Saskatchewan Uranium Explorer Reports 51,978-CPS Radioactivity in First Don Lake Drillholes

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A uranium exploration program near Uranium City, Saskatchewan, has produced an attention-grabbing early result: a peak handheld reading of 51,978 counts per second from the first three holes drilled at the Don Lake project. Xcite Uranium reported anomalous radioactivity in all three holes on August 26, with several radioactive intervals occurring relatively close to surface.

The numbers provide an encouraging first test of targets developed from historical workings, modern geophysics and 2026 fieldwork. They do not, however, establish uranium grades. Laboratory assays remain pending, and Xcite cautions that gamma measurements may not correlate directly with chemical results. That distinction will determine whether the initial excitement around Don Lake develops into something more substantial as the 14-hole program continues.

All Three Opening Holes Hit Anomalous Radioactivity

Xcite Uranium’s first three holes at Don Lake were drilled into the Main A Zone, and each encountered intervals meeting the company’s definition of anomalous radioactivity. Hole DN26001 reached a total depth of 96 metres, DN26002 extended to 111 metres and DN26003 finished at 105 metres. The headline result came from DN26001, where a handheld spectrometer produced a peak total-gamma reading of 51,978 counts per second at approximately 55 metres depth. Downhole measurements identified several additional radioactive intervals rather than a single isolated spike.

That consistency is arguably as important as the headline number. An early-stage explorer would generally rather see multiple holes intersecting the geological environment it targeted than rely on one spectacular instrument reading surrounded by weak results. In this case, radioactive responses appeared in all three orientations drilled into the A Zone. Xcite and project owner Eagle Plains Resources are now treating those first holes as evidence that their targeting approach is intersecting the structural and alteration system they set out to test.

What a 51,978-CPS Reading Actually Means

Counts per second, or CPS, measures gamma radiation detected by an instrument; it is not the percentage of uranium contained in the rock. Xcite recorded the 51,978-CPS peak on surface drill core using an RS-230 handheld gamma-ray spectrometer. Downhole radioactivity was measured separately using a Mount Sopris 2SNA-1000 spectral gamma probe, with measurements collected at 10-centimetre intervals. The company defines an anomaly using instrument thresholds along with geological observations and spectral evidence indicating uranium is the dominant radioactive source.

That distinction matters because a dramatic CPS number can easily be mistaken for an assay result. The company specifically cautions that total gamma readings are an indication of uranium content but may not correlate with chemical assays. Laboratory analysis of the drill core is still pending. Xcite has also reported intervals as downhole lengths, and the true thickness of the mineralized structures has not yet been established. For now, 51,978 CPS is best understood as a strong exploration signal that justifies close attention—not as proof that Don Lake contains ore of a particular grade or economic value.

DN26001 Produced More Than One Strong Radioactive Interval

The first hole, DN26001, produced the program’s highest handheld measurement, but its downhole results provide more useful context than the single peak. From 54.93 to 56.83 metres, the hole returned a 1.9-metre interval averaging 11,571 CPS, with the downhole probe reaching a maximum of 27,474 CPS. A separate 3.9-metre interval from 58.93 to 62.83 metres averaged 7,649 CPS and contained a 0.9-metre subsection reaching a maximum of 34,254 CPS and averaging 13,428 CPS.

In practical exploration terms, that pattern makes DN26001 more interesting than a lone radioactive point would be. The hole encountered several elevated intervals across a relatively compact portion of the core, allowing geologists to examine how radioactivity relates to fractures, alteration and rock contacts. At roughly 55 metres, company core descriptions identify mineralization around a psammite-gabbroic contact with intense hematite and silica alteration. Those physical geological relationships can help guide subsequent holes even before assays arrive, because they provide clues about where mineralizing fluids may have travelled through the rock.

DN26002 and DN26003 Broadened the Early Signal

The second hole delivered another substantial response. DN26002 intersected 2.7 metres from 31.13 metres depth that averaged 8,186 CPS and reached a maximum downhole reading of 33,940 CPS. A nearby 1.1-metre interval from 34.83 metres averaged 11,753 CPS and reached 23,923 CPS. A handheld measurement on core at approximately 32.5 metres registered 18,000 CPS. Additional weaker anomalous intervals occurred deeper in the hole, showing that radioactivity was not limited to one narrow point.

DN26003 was less intense but still produced multiple anomalies. Its reported intervals included 1.2 metres from 38.53 metres reaching 10,320 CPS, as well as a 3.1-metre interval beginning at 45.33 metres that peaked at 7,830 CPS. Other anomalous sections appeared from about 10 metres down to more than 72 metres. The third hole therefore did not duplicate DN26001’s peak intensity, but it did reinforce the broader premise that the A Zone contains multiple radioactive structures. That matters when an explorer is attempting to understand the orientation and continuity of a vein-and-fracture-controlled uranium system.

