UXA discovers 3km zone of outcropping uranium mineralisation
16/Jul/2009
View document »
PROJECT UPDATE - CRYSTAL CREEK, NT
High grade uranium - field sampling returning up to 4,120 ppm U3O8
The directors of Uranium Exploration Australia Limited (‘UXA’) are pleased to announce that the Company has made a potentially very significant discovery at its 100% owned Crystal Creek Project on Exploration Licence (EL) 24566, Ngalia Thrust, located approximately 320km northwest of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.
Recent field work has identified a zone of uranium mineralisation which crops out intermittently over a strike distance in excess of 3,000m, with early field sampling indicating U3O8 concentrations of up to 4,120 ppm.
Commenting on the discovery, Managing Director Dr Russell Penney said, “We are excited by the discovery, given the 3km length of the structure, the early indicators of high grade uranium mineralisation and its location near to the 20.6 Mlb U3O8 Bigrlyi deposit. As such, this is potentially the most significant discovery of mineralisation made to date by UXA”.
High uranium concentrations detected across 3km structure length The discovery comes on the back of an airborne radiometric survey in 2007 which identified two anomalies (Anomaly A and Anomaly B, (Figure 1), (Announcement dated 8 January 2008). In
late 2008, UXA drilled at Anomaly A which lies 3km south of Anomaly B, and discovered some narrow zones of uranium mineralisation (best 1m @ 208 ppm U3O8).
Figure 1. Niton XRF readings at Anomaly B, Crystal Creek
Table 1. Scintillometer reading & Niton XRF Uranium grade from Anomaly B uranium bearing fault structure for values > 400 ppm U.
Recent geological mapping has identified radiometric Anomaly B to be due to an east northeast striking uranium bearing fault zone within granite and aplite of the Mesoproterozoic age Southwark Granitic Suite, part of the Arunta Inlier.
The structure has been traced for a distance in excess of 3km and varies in width from 30cm to 12m, averaging 3m. Uranium appears to be associated with ironstone and grades are highly variable from trace up to 4,120 ppm U3O8. Uranium mineralisation is poddy along strike and highly variable across strike.
Uranium values were measured in the field using an appropriately calibrated portable Niton XL3t XRF unit. Values in Table 1 are the maximum uranium values recorded for any single location (point). Scintillometer and XRF readings were taken at 185 points along the structure. Of these 96 points recorded XRF uranium values of between 100 ppm U and 500 ppm U and 12 points recorded values between 500 ppm U and 3,500 ppm U (4,120 ppm U3O8).
High uranium concentrations up to 389 ppm U3O8 have also been recorded within aplite (a type of fine grained granite), located north east of the mapped structure and this provides a potential target to drill a broader zone of mineralisation.
The Company will follow up this discovery and initial field work with a detailed surface radiometric, field XRF and geochemical sampling program over the fault structure and adjacent anomalous aplite. This work will lead to a drilling program later this year.
For further information, contact.
Russell Penney
Managing Director.
Tel: +61 8 8363 7970
Email: info@uxa.com.au
Website: www.uxa.com.au
Media: Farrington National +612 9332 4448
Technical Information in this report is based on information compiled by Mr Simon Powell who is employed by Uranium Exploration Australia Limited and who is a Member of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr Powell has sufficient exploration experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2004 Edition of the ‘Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves’ (“JORC 2004”). Mr Powell consents to the inclusion in this release of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.
Back to list index