Aero Energy Reports on Recent Exploration Insights at the Sun Dog Project

Rhea-AI Summary

Aero Energy reports on recent exploration insights at the Sun Dog Project, highlighting historical uranium production, high-grade uranium showings, radioactivity at the Unconformity, favorable host rocks, target development, and upcoming drilling plans. The Project covers the historical Gunnar Mine and is underexplored for high-grade uranium mineralization. Standard Uranium is the operating partner, focusing on prospecting, surface exploration, gravity and magnetic surveys, and diamond drilling programs.

Positive

• Historical production at the Sun Dog Project includes the Gunnar Mine, the world's largest uranium producer from 1953 to 1981, producing 18M pounds of U3O8.
• Numerous high-grade uranium showings ranging between 0.10% and 12.39% U3O8 have been documented at the Project.
• Radioactivity ranging between 500 cps and >65,535 cps has been identified at the Unconformity, providing support for high prospectivity.
• An airborne VTEMTM Plus survey is underway to pinpoint graphitic rocks favorable for hosting uranium concentrations.
• The VTEMTM Plus survey results will be used to select targets for the upcoming summer drill program scheduled to begin in early June.
• Standard Uranium has focused on prospecting, surface exploration, gravity and magnetic surveys, and diamond drilling programs to identify high-grade uranium mineralization at the Project.

Negative

• None.

Project is host to globally significant former uranium producer

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 16, 2024) - Aero Energy Ltd (TSXV: AERO) (OTC Pink: AUUGF) (FSE: UU3) ("Aero" or the "Company") is pleased to provide a comprehensive summary of exploration insights gathered at the Sun Dog Uranium Project (the "Sun Dog Project" or the "Project"), by operating partner Standard Uranium Ltd (TSXV: STND) ("Standard Uranium"), as well as more historical data from previous project operators.

Key Highlights:

• History of Production: The Project hosts the historical Gunnar Mine which produced 18M pounds of U3O8 between 1953 and 1981 and was formerly the world's largest uranium producer^1,2.

• Uranium Above and Below the Unconformity: Numerous historical high-grade uranium showings ranging between 0.10% and 12.39% U3O8 have been documented at surface^3,4. These showings occur in both basement rocks below the Unconformity and perched within Athabasca sandstones above the Unconformity thus confirming the presence of unconformity-related high-grade uranium on the Sun Dog Project.

• Radioactivity at the Unconformity: Prospecting conducted by Standard Uranium has identified anomalous to strong radioactivity ranging between 500 cps and >65,535 cps immediately associated with sandstone and basement faults, and along the surface expression of the Unconformity at multiple target areas providing further compelling support for the high prospectivity of the Sun Dog Project.

• Favorable Host Rocks: An airborne VTEM^TM Plus survey is currently underway designed to pinpoint graphitic rocks favourable for hosting significant concentrations of uranium. This modern electromagnetic ("EM") survey will infill and expand upon historical surveys which have identified at least 40 km of combined conductor strike length.

• Target Development & Drilling: The results of the VTEM^TM Plus survey will be subject to geophysical interpretation and modelling, and integrated with the Project's existing datasets, to select and prioritize targets for the upcoming summer drill program scheduled to begin in early June.

Galen McNamara, CEO of Aero Energy, commented: "The Sun Dog Project is highly prospective for shallow high-grade uranium mineralization and is largely underexplored. The VTEM^TM Plus survey covering both the Sun Dog and Murmac projects is nearing completion, and we expect the results to identify a significant number of high-priority drill targets for follow-up during our planned drill program scheduled to begin in early June. We look forward to sharing target information more specifically in the coming weeks as we advance towards our first drill program."

Jon Bey, CEO of Standard Uranium, commented: "We are thrilled to return to the Sun Dog Project and continue advancing our exploration strategy targeting prospective high-grade uranium targets. The 2024 exploration program will leverage the results of the modern VTEM^TM Plus survey currently underway, in addition to the combined uranium expertise of our joint technical team with partners at Aero Energy. The summer of 2024 will be an exciting time for active exploration in the Uranium City region and we are eager to get our drills spinning."

Figure 1. Uranium mineralization in Athabasca Group sandstone above the Unconformity on Stewart Island with radioactivity exceeding 65,535 counts-per-second.

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Sun Dog Project Overview and Historical Exploration:

Pursuant to an option agreement, Aero can earn up to a 100% interest in the Sun Dog Project, from Standard Uranium, by funding C$6.5 million in exploration expenditures over a three-year period, making cash payments totalling C$650,000, and issuing C$650,000 in common shares, over a 2-year period. Following exercise of the option, Standard will retain a 2% net smelter returns royalty, which may be reduced to 1% for a $1,000,000 cash payment.

