The company said that the outcropping area contains the longest intercept of mineralised Alum shale so far intersected in drilling in the region; the hole commenced in mineralised shale at surface, and was still in the shale at 249mt depth when drilling stopped.
Each of the eighteen holes in the 2010 program penetrated the mineralised sequence and contained an average of 115mt of mineralization as determined by radiometric logging of drill core. Aura’s confidence has heightened on the extent of the uranium mineralization in the permit, the company said.
The resource drilling program will test only 5% of Aura’s permits in the region. The company’s previous drilling in 2008 included 17 holes in its Haggan permit. These 17 holes contained an average of 116mt of uranium mineralization.
The Aura board approved a $1.6m budget for the program in December 2009. Aura’s program aims to build a major joint ore reserves committee (JORC) compliant resource within its permits.
The resource drilling forms part of Aura’s 2010 program to define the potential value of this multi-metal deposit. The overall program includes this drilling, metallurgical test work, mineralogical studies, and continuing discussions with potential partners.
