Key Investment Highlights
Paving the way for significant growth in US nuclear power generation and thereby increasing demand for uranium to fuel nuclear reactors, the Fiscal Year 2009 Congressional Budget Request for the Office of Nuclear Energy proposes $1.419 billion for nuclear energy. The funds are to be used to support the government’s efforts to develop new nuclear energy generation technologies to meet energy and climate goals; develop advanced, proliferation-resistant nuclear fuel technologies that maximize energy from nuclear fuel; and maintain and enhance the national nuclear infrastructure.
Bancroft Uranium has assembled a portfolio of high potential uranium properties
including the historically defined but undeveloped Monmouth Uranium Deposit.
In the late 1960’s a 44-hole drill program was completed at the Monmouth
project for previous owner Northern Nuclear. In 1968 an engineering report by
S.W. Evans was filed as a listing prospectus to the Toronto Stock Exchange for
Northern Nuclear. The report estimated from drill results the potential of 2
million tons containing 0.045% (0.9 pounds per ton), or 1,800,000 pounds of
U3O8.
At today’s price the potential uranium resource is worth approximately
$117,000,000.
According to the company the Monmouth deposit is close to processing facilities
and amenable to low cost mining, crushing, and gravity separation, enabling
relatively low production costs.
Nuclear energy produces 19.4 percent of the United States’ electricity
(Nuclear Energy Institute, 2008).
The Department of Energy’s Annual Energy Outlook 2008 projects a net
increase of approximately 19 gigawatts of nuclear capacity coming online through
2030.
The World Nuclear Association asserts nuclear power, which produces no greenhouse
gas emissions, is the most environmentally benign way of producing electricity
on a large scale. Without nuclear most of the world would have to rely almost
entirely on fossil fuels for base-load electricity production. Nuclear power
has a key role to play in reducing greenhouse gases, as every 22 tonnes of uranium
(26 t U3O8) used saves one million tonnes of carbon dioxide relative to coal.
Bancroft Uranium has engaged environmental consulting firm Earth Tech Canada
to identify how its activities could impact the environment, minimize this impact
through ecologically sensitive exploration, development and production techniques,
and comply with all environmental laws and regulations.
The company has 2,700 acres under lease on the Monmouth Project plus additional
claims totaling 6,300 acres in two other uranium districts in Ontario.
Bancroft, Ontario, known as "the Mineral Capital of Canada" (Bancroft
& District Chamber of Commerce), is home to four mines that produced a total
of 14,862,653 pounds U3O8 between 1956 and 1982.
The price of uranium remains high at $65 per pound as of April 23, 2008. Uranium
generated an 1108% increase in 7 years, from $7.45 per pound in September 2000
to $90 in September 2007, and subsequently hit an all-time high of $138.
Lehman Brothers asserts demand spikes caused by initial core requirements and
greater need for reloading fuel due to extensions in the operating life of nuclear
plants worldwide will likely lead to further increases in spot prices, predicting
prices will continue to rise to $164-$170 by 2009.
The company has engaged Greenspirit Strategies Ltd. for public and media relations.
Greenspirit works with leading organizations in forestry, biotechnology, aquaculture,
plastics and mining, developing sustainability messaging and communications
programs in the areas of natural resources, biodiversity, energy and climate
change.
Former Greenpeace President and co-founder Dr. Patrick Moore has joined Bancroft’s
advisory board. Dr. Moore is the head of Greenspirit Strategies and has been
a leader in the international environmental field for more than 35 years.
On November 30, 2007, Bancroft closed a $3.0 million financing to fund exploration
activities.
The final report on the Monmouth Project at the end of a three year program conducted by former owner Northern Nuclear Inc. (1967-1969) estimated a minimum resource potential of 1,800,000 pounds of uranium. Bancroft Uranium believes both the amount and grade of this already significant potential resource base can be expanded by additional prospecting, trenching and drilling. |