The Project covers an area of 48,443 acres in nine mining claims, located 15 km from Uranium City on the northern margin of the Athabasca Basin. It hosts the historical Gunnar Uranium Mine, discovered in 1952, which doubled Canada's uranium production and became the largest uranium producer globally in 1956. The Gunnar Mine produced approximately 18M lbs of U3O8 between 1953 and 1981^1,2.

During this time exploration efforts in the area primarily focused on "Beaverlodge-style" deposits, typically lower-grade, fault-hosted mineralization visible at the surface. This approach did not target, and would not have been effective for, the high-grade "Unconformity-related" basement-hosted deposits associated with graphitic rocks more recently discovered near the Athabasca Basin's edge (e.g. Arrow, Triple R).

These deposits are associated with graphite-rich rocks, evident as electromagnetic (EM) conductors in geophysical surveys. These graphite-rich rocks, softer than surrounding quartzite and granitoid lithologies, are not exposed at the surface. Instead, they are found in deeply weathered valleys, concealed by glacial till, soil and small lakes. The historical exploration methods applied included airborne radiometric and surface prospecting, identifying radioactive anomalies and drill testing their extents. This approach is not effective for this type of basement-hosted mineralization.

With only limited previous drilling, the extensive (>40 km strike length) conductors targeted at the Sun Dog Project remain largely unexplored, offering significant potential for future discovery.

Figure 2. Schematic cross-section of basement-hosted uranium deposits

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Figure 3: Selected uranium occurrences and known EM-conductors present on the Sun Dog Project

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Preliminary Modern Exploration

Recent exploration efforts by Standard Uranium have focused on the most promising historical target areas, namely Skye, Java, and Stewart Island, testing down-dip extensions of structures hosting uranium at surface with the aim of discovering high-grade unconformity mineralization and basement "roots" of the mineralizing systems underlying the Athabasca sandstones.

Prospecting & Surface Exploration

In the fall of 2020, crews collected 56 outcrop grab samples, 6 boulder samples, and 14 historical core samples from the Project. These were primarily collected from mineralized target areas and from historical drill holes completed by former operators of the Project.

Prospecting led to the discovery of a new high-grade uranium showing named the Haven discovery and several zones of visible uranium mineralization at surface that returned uranium assay results of 3.58% U3O8, 1.7% U3O8, and 0.7% U3O8.

Additionally, the analytical results revealed a correlation between uranium and gold, while boron and other pathfinder elements highlighted the potential for a robust alteration footprint associated with uranium mineralization. Surficial grab samples from faults and veins cutting sandstone outcrop returned high concentrations of dravite (up to 75%), a uranium pathfinder mineral commonly associated with uranium-fertile systems.

In the summer of 2022, Standard Uranium executed a field mapping and prospecting program to expand upon the results of the 2020 prospecting program. Scintillometers were used to track radioactivity with more than 80 new mineralized boulder and bedrock locations discovered on Johnston and Steward islands.

The expanded surface expression of mineralization on south Johnston Island displayed scintillometer readings >10,000 cps and locally off-scale (>65,535 cps) and the historical mineralized surface occurrences on Stewart Island were confirmed with scintillometer measurements ranging from >500 cps to >65,535 cps. Radioactivity measurements were collected with hand-held RS-121 or RS-125 scintillometers. These occurrences provide compelling support for the presence of high-grade unconformity-associated uranium mineralization on the Project.

Gravity and Magnetic Surveys

In the winter of 2022, MWH Geo-Surveys Ltd. carried out a ground gravity survey and UAV-borne magnetic surveys in the areas of Johnston and Stewart islands on behalf of Standard Uranium.

The gravity survey consisted of 3,388 unique gravity measurement stations and 155 repeat stations with a station spacing of 50 to 100 m. The survey identified several variations in residual gravity and outlined multiple gravity low target areas on and around Stewart and Johnston islands.

The magnetic survey consisted of 572 line kilometres of UAV magnetics at a line spacing of 50 m. Flightlines were flown either southeast or northwest at an elevation of approximately 48 m above ground level. The survey effectively mapped magnetic variations corresponding to changes in lithology and alteration which assisted in drill targeting.

First Pass Drilling

Standard Uranium carried out two drill programs on the Project during the winters of 2022 and 2023. In total 2,469 m of diamond drilling was completed across fourteen drill holes.

