Alpha Minerals Hits 53.0m of Radioactivity With 13.89m of "Off-Scale" in a 15 Meter Step-Out Hole at Patterson Lake South
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwire) -- 03/11/13 -- ALPHA MINERALS INC (TSX VENTURE: AMW) ("Alpha" or "the Company"), and its 50% joint venture partner, Fission Energy Corp are pleased to announce results from 5 additional drill holes, including 3 holes (PLS13-044, 046 and 051) from Zone R390E, located approximately 390m east of the PLS12-022 discovery hole referred to now as Zone R00E on the Patterson Lake (PLS) property. These results have extended the strike length of Zone R390E by 15 m. Additional drilling is ongoing.
Drill holes PLS13-044, 046, and 051 were drilled as offsets to the previously reported PLS13-038 hole (see new release dated Feb. 19th, 2013) in order to determine the orientation and strike of Zone R390E. Zone R390E remains open and additional step-out drilling is now underway along strike.
Zone naming by Alpha has been based on naming a significant line of the Drill Grid by its Easting or Westing along the base line, which intersects what may be a discrete mineralized body, so that the reader may have sense of the distance between zones. A Zone 60E would be 60m east of Zone R00E - A Zone 120W would be 120m west of Zone R00E.
ZONE R390E
Drilling Highlights Include:
-- 53.0m interval of continuous radioactivity in hole PLS13-051;
-- including 11.5m of continuous "off-scale" radioactivity (greater
than 9999 cps)
-- the sum of discrete intervals of "off-scale" radioactivity total
13.89m
-- greater than 26% of the interval gives "off-scale" readings.
-- PLS 13-051 is located 15m grid east of PLS13-038 (see news release dated
Feb. 19, 2013) in which radioactivity was found over 57.5m. 11.65m of
which was "off-scale".
-- PLS13-044, drilled 10m north of PLS13-038, intersected four discrete
zones of variable weak to locally strong radioactivity ranging from 3.0
to 17.0m in length.
ZONE R390E see refers to the zone of radioactivity located on Line 390E which is approximately 390 meters eastwards along the same conductor as the first discovery holes at Zone R00E on the west side of Patterson Lake. Off-Scale and extensive Radioactivity was first encountered in PLS13-038 (see news release Feb 19, 2013). Zone R390E has now been indicated with 4 drill holes (PLS13-038, 044, 046 and 051) and is open in all directions. Based on geophysical interpretations of airborne and ground EM surveys and ground resistivity surveys, the general target area of Zone R390E is along the strike of a conductor that extends from the western radioactivity located at Zone R00E to the west. As is the case with the Zone R00E, Zone R390E is located to the north of the PL-3B basement EM conductor and situated within a well defined resistivity low corridor. Drill hole PLS13-038 tested a coincidental radon in water and radon in sediment anomaly along this conductor trend. Drill hole interpretation thus far defines the area of radioactivity to be associated with a steeply dipping pelitic (+/- graphitic) lithology sandwiched between a semipelitic gneiss to the north and a quartz-feldspar gneiss to the south, where the radioactivity is focused primarily near the contact between the pelitic gneiss and quartz-feldspar gneiss.
Hole PLS13-051 was a vertical hole collared approximately 15m grid east of hole PLS13-038. A short section of Devonian sandstone was encountered from 48.2m - 51.6m, with basement quartz-feldspar gneiss encountered directly below. A 4m interval of weak radioactivity was intersected from 76.0 - 80.0m with maximum radioactivity of 1600 cps. The main radioactive horizon was encountered from 95.0m - 148.0m and is associated with the transition from a quartz-feldspar gneiss above to a pelitic gneiss below.
The main interval is characterized by moderate to strong radioactivity throughout, with multiple discrete intervals of intense "off-scale" radioactivity, measuring 13.89m of off-scale radioactivity throughout. An 11.5m interval (107.0 - 118.5m) gave continuous off-scale radioactivity associated with visible uranium mineralization.
