Rio Tinto (NYSE: RIO; LSE: RIO) has started exploration at Forum Energy Metals' (TSXV: FMC) Janice Lake sedimentary copper-silver project in northern Saskatchewan.
The major is earning up to an 80% interest in the project from Forum Energy Metals, which has optioned the property from Transition Metals.
Crews have begun construction of the 50 person camp on the property at Burbidge Lake.
Structural, geophysical, geochemical and boulder train targets developed by the mapping and prospecting program will be drilled using a rotary air blast (RAB) drill rig.
An eight-person prospecting and mapping team has started systematic traverses on 2-km-wide spacings on the 52 km extent of the property.
"We have barely scratched the surface on exploring this sedimentary basin, which stretches for over 50 kilometres," Rick Mazur, Forum Energy's CEO, said in a news release.
"Rio Tinto's focus will not only be on finding higher grade and thicker open pit strata-bound horizons, but also high grade structurally controlled mineralization."
Last year's program at the sedimentary copper-silver project, located 55 km southeast of Key Lake, included 21 drill holes totalling 5,209 metres.
Highlights include a hole at the Jansem target that cut 5 metres of 1.32% copper and 3.42 grams silver per tonne within a longer 52-metre interval grading 0.57% copper and 1.5 grams silver starting at a depth of 116 metres.
- This article first appeared in MINING.com. The Northern Miner and MINING.com are part of Glacier Resource Innovation Group.