CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. - West McArthur Uranium Project drill results
June 04 2009 - 5:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
VANCOUVER, June 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CanAlaska Uranium Ltd.
(TSX.V - CVV) ("CanAlaska" or the "Company") has received drill
assays and detailed geophysical information from the West McArthur
Project winter drilling campaign. This drilling information
confirms not only structural breaks and fault reactivation along
the Grid 4 target area, but also hydrothermal alteration and trace
uranium mineralization in two holes at, and below, the
unconformity. West McArthur Uranium Project - Property Location Map
http://www.canalaska.com/i/maps/060409maps/map_attach05_24_09.pdf
The Cdn$1.9 million, 5-hole exploration program comprising a total
of 4,751 metres of drilling, together with corresponding TDEM
geophysical surveys, tested a previously un-drilled zone located in
the southern region of the West McArthur Project. In this new area,
VTEM magnetic and electromagnetic airborne surveys, ground-based
AMT and EM surveys identified a new, well-defined, but
variably-conductive zone, approximately 6 km in length associated
with apparent alteration in the sandstone column. This winter's
exploration involved seven drill holes (WMA013 - WMA019) along 4 km
of the Grid 4 trend, however, two of the later drill holes were
terminated near surface due to drilling problems. The five
successful drill holes tested four discrete targets. Two of these
provided trace uranium mineralisation and associated geochemical
alteration. The depth to unconformity ranged from 807 to 833
metres. West McArthur Uranium Project - 2009 Drill Holes and 3D
Audio Magneto Telluric Resistivity Below Unconformity
http://www.canalaska.com/i/maps/060409maps/map_attach05_30_09.pdf
The first two drill holes of the program, WMA013 and WMA014,
targeted a conductive zone in the south-centre of the 4km
conductive trend. These holes encountered various levels of dravite
and illite clay alteration as well as zones of strong fracturing in
the sandstone column (dravite indicates a higher temperature of
alteration, and is generally associated with uranium mineralisation
in the Athabasca Basin). There was no significant uranium
enrichment in these holes, however there were boron values in the
sandstone above the unconformity of up to 77 ppm (2-3 times
background). Down-hole geophysical probing indicated that the main
target conductor was overshot by the drilling. Further drilling
will be required to test the main target, which lies east of the
hole WMA014) Drill hole WMA015, located 3.3 km northeast of the
first two holes, tested the northern end of a strong conductive
target. This drill hole encountered a zone of fracturation from 250
to 325 metres depth. There was dravite and enhanced illite clay
alteration in the top 400 metres of the drill hole. Significantly,
there was additional dravite alteration near the base of the
sandstone and moderate fracturation in the last 30 metres of the
sandstone column above the unconformity. There was no significant
uranium enrichment intersected in the hole, but geochemical
enrichment was present with slightly-elevated boron from 100 to 500
metres depth (40-60 ppm boron) and again from 750 metres to the
unconformity (120-191 ppm boron). Further drilling to the
northeast, in the stronger portion of the conductor, is required.
The most significant uranium mineralisation of the winter program
was intercepted in drill holes WMA016 and WMA019, located 400
metres and 1,200 metres south of drill holes 13 and 14. Core
results indicated a significant fault zone with vertical offsets
between these two holes. The vertical offsets of up to 15.4 metres
were present at the unconformity and also in the overlying
sandstone. An offset of the trend of the geophysical conductor also
indicates horizontal structural movement. Progressively variable
offsets in the sandstone marker horizons also indicate that the
inferred fault structure could represent a mineralizing event with
multiple periods of reactivation. Both drill holes WMA016 and
WMA019 intersected favourable graphitic horizons in the basement.
