CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. - Strongly anomalous radon results received from MPVC NW Manitoba project
VANCOUVER, April 9, 2014 /CNW/ - CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. (TSX – CVV) ("CanAlaska" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that MPVC Inc. has received highly anomalous radon results of a recently completed, land-based survey over the Maguire Lake area. This is located within MPVC's Northwest Manitoba uranium project which was recently optioned from CanAlaska.
Radon survey result highlights
The radon survey was undertaken using 3,550 cups from AlphaTrack Services Ltd. every 25 metres along lines spaced 200 m apart covering a three-by-10-kilometre area. This is one of seven anomalous areas within the project previously outlined by CanAlaska. This radon survey has defined a number of distinct anomalies:
- Long linear trends, with strike lengths in some cases over four km and approximately 100 to 200 metres wide; anomalies appearing to be conformable to the other geophysical anomalies, such as the VTEM and aeromagnetic data;
- Areas (approximately 400 by 800 metres) of significantly elevated radon flux (in excess of three times background); a number of these coincident with known gravity lows and resistivity lows previously identified at Maguire Lake; largest anomalous zone outlined located on the southeast shore of Maguire lake in an area previously not known to be mineralized; values in this new zone typically three to four times background with a high of 1,484 tracks per square millimetre (T/mm2) (10 times background);
- Islands within Maguire Lake; one island in particular appearing to exhibit noticeable elevated radon levels and this island has numerous mineralized boulders (up to 66 per cent triuranium octoxide (U3O8)) on it as well as radioactive outcrops (up to 9.5 per cent U3O8); such mineralized outcrops evident on two of the larger islands and both of these islands have elevated radon values.
Property geology
This survey was conducted on a small portion of the 143,603-hectare project located along the Saskatchewan/Manitoba border. The licences are located along an extension of a trend which contains most of the significant uranium mines and deposits within Saskatchewan. An airborne VTEM survey of the licences defined a 35 km long linear conductor traversing the project which is interpreted to reflect a graphitic unit which would be a strong reductant which is important for the formation of uranium mineralization. The project area is underlain by rocks of the lower Proterozoic-age Wollaston domain, comprising pelites, graphitic pelites and calc-silicates similar to those associated with the uraniferous unconformity zones found in Saskatchewan's Athabasca basin. A significant difference is that uranium mineralization outcrops within the company's project area rather than being deeply buried as is the case with many deposits in the basin.
Fundamentals of the radon technique
The use of radon gas detectors to identify uranium mineralization is known and has been in use since the 1960s. As uranium decays, daughter products are produced which include radon gas. Radon is itself radioactive with a half-life of 3.8 days and as it decays it emits alpha particles. As a gas radon has much greater mobility than uranium and radium, which are essentially fixed as solid matter in rocks and soils. Radon migrates to the surface through fractures and pore spaces and the greater the porosity and degree of fracturing the further it can travel before the radon gas decays. Due to differences in the rate of radon gas travel, atmospheric effects and the groundwater table radon results are qualitative rather than quantitative. The radon method has become a primary exploration tool in the Athabasca basin and has successfully identified buried uranium occurrences in many geological environments including the recent Paterson Lake South (Fission Uranium Corp.) discovery. The AlphaTrack method uses alpha particle-sensitive film attached to the inside of a small plastic sample cup. When an alpha particle hits the film it leaves a track. The cups are buried for approximately 30 days after which they are retrieved and returned to AlphaTrack Services Ltd. The detectors are then processed and the number of tracks are recorded. The number of tracks counted per square millimetre (T/mm2) is proportional to the radon level in the hole in which the cup is placed. These results are normalized to 30 days of exposure.
Maguire Lake radon results
In general, the AlphaTrack radon results from Maguire Lake have revealed a number of patterns that are consistent with the known geological and geophysical trends and mineralized outcrops. Many significant radon anomalies have been identified, some of these correspond to known geological features and some are new. The results are best evaluated in comparison with the background value, which at Maguire Lake is approximately 150 T/mm2. The individual cup readings varied from less than 10 T/mm2 up to 3,306 T/mm2. The distribution of results is shown in the associated table.
RESULTS DISTRIBUTION
Number of Detectors | Times Background (greater than 150 T/mm2) |
395 | 2x |
130 | 3x |
63 | 4x |
30 | 5x |
14 | 6x |
8 | 7x |
3 | 8x |
3 | 9x |
2 | 10x |
1 | 22x |
A number of radon trends observed are open ended both to the southwest and to the northeast as are the other geophysical trends (VTEM and aeromagnetics). Further work needs to be done to determine the nature and extent of these anomalies.
Summary upcoming work
MPVC reports that its geologic team is most encouraged by the distribution of radon, resistivity, magnetic and gravity anomalies which are prime drill targets for uranium mineralization. The next stage in its exploration program at Maguire Lake is to carry out a radon survey in the lake itself. Radonex Ltd. has been contracted to commence this survey immediately. Once completed these data together with the land-based AlphaTrack data will provide a radon flux map for the entire area. A drill program is planned to commence at the end of April once the Radonex survey over Maguire lake is nearing completion. Drilling permits are in place and valid until July, 2014.
The technical information and results reported here have been reviewed by Chad Ulansky, PGeol, a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, who is responsible for the technical content of this release.
A location map of the NW Manitoba Property can be found on CanAlaska's website at: http://www.canalaska.com/s/News.asp?ReportID=524098
About CanAlaska Uranium
CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. (CVV -- TSX, CVVUF -- OTCBB, DH7F -- Frankfurt) has undertaken uranium exploration on multiple uranium projects in Canada's Athabasca Basin -- the "Saudi Arabia of Uranium" since 2005. The Company has major international partners for its West McArthur and Cree East properties, and is concentrating its activities on these advanced projects.
For more information, visit www.canalaska.com
On behalf of the Board of Directors
(signed)
Peter Dasler, M.Sc., P.Geo., President & CEO,
CanAlaska Uranium Ltd.
The TSX-V has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release: CUSIP# 13708P 10 2. This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time with the British Columbia Securities Commission and the United States Securities & Exchange Commission.
SOURCE CanAlaska Uranium Ltd.
Contact
Peter Dasler, President and CEO, Tel: +1.604.688.3211 x 138, Email: info@canalaska.com