This article is based on the interview with Sam Hartmann. Presented company is a client and this should be considered as sponsored content!

In the high-stakes world of uranium exploration, few teams boast a track record as proven as that of F3 Uranium Corp. (TSX.V: FUU). With discoveries like the J-Zone in 2010 and the Triple R deposit in 2012 under their belts, the company's technical leadership has consistently delivered results in one of the world's premier uranium districts: the Athabasca Basin in Saskatchewan, Canada. Sam Hartmann, VP of Exploration for F3 Uranium, discussed the company's flagship Patterson Lake North (PLN) project, the exciting JR Zone, the game-changing Tetra Zone discovery, and the roadmap ahead.

A Legacy of Discovery: Lessons from High-Stakes Successes

F3 Uranium's edge in the Athabasca Basin stems from an unmatched volume of hands-on experience. Hartmann, reflecting on the team's history, emphasized the introspective process that follows each discovery. "Especially once you're off of a discovery, you usually kind of reflect back and say, what happened? What should we do different next time? What do we wish we did and didn't do?" he explained.

This iterative approach was evident immediately after the JR Zone discovery in late 2022, as the team transitioned to the Tetra Zone hit in spring 2025. The group's collective drilling experience—approaching or exceeding 1,000 holes on the western side of the basin—provides an intangible advantage. "When you've been exposed to that much data and photos and you can see and smell those rocks, that gives you the ultimate advantage," Hartmann noted. "Just the quantity."

This experiential depth sets F3 apart from newcomers, who often rely on geophysical proxies without the nuanced understanding of geological subtleties gained from decades in the field.

The JR Zone: A Basement-Hosted Powerhouse

At the heart of F3's PLN project lies the JR Zone, discovered in late 2022 and drilled consistently since. Hartmann described it as a "very typical" basement-hosted, shear-zone-controlled Athabasca deposit. "You're sitting in this graphitic shear. You have basically a sandwich of host rock, then a graphitic shear zone; inside of that you have a uranium deposit. Inside of that you have a high-grade—we call it an ultra-high-grade, 20-plus percent grade center," he said.

The deposit grades out symmetrically on the footwall side, mirroring patterns seen in other western Athabasca successes. Drilling in summer 2025 focused on infill work with pre-cased holes, and Hartmann expressed comfort with the current dataset. High-grade intercepts, such as 13.7% U₃O₈ over 2.5 meters, underscore the zone's excitement.

2025 drilling has refined the understanding of scale, with the zone now well-defined for resource modeling. The majority of infill drilling is complete, paving the way for a maiden resource estimate.

Tetra Zone: Rewriting the Rules in the Broach Lake Area

The real game-changer in 2025 came 12 kilometers south of JR Zone at the Tetra Zone in the Broach Lake area. This discovery challenged conventional thinking in an area historically dismissed as "moose pasture"—lacking strong conductors and situated within the magnetic high of the Clearwater Intrusive Complex.

Hartmann credited a paradigm shift: focusing on shear zones as the primary control rather than graphitic host rocks. "Our idea has always been that these deposits are shear zone hosted. So you have a fault that gets reactivated over time... and these shear zones usually develop in slippery areas where you have graphitic rocks," he explained. But in the Clearwater domain, faults and fluid pathways exist despite non-graphitic rocks. "We thought, why couldn't there be a uranium deposit in there?"

Geophysical review of historic data revealed subtle clues, leading to a winter 2025 program that started with geophysics in February, drilling in March, initial "sniffs," and a high-grade intercept by April. Tetra is unequivocally shear-zone-hosted but lacks easy-to-define ground conductors. "We have very weak conductors... they sort of represent the edges of this broken ground," Hartmann said.

Unlike JR Zone's A1B1 conductor, Tetra's features are subparallel but not on-trend—likely formed during different tectonic episodes under similar stresses. "I don't think they're the same thing at all," Hartmann clarified, rejecting a connected system in favor of standalone potential. The "pearls on a string" analogy applies within structures but not between JR and Tetra.

