Why Invest in Baselode? A Primer on Investing in the Uranium Sector
Why Invest in Baselode? A Primer on Investing
in the Uranium Sector
TORONTO
,
June 22, 2020
/CNW/ - Baselode Energy Corp. ("Baselode" or the "Company") (TSXV:
FIND) is a brand new uranium exploration company led by
James Sykes
and is pleased to publish its
investment thesis:
Why Invest in Baselode?
Investor focus is back on the Uranium market and Baselode offers excellent exposure to the
upcoming Uranium Bull Market.
6 REASONS TO INVEST IN BASELODE ENERGY:
1
.
You believe
James Sykes
, who has helped discover 550,000,000 lbs of uranium, will find more.
2
.
You want levered exposure to uranium and the tremendous returns a discovery can deliver.
3
.
You understand nuclear technology is the only real alternative to fossil fuels.
4
.
You understand the cyclicality of commodities and disequilibrium of the uranium price.
5
.
Baselode has a clear objective of discovering an
economic & minable
uranium deposit.
6
.
Uranium price & its juniors have been supressed for so long, a bull market is overdue
WHO IS BASELODE?
Baselode (FIND : TSXV) is focused in the
Athabasca
Basin area with a mission to discover high-
grade, near-surface uranium deposits. We are exploring for a specific type of deposit while using a
unique methodology to achieve our goals. Everything we do will be geared towards maximizing our
ability to make a discovery using our
Athabasca
2.0 hypothesis.
We are looking in areas that others have overlooked by capitalizing on the lessons learned from
James Sykes
multiple uranium discoveries. Baselode is leveraging this knowledge of the
Athabasca
to
quickly find basement-hosted uranium deposits – the type of deposits that are truly economic and
easily mineable.
Baselode has an extremely tight share structure with less than 29 Million shares outstanding.
James Sykes
: 550,000,000 pounds of uranium – and growing
James is a renowned uranium geologist in the
Athabasca
Basin, who has helped discover over
550,000,000 pounds of uranium. He is determined to FIND another massive uranium orebody for
Baselode using our
Athabasca
2.0 hypothesis.
How much is
550M
Lbs? In dollar terms, this is equal to
$19.25 billion
, at
$35
/lb U
3
O
8
.
How does Baselode stand apart?
Others may have uranium resources, but Baselode is looking for
Uranium Deposits
– two very
different things. If you do not know where you are going, all roads will get you there. Hence, Baselode
has set a clear objective and has charted the interim steps. Our destination? The discovery of a large
tonnage, basement-hosted and high-grade uranium deposit within a safe jurisdiction.
Athabasca
2.0: Back to the Future - Our new way of looking for uranium
Baselode's
Athabasca
2.0 is the concept of exploring for high-grade uranium deposits outside of the
traditional unconformity-type exploration model. Instead we are focused on the basement rocks that
do not pose the challenges that companies face in the traditional
Athabasca
1.0 model.
Characteristics related to
Athabasca
2.0 are:
Moving away from the
Athabasca
Basin to easily access mineralization in the basement rocks;
Deposits with no sandstone cover, which pose inherent challenges of advancing the project
towards production due to high water content.
Structure is responsible for uranium mineralization, not the sandstone/unconformity. We are
looking for large, deep-seated structures that carry fluids
High grades, near surface & open pitable to minimize engineering risk from the exploration stage.
Athabasca
1.0 – The old model is flawed
Since the discovery of
McArthur River
and Cigar Lake, the highest-grade deposits in the world, focus
has shifted away from the basement-hosted deposits that were easily mineable (pre-1970s), towards
the very high-grade deposit styles within the
Athabasca
Basin beneath thick layers of sandstone. The
focus changed from what can be mined to how high of grades can be found? Of the +40 uranium
discoveries since the 1970s, only 6, or less than 15% have reached the production stage, and only 2
have been mined (albeit with challenges) with over 100 metres thickness of the sandstone layer. The
thick sandstone layer is the ultimate challenge in developing a mineable uranium deposit due to its
high water content.
Why the
Athabasca
Basin area?
