Purepoint Uranium posts results of airborne survey at Denare West, Saskatchewan
Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. [TSXV: PTU; OTCQB: PTUUF] reported the completion of an airborne electromagnetic survey across the Denare West Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) project, approximately 9 km southeast of Foran’s McIlvenna Bay Cu-Zn-Au deposit, in the Hanson Lake area of eastern Saskatchewan. Foran Mining Corp. [TSX: FOM; OTCQX: FMCXF] is the operator of the Denare West project under a 2023 Option Agreement with Purepoint.
Highlights: An airborne electromagnetic survey, VTEM Max, was flown over the Denare West project by Foran Mining to best prioritize exploration target areas.
The Denare West project is operated by Foran Mining under a $19 million option agreement with Purepoint. The Hanson Lake and McIlvenna Bay deposits are located along a conductive belt of rocks shown to extend onto the Denare West project and modeling of the VTEM Max survey results will be conducted by Foran Mining before integration with other exploration (geological, geophysical and geochemical) datasets (Foran PR, Sep 19, 2024).
“The completion of this airborne survey marks another step forward in advancing the Denare West project,” said Chris Frostad, President & CEO of Purepoint Uranium. “Our partnership with Foran reflects our commitment to leveraging strong industry relationships to drive exploration forward. With Foran funding and operating the program, we’re ensuring that Denare West benefits from top-tier exploration while maintaining exposure to a potential new discovery in one of Canada’s most promising VMS districts.”
Foran Mining announced the airborne electromagnetic survey (VTEMTM Max) over the Denare West property last Summer. Electromagnetic (EM) data is the primary targeting tool for base metals and measures the electrical conductivity of rocks. The initial results of the VTEM Max survey are provided as Tau, a calculated decay time constant, with the red and yellow colours highlighting prospective conductive rocks. The location of the historical EM conductors will now be refined using the high-resolution VTEM Max results.
The Denare West Project, staked by Purepoint in 2018, encompasses 10 claims covering an area of 21,066 hectares. Strategically located adjacent to and on trend with Foran’s McIlvenna Bay deposit, the largest undeveloped VMS deposit along the prolific Flin Flon Greenstone Belt, McIlvenna Bay has indicated resources of 39Mt grading at 2.04% copper equivalent.
The Denare West VMS project is located in east-central Saskatchewan, roughly 55 km west-southwest of Flin Flon, Manitoba, and is comprised of 10 claims covering an area of 21,066 hectares in the Hanson Lake area. Provincial highway #106 provides access to the McIlvenna Bay site road and historic drill trails from the site provide access to the western side of the Denare West project.
VMS deposits are formed on the ocean floor through vents that discharge metal-rich hydrothermal fluids. These polymetallic deposits commonly occur in clusters that form a VMS camp such as Flin Flon. The McIlvenna Bay deposit being advanced by Foran Mining is located nine km northwest from the Denare West project and has indicated resources of 39Mt grading at 2.04% copper equivalent. The Balsam and Thunder VMS Zones are thought to be hosted by the same favourable geologic horizon as the McIlvenna Bay and Hansen Lake deposits.
On November 20, 2023, Purepoint signed an option agreement with Foran Mining for the Denare West Project. Under the option agreement, Foran may earn up to 100% interest in the Property through a staged process. The First Earn-in Option allows Foran to acquire 51% interest by spending $3 million on exploration over four years. The Second Earn-In Option grants an additional 29% interest with a further $3 million in expenditures over two years. To acquire the final 20%, Foran must pay $10 million to Purepoint and grant a 2% Net Smelter Royalty, which can be repurchased in stages for $3 million over time. If Foran elects not to acquire the remaining interest, the parties will form a joint venture, with Foran funding operations until completing a pre-feasibility study.
Purepoint Uranium Group holds advanced projects within the renowned Athabasca Basin. The most prospective projects are actively operated on behalf of partnerships with industry leaders including Cameco Corporation, Orano Canada Inc. and IsoEnergy Ltd.
Additionally, the company holds a promising VMS project currently optioned to and strategically positioned adjacent to and on trend with Foran’s McIlvena Bay project.