Toronto, Ontario– – Appia Energy Corp. (CSE: API) (OTCQB: APAAF) (FSE: A0I.F) (FSE: A0I.MU) (FSE: A0I.BE) (the “Company” or “Appia”) is pleased to provide an update on the recently completed Phase 1 field exploration program on the Company’s high-grade rare earth element (“REE“) and uranium Alces Lake property (the “Property“), northern Saskatchewan.
Highlights from the exploration program include:
i) the discovery of biotite-rich pegmatites (i.e., the host rocks of REE-bearing mineral system) in five new areas of exploration (Ermacre, Mason, Sean, Ken and Scott zones),
ii) the identification of the historic Oldman zone (previously Oldman River zone), and
iii) a site visit to the Hawker zone 3 uranium veins surface zone.
Mr. James Sykes, Vice-President, Exploration and Development, comments: “We continue to discover more of the REE mineral system (the “System“) at surface, and for many kilometres outside of the main area where we’ve been focusing exploration for the past couple of years. This suggests we’re looking at a very large System across the Property and also at depth. Our goal is to continue mapping and understanding this System, and these new occurrences give us more information for deposit targeting. We remain confident that additional surface and sub-surface exploration (i.e., geophysics and diamond drilling) will provide us with many more new discoveries.”
New Showings; Ermacre, Mason, Sean, Ken and Scott Zones
The Appia field crew has successfully identified over fifty (50) new pegmatite occurrences which share numerous similarities with other low-grade TREO pegmatites previously sampled and drilled by the Company (Figure 1). Low-grade pegmatites typically have lower levels of radioactivity associated with them (<10,000 counts-per-second, “cps“). Low-grade pegmatites are believed to be halos surrounding, or targeting vectors towards, higher-grade, monazite-biotite-rich, pegmatite-hosted rare earth mineralization (>10,000 cps, “off-scale*“) (Figure 2).
* Off-scale radioactivity is defined as >9,999 counts-per-second as measured with a hand-held Exploranium GR-110 scintillometer. Five new surface exposures exhibiting high to off-scale radioactivity associated with biotite-rich pegmatites, and possible monazite mineralization, were discovered on the Property; the Ermacre, Mason, Sean, Ken and Scott showings. The Ermacre and Ken zones are ~600 m and ~7.5 km northwest and southwest of the main high-grade REE Alces Lake outcrop area(s) (the “Main Outcrops“), respectively. Biotite-rich pegmatites are the rock types hosting high concentrations of monazite within the Main Outcrops. More investigation is required within each of these newly discovered areas.
Oldman zone
The Oldman zone is currently defined as a 300 metre long trend of biotite-rich pegmatite that is similar in appearance to the high-grade REE Wilson zone (Figure 3). Radioactivity levels are variable and often off-scale. The zone is divided into 3 sections, each of which is discontinuous beneath the overburden and/or topography, making the zone open along strike and at depth. A second, sub-parallel trend 85 m northwest of the Oldman zone was also identified. This showing is small as only 5 m of the outcrop is currently exposed at surface. The showing is also discontinuous due to overburden.
Hawker Uranium zone
Zone 3 of the historic Hawker uranium surface showings was visited. Historic drill hole results from zone 3 returned 0.39 wt% U3O8 over 1.13 m within 20 m of the surface. Grades as high as 1.03 wt% U3O8 have also been reported from historic drill intersections. A total of six (6) surface uranium zones were discovered in the Hawker area in the 1950’s. The surface uranium at Hawker Zone 3 is all fracture-hosted, with fracture sets preferentially following the north-south axial trace of a fold system, and along an east-west oriented limb. The fracture sets are part of a much larger fault system that is interpreted to be continuous at depth, as suggested by historic drill results.
The Appia field crew visited historic reported occurrences and anomalies previously identified by ground prospecting and radiometric surveying conducted over parts of the property between 1955 and 1969, and again by the Saskatchewan Geological Survey in 2011.
All radioactivity measurements were made with an Exploranium GR-110 hand held scintillometer. The GR-110 readings max out at 9,999 cps, therefore any occurrences exhibiting 9,999 cps are considered “off-scale” because radioactivity can exceed 10,000 cps. Background radioactivity on all of the outcrops ranged from 100 to 200 cps. The reader is cautioned that Appia uses natural gamma-ray readings only as a preliminary indication of the presence of radioactive materials (uranium-, thorium- and/or potassium-rich minerals) and that the results may not be used directly to quantify or qualify REE or uranium concentrations within the rock.
A total of twenty-four samples have been delivered to Saskatchewan Research Council’s Geoanalytical Laboratory, an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 (CAN-P-4E) certified laboratory in Saskatoon, SK, for multi-element analysis. Lab analysis results will be announced after they are received and reviewed by the Company.
The Alces Lake Property encompasses some of the highest-grade total REE mineralization in the world, hosted within a number of surface and near surface occurrences that remain open at depth and along strike. The United States government is actively pursuing REE resources to ensure a domestic REE supply chain becomes established within North America. The Alces Lake property covers 17,577 hectares (43,435 acres) in size and is 100% owned by Appia. The project is located close to an old mining camp with existing support services, such as transportation (i.e., 15 km from the nearest trail), energy infrastructure (hydroelectric power), a 1,200 m airstrip that receives daily scheduled services, and access to heavy equipment.
To ensure safe work conditions were met for the workforce, the Company developed exploration guidelines that comply with the Saskatchewan Public Health Order (June 19, 2020) and the Public Health Order Respecting the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District (June 13, 2020) in order to maintain social distancing and help prevent the transmission of 2019 Novel Coronavirus.
The technical content in this news release was reviewed and approved by Dr. Irvine R. Annesley, P.Geo, Advisor to the Board of Directors of Appia, and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.
About Appia
Appia is a Canadian publicly listed company in the uranium and rare earth element sectors. The Company is currently focusing on delineating high-grade critical rare earth elements (“REE”) and uranium on the Alces Lake property, as well as prospecting for high-grade uranium in the prolific Athabasca Basin on its Loranger, North Wollaston, and Eastside properties. The Company holds the surface rights to exploration for 65,601 hectares (162,104 acres) in Saskatchewan.
The Company also has a 100% interest (subject to a 1% Uranium Production Payment Royalty and a 1% Net Smelter Return Royalty on any precious or base metals payable, provided that the price of uranium is greater than US$130 per pound) in 12,545 hectares (31,000 acres), with rare earth element and uranium deposits over five mineralized zones in the Elliot Lake Camp, Ontario. The Camp historically produced over 300 million pounds of U3O8 and is the only Canadian camp that has had significant rare earth element (yttrium) production. The deposits are largely unconstrained along strike and down dip.
Appia’s technical team is directed by James Sykes, who has had direct and indirect involvement with over 550 million lbs. U3O8 being discovered in five deposits in the Athabasca Basin.
Appia has 73.9 million common shares outstanding, 90.3 million shares fully diluted.
For more information, visit Appia’s website at www.appiaenergy.ca.
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