Altered Gabbroic Gneiss Is Emerging as an Important Clue

All three holes were dominated by gabbroic gneiss accompanied by varying degrees of quartz veining, silicification, potassium-related alteration and hematization. Xcite reports that anomalous radioactivity is generally associated with this gabbroic gneiss, while the drill core also contains semi-pelitic gneiss and occasional mafic dykes. Photographs released with the results show altered rock around some of the radioactive sections, including hematite- and feldspar-altered gabbroic gneiss at DN26002.

That geological association fits the broader exploration concept at Don Lake, where uranium has historically been described in fractures and veins connected to faults and shear zones. Saskatchewan’s mineral database describes pitchblende, hematite and sulphides in quartz-filled cross fractures at the Don Lake A, B and C occurrences. For a modern drilling program, recognizing repeated combinations of structure, alteration and radioactivity can be more valuable than simply chasing the highest instrument readings. If the same geological package can be followed along strike or down dip, it gives the exploration team a more coherent model for deciding where later holes should be positioned.

Historical Don Lake Results Explain Why the A Zone Was Prioritized

Don Lake is not a new uranium occurrence. Saskatchewan records identify the Don Lake Uranium Deposit as the A, B and C zones roughly three kilometres north of Uranium City. Historical work began decades ago, and Matrix Exploration drilled the three zones in 1969. Provincial records state that 19 of 26 holes from that campaign contained radioactive sections. The best reported historical assay was 10.7% U3O8 over one foot, approximately 0.3 metres, in hole No. 23. Another frequently cited historical result from the A Zone was 2.14% U3O8 over roughly 0.67 metres.

Those grades help explain why modern explorers returned to the area, but they require caution. The intervals are narrow, the work predates current disclosure standards, and Eagle Plains warns that historical results collected by previous operators have not been independently verified by a current Qualified Person. Saskatchewan’s database likewise warns that historical reserve and resource figures should not be considered NI 43-101 compliant unless specifically designated as such. The value of the old work today is therefore primarily geological: it shows where uranium was encountered and helps direct new drilling capable of generating modern analytical data.

Modern Targeting Has Added Much More Data Than the Old Workings Provided

The 2026 drill locations were not chosen solely by returning to places where earlier operators found uranium. Before drilling, the companies assembled several layers of new information. Work included soil sampling, prospecting, structural mapping and scintillometer work, while airborne radiometric and magnetic coverage totalled 682 line-kilometres. A drone-based LiDAR program covered about 2.9 square kilometres, helping accurately relocate old trenches and workings that can be difficult to reconcile with decades-old maps.

The program also incorporated interpretation of 72 line-kilometres of VTEM data collected in 2025. Earlier modelling identified a pronounced electromagnetic conductivity feature associated with the A and B zones and the Hawker Trench area, along a break between magnetic highs and lows. During 2026, 282 soil samples were collected east of the Black Bay Fault, while radiometric work identified anomalies around the historic A, B and C zones, the Hawker area and the separate Midas target. Drilling is therefore testing intersections suggested by multiple datasets rather than relying on radioactivity alone.

Don Lake Sits Inside One of Canada’s Earliest Uranium-Mining Districts

The location adds another layer of interest. Don Lake lies near Uranium City in the historic Beaverlodge district on the north side of Lake Athabasca. Uranium occurrences there have been documented since the 1940s, decades before many of Saskatchewan’s better-known modern Athabasca Basin discoveries. Historical summaries used by Eagle Plains put Beaverlodge district production at roughly 70.25 million pounds of U3O8 between 1950 and 1982, with the Eldorado Beaverlodge operation and Gunnar among its largest producers.

Don Lake itself covers 1,671 hectares and contains 12 entries in Saskatchewan’s Mineral Deposit Index, according to the companies. Its tenure also includes the Beta Gamma Mine occurrence. Saskatchewan records show that underground work was carried out at Beta Gamma during the 1950s and that limited high-grade mining later produced material for shipment to the Lorado mill. The wider district’s history is not evidence that Don Lake will become a mine, but it demonstrates that the structures surrounding Uranium City were capable of concentrating uranium and provides an extensive geological record for present-day explorers to revisit.

Assays and the Remaining 11 Holes Will Decide How Important the Start Really Is

The current program calls for 1,500 metres of diamond drilling in 14 holes from six pad locations, meaning the three reported holes represent only the opening portion of the campaign. Xcite says four additional Don Lake targets are scheduled for drill testing, while work is designed to examine extensions beneath the A, B and C zones and Hawker trenches as well as targets around Midas. The approved 2026 Don Lake budget is approximately C$1.1 million, including about C$900,000 for drilling and C$200,000 for fieldwork already completed.

Ownership arrangements also help explain the scale of the program. Eagle Plains owns the Uranium City properties, while Xcite can earn up to an 80% interest in each of six projects by meeting exploration, share and cash commitments. Across all six agreements, the potential exploration commitment totals C$19.2 million. Eagle Plains would retain a 20% carried joint-venture interest until a bankable feasibility study and an underlying 2% net-smelter-return royalty. For Don Lake, however, the immediate milestones are simpler: chemical assays must establish actual uranium grades, and the remaining holes must show whether the early radioactive zones have meaningful continuity.

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