North Shore Continues To Advance Rio Puerco Towards Drilling
North Shore readies the drills for New Mexico as historical resource validation looms
The most recent news (February 23, 2026) confirms that North Shore Uranium has filed a "Minimal Impact Exploration Operation Permit Application" for its flagship Rio Puerco project in New Mexico. Key operational steps include the staking of 19 new mining claims and the selection of 27 specific drill sites. The 2026 drill program is scheduled to commence in May, focusing on "twinning" 1970s-era holes drilled by Kerr-McGee to validate a historical resource of 11.4 million pounds of U3O8. Additionally, the company is seeking increased liquidity by applying for a listing on the OTCQB Venture Market in the United States.
The news is Routine - Positive. While it represents necessary progress toward the company's stated goals, it is largely in line with the strategic pivot toward Rio Puerco announced in late 2025. - Validation of Strategy: The filing of the permit and the May start date provide a concrete timeline for the company's most significant catalyst: converting the historical resource into a NI 43-101 compliant estimate. - Incremental Expansion: Staking 19 new claims suggests management sees potential for mineralization to extend beyond the known historical boundaries, particularly in Section 18. - Market Access: The OTCQB application is a positive administrative step to attract US-based retail and institutional interest, which is logical given the project's location in New Mexico. - Comparison to Expectations: This follows the successful $3.23M private placement closed in January 2026, confirming the company is now fully funded for this specific program.
North Shore Uranium is a junior explorer with a dual-jurisdiction strategy. Its flagship is the Rio Puerco Project in the Grants Uranium District, New Mexico. The project features a historical (non-43-101) resource of 11.4 million lbs U3O8 (0.09% grade). The company also holds the Falcon and West Bear properties in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan. Rio Puerco is particularly attractive due to its potential for In-Situ Recovery (ISR) mining and existing infrastructure (a 260m shaft from previous development by Kerr-McGee).