Pancontinental Uranium Corporation (TSX VENTURE: PUC) ("Pancon")
and joint venture partner Crossland Uranium Mines Ltd. (ASX: CUX)
("Crossland") are pleased to update shareholders on corporate
activities for the last quarter.
Charley Creek Project, NT Uranium
Wide intersections of granite at Cockroach Dam with uranium
contents around 10 times the global average content for granite
confirm a favourable source for uranium mineralisation. Mineralised
intersections confirm mobility of uranium. Future drilling will be
focused on fractured areas around the edges of the granite plutons,
following up on similarities with the setting of the ROssing style
deposits in Namibia.
Charley Creek Project, NT - REE
Results of analysis returned high values for all Rare Earth
Elements (REE), including the Heavy REEs that are subject to supply
restrictions from the Chinese Government. Crossland expects to be
able to produce heavy mineral concentrates with very high REE
contents, and believes that these could have a low production cost.
Crossland's present target is the production of several thousand
tonnes of REE annually in heavy mineral concentrate in an
economically viable development. Crossland anticipates that this
could be evaluated and permitted, at least in a pre- feasibility
form, during 2011.
Chilling Project, NT
An intensive program of geological mapping, geochemical sampling
and spectrometer surveys proceeded throughout the quarter and led
to the firming up of 11 drill sites and access to many of these has
been established. Drilling data have been reinterpreted from Eccles
and March Fly prospects, and enhanced with geological mapping. New
target zones for drill testing have been generated. Drill programs
that were planned for 2010 at Buchanan and Allia, but postponed for
weather and permitting issues, will proceed in the 2011 dry
season.
Kalabity, South Australia: earning 60% minimum from PlatSearch
NL and Eaglehawk Geological Prospecting Pty Ltd.
A consultant metallurgist has been engaged to devise a program
of further test work, and if positive, work to extend the
mineralized zones at the Tabita Prospect will be undertaken.
Pancontinental Funding - Pancontinental is currently funding 50%
of all JV exploration plus a charge for overheads and equipment
use.
Cash Position - Circa $2 million with approx $700k due from
Pancon for 50 % contribution of expenses.
OVERVIEW
An intensive evaluation of the Rare Earth potential of the
extensive alluvium at Charley Creek commenced, with first results
expected in February 2011. Drilling was completed for 2010 at the
Cockroach Dam Uranium Prospect during the quarter, and an intensive
field program proceeded at Chilling until the onset of the wet
season in December. Both programs have generated fresh targets.
Unseasonal rains continued at Charley Creek for much of the
Quarter, and a return of rain was experienced in Chilling,
preventing the planned drill programs for 2010 from proceeding.
Crossland operated through the holiday period with the Rare Earth
evaluation program, and is gearing up for a record level of
activity in 2011.
EXPLORATION DETAIL
Charley Creek Project, NT (EL24281, EL 25230; EL25657,EL27283,
EL27284, EL27338, EL27358, EL27359, ELa28154, ELa28155, ELa28224,
ELa28225, ELa28226, ELa28434, ELa28500: Crossland 50%:
Pancon50%)
At the Charley Creek Project, Crossland is targeting
granite-related uranium; with calcrete and redox- related
palaeodrainage uranium targets; rare earth deposits, and layered
mafic intrusive- related copper, nickel and platinoids as other
targets.
Charley Creek - Uranium
Nine holes and 1441.2m of diamond core drilling were completed
at the Cockroach Dam Uranium Prospect during the quarter. Five
holes had been completed at Cockroach East, while holes CED2010_006
to CED2010_015 (10 holes) were drilled at Cockroach Central. The
drilling program and the consequent processing of the holes and
samples suffered delays because of the wet weather. A market
release dated December 1, 2010 was made to outline the significance
of the results then available:
-- A best intersection from the initial seven (7) holes of core drilling at
the Cockroach Dam prospect of 2m of 876ppm U3O8 from 148m, including
0.3m of 4,079 ppm U3O8 from 148.8m in hole CED2010_006.
-- Thick intersections of granite with uranium contents up to 10 times the
global average content for granite (up to 40ppmU) indicate that these
zones within the Teapot Granite are fertile source rocks for a variety
of uranium deposit styles, including in particular ROssing (Namibia)-
style granite - hosted bulk low grade mineralisation.
-- The results suggest that the best chances for significant grades and
widths of economic mineralisation are in areas where the granites are
strongly fractured, and probably not outcropping. The remainder of the
2010 drill program will be directed at these areas with further drilling
in 2011.
-- The drill program for uranium will run in parallel with the Charley
Creek REE evaluation program, also targeting the Teapot Granite as well
as its surrounding host rocks and alluvium for REE.