The distribution of off-scale radioactivity appears to be similar to that in hole 038, with two sections of higher grade separated by approximately 20m of lower grade. This suggests a stratigraphical correlation between holes PLS13-038 and PLS13-051.
Holes PLS13-044 and 046 were both vertical holes drilled 10m grid north of PLS13-038 and 10m grid south respectively on drill grid line 390E. In both holes, a short section of Devonian sandstone was encountered above the basement lithology. Radioactivity was encountered in both holes, with PLS13-044 having much better defined radioactivity than PLS13-046. In hole PLS13-044, radioactivity was intersected as a moderate to locally strong, 12m wide interval from 77.0m - 89.0m, which included a 0.1m interval of 'off-scale" radioactivity, which was associated with visible uranium mineralization. Hole PLS13-046 had weak radioactivity over several narrow intervals.
Table1: R390E Zone
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(i) Hand-held Scintillomenter Results On
Mineralized Drillcore (greater than 300 cps /
Collar greater than 0.5M minimum)
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Grid Width
Hole ID Line Az Dip From (m) To (m) (m) CPS Peak Range
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PLS13-038 390E 0 -90 73.5 74.5 1.0 360 - 400
86.5 121.0 34.5 260 - greater than
9999
123.0 124.0 1.0 360 - 400
126.5 130.0 3.5 less than 300 -
greater than 9999
132.5 140.5 8.0 410 - greater than
9999
143.0 144.0 1.0 500 - 900
165.0 168.0 3.0 less than 300 -
2800
170.5 171.0 0.5 1000
174.0 176.5 2.5 1000 - 4500
178.0 180.5 2.5 less than 300 -
1000
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PLS13-044 390E 0 -90 56.0 73.0 17.0 less than 300 -
8700
77.0 83.0 6.0 less than 300 -
5300
86.0 89.0 3.0 320 - greater than
9999
96.5 104.5 8.0 less than 300 -
8100
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PLS13-046 390E 0 -90 96.0 99.0 3.0 less than 300 -
1300
127.5 133.5 6.0 less than 300 - 390
206.0 208.5 2.5 less than 300 -
1600
239.0 240.0 1.0 640 - 1100
243.5 244.0 0.5 1900
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PLS13-051 405E 0 -90 76.0 80.0 4.0 less than 300 -
1600
95.0 148.0 53.0 less than 300 -
9999
157.0 161.0 4.0 less than 300 -
2100
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Basement
Devonian Sandstone Unconformity Total Drillhole
Hole ID From - To (m) Depth (m) Depth (m)
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PLS13-038 48.8 - 50.7 50.7 221.6
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PLS13-044 47.9 - 52.1 52.1 197.2
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PLS13-046 48.5 - 52.5 52.5 306.9
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PLS13-051 48.2 - 51.6 51.6 282.5
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Additional Drill Holes:
Hole PLS13-040, a vertical hole, was drilled approximately 2.2km to the east along strike from R00E Zone. Bedrock was encountered at 54.5m and consisted of primarily semipelitic and pelitic gneiss (locally graphitic from 86.9 - 97.3m) to 109.5m. A possible mafic rock was encountered from 109.5m to the end of hole (182.0m). Significant clay alteration was present over several intervals from 54.5m to 109.5m, including an interval of sulphide (pyrite?) mineralization from 89.0 - 97.3m.
Hole PLS13-042 a vertical hole was drilled approximately 2.0km east of R00E Zone. Bedrock was encountered at 45.0m and consists of alternating sequences of semipelitic and pelitic gneiss (locally graphitic) to the end of hole at 203.4m. Moderate to strong chlorite alteration is present from the top of the basement to 121.2m. From 121.2m to 200.0m, alternating sequences of moderate to strong chlorite alteration and sulphide mineralization are present throughout.
The Company believes the significant clay alteration encountered in both drill holes is encouraging and further drilling in the area is planned. The absence of Devonian Sandstone in the regional eastern area represents a geological setting that is required as the bedrock source for the high grade uranium boulders, which is located approximately 6km to the southwest.
