Toronto, April 18, 2006 – Purepoint Uranium Group Inc., (TSX-V:PTU) is pleased to report that it has completed drilling 12 diamond drill holes on its 100 percent-owned Turnor Lake Project and that all 12 holes encountered significantly elevated radioactivity. The company also announced that these positive results have prompted a decision to recommence drilling at Turnor Lake as soon as possible this summer.
Highlights of the 2006 drilling program at Turnor Lake’s, Turaco Grid
1. All 12 holes encountered elevated radioactivity;
2. Down-hole radiometric probing on six holes returned peak readings of between 1,036 counts per second and 6,979 counts per second; 200 times typical background radioactivity
3. The unconformity was confirmed at a shallow depth of less than 185 metres – an advantageous exploration target;
4. Three holes returned massive clay alteration at the unconformity as is typically found with high grade uranium deposits in the Basin;
1. Graphite, a classic indicator of uranium deposits was encountered within the large zone of flat-lying conductivity in three of the drill holes.
“Our first hole, TL-01, encountered three metres of massive clay above the unconformity,” said Scott Frostad Vice President, Exploration, Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. “Drill hole TL-02 was located half a kilometer from TL-01 and has visible uranium mineralization on a fracture plane. With anomalous radioactivity and significant alteration in all twelve of our initial holes, we certainly have a promising environment for a uranium deposit.”
The 12 diamond drill holes, totaling 2,638 metres, were drilled within an area approximately one kilometre square on the Turaco Grid and intersected the unconformity at a vertical depth between 171 to 182 metres. At this time, complete geochemical analyses have only been received for drill holes TL-03 and TL-04. Down-hole radiometric probing was conducted on eight drill holes, TL-05 to TL-12, with TL-09 returning the maximum reading of 6,979 counts per second. Background readings are approximately 30 to 40 counts per second.
“We are thrilled with Purepoint’s first drill program, capping four years of research that began one and a half years before we even staked our first claim,” said Chris Frostad President and CEO, Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. “In late 2002 the Athabasca Basin was relatively un-staked and historic opportunities such as Turnor Lake were waiting to be re-discovered. It was our thorough process of research, selection and surface surveys that allowed us to deliver such positive results with our initial drill program.”
Drilling Results
Drill hole TL-03 returned an intercept of 0.023% U3O8 over 2.8 metres between 185.7 and 187.0 metres depth that includes an interval of 0.052% over 0.4 metres. Drill hole TL-04 returned an assay of 0.009% U3O8 in the basement rock, however, 15 metres of core was not recovered at the unconformity due to intense clay alteration. Although geochemical assays for holes TL-01 and TL-02 are not yet available, a hand-held scintillometer indicated these holes have weakly radioactive zones.
Down-hole radiometric probing was conducted on eight drill holes, TL-05 to TL-12, with TL-09 returning the maximum reading of 6,979 cps. Six of the eight probed drill holes returned peak readings greater than 1,000 cps with the remaining two holes greater than 500 cps.
| HOLE # | Max. cps | Interval (m) |
| TL-01 | not probed | – |
| TL-02 | not probed | – |
| TL-03 | not probed | – |
| TL-04 | not probed | – |
| TL-05 | 1,082 | 0.2 |
| TL-06 | 2,355 | 1.0 |
| TL-07 | 528 | – |
| TL-08 | 1,465 | 0.2 |
| TL-09 | 6,979 | 1.9 |
| TL-10 | 1,036 | 0.3 |
| TL-11 | 1,162 | 0.2 |
| TL-12 | 694 | – |
The winter drill program targeted two electromagnetic (EM) conductors, named “B” and “C”, and a zone of flat-lying conductivity. Conductors B and C were each tested by three drill holes, however, graphite was not encountered by any of these holes and the conductors are still unexplained. The zone of flat-lying conductivity was evaluated with six drill holes and is apparently explained by conductive clay formed at the unconformity. Graphite was encountered in three of the six drill holes that tested this flat-lying conductor with hole TL-04 intersecting graphitic pelite and holes TL-07 and TL-08 both intersecting graphitic fracture surfaces. Basement rocks encountered included pelite, graphitic pelite, semi-pelite, psammite and pegmatitic dykes. Clay alteration at the unconformity was best developed in TL-01, TL-04 and TL-08 while the remaining holes had variable intensities and thicknesses of bleaching, hematite, limonite and chlorite alteration.
The summer drill program will concentrate on conductor A, which is currently untested. The zone of flat-lying conductivity remains a large target since it appears to be masking the EM response of conductive graphite present beneath it. While some drill holes may be able to further test the zone of flat-lying conductivity this summer, additional drilling of the prospective B and C conductors will need to wait for ice formation next winter. The B conductor is considered to either be a graphitic unit that was missed by current drilling or an EM response that represents the eastern edge of the flat-lying conductivity. A re-interpretation of the C conductor EM profiles indicates this strong conductor remains untested and lies west of the current drilling.
Turnor Lake Project
The Turnor Lake Project is located 12 kilometres east of Cameco Corporation’s high-grade uranium zone at La Rocque Lake. Drilling completed in the winter and summer of 1999 on the La Rocque Lake claims encountered uranium mi
