Photograph of a polished slab from the McKeel Lake pegmatite-aplite REE+Y-rich dyke, grab sample, (Inner Welsford REE Property) showing aplite (right) in contact with pegmatite (left). Note the rhythmic texture of the pegmatite-aplite and its long needles of riebeckite (see Siedler et al., 2005).

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The Welsford REE Properties consist of the Outer Welsford REE Property on 124 claims that cover most of the Welsford Peralkaline Intrusion and the additional 6 claims referred to as the Inner Welsford REE Property. Combined, this grants Cache control over the entire Intrusive Complex.

The Welsford Intrusive Complex is 20km north of Saint John, N.B.  Historic geological mapping and sampling by Uranerz Exploration Ltd. for uranium in 1980, which was followed by trenching and drilling in the early 2000's has revealed significant Zr-Nb-Y-REE-Ta mineralization hosted within a peralkalic pegmatite-aplite dyke swarm that intruded the Welsford Peralkaline Intrusion. Petrogeochemical studies (Seidlier, 2003; Seidler et al., 2005) have reported up to 31,285 ppm Zr, 3,040 ppm Nb, 2,021 ppm Y, 2,281 ppm Ce, 500 ppm Nd, 99.9 ppm Sm, 42 ppm Tb, 284 ppm Yb, 45 ppm Lu, and 220 ppm Ta from 7 random surface grab samples selected from trench exposures taken at one of the McKeel Lake peralkalic dykes, which will be a priority exploration and drill target on these claims. Grab samples can be selective in nature and may not reflect the average grade on the property. These high values represent concentrations comparable to those found in the richest heavy REE deposits in the world.  In the fall of 2009, Dr. David Lentz, Economic Geology Chair at the University of New Brunswick (now Director for Cache Exploration), coordinated and oversaw the surficial B horizon soil sampling and analytical program over the Welsford property; the instrumental neutron activation analytical results of this program revealed many highly anomalous soil samples with high Lanthanum (La), Cerium (Ce) and Neodymium (Nd), followed by Samarium (Sm), Europium (Eu), Terbium (Tb), Ytterbium (Yb) and Tantalum (Ta).

Location and Access

The Welsford REE Properties (130 claims) are situated in southern New Brunswick approximately 20km north from the city of Saint John, within NTS 21G/08 (see Fig. 1). Access to the properties is via provincial route 102 between Woodmans Point and Brown's Flat. Along route 102 there are a number of paved and unpaved roads leading to a public road parallel to route 102 that passes through (from NE to SW) Cochrane Corner, Days Corner, Cheyenne Settlement and Keatings Corner. There is also a powerline that borders the SE margin of the properties that have a walking trail along it.

Geology and Previous Work

The claims are within the Welsford Intrusive Complex, which is dominated by various phases of Late Silurian anorogenic alkali granite to syenite (McCutcheon and Ruitenberg, 1987; modified by Seidler et al., 2005; see Fig. 2). Detailed geological mapping, sampling, and drilling were completed by Uranerz (1980) and Hattie (1998), and petrogeochemical studies by Seidler et al. (2005) have been conducted on the dykes. The dykes were found using surficial uranium anomalies outlined by Uranerz (1980; see Fig. 3), of which only two anomalies were followed up on and drilled. These surficial studies revealed that the alkalic granite is host to numerous mineral occurrences. The most significant was the discovery of the Zr-Nb-Y-REE rich pegmatite-aplite dyke swarms that intruded the alkaline granite.

2009 Exploration Work

Cache Exploration Inc. recognized this potential for REE mineralization within the Welsford Intrusive Complex, knowing claims held the Zr-Nb-Y-REE bearing pegmatite-aplite dykes. In 2009, Cache Exploration Inc. (formerly held by BullRun Investments) completed a Phase 1 ground exploration program consisting of geochemical soil sampling (analysed by INAA at ACTLABS) and scintillometer prospecting over the entire property. The analysis of 300 soil samples by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (at ACTLABS) revealed locally higher concentrations of light rare-earth elements (LREE) and heavy rare-earth elements (HREE) (see Fig. 3).

2010 Exploration Work

Cache Exploration Inc. has identified anomalies from the Phase I geochemical soil sampling program results (see Fig. 3) that are consistent with higher than background radioactivity. Based on these Fall 2009 results Cache has started a six hole drill program as of December, 2010 on the Welsford property. The six holes will test the Main Zone and Road Zone aplite dykes of the McKeel Lake dyke swarm on three parallel sections spaced at intervals of 100 metres perpendicular to their apparent dominant strike direction. Aplite dykes have been found at several locations within the Inner and Outer Welsford claims. Based on rock sample analytical results received to date, many of the aplite dykes are known to be REE-bearing. Surface exposures of the dykes are extensively covered with overburden, and the two historical drill holes were drilled obliquely to both the strike and dip of these two dyke sets. This program is designed to drill test whether these represent a possible target type where there is a potential locale or zone where the dyke swarms are extensive (both along strike and across the width of the swarm) and the individual dykes or dykelets are highly REE-enriched. This type of target, if found relatively near surface, has the potential to be amenable to open pitting. Based on the limited surface data, it is possible the Main and Road Zone dykes may coalesce towards the northwest. The 2010 surface geological mapping indicates that the majority of the known aplite dykes strike north-northwesterly and, in a few places northwesterly, and both sets dip steeply (~70°) northeasterly. The drill program is designed to test the abundance and orientation of the Main Zone and Road Zone dykes, as well as confirm the high REE-Y-Nb grades noted at surface and in historical drilling off the sections now being targeted.

The Cache technical team speculates that the dykes originate from a source at depth, or perhaps laterally along strike, from a 'roof zone', which is a cupola or several cupolas (defined in the AGI Glossary of Geology as "a large upward projection of the roof of an igneous intrusion in the country rock above"). Such a target has the potential to be a sizeable zone of REE-bearing rock.

This spring Phase 2 work focused on stream sediment sampling on all major streams and tributaries that cross the Welsford Rare Earth property and a detailed scintillometer prospecting program over the entire property. This was followed by detailed soil and till sampling on a 50 m grid (Phase 3) over the areas considered to have the greatest exploration potential. In the fall, Cache Exploration Inc  proceeded with follow-up trenching and drilled 7 holes into delineated REE anomalies from these 3 exploration phases combined.

2011 Exploration Work