Athabasca Basin Properties

Alces Lake property is located north of Lake Athabasca and the Athabasca Basin. The site is approximately 34 km east of Uranium City and 135 km west of Stony Rapids. A winter road is constructed annually to provide service to Uranium City from Stony Rapids. Uranium City has a certified airport, hydroelectric power, grocery store, bulk fuel dispensary, a fleet of heavy duty construction equipment, and telephone and internet communications.

Outcrop Near Alces Lake Trench 1

Planned Exploration

• Summer 2020: Phase I – June to July: Airborne radiometric, magnetic, EM survey over Alces Lake property
• Summer 2020: Phase II – June to September: Continue ground prospecting and overburden stripping in main 500 m x 500 m grid area, also including Danny, Hinge and Biotite Lake zones, and reconnaissance exploration for the historic Forget Lake and Oldman River monazite occurrences
• Summer 2020: Phase III – July to September: Diamond drill testing of numerous surface zones, plus reconnaissance drilling of targets identified by geophysical review and geological compilation
• Summer 2020: Phase IV – August to September: Follow-up with heavy mineral black beach sand mapping and sampling around Alces Lake shores

Current Exploration

• Summer 2019: Phase I – June: Ground gravity geophysical survey over surface REE zones and surrounding area (500 m x 500 m grid). Gravity survey identified numerous gravity-high targets interpreted as high-concentrations of monazite
• Summer 2019: Phase II – June to August: Completed 44 diamond drill holes (2,042.1 m) on Charles, Dante, Ivan, Mikaela and Richard zones, plus reconnaissance drilling of targets identified by gravity survey. 40 drill holes intersected the REE mineralization system and 19 of those drill holes intersected high-concentrations of monazite and REEs
• Summer 2019: Phase III – June to August: Ground prospecting discovered eight new surface zones (Biotite Lake, Quartzite, Thomas, Cone, Stan, Jason, Bo, Danny extension) with characteristics of the REE mineralization system, including high-grade REE
• Summer 2018: Phase II – August to September: Diamond drilling of surface high-grade REE zones (Charles, Ivan and Wilson), discovered 3 new sub-surface REE occurrences; Charles Lower (high-grade REEs), Ivan Middle and Ivan Lower.  Assay results and maps can be accessed in the “Diamond Drilling” tabs above
• Summer 2018: Phase I – June to September: Completed overburden stripping, surface delineation, mapping, and channel sampling of six high-grade REE zones (Bell, Charles, Dante, Dylan, Ivan, Wilson), and Wilson South-Central zone.  Assay results and maps can be accessed in the “Geochmistry Results” and “Maps” tabs above
• July to September 2018: Appia stakes an additional 12,816 ha. (31,669 acres) surrounding mineral claim S-112033
• June 2018: Scott Bell transfers remaining 10% stake in Alces Lake JV, Appia becomes 100% owner of the Alces Lake property (mineral claim S-112033)
• August to September 2017: Appia completes a regional ground prospecting, mapping and radiometric surveying program. The program successfully identified 4 new areas of high-grade REE mineralization at surface at the Wilson, NW Wilson, Danny and Hinge zones. All samples show uniformly high concentrations of critical REEs, such as Neodymium (Nd) and Praseodymium (Pr). Assay results and maps can be accessed in the “Geochmistry Results” and “Maps” tabs above
• August 2017: Appia allows 8 additional mineral claims (4,232 ha.) adjacent to the north and south of mineral claim S-112033 to lapse, focuses on core REE showings on S-112033
• May 2016: Appia commissioned Geotech Ltd. to fly a helicopter-borne VTEM^TM Plus Time-Domain EM, magnetic and radiometric survey over approximately 154.3 line-km of the property (Final Results posted in News Release for July 19, 2016, or see Maps section of Alces Lake).
• May 2015: Appia stakes 8 additional mineral claims (4,232 ha.) adjacent to the north and south of mineral claim S-112033
• September to October 2013: Joint Venture conducts small ground VLF-EM and magnetic surveys over Alces Lake occurrence, additional prospecting and sampling, discovery of Ivan high-grade REE-U zone
• January 2013 to February 2014: Scott Bell transfers 40% ownership to Appia in 3 separate stages
• October 2011: the Joint Venture conducts radiometric prospecting and rock sampling program, samples return high-grade REEs
• December 2010: Scott Bell stakes mineral claim S-112033 (1,518 ha.), transfers 50% ownership to Appia

Historic Exploration

Historic exploration for uranium and rare earth elements on the Alces Lake property has occurred over four separate timeframes; from 1950 to 1955, 1966 to 1968, 1975, and 2010

Exploration History from 1950 to 1955

Exploration History from 1966 to 1968

Exploration History in 1975

Exploration History in 2010

Mineralization

• Three zones of surface mineralization on the Alces Lake property were first discovered by radiometric prospecting in the 1950’s; i) Alces Lake rare earth, ii) HALL-GRIF uranium, and iii) Scrub uranium.  A new high-grade rare earth surface discovery, the Ivan zone, was discovered 90 m NE of the Alces Lake zone in 2013.  It should be noted that the HALL-GRIF and Scrub showings have not been re-visited since the 1950’s.  

