Eagle Plains and Refined Energy Advance Uranium Exploration with First Successful Drill Hole
Cranbrook, Tuesday, 17 March 2026.
In March 2026, Eagle Plains and Refined Energy completed their initial 432-meter drill hole at Dufferin West, accelerating the search for lucrative Saskatchewan uranium deposits.
Strategic Drilling and Financial Commitments
On March 17, 2026, Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. (TSXV:EPL, OTCQB:EGPLF) and its partner Refined Energy Corp (CSE: RUU) announced the successful completion of the first drill hole, designated DW26-001, at the Dufferin West Property in Saskatchewan [1]. The drill reached a total depth of 432 meters, successfully intersecting the geological unconformity at 332 meters [1][3]. With the drill hitting bedrock at 432 meters, geological teams are currently conducting core logging and sampling to evaluate the presence of uranium mineralization [1][3].
The exploration initiative at Dufferin West aims to investigate uranium potential near significant geological structures, notably the Virgin River shear zone [3]. Under the current joint venture agreement, Refined Energy holds an option to acquire up to a 75 percent interest in the expansive 10,140-hectare Dufferin Project, which is presently 100 percent owned by Eagle Plains [1]. The overarching initial drill program carries a budget of approximately $1.7 million and targets a minimum of three holes totaling 1,200 meters [1][3]. This implies an average planned depth of 400 meters per hole [1].
Precision Targeting and Future Drill Plans
To optimize drill targeting, the partners previously commissioned MWH Geo-Surveys to execute a comprehensive ground gravity survey [1]. This preliminary work covered an area of 530 hectares, utilizing an extensive grid of 817 stations spaced at 50-meter by 100-meter intervals [1][3]. Leveraging this high-resolution data, operations have already transitioned to the second drill hole, DW26-002 [1]. Positioned 100 meters south of the initial site, this second hole is specifically engineered to test a high-priority electromagnetic (EM) conductor and an associated structural fault [1][3]. While historical data and geophysical anomalies hint at promising uranium mineralization, these historical findings remain unverified by a qualified person under current National Instrument 43-101 standards [1][3].
Broader North American Mining Momentum: The Idaho Copper Hunt
The junior mining sector’s momentum extends beyond Canadian uranium, as evidenced by concurrent developments in the United States copper market [GPT]. Also in mid-March 2026, Hercules Metals Corp. (TSXV: BIG, OTCQB: BADEF) officially launched its 2026 exploration drilling campaign at its wholly-owned Hercules Property in western Idaho [2]. The company is aggressively targeting the Leviathan porphyry copper system, with an ambitious 2026 program designed to drill between 20,000 and 30,000 meters [2]. The initial phase of this campaign, which is currently underway, encompasses 12,500 meters of drilling [2].
Hercules Metals is prioritizing the expansion of the Leviathan system, including the Southern Flats Zone, alongside newly identified Pegasus and Hook magnetotelluric (MT) anomalies [2]. Operations have already resumed on drill hole HER-25-25, which had been paused at a depth of 808 meters on December 20, 2025 [2]. To accelerate production, a second Dorado drill rig is scheduled to arrive on site by March 23, 2026, which will allow drilling to resume on hole HER-25-18, previously halted at 841 meters [alert! ‘The source states the rig is scheduled to arrive by March 23, 2026, but does not confirm if this future deadline will be met without logistical delays’] [2]. Furthermore, the company has completed 2D induced polarization (IP) lines over the Pegasus and Hook anomalies, with additional IP work at the Hook target deferred to the second quarter of 2026 pending favorable weather conditions [2].