Apr 12 2013
TAD Mineral Exploration Inc. ("TAD" or the "Company") wishes to announce it has acquired approximately 4000 hectares (9885 acres) of land prospective for uranium in the Athabasca Basin (the "North Patterson Lake Prospect").
This new prospect is in the vicinity of the recent discovery at the Patterson Lake South prospect of Alpha Minerals Inc and Fission Energy Corp. Management plans to mobilize crews shortly to start work on this prospect. This prospect was acquired through staking.
The Athabasca Basin located in Northern Saskatchewan, is an ancient sedimentary basin which hosts the most of the world's most significant uranium mines and produces over 20 per cent of the current world uranium production (U3O8). Athabasca uranium deposits also have grades substantially higher than the world average grade of about 0.2% U3O8. The two dozen or so known uranium deposits within the Athabasca Basin have average grades of more than 3.0% U3O8. The two largest deposits, Cigar Lake and McArthur River have average grades of 20% and 24% U3O8 respectively.
The first major uranium discovery in the region was at Rabbit Lake in 1968. From 1975, the Rabbit Lake Mine operated for 25 years producing over 182 million pounds of uranium by open-pit mining of several ore lenses. In 1975, the richest open-pit deposit in the world was discovered at Key Lake. From 1983 to 2002 the Key Lake deposits produced almost 210 million pounds of uranium. Since the original discovery dating back to 1968, more than 15 uranium deposits totaling over 1.4 billion pounds of uranium have been discovered in the region. In 2011, junior explorer, Hathor Exploration Limited, was taken over by Rio Tinto plc for $654 million after a bidding war with uranium giant Cameco Corp.
The area has once again been a focus of the uranium world with the recent Patterson Lake South uranium discovery made by Alpha Minerals Inc. (TSX VENTURE:AMW), and its Joint Venture partner Fission Energy Corp (TSX VENTURE:FIS).
Jason Gigliotti, director of the company states, "The Athabasca Basin is one of the best know global uranium districts hosting multiple world class deposits. The area has once again become a global focal point with the recent discovery at Patterson Lake South. We plan to embark on an aggressive work program on this project. Management of TAD has let its shareholders down in the past with a lack of focus. We plan on becoming much more active to enhance shareholder value and this is the first step in that direction."
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