Saga Metals to drill Double Mer, Radar drilling, Labrador

Saga Metals Corp. [TSXV: SAGA] has started mobilization efforts for the company’s maiden drill programs at both of the 100%-owned Double Mer uranium project and the Radar titanium-vanadium projects, Labrador.

Michael Garagan, chief geological officer and a director of Saga Metals, commented: “The decision to run back-to-back drill programs and include the Radar titanium-vanadium project is strategic and efficient as we are always looking to maximize our cost-effectiveness and shareholder value. We’ve engaged Gladiator Drilling out of Newfoundland; mobilization to the Double Mer Uranium project brings the contractors through southeastern Labrador and past the Radar project off Route 516. Both the drilling and geological teams will be able to drive right into Radar’s Hawkeye zone for an estimated three-week drill program prior to initiating the Double Mer uranium drill program. Saga will be able to enter Q2 with drill results from two projects, setting the stage for a very active 2025 field season.”

Gladiator Drilling will utilize one helicopter-portable diamond drill rig with the necessary NQ coring and survey tools to complete Saga’s maiden drill programs. Drill teams will execute back-to-back day and night shifts with only a short drive from the town of Cartwright, Labrador, to the drilling site.

Mobilization efforts have already commenced with the procurement of equipment and fuel and the finalization of personnel. Workers will begin the construction of drill pads and other necessary preparations prior to the full drill crew’s arrival on site.

The company has received drill permits from the Newfoundland and Labrador government to commence drilling at the Double Mer uranium project and Radar titanium-vanadium project.

Highlights heading into the drilling programs include maiden drill programs: Drilling is scheduled to commence in Q1 2025 with a minimum 1,500-metre program at both the Double Mer uranium project and the Radar titanium-vanadium project.

Double Mer uranium drilling location: This drill program will systematically grid and evaluate the anomalies of the Luivik zone, providing comprehensive data on its uranium potential.

Double Mer’s Luivik zone potential: The westernmost area of the 18-km radiometric trend showcases potential for secondary fluid enrichment that can be conducive to uranium mineralization with 300-metre width and potentially a one-km strike containing samples up to 0.3692% U₃O₈ (triuranium octoxide).

Radar titanium-vanadium drilling location: The Hawkeye zone is the most advanced zone with both surface samples and detailed geophysics creating clear drill targets.

Radar’s Hawkeye zone potential: Assays have returned consistent values between 2.5% and 11.1% TiO₂ (titanium dioxide) and 0.2% to 0.66% V₂O₅ (vanadium pentoxide), confirming the presence of high-grade titanium and vanadium across a potential one-kilometre-wide and four-km-long trend further confirmed with geophysics.

The Double Mer uranium project is Saga Metals’ flagship project, covering 1,024 claims across 25,600 hectares in eastern-central Labrador, approximately 90 km northeast of Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Leveraging significant historical exploration data, Saga’s exploration team validated and built upon the company’s understanding of the project’s potential. Work in 2024 has refined the understanding of the targets within key zones, specifically supporting the decision to initiate a 1,500-to-2,500-metre drill program at the Luivik zone.

Saga sees the Double Mer uranium project as a promising addition to the significant uranium projects already established in Labrador’s Central Mineral Belt (CMB), including Paladin Energy’s Michelin and Atha Energy’s CMB discovery. With encouraging surface samples and geophysical data, Saga believes Double Mer could offer comparable large-tonnage uranium potential.

The Luivik zone has been prioritized for drilling due to its anomalous uranium (U₃O₈ per cent) geochemistry, along with clear signs of alteration and fluid enrichment. This zone exhibits iron-phase IOCG (iron oxide copper/gold) fluid characteristics, such as high concentrations of smoky quartz and iron carbonate staining, which are indicators of late fluid flow. These characteristics will be carefully monitored as it can have the potential to enrich uraniferous units and mark the highest-grade intercepts. Consistent count-per-second readings further highlight the Luivik zone’s uranium potential, making it a top target for exploration.

The Luivik zone boasts a width of 300 metres between samples with a cut-off of 0.015% U₃O₈ and anomalous grades over 0.11% U₃O₈ to a high of 0.3692% U₃O₈ in a single sample. The uranium count radiometrics suggest that the anomalous pegmatites, which predominantly hosts the Luivik zone, may extend upward of one kilometre or greater.

The zone’s favourable mineralogy is complemented by logistical advantages. Located just one kim from Double Mer’s main camp, the Luivik zone offers easy access for drilling teams, with snowmobile trails in place to support active drilling operations, ensuring both practical and cost-effective program execution.

Garagan discussed the company’s drilling strategy: “Drilling the Luivik zone, which contains some of the most encouraging results, combined with less complicated logistics, is the best starting point for Saga at the Double Mer uranium project. We will be immediately looking to build off this winter program by getting permits ready to continue to test zones further east such as the Nanuk and Katjuk zones in Q2 and Q3 of 2025. We are aiming to confirm uranium concentrations and take initial steps in delineating this zone’s potential as a critical step in positioning Double Mer as a quality project in Labrador’s large-tonnage uranium landscape.”

The Radar titanium-vanadium property is located 10 km south of Cartwright in Labrador, Canada. The project spans 17,250 hectares and benefits from road access, supporting efficient exploration and development.

The Hawkeye zone is the most prospective target on the property. Detailed geophysics and surface samples are suggestive of a complex and phased layered mafic intrusion that may be upward of one kilometre wide and four km long. Recent geophysics completed on the property show very detailed correlation to the rock samples and observed phase changes in the system.

Increased immiscibility in the east creates pronounced silica-rich (magnetite-depleted) banding mixed interstitially with high-grade massive magnetite layers above 5-11.1% TiO₂ and 0.3-0.66% V₂O₅. This first phase can be identified by the contact of low magnetics bands and highly magnetic bands. After the high-grade banding, the rocks transition into a gabbro-norite rock moving westward, which contains a disseminated magnetite groundmass. These rocks are lower grade averaging (3-5% TiO₂) and (0.1-0.2% V₂O₅) but are consistent and extensive in width. The entirety of these cross-system phases is almost one km wide with a near-vertical dip of each layer.

Saga aims to complete a 1,500-metre drill program at the Hawkeye zone over the area encompassing the anomalous TiO₂ and V₂O₅ surface samples and targeted geophysics segment.

The company’s flagship asset, the Double Mer uranium project covers 25,600 hectares. This project features uranium radiometrics that highlight an 18-km east-west trend, with a confirmed 14-km section producing samples as high as 4,281 parts per million U₃O₈ and spectrometer readings of 22,000 counts per second.

In addition to its uranium focus, Saga owns the Legacy lithium property in Quebec’s Eeyou Istchee James Bay region. This project, developed in partnership with Rio Tinto, has been expanded through the acquisition of the Amirault lithium project. Together, these properties cover 65,849 hectares and share significant geological continuity with other major players in the area, including Rio Tinto, Winsome Resources, Azimut Exploration and Loyal Lithium.

Saga also holds secondary exploration assets in Labrador, where the company is focused on the discovery of titanium, vanadium and iron ore.