Eagle Plains Resources' Partner Apogee Completes Airborne Geophysical, Lidar Surveys at Pine Channel Gold Project
CRANBROOK, August 24, 2022 - Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. (TSXV:EPL) is pleased to announce that partner Apogee Minerals Ltd (TSXV:APMI) has completed airborne geophysical survey at the Pine Channel project located 43 km west of Stony Rapids, Saskatchewan (the "Property"). Apogee holds the exclusive option to acquire an 80% interest (less 2% NSR) in the Property (details follow). The current program was comprised of helicopter-borne high-resolution aeromagnetic and radiometric surveys covering 380 line-km. The survey was completed by Precision Geosurveys Inc. of Langley, British Columbia. In addition, a 70 km2 Lidar and orthophoto survey was conducted by Eagle Mapping Ltd. of Langley British Columbia. Pine Channel Gold Property Summary
The Pine Channel Property consists of 28 mineral dispositions covering 6,503 hectares located approximately 40 km west of Stony Rapids, Saskatchewan which is the logistics/business hub for northern Saskatchewan. The property can be accessed year-round by float- or ski-equipped aircraft from Stony Rapids or Fort McMurray, AB. The eastern and northern part of the property is transected by a high voltage powerline. Most geological fieldwork is limited to late May to October but other operations such as geophysical surveys and diamond drilling can be completed year-round.
Highlights from documented historical work and previously reported results include:
- North Norite Bay (SMDI 2183): 407.96 g/t Au over 0.5 m (drill hole)
- ELA (SMDI 1574): 39.96 g/t Au over 0.55 m (drill hole)
- Holes G-1 and G-3 (SMDI 2329): 3.20 g/t Au over 1 m (drill hole)
- Occurrence No. 6/Occurrence No. 8 (SMDI 1581): 90.6 g/t Au over 0.2 m (trench sample)
- Cole Lake Ni-Cu (SMDI 1583): 0.45% Ni over 7.0 m (drill hole), 6.2 g/t Au, 0.01% Ni and 0.06% Cu over 3.0 m (trench sample)
The main deposit type that is being explored for at Pine Channel is structurally controlled vein-quartz (lode) gold deposits. Mineral occurrences on the Pine Channel Property contain predominantly gold, with rare base metal occurrences. Within the Pine Channel tenures there are eighteen historical showings reported by the Saskatchewan Mineral Deposit Index (SMDI).
Government mapping in the Pine Channel area dates from 1913, with the first industry work reported in 1950. A total of 51 assessment reports have been filed within the current Pine Channel tenure area. Past operators include Golden Rule Resources Ltd. and Colchis Resources Ltd. who were both active on the project during the 1980's, the last sustained period of exploration in the area. The most recent work prior to Eagle Plains acquiring the claims in 2018 was in 2013 when the area was flown with an airborne Variable Time Domain Electromagnetic ("VTEM") survey focused on locating targets for diamond exploration. There has been a total of 6,066 meters of diamond drilling in 115 historic holes completed within the current Pine Channel property claim boundaries with the majority of the holes completed less than 100 meters in length. Although the wide-spaced drilling did intersect significant gold mineralization in places, much of the drilling was completed using thin diameter core which is considered ineffective for assessing the high-grade "nuggety" gold shears and veins found at Pine Channel.
The first recorded systematic exploration work on the Pine Channel property was in 1950 by Goldfields Uranium Mines. The first significant program on the property was in 1980 by Golden Rule Resources who completed 246 line-km of airborne EM (INPUT) and magnetic surveying. Follow-up ground work located 11 significant occurrences. From 1985-1988 Colchis Resources completed VLF-EM geophysics, biogeochemical surveys, prospecting, soil sampling and trenching followed by shallow diamond drill testing of selected targets.
The Pine Channel project lies within the Tantato Domain which is composed of highly deformed gneisses which form the eastern margin of the Archean Rae Craton. Metamorphic rocks which have been subject to varying degrees of strain form the majority of the property area.
The above results were summarized from SMDI descriptions and assessment reports filed with the Saskatchewan government. Management cautions that historical results were collected and reported by past operators and have not been verified nor confirmed by a Qualified Person, but form a basis for ongoing work in the Pine Channel property area.
In 2019-2020, Eagle Plains completed field programs focused on prospecting and mapping in areas of known mineral occurrences. The work confirmed the widespread occurrences of auriferous quartz veins and associated shear systems in the Pine Channel property. Analytical results from the seventy-two rock samples collected in 2020 range from 6 ppb Au to 68,400 ppb Au. Twenty-three of the samples returned greater than 1 g/t Au, and eight returned greater than 10 g/t Au. The most encouraging of the known showings are the ELA Shaft showing (SMDI 1574) and Occurrence No. 6 and No. 8 (SMDI 1581), which both demonstrate anomalous gold geochemical results and potential for extension of known mineralization along strike.
Pine Channel Option Agreement Details
In May 2021, Apogee entered into an option agreement with Eagle Plains. To earn an 80% interest in the Pine Channel property, Apogee agrees to complete CAD $3,000,000 in exploration expenditures, issue 2,000,000 voting class common shares to Eagle Plains and make $150,000 in cash payments over a 4-year period. EPL retains a 2% NSR on the majority of claims comprising the property (which may be bought down to 1% for $CDN 1,000,000), while an arms-length party holds an underlying 2% royalty (with buy down to 1%) on specific dispositions comprising the property. Under the terms of the agreement Eagle Plains is designated as the Operator of the project.
Qualified Person
Charles C. Downie, P.Geo., a "qualified person" for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and a director of Eagle Plains, has prepared, reviewed, and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in the news release.
About Eagle Plains Resources
Based in Cranbrook, B.C., Eagle Plains is a well-funded, prolific project generator that continues to conduct research, acquire and explore mineral projects throughout western Canada. The Company was formed in 1992 and is the ninth-oldest listed issuer on the TSX-V (and one of only three that has not seen a roll-back or restructuring of its shares). Eagle Plains has continued to deliver shareholder value over the years and through numerous spin-outs has transferred over $100,000,000 in value directly to its shareholders, with Copper Canyon Resources and recently Taiga Gold being notable examples.
The Company is committed to steadily enhancing shareholder value by advancing our diverse portfolio of projects toward discovery through collaborative partnerships and development of a highly experienced technical team. Eagle Plains also holds significant royalty interests in western Canadian projects, covering a broad spectrum of commodities on projects controlled by Cameco Corp., Iso Energy Corp., Denison Mines Corp., Skeena Resources Ltd. and Alexco Resource Corp./Banyan Gold Corp., among others. Management's focus is to advance its most promising exploration projects. Throughout the exploration process, our mission is to help maintain prosperous communities by exploring for and discovering resource opportunities, while building lasting relationships through honest and respectful business practices.
Expenditures from 2011-2021 on Eagle Plains-related projects exceed $27M, the majority of which was funded by third-party partners. This exploration work resulted in approximately 42,000m of diamond-drilling and extensive ground-based exploration work facilitating the advancement of numerous projects at various stages of development.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
"Tim J. Termuende"
President and CEO
For further information on EPL, please contact Mike Labach at 1 866 HUNT ORE (486 8673)
Email: mailto:mgl@eagleplains.comor visit our website at https://www.eagleplains.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
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. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.
SOURCE: Eagle Plains Resources Ltd.