TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Jan. 26, 2012) - Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. (TSX VENTURE:PTU) is pleased to report that crews are now mobilized to commence the Winter 2012 exploration program for Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc. at Purepoint's Red Willow Project in Saskatchewan's Athabasca Basin. Purepoint optioned the property to Rio Tinto just over a year ago, allowing them to earn a controlling interest in the Red Willow Project by spending up to $22.5 million in exploration and development expenses.
"A gravity survey is underway at the Geneva Area while drilling will begin shortly at the Osprey Area" said Scott Frostad, Purepoint's Vice President, Exploration. "After the first two holes are complete, our intention is move the drill to Geneva for an additional two holes".
Highlights
- Approximately 1,600 metres of diamond drilling on targets within the Osprey (intercepts up to 0.20% eU3O8 over 5.8 metres) and Geneva areas (intercepts up to 0.22% U3O8 over 1.0 metres);
- A gravity survey in the Geneva area and a portion of the Radon area is designed to infill and extend the known gravity low targets that are potential zones of hydrothermal alteration.
Geneva Area
In 1995 Cameco ranked 366 basement alteration drill holes on their Rabbit Lake project (which once included a portion of the Red Willow project) using pathfinding elements (Pb, Ni, Cu, U, total clay and chlorite). The highest ranking hole of all 366 holes ranked was RAD-17, situate on what is now Purepoint's Geneva area.
A gravity survey with follow-up diamond drilling has commenced at the Geneva area located near the southwest corner of the Red Willow property. An airborne electromagnetic survey (VTEM) delineated 3.8 kilometers of conductors at Geneva that are within a distinct fold structure highlighted by the aeromagnetic results. Eldorado Resources, a predecessor to Cameco, intersected a graphitic fault zone that returned 0.22% U3O8 over 1.0 metres in the Geneva area during a 1984 drill program.
Osprey Area
The Osprey Conductor is an "S"-shaped electromagnetic conductor that is over six kilometres in length. Ground geophysics conducted over the area includes 3D resistivity, fixed-loop EM, stepwise moving-loop, gravity and magnetics. Rio Tinto conducted additional Gradient Induced Polarization (IP) this summer to further define exploration targets prior to this winter's drill program.
A primary drill target this winter will be a weak EM conductor, approximately 700 metres in length, that lies beneath Osprey Lake and is seen to cross-cut the main Osprey conductor near the 0.20% eU3O8 over 5.8 metres intercept. The east-west trending conductor follows the shape of Osprey Lake and is coincident with a magnetic low, a gravity low as well as a resistivity low. This area is previously untested by diamond drilling.
Red Willow
The Red Willow property covers 25,612 hectares on the eastern edge of the Athabasca Basin. The Athabasca sandstone is shallow and the depth to unconformity varies from zero to 80 metres. The basement rocks are composed of intensely deformed and metamorphosed sedimentary, volcanic and plutonic rocks trending NE to SW. Five major uranium deposits are located along a NE to SW mine trend that extends through the Red Willow Project.
The Red Willow property adjoins AREVA Resource Canada Inc.'s claim group that contains the JEB, Sue, McClean and Caribou deposits to the west and, to the south adjoins UEX's Hidden Bay property that surrounds Cameco Corporation's Rabbit Lake, Collins Bay and Eagle Point deposits.
About Purepoint
Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. is focused on the precision exploration of its twelve projects in the Canadian Athabasca Basin. Purepoint proudly maintains project ventures in the Basin with the three largest uranium producers in the world, Cameco Corporation, AREVA and Rio Tinto. Established in the Athabasca Basin well before the initial resurgence in uranium earlier last decade, Purepoint is actively advancing a large portfolio of multiple drill targets in the world's richest uranium region.
Scott Frostad BSc, MASc, PGeo, Purepoint's Vice President, Exploration, is the Qualified Person responsible for technical content of this release.
THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
Contact Information:
Chris Frostad
President and CEO
(416) 603-8368
www.purepoint.ca