Canyon Copper Corp. said Aug. 2 that it acquired a total of 2,851 hectares, contiguous to its Bootleg Lake gold project in Saskatchewan, via staking.

The company staked a total of 13 claims blocks, contiguous to the south and west side of Bootleg Lake, as the Saskatchewan government re-opened the Creighton area for staking after an extended period of closure.

The addition of new claims boosts the Bootleg Lake land area by 329% to 3,718 hectares.

Canyon, in May, secured an option to earn up to a 75% interest in the Bootleg Lake property from New Moon Minerals Corp. The property hosts the past-producing Bootleg/Rio mine, Henning Maloney mine and Newcor mine.

The company plans to integrate exploration on the new claims into the planned program for the original Bootleg Lake acquisition. A detailed compilation of historical information is underway, to be followed by prospecting and geological mapping during the 2017 summer field season.

Meanwhile, a detailed geophysical survey is planned for the Bootleg/Rio mine area to determine the shape and plunge of mineralization, which will be followed up by diamond drilling if results warrant.