
ppmU, with an average of 37 samples of 474 ppmU. These values were
returned from selective sampling over an area exceeding 15 square
km, covering two newly designated prospects, Cockroach Dam and
Cockroach East.
A more detailed compilation of results from the Air Core
drilling program undertaken in 2008 at Charley Creek has revealed
consistently elevated values of some elements, which have included
tungsten, amongst others of less direct economic importance. There
were initial suspicions that the tungsten values, which range up to
0.15% W, could have been contaminated from drill tools that contain
the metal. However the review suggests that the tungsten values are
genuine, which adds additional support to continue the
investigation of the resource potential. This will be accomplished
as part of a program of air core drilling contemplated for the
second half of 2009.
Other work at Charley Creek has concentrated on obtaining
clearances for the 2009 exploration program, which could
incorporate an escalation of activity at the Cockroach Dam prospect
that includes drilling. Pancon and Crossland view this as important
to the potential for their Joint Venture, as well as the local
economy, and are pursuing the matter diligently. At this time there
are no indications of when drilling of the Cockroach Dam prospect
will commence.
Field reconnaissance work, consisting of ground spectrometer
surveys, geological mapping and sampling, recommenced at Cockroach
Dam and Cockroach East in early February. An area in excess of 42
sq. km. will be covered with detailed ground spectrometer surveys,
on 25m line spacing. The surveys will be accompanied by geological
mapping and sampling. This work is expected to give a clear picture
of the scope of the anomalies in advance of drilling.
Crossland Creek
The Crossland Creek project area lies in the Kimberley Basin, a
province of essentially undeformed platform cover rocks of Lower
Proterozoic age. The area hosts radiometric anomalies and some
minor uranium occurrences, but the possibility that the Kimberley
Basin sediments act as cover rocks for unconformity related
deposits in the same way as the Kombolgie sandstone of the
Macarthur Basin in Arnhem Land, and the Athabasca Basin in
Saskatchewan, has not yet been extensively evaluated. The Joint
Venture's targets represent areas with radiometric anomalies that
may represent leakage anomalies from basement lithologies which may
be present at reasonable depths. The basement rocks have not been
sampled for hundreds of kilometres in any direction.
In 2009, Pancon intends to follow up on anomalies revealed in
the Gibb South (Exploration Licence E80/3854) airborne survey.
Other work will be postponed this year and exemptions sought.
Kalabity
At Kalabity, the Joint Venture's interest is through an
agreement with Platsearch NL and Eaglehawk Geological Prospecting
Pty Ltd. to earn a majority share (60%) in EL3297. Previous work
has identified widespread elevated values of uranium and other
metals. Recent work by Crossland has identified a new anomalous
zone which has been named the Tabita Prospect.
Further work is warranted at the Tabita Prospect, where
carnotite mineralization has been encountered in auger holes, to
see if uranium values increase at depth or laterally. Permits are
in hand to allow deeper drilling and trenching to go ahead in 2009,
subject to heritage surveys. However, as part of a decision to
prudently manage working capital in 2009, it was agreed to delay
work on Kalabity that was not essential for holding the title,
until 2010. The vendors have agreed to a year's extension of the
earn-in period. It is planned to complete the additional work in
2010.
Crosscontinental Uranium
Pancon and Crossland have a jointly-owned company,
Crosscontinental Uranium Limited, to explore uranium opportunities
outside Australia.
Crosscontinental has lodged a number of applications in the West
African nation of Burkina Faso, where the Company believes there is
excellent potential for uranium occurrences of a variety of styles.
The processing of these applications has been slow and, in the
meantime, Crosscontinental has entered an interest-earning joint
venture with Southern Cross Exploration and Longreach Oil on two
granted exploration titles in north east Burkina Faso known as the
Oursi Project.
These titles cover an unconformity surface that is considered
prospective. The area was covered in a radiometric survey in 2008.
Follow up of this survey, which revealed a few promising anomalies,
is now under way.
Progress on the other Burkina Faso applications awaits further
processing by the government.
Qualified Person
The exploration activities and results contained in this report
are based on information compiled by Geoffrey S. Eupene, a Fellow
of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr. Eupene
is the designated Qualified Person for the Joint Venture
exploration activity. He is a director of Pancon and Crossland and
is a full time employee of Eupene Exploration Enterprises Pty. Ltd.
Mr. Eupene has reviewed this press release.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Rick Mark, President & CEO
For additional information, please visit our website at
www.PanconU.com.
Cautionary Language and Forward Looking Statements
This press release may contain "forward-looking statements",
which are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results and future events to differ materially from
those expressed or implied by such statements. Investors are
cautioned that such statements are not guarantees of future
performance and results. Risks and uncertainties about the
Company's business are more fully discussed in the Company's
disclosure documents filed from time to time with the Canadian
securities authorities.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release.
Contacts: Pancontinental Uranium Corporation Richard Mark
President and CEO 604-986-2020 or 1-866-816-0118 Pancontinental
Uranium Corporation Keith Patey Director of Communications
604-986-2020 or 1-866-816-0118 604-986-2021 (FAX)
www.PanconU.com
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