Fall 2025 Drilling: Targeting Expansion at Tetra

F3 kicked off a ~3,000-meter fall drill program at Tetra, part of a $3 million effort funded by a $15 million flow-through raise (from a $20 million total). This follows the winter discovery and a summer hiatus for additional geophysics to refine targets.

The program uses one diamond drill, with holes taking about a week each—aiming for 5–7 holes. Targets include 3–5 holes in and around the known Tetra mineralization to test strike theories and controls, plus step-outs from prior holes. Longer-term, the team eyes a 1,200-meter prospective strike between historic drilling and Tetra, but this requires a larger program.

Hole depths average 500–600 meters, with targets at ~300 meters. Unlike JR Zone's narrow (10–20 meter) alteration halos, Tetra boasts hundreds of meters of alteration. "We never stopped drilling when we're still in altered rock," Hartmann stressed.

This ties into the winter 2025 blueprint: rapid geophysics-to-drilling progression. Future programs—potentially $4 million in winter 2026, followed by spring/summer and late summer/fall efforts—will stretch funds through 2026.

Headline-making results? Intercepts combining high-grade pitchblende (as in hole 205) with wide intervals (like hole 217's broadest hit) could yield 60+ meter composite high-grade zones, signaling major scale.

Roadmap to Maiden Resource: Capturing High-Grade Cores

A maiden resource estimate for JR Zone—and potentially Tetra—looms as a pivotal milestone. Modeling prioritizes geological domains: low-grade (<1% U₃O₈), mid-grade (1–5%), and ultra-high-grade (>5%).

"We're still modeling this in different iterations... to ensure grades are represented appropriately and no bleed into lower-grade shells," Hartmann said. Cutoff grades will reflect these domains to highlight cores like the 20+% centers.

At JR, sonic drilling ensured straight holes, minimizing deviation and meters wasted—proving cost-effective despite higher upfront costs. Tetra's deeper targets rely on diamond drilling with wedging and steering. Downhole surveys guide exploration but don't directly impact resource models.

On size: Drill spacing mirrors Fission's Triple R or NexGen's Arrow at similar stages, suggesting mostly indicated resources with minimal inferred. "I think in terms of grade, it's going to be relatively higher than maybe Triple R," Hartmann hinted.

Beyond Resource: PEA, Integration, and Feasibility

Post-resource, the path includes a scoping study, then pre-feasibility. But western Athabasca dynamics—NexGen and Paladin proposing mill-in-mine setups—favor consolidation over standalone operations.

"Feasibility for what? Its own standalone mine? JR Zone, I wouldn't think that's gonna be the case," Hartmann said. Instead, JR could feed a central mill profitably. Tetra's wider alteration, deeper potential, and high-grade textures position it for larger scale—aiming for wide, high-grade composites.

M&A Strategy and Land Position

F3 spun out 17 properties into F4 Uranium to isolate PLN (JR Zone) from takeover dilution. Tetra's discovery reinforces this logic. "The case for spinning out F4 is as valid now as it was then," Hartmann noted.

Strategic appeal spans majors seeking mill feed or life extensions. "There's certainly interesting dynamics... F3 to be attractive to more than one group," he added. No immediate staking plans were mentioned, but adjacency to assets remains key.

News Flow and Investor Outlook

Investors can expect steady updates from the fall program: results in batches mid- and late-program, not per-hole. "We're gonna drill five, six, seven... and stay dynamic with it," Hartmann promised.

With JR poised for a high-grade resource and Tetra unfolding as a potential giant, F3 Uranium is leveraging proven expertise to unlock Athabasca's next chapter. As uranium demand surges amid global energy transitions, the company's disciplined, experience-driven approach positions it at the forefront.

Watch interview here:

Disclaimer: This article is not a recommendation to buy or sell any shares, products, or services. Always conduct your own due diligence and consult with a financial advisor.