Appia announces the completion of a National Instrument 43-101 technical report dated May 30, 2023, titled “A Technical Review of the Alces Lake Rare Earth Mineral Exploration Project, Beaverlodge Domain, Saskatchewan, Canada.” Authored by Al Workman, P.Geo., F.SEG, F.AusIMM, Senior Geologist at Watts, Griffis and McOuat, Geological and Mining Consultants, the report provides an update on previous exploration activities and recommends a follow-up program for the 100% owned Alces Lake property in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan. The document, available on the Company’s SEDAR+, enhances the understanding and future exploration strategy for Alces Lake.
Appia successfully completed the initial phase of our 2023 drill program in July at the Magnet Ridge Zone, a pivotal step in evaluating the mineralization extent in the south-southeast direction. The company highlighted the success of identifying the Magnet Ridge Zone in the previous year and emphasized the focus on tracking the potential low-to-medium grade zone’s continuity and assessing its grade and thickness. Notable achievements include completing 11 step-out holes, hitting mineralization intersections, and addressing structural challenges due to an east-northeast cross-structure.
The drill has shifted to the newly discovered Jesse Zone, showing promising signs of mineralization. The lead geologist expressed optimism, citing successful delineation efforts and the identification of potential drill targets with notable radioactive counts, emphasizing the promising start of the 2023 Alces Lake exploration campaign. The ongoing prospecting efforts have uncovered new zones, including Jesse and Hinge, aligning with the original hypotheses, indicating substantial potential in these areas. The company’s comprehensive exploration strategy covers priority zones, extending approximately 20 kilometres in length and 5 to 7 km in width, reaffirming its commitment to advancing the understanding and potential of the Alces Lake project.
Appia’s 2018 diamond drilling program conducted on the Alces Lake Property in northern Saskatchewan, comprised 15 short diamond drill holes across three known rare earth element (REE) zones previously exposed at the surface. Of these, 12 holes intersected REE mineralization, with 10 revealing high-grade Total and Critical REE. Notably, new sub-surface occurrences, such as the Charles Lower, Ivan Middle, and Ivan Lower zones, were discovered. Notable results came from drill hole CH-18-008 in the Charles Lower zone, which returned 10.02 wt% TREO over 3.55 m. The depth extensions of surface REE zones were traced down to a range of 0.43 to 7.27 metres true depth from the surface, with most zones remaining open. The Charles N-S subzone, while closed off at 1.95 m depth from the surface, exhibited higher-grade drill hole analytical results than those observed at the surface. The findings underscore the promising potential of the Alces Lake Property.
At Alces Lake, the commitment to exploration includes a diverse range of advanced techniques and tools. Exploration activity is underpinned by cutting-edge technology and the dedication of a skilled team, resulting in groundbreaking discoveries and valuable insights.
The completion of the first phase of its 2023 drill program at the Magnet Ridge Zone, marks a significant stride in the exploration of the Alces Lake project.
Magnetics and the Radiometrics: These geophysical methods play a pivotal role in deciphering the subsurface composition. By measuring variations in magnetic fields and detecting radioactivity, essential data for identifying potential mineralization is gained.
Structural Mapping: Geological structures of the crystalline rocks are meticulously mapped, providing a comprehensive understanding of the terrain, guiding exploration efforts in the quest for hidden treasures.
Geochemical Analysis: Samples are collected and analyzed to understand the composition of the rocks and minerals, allowing the identification of the presence of valuable elements.
State-of-the-Art Geoanalytical Lab: The results provided by this state-of-the-art facility empower exploration efforts.
Handheld Scintillometer: This portable device is instrumental in detecting radioactivity on the ground, enabling the pinpointing of potential sources of valuable minerals.
Handheld Spectrometer: Handheld spectrometres are used to analyze the mineral composition of rocks and soils in real-time, providing immediate insights during fieldwork.
Widespread Exploration: Two diamond drills are deployed to expand the scope of exploration. These powerful tools allow for the extraction of core samples from deep within the Earth, providing invaluable data.
All-Season Camp: Exploration activities are supported by a full-season, all-weather camp, ensuring that the team can work year-round without hindrance. This facility is provided by Discovery Mining Services.
Local Partnerships: A strong working partnership with the local First Nations Fond-du-Lac community is established. Up to 35% of the dedicated staff hails from this community, fostering collaboration and mutual benefit.
Data Storage and 3D Modeling: Advanced data storage and 3D modeling tools such as Seequent and MX Deposit are utilized to visualize and analyze geological data, facilitating comprehensive exploration.
Real-Time Decision Making: Exploration is guided by the use of the IMDEX XRF CONNECT device, allowing for the measurement of geochemistry in the field. This real-time data empowers informed, on-the-spot decisions during exploration activities.
There were no preceding official technical or mineral reports on Alces Lake prior to the 2023 NI 43-101, reinforcing the significance of this comprehensive and up-to-date assessment.
The uranium deposits in the Beaverlodge camp were recognized as carrying anomalous REE mineralization in ratios similar to those found in the leucogranite host rocks. Total REE contents ranged from 20 ppm to 2,595 ppm, however, at the time of mining there was no interest in REE’s due to the relatively small market for such metals.