The safest jurisdiction in the world, and
Saskatchewan
is very mining friendly
The
Athabasca
Basin area hosts the highest grades in the world—3.95% U
3
O
8
in the Athabasca
vs. 0.15% U
3
O
8
for the rest of the world. 1 wt% U
3
O
8
is equivalent to 22.86 gpt gold (
$1,500
/oz
gold price,
$50
/lb uranium price).
The grades provide for the richest dollar per tonne rock of any metal ore in the world.
Significant infrastructure is already in place.
Abundance of freely and easily accessible data given the rich exploration and mining history of
uranium in the
Athabasca
basin.
Uranium can be processed and easily transported to the US. The US imports 24% of its uranium
from
Canada
.
WHY URANIUM? ITS MACROECONOMIC CASE
The Choice is Nuclear or Fossil Fuels for baseload needs
Uranium is one of the few energy sources which does not need to be shut down for refuelling and is
able to supply a constant minimum amount of energy required to consistently power the grid, this is
called 'baseload power'. Renewables are not enough, and fossil fuels come with its own challenges in
pollution and emissions. Hence, in a policy era of low to no carbon footprint, with renewable power
being simply unable to meet baseload needs, the choice is clear – Uranium/Nuclear or Fossil Fuels.
Nuclear power is Clean, Green & Cost Effective - No carbon emissions
Nuclear energy is extremely safe, cleanest and one of the cheapest forms of energy production.
Nuclear energy is better than the alternatives because it:
Does not generate greenhouse gases;
Has a higher capacity and density factor than fossil fuels and renewables;
Is reliable and requires less maintenance over long operating life spans;
Is cheaper than renewables;
Is more efficient than fossil fuels: amount of energy released from uranium per gram is 8,000
times more efficient than fuels such as oil or coal. Replacing coal and natural gas with nuclear
energy would turn back the climate clock nearly two decades.
"Nuclear is ideal for dealing with climate change, because it is the only carbon-free, scalable energy
source that's available 24 hours a day," –
Bill Gates
, co-founder of Microsoft Corporation
Uranium pricing – contract vs spot
Utility companies ("Utilities") acquire uranium as the major input for nuclear power generation. Utilities
acquire most of their uranium requirements via long-term contracts, while purchasing the rest of their
needs in the spot market. Many uranium investors evaluate uranium prices based on the spot market,
but long-term contracts entered by the utilities provides a "forward-looking" perspective of the uranium
market.
Uranium demand – higher now than ever (pre-Fukushima & pre-uranium boom)
As global electricity generation demand continues to grow and as the world moves towards a cleaner
source of energy, nuclear energy is the only practical alternative to fossil fuels.
There are 55 reactors currently under construction, 100 reactors on order or planned, and 300 more
reactors proposed. This capacity increase is led by China. Nuclear demand and use are the highest it
has been since the inception of nuclear power generation and will continue to grow.
Uranium supply is vulnerable: 55% taken offline overnight due to covid-19
Over 30% of global uranium supply has come offline. These mines include
McArthur River
, Cigar
Lake, Rossing and Husab. Additionally, production cuts by Kazatomprom, the world's largest uranium
producer, announced 20% production cuts extending to at least 2021. Uranium supply deficit will be
increasing over the next few years. The global uranium landscape is dominated by
Australia
,
Kazakhstan
,
Russia
,
Canada
,
South Africa
,
Niger
,
Namibia
, and China. Of these countries,
Canada
stands apart as the
Athabasca
Basin hosts the highest-grade uranium deposits in the world.
Energy Nationalization –
United States
Section 232 -
In
April 2020
, a plan was put in place to revitalize the US nuclear energy industry while supporting
domestic uranium mining. Part of the recommendations was to directly purchase 17 – 19 million
pounds of U
3
O
8
to establish a uranium reserve. This bodes well for
Canada
, and specifically
Saskatchewan
given the high-grade nature of uranium in the
Athabasca
basin, as well as the country's
general political stability and continued relationship with the US.