The subsequent drill holes have indicated that certain of the
granitic rocks intersected also demonstrate mobility of contained
uranium as was observed in the higher grade intersection in Hole
CED2010_006, but the zones, while frequent in occurrence, are
restricted to a few centimetres thick, and so average grades across
widths do not reach economic levels. Nonetheless, the drill results
do demonstrate the high primary uranium content of the Teapot
Granite, and the mobility of this uranium under certain
circumstances in both the primary and oxidised zones. Crossland
considers that these processes will result in further mineralised
intersections, and the search for ROssing-style bulk low-grade
primary rock deposits is justified in this geological setting.
Studies of technical data on ROssing style deposits in Namibia
indicate that mineralisation is concentrated in zones of
fracturing, and/or multiple thin intrusive bodies, in areas of
subdued topographic relief. By contrast, the areas tested at
Cockroach Dam in 2010 were unfractured, massive intrusive bodies
that form prominent topographic features.
Considering the high primary uranium content (around 10 times
the normal uranium content of granites) in mineralogy that is
readily mobile in both the primary and oxidised environments, the
Teapot Granite is likely to be an excellent source rock for
ROssing-style mineralisation, and Crossland has initiated a program
to identify settings around Cockroach Dam to test with drilling in
2011. The more prospective areas for sustained mineralised
intersections will probably lie beneath subdued topography. These
will hopefully be accessible to open hole drilling machines so that
testing costs will be lower than the 2010 core drill program
conducted on rocky hill country. The Teapot Granite should also
provide uranium to groundwater systems that could result in
mineralised near surface channel deposits.
Charley Creek - Rare Earths
On November 1, Crossland announced the results of analysis of a
sample of heavy mineral concentrate derived from alluvium derived
from the Teapot Granite. This returned high values for all Rare
Earth Elements (REE), including the Heavy REEs that are subject to
supply restrictions from the Chinese Government. The results
demonstrate that Crossland can reasonably expect to produce heavy
mineral concentrates with very high REE contents from alluvial
deposits draining from the Teapot Granite. Crossland believes that
these could have a low production cost, making the production of
several thousand tonnes of REE in heavy mineral concentrate an
economically viable development. Crossland anticipates that this
could be evaluated and permitted, at least in a pre- feasibility
form, during 2011.
The Crossland/ Pancon Joint Venture has secured in excess of
4,000 square kilometres of exploration titles covering some 180km
of the northern foothills of the MacDonnell Ranges, a zone that
hosts the Teapot Granite and its host rocks, some of which also
demonstrate the anomalous radiometric patterns that Crossland has
recognised in association with the REE concentrations. Since the
results have been available, Crossland has embarked on a first-
pass evaluation of the potential for an alluvial heavy mineral REE
project in the Charley Creek Project. By the end of the Quarter,
field crews had collected in excess of 200 bulk stream sediment
samples, each of which represents a drainage area of around 4
square kilometres. This represents about 90km of the 180km strike
of the MacDonnell Ranges within the Joint Venture's title package
at Charley Creek. In addition, crews with hand augers have
collected around 400 samples from one of the alluvial flat areas
around Cockroach Dam. A small processing facility has been
established to separate heavy mineral concentrates from the samples
and, by end of period, submission of samples for further upgrading
and despatch to Canada for High Level REE analysis had commenced.
This is necessary since assay methods currently available in
Australia do not have upper detection limits high enough to give
accurate results on the concentrate samples.
Crossland expects to obtain enough data from the 2010 sampling
to make a decision on accelerating the REE program to define an
alluvial resource early in 2011.
An extensive airborne geophysical survey of the recently-
expanded eastern portion of the Charley Creek Project area,
including the Cloughs Dam Joint Venture with Western Desert
Resources on EL25657, was slated for early October. This was
postponed given the likelihood of weather interference. The survey
will proceed when the weather outlook is clearer.
Chilling Project, NT (EL22738, EL23682, EL24557, EL25076,
EL25077 and EL25078:, EL27441, EL27525, ELa28433: Crossland 50%:
Pancon50%)
At the Chilling Project, Crossland's primary targets are
unconformity-related uranium deposits, the deposit style that hosts
most of the world's high-grade uranium. Other target commodities
exist, such as gold, tin, copper, and cobalt. Other uranium deposit
styles are also possible.
In the Buchanan Window, an intensive program of geological
mapping, geochemical sampling and spectrometer surveys proceeded
throughout the quarter. This led to the definition of 11 drill
sites and access to many of these has been established. The
geological mapping firmed up the comparison of the Buchanan Window
with the geological setting of the Rum Jungle embayment. Extensive
occurrences of hematite quartz breccia (HQB), and associated
displaced blocks of Tolmer Group sediments, have been noted. These
features are common in most unconformity- style deposits in the
district. Several occurrences of radiometric anomalies adjacent to
these structures are important targets of the planned drilling
program.
Spectrometer surveys and additional geochemical sampling and
geological mapping continued at the Allia Window until the weather
prevented access. The Allia Window hosts the MEMA prospect
containing outcropping secondary uranium minerals, as well as
prominent late structural features that we consider prospective for
uranium.
