Brilliant Sands Initiates Exploration Program

Brilliant Sands Inc. (BSI), formerly Consolidated Goldfields Corp., has initiated a comprehensive exploration program at its McClelland Lake frac sand project in Alberta, Canada. The company considers McClelland its highest priority and most advanced project within the frac sand portfolio that was recently acquired from 1824455 Alberta Ltd.

BSI is in the process of compiling a comprehensive technical database and plans to begin field work in the Spring. In addition, the company said it will soon be preparing and announcing exploration plans for its other new properties.

Even with the recent downturn in oil prices, the average increase from 850 tons per well to more than 2,000 tons per well has resulted in little, if any, reduction in the demand for frac sand, the company said. North American frac sand demand has risen from $250 million in 2002 to nearly $5 billion in 2012. Overall, North American demand is projected to reach over 100 billion lb. by 2017, with a projected value of $9.4 billion.

The McClelland Lake frac sand project is located approximately 95 km northeast of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, the industrial hub of the Athabasca oil sands district. The disposition itself consists of three Alberta Metallic and Industrial Mineral Permits encompassing a total area of 65,789 acres (26,624 hectares), which are well situated geographically between Athabasca Minerals’ Firebag Frac Sand Project and Declan Resources’ (LAN) Firebag River silica sand discovery. Athabasca recently announced a 43-101 compliant inferred resource of 44 million tons of frac sand, and is in the process of completing a Preliminary Economic Assessment.

A preliminary field reconnaissance of northwestern portions of the property in 2014 confirmed the presence of silica-rich sands of glaciofluvial origin. Samples collected during reconnaissance were submitted to Loring Labs of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, for analysis, which indicated very favorable results remarkably similar to those reported for Athabasca’s frac sand deposit that lies only a few miles to the northwest of the sampled area. Based upon the encouraging results of the reconnaissance program; a comprehensive exploration plan has been initiated, details of which will follow in a subsequent news release.

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