Projects
Mtonya
The Mtonya project is located 100 km east of the district capital of Songea. The project area spans the Usagaren basement to the west and the Karoo Luwegu Basin to the east. The Usagaren basement is interpreted to be the source of the uranium mineralisation with the porous sandstone units of the Karroo formation hosting redox style mineral enrichments.
Eight primary targets have been identified within the Mtonya licence area. Namely the Henri; Para; Tahbilk; Galway; Moysten; Grandfather; Dalwood; and Rufus prospects. See map below:
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The November 2006 field programme which included excavation, sampling and geological mapping of trenches, significantly enhanced the Company's understanding of the target size and location of the roll front style uranium mineralisation. The Mtonya licence area is thought to have a similar geology to Paladin's Kayelekera deposit in Malawi, for which development approval has recently been granted.
Initial trench results received from systematic channel sampling were promising confirming high grade uranium mineralisation of up to 2.7% U3O8 from channel samples in excavated trenches up to 1.5m deep, indicating potentially extensive strike consistent with sandstone hosted roll front type deposits.
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A high resolution helicopter radiometric survey was completed over the most prospective areas of the Mtonya project in May 2007. The survey comprised of 5,150 line kilometres of data collection on 250 metre spaced flight lines.
Preliminary interpretation of raw data was very encouraging with the identification of more than 15 anomalies of interest that warranted further detailed exploration. Field crews commenced accessing the anomalies in June 2007 to conduct geological data collection and sampling.
Following the end of the wet season and the construction of 12 kilometres of drill access tracks, a 4,000 metre drilling programme started in June 2007. Initial results confirmed widespread sub-surface uranium over a two kilometre trend. The drilling programme focussed primarily on the Henri, Para and Tahbilk prospects and achieved its aim of identifying highly anomalous areas and provided great encouragement for future exploration and development programmes. See results below:
- 7 metres at 1,233 ppm U3O8 including 3 metres at 2,607 ppm U3O8
- 7 metres at 549 ppm U3O8 including 4 metres at 843 ppm U3O8
- 6 metres at 507 ppm U3O8 including 2 metres at 1,145 ppm U3O8
- 7 metres at 400 ppm U3O8 including 3 metres at 770 ppm U3O8
- 4 metres at 515 ppm U3O8 including 2 metres at 855 ppm U3O8
Results are from samples submitted from the 1,648 metre reverse circulation drilling programme comprising of 29 holes, with the average hole depth totalling 56 meters conducted in June 2007.
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Twenty one drill holes were completed on the Henri anomaly where previous trenching work had yielded strong surface mineralisation. Two drill sections, approximately 200 metres apart, were completed in addition to some isolated holes off section.
The results from the broad-spaced drilling continue to support the widespread distribution of sub-surface sandstone hosted uranium mineralisation over a 2 kilometre trend which forms part of a larger 14 sq km anomaly.