Jul 9 2014
Star Minerals Group Ltd. ("Star") is pleased to announce updated exploration activities as reported by its joint venture partner Lakeland Resources Inc. ("Lakeland"), where Lakeland was granted an option to acquire a 100% interest in two claims totaling 1,092 hectares located near the settlement of Stony Rapids in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan.
In preparation for the summer 2014 field program at the Star Property, Lakeland has received a review of historic and recent exploration from project consultants Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd. of Edmonton, AB; and notes the following:
Highlights
- A one-day exploration program in 2013 found a number of surface grab samples enriched in gold, platinum group elements (PGE's), and Rare Earth Element's (REE's);
- Two outcrop samples described as altered, black, cryptocrystalline and approximately 200 m apart contained highly anomalous concentrations of gold and PGE's, as follow:
- Sample 79441: 1.8 g/t Au, 0.08 g/t Pt; 0.12 g/t Pd
- Sample 79447: 5.7 g/t Au; 0.36 g/t Pt; 0.39 g/t Pd
- A sandstone boulder with anomalous uranium values also contained strong enrichment in heavy rare earth elements; while a nearby outcrop contained 6.9% TREO's:
- Sample 79442 (boulder sample): 257 ppm Uranium, 0.3% TREO (includes 1,216 ppm Dy2O3 and 321 ppm Y2O3)
- Sample 79447 (outcrop sample): 6.9% TREO (dominantly Light REE enriched).
Project Geology and Target Potential
The Star Property covers a quasi-circular basement uplift along the northern margin of the Athabasca Basin, immediately north of the Company's Gibbons Creek Property (under option to Declan Resources Inc.). This structural feature is considered an ideal location for the development of uranium occurrence's associated with the unconformity or sub-unconformity of the Athabasca Basin.
A small portion of the uplifted basement outcrop on the Star Property was prospected with very promising results, as highlighted earlier. In total, 8 outcrop samples and 2 boulder samples were collected. The highly anomalous concentrations of gold (up to 5.7 g/t Au), platinum group elements (0.75 g/t PGE's), rare earth elements (up to 6.9% TREO) and highly anomalous uranium; suggest the presence of a robust hydrothermal system.
The potential for such a regional hydrothermal system is demonstrated by intense alteration associated with historic uranium mineralization within the Gibbons Creek Property located immediately to the south. Within the Athabasca Basin, there are a number of projects where highly anomalous precious metals and/or rare earth elements occur in spatial relation to Uranium deposits and/or mineralization. Examples of such mineralization include the Nicholson Bay and Fish Hook Bay U-Au-PGE occurrences, and the MAW Zone- Wheeler River occurrences.
Preliminary mineralogical work on the REE-bearing samples includes SEM analysis (Scanning Electron Microscope); BSE analysis (Electron Back-Scatter Analysis); and EDS (Energy Dispersive Spectrometry) and reveals the following:
Sample #79442 - The Heavy REE values are from fine-grained xenotime. The modal mineralogy of the sample reveals primarily quartz, with xenotime (3.1%) and about 1.3% kaolinite/illite clay. Diagenetic-Hydrothermal xenotime accumulations are known elsewhere in the Athabasca Basin region, and have been associated with some unconformity-style uranium deposits (McArthur River, Key Lake, McLean Lake and others).
Sample #79446 - The sample contains 23.6% monazite, with 16.75% kaolinite/illite clay.
About the Property
The Star Property benefits from historic exploration including modern geophysics and drilling completed by Star Minerals in 2005 to 2008; and work by Eldorado Nuclear in the 1970's and 1980's. The Property is considered highly prospective for U, Au, PGE's and REE mineralization. It also benefits from nearby infrastructure, with power lines and highways nearby.
NI 43-101 Disclosure
The technical information above has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed on behalf of Lakeland by Neil McCallum, P.Geo., of Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd., a qualified person.
Analytical Methods
All rock samples were delivered to Activation Laboratories Ltd., an ISO Certified Laboratory. All samples were analyzed by a 39-element "partial digestion" with ICP-MS/ICP-OES analysis; and a 49-element "total digestion" with ICP-MS/ICP-OES analysis. Uranium values are converted to U3O8 values with the conversion factor of 1.1792.
Samples with high REE values were tested using the 8-REE method whereby the sample is treated with lithium metaborate/tetraborate fusion with subsequent analysis by ICP-MS and ICP/MS analysis. All REE samples reported herein were derived using this method. Total Rare Earth Oxides ("TREO") include: La2O3, Ce2O3, Pr2O3, Nd2O3, Sm2O3, Eu2O3, Gd2O3, Tb2O3, Dy2O3, Ho2O3, Er2O3, Tm2O3, Yb2O3, Lu2O3, and Y2O3.
All samples were tested using the 1C-OES-Exploration method Fire Assay (with Platinum and Palladium) on a 30 gram aliquot with an ICP finish.
Joint Venture Terms
Under the terms of the joint venture agreement, Lakeland has the right to earn a 100% interest in the two claims by making cash payments totaling $60,000 and issuing 600,000 common shares over a 12 month period. Star has retained the option of a 25% buyback for payment of 4 times the exploration monies spent by the Purchaser to the date that the buyback option is exercised. The buyback option will be exercisable at any time up to a 90 day period following the completion and publication of a 43-101 compliant resource estimate.
Jim Engdahl President & CEO of Star Minerals Group says, "I am very pleased with the exploration results released by our Joint Venture partner and look forward to the next phase of work."
Source: https://www.starminerals.com.au/site/content/