During the 1950s, the Alces Lake area was subject to geological mapping, prospecting, ground radiometric surveying, minor trenching and limited diamond drilling. A few companies such as Goldfields Uranium Mines Ltd., Fargo Oils Ltd and J.H. Wilson, carried out exploration programs; however, the Beaverlodge area near Uranium City was main focus of exploration and mining activity in this region.
A second period of uranium exploration occurred between 1966 and 1968 consisted of an airborne radiometric survey and ground prospecting by Numac Oil & Gas Ltd. This coincided with airborne surveying activity over the Athabasca Basin by the Dynamic Group in the search for sandstone-hosted (roll-front) uranium deposits. This program was ultimately carried forward by Gulf Minerals and its partners resulting in the discovery of the Rabbit Lake unconformity-type uranium deposit. Numac’s airborne survey in the Alces Lake area resulted in the detection of 287 anomalies that led to the discovery of 79 radioactive occurrences. These were subsequently revisited by Wilson who trenched the better showings and discovered radioactive pegmatites which were named the “SCRUB” showing. However, the principal metal of interest was uranium and no significant value was given to rare metal mineralization.
During 1975, SMDC explored for the continuation of uranium deposits along the eastern strike of the St. Louis Fault, a major control on uranium mineralization in the mines in the Beaverlodge area. SMDC used water and lake sediment geochemical sampling together with VLF-EM techniques over the Alces Lake water body. The program failed to identify mineralization of economic significance. While exploration continued in the Uranium City area, principally for gold and uranium, the areas to the east saw no significant activity through the remainder of the 1990s.
During the summer of 2010, the Saskatchewan Geological Survey completed sampling and geological mapping in the area of the J.H. Wilson discovery trenches. The exploration program verified the existence of high-grade rare earth elements (“REE”s) from the old trench blasts, but also discovered some new outcrop showings. Samples taken from the trenches contained as much as 28.9% total REE with spectrometer readings as high as 53,500 total counts per second (“cps”) from the old trench areas (Normand, 2010). During October the following year, Appia and Mr. Scott Bell initiated exploration in the Alces Lake area with a helicopter-supported prospecting program in the area of the Wilson trenches that were previously resampled by Wilson.
The Appia project is located approximately 25 km east of the famous Beaverlodge uranium mining centre. Within the region, 284 uraninite (a.k.a. ‘pitchblende’) occurrences were known by 1969, of which 36 were explored underground with 16 of them advancing to a mining operation. Uranium mineralization occurs predominantly as vein-type systems localized in shears and faults but includes fracture-fillings or disseminations, or as a combination of both, with pitchblende as the main uranium-bearing mineral. Some of the uranium mines were significant. In the 1950s, the Lost Mine shipped 103,408 tonnes of ore to the Lorado Mill from which was recovered 223,574 kg (492,896 lbs) of U3O8. During eight years of operation in the 1960s, the Gunnar Mine processed approximately 4,988,500 tonnes of ore with an average grade of 0.175% U3O8 containing more than 19.2 M lbs of U3O8. The Eldorado-Ace-Fay Mine produced in excess of 19.2 tonnes (42.4 M lbs) of U3O8. The total production from the Beaverlodge vein systems from 1953 to 1982 was 22,467,229 kg of U3O8 (Potter, 2021).
See map (to the right) for geological details of historical prospecting in the Alces Lake Area (Norman, 2014).
| Assessment Report | Year | Work Summary |
| Goldfields Uranium Mines Limited | ||
74N09-0012 74N09-0013 | 1950 to 1951 | Scintillometer surveying, mapping, prospecting, discovery of Scrub uranium showings Diamond drilling (2 DDH) at SCRUB |
| Indian Mines Ltd. | ||
| 74N09-0007 | 1950 to 1951 | Reconnaissance mapping, radiometric prospecting, discovery of HALL-GRIF uranium showings |
| J. Wilson | ||
| 74N09-0020 | 1954 | Mapping, trenching, sampling, discovery of Alces Lake REE-U showing |
| Fargo Oils Ltd. | ||
| 74N09-0006 | 1955 | Detailed geological survey on southern shore of Alces Lake |
| Assessment Report | Year | Work Summary |
| Numac Oil & Gas Ltd. | ||
74N09-0077 74N09-0164 | 1966 to 1968 | Airborne gamma ray spectrometer survey, detailed ground radiometric prospecting and mapping |
| Eldorado Mining and Refining Ltd. | ||
| 74N09-0169 | 1966 to 1968 | Reconnaissance mapping, radiometric prospecting, discovery of Scrub uranium showings |
| Assessment Report | Year | Work Summary |
| Saskatchewan Geological Survey | ||
| 74N09-0259 | 1975 | Detailed geological and structural mapping, uranium-in-lake-water, radon-in-lake-water and uranium-in-lake-sediment sampling, bathymetric and VLF surveying of Alces Lake |
| Assessment Report | Year | Work Summary |
| Saskatchewan Geological Survey | ||
| SGS Misc. Rep. 2010-4.2 | 2010 | Mapping, radiometric prospecting, sampling returned high-grade REE |
Stephen Burega, President
sburega@appiareu.com
+1 (647) 515-3734
Tom Drivas, CEO
tdrivas@appiareu.com
(416) 876-3957
General Contact
sburega@appiareu.com
+1 (416) 546-2707
Office
Suite 500 – 2 Toronto St.
Toronto, ON, Canada, M5C 2B6
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