Saturn Minerals & The Northern Williston Basin
The Williston Basin is a thick and diversified succession of sedimentary rocks that host some of the world's largest reserves of oil and potash, as well as significant reserves of coal and natural gas.
Since the mid-2000s, exploration & development of the central parts of the Williston Basin located in North Dakota, Montana and Saskatchewan has resulted in this basin becoming the second largest oil producing basin in North America, and the largest potash producing basin in the world. The northern Williston Basin however has only recently begun to be explored for similar potential.
Between 2008-2010, Saturn acquired over 1,700 sq. km of exploration rights for coal and oil & gas in the northern Williston Basin, and since 2010, Saturn has made three large coal discoveries and identified at least one, and potentially up to three, new petroleum systems. Saturn is one of the most active explorers and the largest land owner in the northern Williston Basin.
The Company's projects are centered around the town of Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan and are transected by active rail lines and a network of paved highways and rural service roads granting favorable transport infrastructure to the eventual development of these new discoveries.
Saturn Oil & Gas
Saturn has a 95% interest in over 370,000 acres of oil & gas rights in the Northern Williston Basin. The remaining 5% is owned by Vector Exploration Corp., a private oil & gas company based in Calgary, Alberta. The properties are underlain by a thick succession of sedimentary geology which has been shown to host high TOC (7-14%) source rock (Devonian), high quality reservoir rock (up to 28% porosity) and excellent cap rock. Basement depths on the properties have been modeled by geophysical survey to exceed 1000 m in depth. The oil prospects are conventional targets and do not involve horizontal drilling or hydraulic fracturing making the prospects extremely attractive on a cost/return basis.
Saturn Coal
Saturn has a 100% interest in over 2,500 acres of coal rights in Manitoba which host two major coal discoveries. Saturn also has an 87.5% interest in over 13,000 acres of coal rights in Saskatchewan which host one major coal discovery, with the remaining 12.5% owned by Inowending Exploration & Development Corp., a First Nations owned company co-founded by Saturn. Saturn also has an 80% interest in over 11,000 additional acres of exploration ground for coal with an Australian metallurgical coal company, Jameson Resources Ltd., holding the remaining 20% interest.
Saturn's largest coal seam discoveries to date range in true width from 9 to 89 meters (continuous, no partings) and begin as depths ranging from 12 to 45 meters. The strike of these coal seams remain open and require additional drilling. The coal quality ranges form bituminous to sub-bituminous (up to 10,330 BTU/lb) with sulphur content ranging from 0.9% to 1.7%.
The area is a new western Canadian coal field and immediate access to two major rail lines (CN and Canadian Pacific) which run to within 1 km of Saturn's coal seams and connect to coal shipping terminals in Vancouver and Thunder Bay.
First Nations Partnership
Saturn is an industry leader in working with First Nations at all stages of the exploration & development cycle. In 2011, Saturn co-founded Inowending Exploration & Development Inc. with a consortium of Saulteaux First Nations whose Traditional Territories encompass Saturn's project areas. The purpose of Inowending is to allow First Nations an incorporated entity through which their communities can meaningfully participate, own, and benefit from the development of the natural resources of their homelands. Saturn is a minority shareholder of Inowending with a 20% interest, the majority 80% of Inowending is owned by the various First Nations whose home communities are within the projects area.
Inowending is a Saulteaux word that can be translated as 'relationship', and was founded and operates in accordance with the spirit and intent of Treaty.