Drilling focused on testing for zones of high-grade unconformity-related uranium mineralization with targets identified based on the ground gravity and UAV magnetic data, lakebed radiometric anomalies, and resistivity lows, all coincident with cross-cutting faults and historical surface mineralization. Several gravity low anomalies have been identified and coincide with breaks or flexures in electromagnetic conductors under Athabasca sandstone cover, interpreted to potentially represent zones of strong alteration in bedrock, specifically clay alteration, commonly associated with the footprint of high-grade uranium deposits.

The 2022 and 2023 diamond drill programs were successful in identifying key geological characteristics prospective for significant uranium mineralizing systems on the Project, which in turn will aid in planning and prioritization of additional exploration targets for follow-up drill programs.

Drilling highlights include⁵:

• Widespread hydrothermal alteration zones containing illite-rich and dravitic clays and abundant iron-oxide minerals intersected in multiple drill holes, indicating a robust fluid system with prospective chemistry for uranium.

• Significant structural influence evidenced to control high-grade uranium mineralization and anomalous radioactivity in drill holes.

• Reactivated graphitic shear zones & quartz-hematite breccias intersected over tens of metres in several drill holes indicate ideal structural regime providing the plumbing system for uranium mobilization.

• Favorable geochemistry returned in multiple drill holes, including prospective clay spectroscopy results (dravite), elevated pathfinder elements, and anomalous uranium correlated to lead isotope ratios which may be used as an additional exploration vector.

• Elevated radioactivity over a total of 1.5 metres up to 1,300 cps intersected in drill hole SD-23-013 at the Haven discovery. Assay highlights include 0.042 wt.% U₃0₈ from 79.0 to 79.5 m and 0.021 wt.% U₃0₈from 79.5 to 80.0 m.

Figure 4. Historical and Standard Uranium Drill Holes with Target Areas on the Sun Dog Project

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Qualified Person

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Galen McNamara, P. Geo., CEO of the Company and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

Historical data disclosed in this news release relating to sampling results on the Sun Dog Project is historical in nature. Neither the Company nor a qualified person has yet verified this data and therefore investors should not place undue reliance on such data. The Company's future exploration work will include verification of the data. The Company considers historical results to be relevant as an exploration guide and to assess the mineralization as well as economic potential of the Project.

About Aero Energy Limited

Aero Energy is a mineral exploration and development company advancing a district-scale 250,000-acre land package in the historic Uranium City district within Saskatchewan's Athabasca Basin. Aero Energy is focused on uncovering high-grade uranium deposits across its flagship optioned properties - Sun Dog, Strike, and Murmac - in addition to its fully owned properties. With the application of modern exploration techniques, the Company has identified over 50 shallow drill-ready targets and 125 kilometres of target horizon on the frontier north rim of the Athabasca Basin. Aero Energy is tapping into the Athabasca Basin's emerging potential for high-grade, unconformity-style mineralization.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors
"Galen McNamara"
Galen McNamara, Interim Chief Executive Officer

Further information on the Company can be found on the Company's website at aeroenergy.ca and at www.sedarplus.ca, or by contacting the Company by email at info@aeroenergy.ca.

References

1. Gunnar Uranium Mine: From Cold War Darling to Ghost Town, L. Schramm, Saskatchewan Research Council, 2018.
2. Geology and Genesis of Major World Hardrock Uranium Deposits, United States Geological Survey, Open-File Report 81-166, 1981.
3. 2022 Winter Mineral Assessment Report, Sun Dog Property, Northern Saskatchewan, Canada, Standard Uranium, 2022
4. Information obtained from Saskatchewan Mineral Deposit Index, occurrence number 1254
5. Standard Uranium News Release, November 2, 2023

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

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.

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance and include expectations regarding the exploration activities on the Company's properties. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements and information are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "appear", "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "approximate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe", "would" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, timelines and information contained in this news release. Forward-looking information are based on management of the parties' reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on such management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect.

The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/205614

FAQ

What is the historical production at the Sun Dog Project?

The historical Gunnar Mine at the Sun Dog Project produced 18M pounds of U3O8 between 1953 and 1981.

What type of high-grade uranium showings have been documented at the Project?

Numerous high-grade uranium showings ranging between 0.10% and 12.39% U3O8 have been documented at the Sun Dog Project.

What radioactivity levels have been identified at the Unconformity?

Radioactivity ranging between 500 cps and >65,535 cps has been identified at the Unconformity at the Sun Dog Project.

What survey is currently underway at the Project to pinpoint favorable host rocks for uranium concentrations?

An airborne VTEMTM Plus survey is currently underway at the Sun Dog Project to pinpoint graphitic rocks favorable for hosting uranium concentrations.

When is the upcoming summer drill program scheduled to begin at the Sun Dog Project?

The upcoming summer drill program at the Sun Dog Project is scheduled to begin in early June.