U3O8 Corp. intersects 2.9 metres at 0.228% (4.6 pounds per short ton) U3O8
at Aricheng North, Kurupung Project, Guyana
Two new shoots extend mineralized structure to 1.2km in length
Toronto, Ontario - May 20, 2010 - U3O8 Corp. (TSX Venture: UWE), a Canadian-based company focused on uranium exploration and resource expansion in South America, reports significant uranium mineralization from scout drilling on the extensions of the Aricheng North structure in the Kurupung Batholith in basement rocks near the Roraima Basin in Guyana (Figure 1). Five mineralized shoots have now been identified, increasing the mineralized trend at Aricheng North to 1.2 kilometres in length, and remaining open at depth and along strike. These new mineralized zones increase the resource potential at Aricheng North, which currently has an initial National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") resource of 2.1 million pounds U3O8 indicated and 0.5 million pounds U3O8 inferred1.
"The extension of the Aricheng North structure underscores the growing size potential of the Kurupung system, which is developing into a potentially large uranium discovery that could be of comparable size and grade to peer deposits," said Dr Richard Spencer, U3O8 Corp's President and CEO. "Similar albitite-hosted uranium deposits elsewhere in the world typically host resources in the 50 to 130 million pound range2, contained within multiple structures. We expect to continue scout drilling new areas until the end of June. At that time, we will decide whether to start infill drilling on the eight uranium-bearing structures defined to date to potentially expand our current NI 43-101 resource base or continue scout drilling to further increase the size potential of the Kurupung uranium district."
Table 1 - Assay Results for Aricheng North Extensions
Summary of significantly mineralized intercepts cut in the nine bore holes (1,934 metres) drilled to define the extensions of the Aricheng North principal structure, which form part of the Aricheng North Complex.
Note: lb/st is an abbreviation for pounds per short ton. 1 short ton = 2,000lbs or 0.907 metric tonnes.
The majority of the uranium at Aricheng North occurs within a northeast-trending shear zone breccia in the granodioritic Kurupung Batholith, and is located within an envelope of albite-chlorite-hematite alteration which is much less magnetic than the enclosing country rock (Figure 2). Bore hole ARN-101 is the first hole in which uranium mineralization was encountered in a shear zone in metasedimentary rocks outside of the batholith. The mineralized structure dips approximately 750 to the northwest, and varies in width from 1.5 metres to 22 metres.
Scout drilling has now extended the mineralized trend at Aricheng North to over 1.2 kilometres in length and from surface to approximately 190 metres below surface. Mineralization at Aricheng North remains open at depth and along strike. A long section of uranium grade and thickness shows five mineralized shoots that lie within the principal structure at Aricheng North (Figure 3). Mineralized shoots in albitite-hosted systems typically extend to great depths: the Michelin deposit in Canada is known to extend to at least 850 metres below surface while at the Valhalla deposit in Australia reaches at least 500 metres depth2.
Aricheng North is one of five areas of uranium-bearing structures emerging in the Kurupung Batholith (Figure 1), which are aggregated as follows:
1. Aricheng North Complex - comprising Aricheng North and Aricheng A structures;
2. Aricheng West Complex - comprising Aricheng West, Aricheng Alpha and Aricheng Epsilon structures;
3. Aricheng South - near the northeastern margin of the batholith;
4. Accori North - near the southwest margin of the batholith;
5. Accori South - near the southern margin of the batholith.
Potential quantity and grade are based on drill results that define the approximate length, thickness, depth and grade of the target areas, but are considered conceptual in nature. To date, there has been insufficient exploration drilling to define a mineral resource on the extensions of the Aricheng North structure reported in this press release, and it is uncertain if further exploration drilling will result in a mineral resource being defined in these areas.
Quality Assurance & Quality Control
Diamond drilling at Aricheng North was undertaken with U3O8 Corp's own drill rig that produced NQ (nominal 47.6 millimetre diameter) core. A down-hole spectral gamma probe was used in the nine bore holes reported on here to determine the extent of the mineralized intervals by providing an estimate of the uranium grade based on the radioactivity measured. Core from each mineralized interval was halved with a Diamond saw on-site and half core samples were delivered to ACME Laboratory's preparation facility in Georgetown, Guyana. Sample blanks and certified standards were inserted at an average frequency of one per 25 samples. Sample pulps were then shipped by ACME to their analytical facility in Vancouver, BC, Canada, for analysis for uranium by ICP-MS after hot, four-acid digestion. The other half of the core was logged and is stored on-site, providing a complete record of the geology and mineralized zones drilled.
Mr. Richard Cleath (M.Sc.), Vice President of U3O8 Corp., a Qualified Person within the definition of that term in NI 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators, had overall responsibility for all aspects of target selection and drilling of the Aricheng North target. Mr. Cleath has supervised the preparation of, and verified, the technical information in this release.