The 2007 Uranium boom
The 2007 Uranium boom saw prices reach
$140
/lb. Penny stocks turned into dollar stocks and
investors that were opportunistic of the low prices prior to 2007 saw exponential gains. It is
impossible to know when we are at the top or bottom of the cycle, but timing the market is key.
Several key fundamentals that led to the 2007 Uranium boom are being experienced today.
Future growth of energy production – Small Modular Reactors
Small modular reactors ("SMRs") are smaller than the conventional, capital intensive reactors. SMRs
are manufactured at a factory and assembled at the site, reducing capital cost for construction and
increasing safety. Ultimately, the introduction of SMRs will increase global demand substantially. As
the world moves towards a more nuclear future, the less we pollute the environment.
Uranium junior market is small
There are very few junior uranium exploration companies. This means that once Uranium prices
increase like in 2007, investor capital will once again flood into the junior market, allowing for the
implementation of massive exploration and drill programs. Companies with unique exploration
strategies, such as Baselode's
Athabasca
2.0, led by management with a successful
Athabasca
uranium track-record, are poised to see the most attention from investors.
WHY BASELODE'S SHADOW PROJECT?
Because Shadow exhibits very similar structural and geophysical features recognized amongst the
"best-of-the-best class" of
Athabasca
high-grade uranium deposits, such as
McArthur River
and
Arrow deposits. Shadow has:
1
.
Large, regional structure that goes through the property with uranium, gold and base metals
occurrences along strike—the common denominator for major uranium discoveries;
2
.
Rock types that are naturally more enriched in Uranium (3x more concentrated) than rocks in the
other side of the basin;
3
.
Many conductors similar to those at NexGen's Arrow, which was also discovered by
James
Sykes
;
4
.
Geophysical signatures that show the confluence of northwest and northeast trends—a perfect
structural set up for uranium mineralization;
5
.
An area which is underexplored and offers the potential for a uranium deposit.
Baselode's flagship Shadow Project spans 42,000 hectares and checks all the boxes for a possible
Athabasca
2.0 deposit. The property lies outside of the
Athabasca
Basin and was staked along one
of the largest and most prominent structural corridors in northern Saskatchewan—the Virgin River
Shear Zone (VRSZ), which presently hosts at least 3 uranium occurrences. Cameco's Centennial
deposit, located in the basin, is also structurally controlled by the VRSZ and the deposit has a +700
metre sandstone cover; again, posing significant development challenges compared to our
Athabasca
2.0 model. These deposits show that the structure is fertile for uranium.
Evaluating property geophysics, Shadow is situated atop an area where northeast and northwest
geophysical trends converge, possibly creating an ideal structural set up for uranium mineralization.
Recent discoveries including Arrow, Triple R and an older discovery Eagle Point—which entered
production in the 1990s—have a combined resource of ~600 million pounds of U
3
O
8
. This is the type
of deposit Shadow potentially hosts.
Regional Map of Baselode's Shadow Project
For more information on Baselode:
Corporate Presentation
Shadow Project Information
Baselode Energy Feature Article
Baselode Energy Webinar
About Baselode Energy
Baseload is a uranium exploration company less than 29 million shares outstanding only 9.8 million
shares in the float. Baselode is focused on discovering a uranium orebody in the
Athabasca
basin in
Saskatchewan, Canada
.
N
either 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.
Certain information in this press release may contain forward-looking statements. This information
is based on current expectations that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are
difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-
looking statements. Baselode Energy Corp. assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking
statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the
forward looking-statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to Baselode
Energy Corp. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in filings by the
Company with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available under Baselode Energy
Corp. profile at
www.sedar.com
.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the
securities in
the United States
. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the
United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities
laws and may not be offered or sold within
the United States
or to, or for the account or benefit of,
U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws,
unless an exemption from such registration is available.
SOURCE
Baselode Energy
View original content:
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2020/22/c0345.html
%SEDAR: 00044947E
For further information:
Baselode Energy Corp., FIND on the TSXV, James Sykes, President and
CEO, [email protected], 306-221-8717, www.baselode.com
CO: Baselode Energy
CNW 07:00e 22-JUN-20