• Alces Lake is located within the Beaverlodge Domain. The Beaverlodge Domain was host to over 17 individual uranium mines, having produced a total of 70 M lbs. U₃O₈ at an average grade over 0.20 wt% U₃O₈
• Rock types identified on the property include, in geochronological order from youngest to oldest;
  • Proterozoic late-orogenic to metasomatic biotite schist, pegmatite augen and monazite accumulations (the REE mineralized system)  
  • Proterozoic syn- to late-anatectic pegmatites
  • Proterozoic metasedimentary gneiss (pelitic and psammopelitic [+/- graphite], quartzite, amphibolite, pyroxenite, diatexite), and feldspathic gneiss
  • Archean granitic gneiss
• The basement rock sequence of the metasedimentary gneiss is similar to those of the Beaverlodge deposits.
• The property boundary is approximately 28 km N of the current day Athabasca Basin margin.
• The St. Louis Fault, a regional scale fault, runs ENE-WSW in the northern portion of the property under the Alces Lake waterbody. The St. Louis Fault is a major tectonic boundary between the Beaverlodge and Train Domains, and also hosts at least 3 uranium deposits which produced over 45 M lbs U₃O₈ between 1950 and 1980.

Mineralization

• The Alces Lake REO geochemical assay results rank as the highest-grade REE occurrences in Canada. The results showcase world-class REO grades that are comparable to, if not better than, those encountered in the historic REE producing Steenkampskraal, South Africa and Mountain Pass, USA, deposits; and the currently producing Gakara project, Burundi; and Lynas Corp.’s Mt. Weld CLD mine, Australia, which produced over 12% of the global REE supply in 2017
• In-field radioactivity measurements of the Alces Lake outcrops and boulders have consistently exceeded 56,000 total counts per second (off-scale radioactivity) as measured with a RS-230 BGO Super-Spec hand-held spectrometer. The radioactivity is mainly due to the presence of Th.
• A total of 7 high-grade REE zones have been discovered to date, 6 of which are at surface, and 1 is within 15 m of the surface
  • Bell (surface)
    • 10.239 wt% TREO, 2.223 wt% CREO
  • Charles (surface)
    • 9.656 wt% TREO, 2.163 wt% CREO
  • Charles Lower (sub-surface)
    • 8.868 wt% TREO, 2.049 wt% CREO
  • Dante (surface)
    • 13.763 wt% TREO, 3.057 wt% CREO
  • Dylan (surface)
    • 31.827 wt% TREO, 7.259 wt% CREO
  • Ivan (surface)
    • 22.711 wt% TREO, 5.242 wt% CREO
  • Wilson (surface)
    • 9.398 wt% TREO, 2.062 wt% CREO
    • See “Alces Lake – Summary REO Assay Results” table in “Geochemistry Results” tab for individual element grades supporting reported TREO and CREO results
• In addition, a total of 3 REE zones with grades consistent of halos surrounding the high-grade zones have been discovered to date, 1 of which is at surface, and 2 are within 15 m of the surface
  • Ivan Middle (sub-surface)
    • 0.379 wt% TREO, 0.083 wt% CREO
  • Ivan Lower (sub-surface)
    • 0.315 wt% TREO, 0.072 wt% CREO
  • Wilson South Central (surface)
    • 0.622 wt% TREO, 0.144 wt% CREO
    • See “Alces Lake – Summary REO Assay Results” table in “Geochemistry Results” tab for individual element grades supporting reported TREO and CREO results
• Furthermore, at least 4 REE showings and prospects, which require detailed follow-up, have grades similar to those zones above
  • Danny (surface)
    • 9.961 wt% TREO, 2.525 wt% CREO
  • Hinge (surface)
    • 4.718 wt% TREO, 1.171 wt% CREO
  • Wilson NW (surface)
    • 2.481 wt% TREO, 0.630 wt% CREO
  • Wilson SE (surface)
    • 1.066 wt% TREO, 0.257 wt% CREO
    • See “Alces Lake – Summary REO Assay Results” table in “Geochemistry Results” tab for individual element grades supporting reported TREO and CREO results
• All REE elements are 100% hosted within monazite with a minor amount of Y within xenotime
• The REE mineralized system is a combination of late-orogenic to metasomatic biotite schist, pegmatite augen and monazite accumulations that clearly cross-cut and in sharp contact with solidified regional gneiss. Monazite is hosted within both biotite schist and pegmatite augen. Biotite schist, which is also typically sulphide-rich, shows signs of shear remobilization, having also incorporated and ‘rolled’ pegmatite clasts within the shears
• The REE mineralized system occurs in both Proterozoic metasediments and Archean orthogneiss
• REE mineralization is consistent in all zones and rock types; occurs as isolated grains to 1 to 3 cm thin lenses to isolated massive clusters to massive clusters (up to m’s thick) of 1 to 3 mm-sized grains (average) of monazite
• Monazite is enriched with critical REEs (Nd, Pr, Dy) necessary for the growing permanent magnet industry which in-turn is driven by technological applications such as electric vehicles, wind turbines, robotics, personal electronics, and advanced medical equipment
• Regardless of rock type hosting the mineralized system (i.e. metasediment or orthogneiss) or grades, the REE ratios are consistent from one zone to another
• In particular, Nd and Pr account for approximately 20% and 5% of the REEs
• See “Geochemistry Results” for assay results of respective zones

Table 3 - Wilson & AMP Zones 2022 Geochemistry