Data on the nearby Fletchers Gully gold prospect, wholly within
the Crossland- Pancon Joint Venture tenements, is also being
reexamined in view of current gold prices. Sacred site clearance
certificates for areas of Chilling outside the Buchanan Window were
not received until early in November, and this prevented
establishment of new access tracks and drilling sites. Results of
geochemical and radiometric surveys have generated several targets
for early follow-up as access permits.
Re- evaluation and surface mapping of both the March Fly and
Eccles uranium prospects were commenced. At March Fly, the surface
and drilling data has been reinterpreted, with the generation of
new target zones for testing. The structure controlling
mineralisation has been identified, and this remains open to the
south. There are similarities between March Fly and the Thundelarra
Minerals' Thunderball discovery some 80km to the east. The
relatively high-grade intersections that have been recorded at
March Fly indicate the potential that these vein-type occurrences
hold for economic deposits. Crossland proposes to drill test these
targets in 2011.
At Eccles, results from work conducted by previous explorers has
been located and evaluated. More than 70 previous holes were sited
at the Eccles target, but these appear to have been largely
unsuccessful, except towards the southern extremity of the drilled
area, where there are unclosed intersections below alluvial cover.
This represents an interesting target, as the previous explorers
have described Eccles as an unconformity style deposit. The setting
on the base of the Tolmer Sandstone escarpment in altered Lower
Proterozoic host rocks suggests this is a valid interpretation.
An air-core and RC drill program of over 3,000m, and diamond
core drilling of 1,400m had been planned to test various
opportunities at Chilling in 2010. Due to the very restricted field
season that has resulted from a late start and early end to the Dry
Season, as well as permitting issues, it has not been possible to
complete this work. Contractors with suitable equipment will be
identified and secured to ensure drilling commences as soon as
access is possible during 2011.
Meetings were held with Aboriginal groups regarding access to
two applications ELa27440 and ELa27442, on Aboriginal Freehold Land
in the Collia Area, to the south of the Buchanan EL. Our proposals
received a mixed reception, and it seems that considerable delays
would be expected in granting. It has been decided to withdraw the
applications to minimise ongoing expenses.
Bloodwood, NT (EL27373: Crossland 50%: Pancon50%)
The Bloodwood Project was recently acquired to follow up
favourable previous exploration for uranium, gold and base
metals.
No work was possible because of the inclement weather affecting
Central Australia.
Highland Rocks, NT (ELa's27374, 27375, 27571, 27572; Crossland
50%: Pancon50%)
The Highland Rocks Project covers a setting conducive for
uranium and gold deposits extending onto Aboriginal Freehold land
near the Bloodwood Project.
A meeting scheduled to put our program proposals to Traditional
Owners had to be postponed until next year because of tensions in
the Yuendemu community.
Mount Stafford, NT (ELa28492; Crossland 50%: Pancon50%)
Crossland lodged, on behalf of the Crossland/ Pancon JV, an
application for an exploration licence covering over 860 square
kilometres in the vicinity of Mount Stafford, about 160 kilometres
to the north of Charley Creek. The application covers radioactive
granite terrain and it will be evaluated using the technologies and
concepts under development at Charley Creek.
Kalabity, South Australia (EL4461: Crossland 30%: Pancon30%)
At Kalabity, Crossland's interest is through an agreement with
PlatSearch NL and Eaglehawk Geological Prospecting Pty Ltd to earn
a majority share in EL4461 (formerly 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.
Samples of material with elevated uranium and vanadium values
from the trenching program completed earlier this year were
submitted to a reputable metallurgical laboratory for test work to
determine if an upgraded product can be prepared by simple physical
means. Based upon initial results, a consultant metallurgist has
been engaged to devise a program of further test work. If this
proves to be successful, work to extend the mineralized zones at
the Tabita Prospect will be undertaken.
New Projects
Crossland and Pancon continue to examine opportunities to expand
their project portfolio.
Burkina Faso, West Africa (Crosscontinental Uranium Ltd)
1. Oursi Joint Venture
Crosscontinental has entered an interest-earning Joint Venture
with Southern Cross Exploration NL and Longreach Oil NL.
Crosscontinental has decided to withdraw from the Joint
Venture.
2. Applications by Crosscontinental Burkina SA and related
parties
The progress with the additional applications lodged on behalf
of Crosscontinental is slow and it is difficult to allocate a
priority to work on these at present.
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 50:50 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 and Crossland hold an
impressive uranium 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. Charley Creek has the
potential for large, lower-grade, Rossing-type, granite-hosted
uranium deposits and REE. The Kalabity project lies in a district
of historic uranium/radium mining that contains a variety of known
uranium deposit styles.
Pancon has earned a 50% interest in this significant uranium and
REE 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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