Azincourt Energy commences phase one drilling At East Preston Uranium Project, Saskatchewan
The East Preston uranium project is located in the western Athabasca Basin, northern Saskatchewan. — Photo courtesy Azincourt Energy Corp. AZINCOUR
The East Preston uranium project is located in the western Athabasca Basin, northern Saskatchewan. — Photo courtesy Azincourt Energy Corp.
AZINCOURT ENERGY CORP. (“Azincourt” or the “Company”) (TSX.V: AAZ, OTC: AZURF), is pleased to announce phase one drilling has commenced at the East Preston uranium project, in the western Athabasca Basin, northern Saskatchewan.
Crew is on site and has completed construction of the first two drill pads. Target number one, Pad B on L2400, targets the confluence of north and northeast-trending conductors (prospective structure) with a coincident gravity anomaly (potential alteration), and a positive airborne radiometric anomaly (potential mineralization indicator).
Target number two, Pad E on 900, targets the on-strike extension of the Pad B conductor 1.5km to the southwest. An elevated conductor strength in this area coincides with a distinct flexural dislocation. These combined features outline a potential structural trap for the concentration of mineralized fluids. Additional targets are being prioritized as phase one drilling continues.
Azincourt is currently earning towards 70% interest in the 25,000+ hectare East Preston project as part of a joint venture agreement with Skyharbour Resources (TSX.V: SYH), and Clean Commodities Corp (TSX.V: CLE). Extensive regional exploration work at East Preston was completed in 2013-14, including airborne electromagnetic (VTEM), magnetic and radiometric surveys. Three prospective conductive, low magnetic signature corridors have been discovered on the property. The three distinct corridors have a total strike length of over 25 km, each with multiple EM conductor trends identified. Ground prospecting and sampling work completed to date has identified outcrop, soil, biogeochemical and radon anomalies, which are key pathfinder elements for unconformity uranium deposit discovery.
Only one of the corridors has been drill tested to date, successfully intersecting structurally disrupted graphitic metasedimentary rocks and anomalous pathfinder elements (including uranium) at the Swoosh S6 target using a combination of Horizontal Loop EM (HLEM) and gravity as primary targeting tools.
The Company completed a winter geophysical exploration program in January-February 2018 that generated a significant amount of new drill targets within the previously untested corridors while refining additional targets near previous drilling along the Swoosh corridor.
The work included 51.5 km of grid preparation (line cutting/picketing), 46.1 km of horizontal loop electromagnetic (HLEM), and 40.6 km of ground gravity along the previously known airborne helicopter VTEM conductive trends.
Ground-truthing work confirmed the airborne conductive trends and more accurately located the conductor axes for future drill testing. The gravity survey identified areas along the conductors with a gravity low signature, which is often associated with alteration, fault/structural disruption and potentially, uranium mineralization. The combination/stacking of positive features has assisted in prioritizing targets.
The Main Grid shows multiple long linear conductors with flexural changes in orientation and offset breaks in the vicinity of interpreted fault lineaments – classic targets for basement-hosted unconformity uranium deposits. These are not just simple basement conductors; they are clearly upgraded/enhanced prospectivity targets because of the structural complexity.
The targets are basement-hosted unconformity related uranium deposits similar to NexGen’s Arrow deposit and Cameco’s Eagle Point mine. East Preston is near the southern edge of the western Athabasca Basin, where targets are in a near surface environment without Athabasca sandstone cover – therefore they are relatively shallow targets but can have great depth extent when discovered. The project ground is located along a parallel conductive trend between the PLS-Arrow trend and Cameco’s Centennial deposit (Virgin River-Dufferin Lake trend).
The Company would also like to announce the closing of a C$362,650 second tranche of its non-brokered private placement for aggregate gross proceeds of C$1,216,250 (the “Offering”). In connection with the second tranche closing, the Company issued 1,600,000 flow–through units (the “FT Units”) and 5,453,000 non flow-through Units (the “NFT Units”) at a price of $0.05 per unit.
As previously announced, each FT Unit consists of one flow-through common share and one common share purchase warrant and each NFT Unit consists of one common share and one common share purchase warrant. Each warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional common share for a period of 5 years at a price of C$0.07 per common share (the “Warrants”).
The Company paid commissions to eligible finders under the Offering totaling C$8,000 and issued to such finders a total of 80,000 Finders Warrants on the same terms as the Warrants.
All securities issued or issuable under the Offering are subject to a four-month hold period expiring on July 21, 2019 in addition to such other restrictions as may apply under applicable securities laws in jurisdictions outside of Canada.
Azincourt will apply the net proceeds of the Offering to advance the company's East Preston project and for general working capital purposes.
Closing of this offering is subject to the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals including that of the TSX Venture Exchange.
The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed on behalf of the company by Ted O’Connor, P.Geo. a director of Azincourt Energy Corp., as well as a qualified person.
Azincourt Energy is a Canadian-based resource company specializing in the strategic acquisition, exploration and development of alternative energy/fuel projects, including uranium, lithium, and other critical clean energy elements. The Company is currently active at its joint venture lithium exploration projects in the Winnipeg River Pegmatite Field, Manitoba, Canada, the East Preston and Patterson Lake North uranium projects in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada, and the Escalera Group uranium-lithium project located on the Picotani Plateau in southeastern Peru.