Table 2: Additional Eastern Targets
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(i) Hand-held Scintillomenter Results On
Mineralized Drillcore (greater than 300 cps /
Collar greater than 0.5M minimum)
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Grid Width
Hole ID Line Az Dip From (m) To (m) (m) CPS Peak Range
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PLS13-040 2190E 0 -90 No Significant Radioactivity
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PLS13-042 1995E 0 -90 No Significant Radioactivity
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Basement
Devonian Sandstone Unconformity Total Drillhole
Hole ID From - To (m) Depth (m) Depth (m)
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PLS13-040 No Sandstone 54.5 182.0
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PLS13-042 No Sandstone 45.0 203.4
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Natural gamma radiation in drill core that is reported in this news release was measured in counts per second (cps) using a hand held Exploranium GR-110G total count gamma-ray scintillometer. Borehole radioactivity is measured downhole using a Mount Sopris 2GHF-1000 Triple Gamma probe. The reader is cautioned that scintillometer readings are not directly or uniformly related to uranium grades of the rock sample measured, and should be used only as a preliminary indication of the presence of radioactive materials. The degree of radioactivity within the mineralized intervals is highly variable and associated with visible pitchblende mineralization. All intersections are down-hole, core interval measurements and true thickness are yet to be determined.
A drill program is in progress to complete approximately 8,000m of core drilling. This will further delineate and test radon and geophysical targets along the 3.5 km long mineralized belt identified by earlier programs.
Data from additional drilling at Zone R00E is currently being compiled and is expected to be released in the near future.
All holes are planned to be surveyed using a Mount Sopris 2GHF-1000 Triple Gamma probe, which allows for accurate measurements in high grade mineralized zones. The Triple Gamma probe is preferred in zones of high grade mineralization.
Split core samples from the mineralized section of core will be taken continuously through the mineralized intervals and submitted to SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories (an SCC ISO/IEC 17025: 2005 Accredited Facility) of Saskatoon for analysis, which includes U3O8 (wt %) and fire assay for gold. All samples sent for analysis will include a 63 element ICP-OES, uranium by fluorimetry and boron. Assay results will be released when received.
Patterson Lake South Property
The 31,000 hectare (76,000 acres) PLS project is a 50%/50% Joint Venture held by Alpha Minerals Inc (AMW) and Fission Energy (FIS). Fission is the Operator until April 1st 2014. PLS is accessible by road with primary access from all-weather Highway 955, which runs north to the former Cluff Lake mine, (greater than 60M lbs of U3O8 produced), and passes through the nearby UEX-Areva Shea Creek discoveries located 50km to the north, currently under active exploration and development. Updated maps highlighting the core and dual rotary drilling programs planned for PLS can be found on the Company's website at http://www.alphaminerals.ca. A small surge in staking around the Patterson Lake South JV property has seen several junior companies join the proximity plays of the area.
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 Alpha Minerals Inc, by Garrett Ainsworth P.Geo. Vice President Exploration, a qualified person.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Alpha Minerals Inc.
Ben Ainsworth, President, CEO and Director
Please refer to the Alpha Minerals Inc. website (www.alphaminerals.ca) for further and updated information.
This press release contains "forward-looking information" that is based on Alpha's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. This forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements with respect to Alpha's development plans. The words "will", "anticipated", "plans" or other similar words and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking information.
Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Alpha's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: uncertainties related exploration and development; the ability to raise sufficient capital to fund exploration and development; changes in economic conditions or financial markets; increases in input costs; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological or operational difficulties or inability to obtain permits encountered in connection with exploration activities; and labour relations matters. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect our forward-looking information. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. Alpha disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Neither the 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:
Alpha Minerals Inc.
Robert (Bob) Meister
(604) 629-0293 or Toll Free: 1-866-629-0293
info@alphaminerals.ca
www.alphaminerals.ca
