Pancontinental Uranium Corporation (TSX VENTURE: PUC) ("Pancon" or
"the Company") and its joint venture partner, Crossland Uranium
Mines Ltd. (ASX: CUX) have approved a record exploration budget for
the current calendar year.
Pancon Director and Crossland Director and CEO, Mr. Geoff
Eupene, said today the partners had budgeted for a total spend of
A$3.3 million on their joint venture projects during 2010.
"This is our highest annual exploration budget since the
Pancon/Crossland JV was established in 2007," Mr. Eupene said.
"Of this new budget, A$2.76million, or 82%, will be spent on
projects in Australia's Northern Territory, with the JV's flagship
projects - Chilling (NT Top End) and Charley Creek (north-west of
Alice Springs) receiving the bulk of this expenditure. Our
extensive surface and airborne activities in these project areas
over the past three years have identified a number of very
promising targets and we plan to drill a minimum of six of these
targets this year. We will also be drilling the Tabita Prospect on
the Kalabity Project in South Australia."
"During 2010, the increased exploration budget will see
Pancontinental achieve its required spending of A$8 million to earn
a 50% interest in the Joint Venture Projects. After that, Pancon
and Crossland will share funding of Joint Venture Projects on a
50:50 basis," Mr. Eupene said.
PROJECTS UPDATE
Chilling (NT)
In the Top End of the Northern Territory, the Joint Venture is
exploring for unconformity and vein related uranium deposits at its
flagship Chilling Project. Titles cover around 130km of the
unconformable contact between Lower Proterozoic and Middle
Proterozoic sediments, a setting that is most favourable for the
formation of large unconformity- related uranium deposits such as
those that occur on the east flank of the Pine Creek Basin, in the
Alligator Rivers Uranium Province; in the Athabasca Basin of
Saskatchewan in Canada; and at Rum Jungle, to the north of
Crossland's holdings.
Mr. Eupene said that during 2009 they recognised for the first
time that sediments in the Buchanan Window near the south eastern
corner of the Chilling Project titles were the stratigraphic and
lithological equivalents of the sediments that host mineralisation
at Rum Jungle.
"Subsequently, a further 100km of prospective structures to the
south of the Buchanan Window were secured by Exploration License
applications," he said.
"Initial shallow drilling of the Buchanan Window during 2009
showed that weathering is deep and a program has been devised to
detect structural settings in bedrock that can be developed into
targets for deeper drilling. "
Extensive preparations for a busy season in 2010 were also made
in the Allia Creek Window north of Buchanan. This area contains a
structure that shows visible secondary uranium mineralisation as
well as elevated gold values. This structure cuts the Middle
Proterozoic unconformity and can be mapped in Airborne EM data
commissioned by Crossland last year as part of a regional survey
funded with Geoscience Australia.
An aircore/ RC drill program of over 3,000m and a diamond core
drill program of 1,400m are planned to test these and other
opportunities at Chilling.
Charley Creek (NT)
Charley Creek, located to the west-northwest of Alice Springs in
Central Australia, was the focus of an extensive detailed ground
spectrometer survey in the Cockroach Dam Prospect exceeding 40km2
in 2009.
Mr. Eupene said this 2009 survey work produced many anomalous
areas for follow up.
"From our collection of rock samples, we note that 186 rock
samples of mostly outcropping granite have been collected to date
with an average uranium content of 373ppmU, (439ppmU3O8,) and
individual values of up to 4,550ppmU (0.536% U3O8)" he said.
"Preparations for drilling of these numerous high radiometric
anomalies are under way, and a modest drill program is included in
the increased 2010 budget.
Mr. Eupene said almost all prospecting work at Charley Creek in
2009 had focused on the follow up of uranium radiometric
anomalies.
"More work will be done to characterise these in early 2010, and
field work is about to commence on this. In addition more detailed
work will be put into the source of other radiometric patterns, as
careful follow up of some of these signatures has already produced
other possible target commodities such as Rare Earths and Tin," he
said.
"We also expect that permission will soon be obtained to extend
the aircore drill program across the extensive alluvial flats in
our holdings, targeting uranium bearing channels in the alluvial
sediments as well as probing the prospective basement rocks.
The geological setting of the Charley Creek Project is very
complex and the belt known as the Arunta Region, and in particular
its Warumpi Province which hosts the Teapot Granite, is
under-explored for mineral deposits.
"There have been several other discoveries in the region in
recent years, and Crossland took the opportunity to considerably
expand the holdings in this promising region during 2009. This
allows the Joint Venture to take advantage of its logistic foothold
in the district as well as its burgeoning technical knowledge as
access improves to this important untested district."
Kalabity (South Australia)
After a year's hiatus, exploration will resume at the Kalabity
Project in South Australia where carnotite (uranium vanadate)
mineralisation has been discovered at the Tabita Prospect.
Work this year will thoroughly evaluate the Tabita Prospect, and
is expected to commence during March. This will consist of aircore
drilling and trenching to evaluate the thickness, grade and extent
of the mineralisation at Tabita.
Crosscontinental Uranium Limited
Mr. Eupene said he also expected activity to pick up on
international exploration through the jointly-owned
Pancon/Crossland subsidiary, Crosscontinental Uranium Limited.
"Progress is being made on the processing of Crosscontinental's
uranium exploration permit applications in Burkina Faso, and the
Company is examining other opportunities elsewhere in Africa and in
Europe," he said.
"It is likely that additions will be made to the
Crosscontinental project portfolio during 2010."
All technical information in this release has been reviewed by
Geoff Eupene, Qualified Person for Crossland and Pancon.
About Pancontinental Uranium Corporation
Pancontinental Uranium Corporation ("Pancon") is a
Canadian-based company focused on uranium discovery and
development. Through a joint venture with Crossland Uranium Mines
Limited ("Crossland") of Australia, Pancon has established one of
the strongest management teams in the uranium industry. This
management and operating team has unparalleled experience from
exploration, through development to operations, and includes people
who were instrumental in the discovery of two of the largest
uranium deposits in the world. Pancon holds an impressive
exploration portfolio with projects in prolific, mining friendly
districts. Active exploration is ongoing at three Australian
projects which include Chilling, Charley Creek, and Kalabity. The
Chilling project has the potential to host a mirror image of a
portion of the renowned Alligator Rivers Uranium Field containing
the large Jabiluka, Ranger and Koongarra deposits. Pancon is
earning a 50% interest in this significant uranium project
portfolio through the joint venture with Crossland through the
expenditure of A$8 million. Pancon and Crossland are also pursuing
exploration beyond Australia through an international subsidiary
company, Crosscontinental Uranium Limited, and immediate plans
include formulating an exploration program in Burkina Faso.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Rick Mark, President & CEO
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 www.PanconU.com
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