VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Aug. 8, 2013) - Skyharbour Resources Ltd. (News - Market indicators)(PINKSHEETS:SYHBF) ("Skyharbour") is pleased to announce that the members of the Western Athabasca Syndicate, Skyharbour, Athabasca Nuclear Corp. (TSX VENTURE:ASC), Noka Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE:NX) and Lucky Strike Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:LKY) ("the Syndicate"), have completed large-scale VTEM plus and radiometric geophysical surveys on the Western Athabasca Syndicate Project located near Alpha Minerals' and Fission Uranium's Patterson Lake South ("PLS") uranium discovery. The original airborne coverage was expanded to provide for the infill and extension of conductive anomalies and structural features identified by a preliminary review of the geophysical data. Based on this initial encouraging data, the Syndicate has elected to immediately commence the second phase of its summer program consisting of follow-up field work and ground-truthing of geophysical targets.
Western Athabasca Syndicate Project Claims Map:
http://skyharbourltd.com/_resources/SYH%20Western%20Basin%20Syndicate.jpg
Completion of Regional Airborne Geophysical Survey:
A total of 4,840 line kilometres was flown for the VTEM plus time domain survey with an additional 4,400 line kilometres flown for the radiometric survey all of which was on the Syndicate's Preston Lake Property. The VTEM plus system has been used successfully to locate basement conductors similar to the structures that host the high-grade uranium discoveries at the nearby PLS project. The high resolution radiometric survey was flown to locate uranium boulder trains, in-situ uranium mineralization and alteration associated with uranium mineralization which is what ultimately led to the PLS discovery by Alpha and Fission. Phil Robertshaw (P.Geo., Saskatchewan) is reviewing the collected data and will be providing detailed interpretation of the VTEM plus and radiometric surveys shortly.
Western Athabasca Syndicate Airborne Survey Coverage:
http://skyharbourltd.com/_resources/SYH%20Geophysics%20coverage.jpg
The areas flown include two blocks in the northern part of the Preston Lake Property. The Preston Lake South block is contiguous with Fission Uranium and NexGen Energy and includes a large area of partially exposed pre-Cambrian shield rocks. The Preston Lake West block claims are contiguous with claims controlled by Aldrin Resources and Forum Uranium. The claims are underlain by Phanerozoic rocks (limestone and sandstone) similar to the PLS discovery area. At Fission and Alpha's PLS high-grade discovery it is interpreted that the uranium has been mobilized along the fault zones and has been concentrated in the sandstone under the limestone. A review of historic data on the Preston Lake Property has identified a sample collected by the Geological Survey of Canada which returned a value of 5.4 ppm U3O8, considered to be significant in an area with a background uranium value of 1 ppm U3O8. This high U3O8 value may indicate either the down-ice glacial transport of uranium boulders from source or an in-situ source of uranium. For comparison, the highest value down-ice from the PLS discovery is 3.2 ppm U3O8. Management cautions that past results or discoveries on proximate land are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved on the Western Athabasca Syndicate Project.
Commencement of Field Program at Preston Lake Property:
The initial data and results from the airborne surveys have led the Syndicate to expedite the planned summer field program with a number of high-priority targets at the Preston Lake Property being the focus of the work. A sophisticated targeting matrix is being used to further identify and prioritize areas for ground-based follow-up. Field work will include ground-truthing of high-priority geophysical targets using water and soil radon sampling, biogeochemistry, geochemical lake sediment and soil sampling, prospecting, and scintillometer surveying. The Syndicate will employ a systematic, proven and cost-efficient exploration methodology that has led to numerous uranium discoveries in the region and throughout the Athabasca Basin. By the end of this summer's field program, a total of $1.5 million will be spent in exploration on the project between airborne geophysical surveys and follow-up ground work.
Skyharbour's CEO, Jordan Trimble, states: "We are very excited with the progress being made in the field at the Western Athabasca Syndicate Project. The $1.5 million program, inclusive of the airborne surveys and follow-up ground work, should provide us with an initial critical mass of exploration by October and could potentially lead to a boulder train discovery and drill targets to be tested in early 2014. The value-add synergies envisioned from the syndicate model are already starting to pay off with the combined geological team having early success in the field in addition to numerous corporate benefits materializing including four proven management groups having increased access to capital. In the current market environment, we believe this is the most cost-efficient and operationally-effective structure to conduct a large exploratory program without substantial equity dilution to Skyharbour's shareholders."
About the Western Athabasca Syndicate:
The Western Athabasca Syndicate is a strategic partnership formed between Skyharbour, Athabasca Nuclear, Lucky Strike and Noka to explore and develop a 287,130 hectare (709,513 acre) uranium project base (the "Western Athabasca Syndicate Project") that is the largest mineral claim position along the highly prospective margin of the Western Athabasca Basin controlled by a single group. Under the terms of the agreement, each of the four companies has an option to earn 25% of the five uranium properties comprising the Western Athabasca Syndicate Project by making a series of cash payments, share payments and incurring their pro-rata amount of the total $6,000,000 in exploration expenditures over the two-year earn-in term of the agreement. The properties were acquired for their proximity to the PLS discovery and interpreted favourable geology for the occurrence of PLS style uranium mineralization. The bulk of the Syndicate land package is bisected by all-weather Highway 955 which runs north through the PLS discovery on to the former Cluff Lake uranium mine.
Uranium and the Athabasca Basin:
The Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan hosts the world's largest and richest high-grade uranium deposits accounting for just under 20% of global primary uranium supply. Athabasca uranium deposits have grades substantially higher than the world average grade of about 0.1% U3O8. The Patterson Lake area has received escalating exploration attention and claim acquisition activity as a result of the new, shallow discoveries made by Alpha and Fission which includes the recently reported drill interval of 6.26% U3O8 over 49.5 metres in drill hole PLS 13-053. This mineralized zone is located approximately 400 metres to the northeast of discovery hole PLS 12-024 which returned 2.49% U3O8 over 12.5 metres. Consistent high grade, near surface U3O8 assays from Alpha and Fission demonstrate the potential for high grade uranium mineralization on the margins of the western side of the Athabasca Basin. There are still areas in the Athabasca region that are highly prospective and underexplored for high grade uranium as illustrated by Alpha's and Fission's recent discovery.
Qualified Person:
Athabasca Nuclear President and CEO, Charles C. (Chuck) Downie, P.Geo., is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has approved the technical information in this release.
About Skyharbour Resources Ltd.:
Skyharbour Resources Ltd. is a uranium exploration company and a member of the Western Athabasca Syndicate which controls a large, geologically prospective land package consisting of five properties (709,513 acres) in the Athabasca Basin of Saskatchewan. The Company's goal is to increase shareholder value through new discoveries and developing exploration projects in geopolitically favourable jurisdictions. The Company has 35.8 million shares outstanding.
To find out more about Skyharbour Resources Ltd. (News - Market indicators) visit the Company's website at www.skyharbourltd.com.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jordan P. Trimble, President and CEO
NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.
This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. Although management believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, include market prices, exploration and development successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Please see the public filings of the Company at www.sedar.com for further information.