Figure 1 - Clusters of Multiple Uranium-Bearing Structures in the Kurupung Batholith
Map of airborne magnetic data from the Kurupung Batholith overlain with interpreted structures (black lines) that extend between the bounding shear zones of the batholiths (thicker black lines). Cool colours represent rocks with little magnetism while warm colours represent magnetic rocks. Most uranium found by U3O8 Corp. to date lies within demagnetized faults (cool coloured areas with interpreted principal faults marked by black lines).
To date, five areas of related uranium-bearing structures are emerging in the Kurupung Batholith within the broader Aricheng and Accori Areas (marked by blue boxes), aggregated as follows: 1) Aricheng North Complex (labelled in red and whose assay results on the extensions of the main Aricheng North structure are reported in this press release); 2) Aricheng West Complex; 3) Aricheng South; 4) Accori North; and 5) Accori South. White irregular areas (footprint of uranium mineralization) and yellow dots mark location of uranium-bearing structures drilled by U3O8 Corp. within these five areas.
Figure 2 - Drill Hole Locations at Aricheng North and Extensions
Plan view of the location of the nine bore holes drilled in the scout drilling program on the extensions of the Aricheng North (results reported in this press release), which are labelled in red. The collar position of each hole is shown as a dot and the extent of each inclined hole is shown as a black line. U3O8 grade (%) is shown as a histogram along the trace of the bore hole. The coloured background is ground magnetic data (cool colours represent the least magnetic areas while warm colours mark higher magnetism).
Figure 3 - Long Section of Aricheng North and Extensions
A provisional long section of the principal Aricheng North structure shows the distribution of grade-thickness values (the product of the width of the mineralized interval and its U3O8 grade in %) on a vertical projection of the structure. The contoured part of the long section shown in the centre of the diagram illustrates the interpreted distribution of grade-thickness values on the basis of relatively close-spaced drilling of the main structure at Aricheng North, from which an initial NI 43-101 resource was reported in January 22, 20091. The coloured circles on both the southwestern and northeastern extensions of the main structure demarcate the pierce points showing the location of the two shoots discovered with the scout drilling reported in this press release. A pierce point is the approximate location at which each bore hole intersects the structure. The nine bore holes from scout drilling on the Aricheng North extensions (results reported in this press release) are labelled in red.
About U3O8 Corp.
U3O8 Corp. is a Toronto-based exploration company, focused on uranium exploration and resource expansion in South America - a promising new frontier for uranium exploration and development. U3O8 Corp. has one of the most advanced portfolios of uranium projects in the region comprising NI 43-101 compliant resources in Guyana to significant historic resources in Colombia and near-resource and discovery potential in Argentina.
Additional information on U3O8 Corp., each material project and technical reports are available on the company's web site at www.u3o8corp.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
(1) Based on a cut-off grade of 0.05% U3O8, a NI 43-101 resource of 2.1 million pounds indicated at an average grade of 0.12% (2.43 lbs/st) U3O8 and 0.5 million pounds inferred at an average grade of 0.11% (2.1 lbs/st) U3O8 has been reported on the Aricheng North main structure. A combined NI 43-101 resource est?mate of 5.8 million pounds indicated at an average grade of 0.10% (2.0 lbs/st) U3O8 and 1.3 million pounds inferred at an average grade of 0.09% (1.9 lbs/st) U3O8 has been reported on the Aricheng North and Aricheng South structures in the Kurupung Batholith. For further information, refer to the technical report dated January 14, 2009 titled "A Technical Review of the Aricheng North and Aricheng South Uranium Deposits in Western Guyana for U3O8 Corp. and Prometheus Resources (Guyana) Inc., available on U3O8 Corp's web site at www.u3o8corp.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
(2) Geologically similar albitite-hosted uranium deposits worldwide including the Valhalla deposit (Australia) and Michelin deposit (Canada), typically host resources in the 50 to 130 million pound range with typical grades of 0.06% to 0.10% U3O8, within multiple mineralized structures. These deposits have not been independently verified by U3O8 Corp. and information regarding these deposits is drawn from publicly available information. Comparisons of U3O8 Corp's uranium resource and exploration targets with other uranium deposits are conceptual in nature. There is no certainty that further exploration of U3O8 Corp's uranium resource or other targets will result in the delineation of a similar mineral resource.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of U3O8 Corp., including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, volatility of commodity prices, risks associated with the uncertainty of exploration results and estimates and that the resource potential will be achieved on exploration projects, currency fluctuations, dependence upon regulatory approvals, and the uncertainty of obtaining additional financing and exploration risk. There is no assurance that mineralization encountered in the extensions of Aricheng North will add to U3O8 Corp's resource base. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements.
For information, please contact:
U3O8 Corp.
(416) 868-1491
Nancy Chan-Palmateer Richard Spencer
Vice President, Investor Relations President & CEO
nancy@u3o8corp.com richard@u3o8corp.com
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.