Above the unconformity, there was clay alteration, fracturation,
and anomalous geochemistry in the sandstone Drill hole WMA016
exhibited generally-normal clay pattern, but with the presence of
enhanced higher temperature dravite near the unconformity. Above
this immediate zone, there were several fractured and friable zones
between 680 metres and the unconformity at 807 metres, with an
increase of boron from 40 to 917 ppm at the unconformity. There was
also silicification from 750 to 785 metres and anomalous trace
element geochemistry for uranium (0.9 to 3.7 ppm), and nickel
(0.3-3.8 ppm) in the last 38 metres of the sandstone column. In the
basement rocks the drill hole intersected strongly-graphitic
pelites with one section from 909.0 to 909.5 metres assaying 0.055
% U(3)O(8). Drill hole WMA019, located 400 metres to the south of
drill hole WMA016, exhibited the best uranium intersection of the
winter program. This hole contained a generally normal clay pattern
in the upper levels, again with silicification from 780 to 830
metres, with elevated uranium (to 1 ppm) and boron (to 90 ppm) in
the last 14 metres of the sandstone column above the unconformity.
The basement of drill hole WMA019 is predominantly semi-pelites
with abundant leucosome. A sheared leucosome section of 2 metres
from 880.2 to 882.2 assayed 0.034% U(3)O(8). A major graphite zone
was intersected from 946 to 968 metres. In summary, the Company is
very pleased with the test drilling results from Grid 4. The
mineralized and altered rocks encountered in the drill holes show
the potential for a uranium mineralizing system associated with
graphitic pelite horizons. The 4km-long zone tested this winter
appears to have multiple targets for future detailed evaluation.
The Grid 4 area is only one of multiple mineralized target zones
identified on the property by CanAlaska and Mitsubishi Development
Pty Ltd. Continued exploration is expected on this and the other
target zones during the summer of 2009. All of the samples from the
West McArthur project were submitted to Acme Laboratories
Vancouver, an ISO 9001:2000 accredited and qualified Canadian
Laboratory, for their Group 4B analysis. These samples were
analysed for uranium and multi-element geochemistry by tri-acid
digestion and ICP-MS. The samples were collected by CanAlaska field
geologists under the supervision of Dr. Karl Schimann, and were
shipped in secure containment to the laboratories noted above.
Peter Dasler, M.Sc., P Geo. is the qualified technical person
responsible for this news release. About CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. --
http://www.canalaska.com/ CANALASKA URANIUM LTD. (CVV -- TSX.V,
CVVUF -- OTCBB, DH7 -- Frankfurt) is undertaking uranium
exploration in twenty 100%-owned and two optioned uranium projects
in Canada's Athabasca Basin. Since September 2004, the Company has
aggressively acquired one of the largest land positions in the
region, comprising over 2,500,000 acres (10,117 sq. km or 3,906 sq.
miles). To-date, CanAlaska has expended over Cdn$50 million
exploring its properties and has delineated multiple uranium
targets. The Company's geological expertise and high exploration
profile has attracted the attention of major international
strategic partners. Among others, Mitsubishi Development Pty Ltd, a
subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi Corporation, has
undertaken to provide CanAlaska C$10 mil. in exploration funding
for its West McArthur Project. Exploration of CanAlaska's Cree East
Project is also progressing under a C$19 mil. joint venture with a
consortium of Korean companies led by Hanwha Corporation, and
comprising Korea Electric Power Corp., Korea Resources Corp. and SK
Energy Co, Ltd. A Memorandum of Understanding has also recently
been executed with mining partner East Resources Inc. to commence
exploration on the NE Wollaston Project comprising a potential
100,000 metres of drill testing. On behalf of the Board of
Directors (signed) Peter Dasler, M.Sc., P.Geo. President & CEO,
CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. The TSX Venture has not reviewed and does
not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this
release: CUSIP # 13708P 10 2. This news release contains certain
"Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of
the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All
statements, other than statements of historical fact, included
herein are forward-looking statements that involve various risks
and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements
will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events
could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
Important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in the
Company's documents filed from time to time with the British
Columbia Securities Commission and the United States Securities
& Exchange Commission. DATASOURCE: CanAlaska Uranium Ltd.
CONTACT: Emil Fung, Director & V.P. - Corp. Dev., Tel: (604)
688-3211, Email:
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