West Australian Metals Ltd. (West Australian Metals) has reported the initial results from drilling at Phillipus exploration target on 80% owned Marenica uranium project in Namibia. Preliminary drilling results indicate continuous mineralized horizon at the Phillipus prospect, 4.5km north of Marenica resource. Initial probe results have been received from the first 11 holes completed at the Phillipus Prospect.
The Phillippus prospect is located 4.5km north of the Marenica palaeo-channel resource (111Mt grading 140ppm eU3O8), where work is continuing to upgrade and extend the existing resource.
Initial probe results from holes MAR1600 and MAR1610 shown below:
16.2m at 169ppm eU3O8 from 8.2 m in MAR1601;
2.6m at 142ppm eU3O8 from 5.52m in MAR1602 and;
7.6m at 110ppm eU3O8 from 24.32m in MAR1602;
7.5m at 299ppm eU3O8 from 76.56m in MAR1603;
18.9m at 149ppm eU3O8 from 3.89m in MAR1604.
The better results from this drilling occur in the central part of the 900 meter long anomaly at Phillipus, with a consistent mineralised horizon identified along the northern contact from drill hole MAR1601 to MAR1604.
The mineralised granite can be traced south for a further 300 meters to drill hole MAR1613. Probe results from the western zone for drill holes MAR1612 to MAR1616 have not yet been received.
The initial results from drilling are considered to be very encouraging, reinforcing the potential to define primary uranium mineralisation associated with altered alaskitic granites and pegmatites at Phillipus and other regional prospects within the Marenica Project area.
Drilling has now commenced at the Springbok Prospect, located 2.5km north west of Phillipus.
Marenica Resource Drilling
Progress has been achieved with the RC resource drilling program targeting the main Marenica palaeo-channel resource, with a total of 162 holes for 4,115 meters completed during September, bringing total drilling since the commencement of the program in July to 9,404 meters. All holes were drilled vertically to an average depth of 25 meters.
The down-hole geophysical probe survey by Terratec Geophysical Consultants continued during September. This program included probing of previously un-assessed historical (Goldfields) holes, holes drilled by West Australian Metals in the current phase of resource drilling, and exploration drill-holes at the Phillipus Prospect. For September 2009, a total of 253 holes have been probed for 5,672 meters.
Recent probe results from the wide-spaced extensional and in-fill drilling are highlighted below:
10.5m at 115ppm eU3O8 from 0.77m in MAR1295;
9.1m at 247ppm eU3O8 from 15.58m in MAR1341;
5.1m at 205ppm eU3O8 from 17.63m in MAR1343;
10.0m at 202ppm eU3O8 from 20.44m in MAR1345;
10.6m at 148ppm eU3O8 from 13.10m in MAR1348.
Recent significant results from probe work on the unlogged historical holes are highlighted below:
8.60m at 311ppm eU3O8 from 3.12m in SP2311;
3..2m at 227ppm eU3O8 from 11.25m in SP2318.
This program of probing historical drilling continues to deliver positive results. The company anticipates that this will improve the resource category of a large portion of the current resource (Inferred Resource of 111Mt grading 140ppm eU3O8 for 17,000 tonnes or 34Mlb of contained U3O8).
The company also advises that it is planning to undertake a further program of in-fill drilling (around 700 meters) over an area west of the Marenica paleao-channel resource.
Wide-spaced (200m by 100m) exploration drilling was completed over this area during late July and early August 2009 targeting a large, previously undrilled radiometric anomaly. This work was successful in identifying several anomalies that require in-fill drilling.
Although results from this work cannot be included in the October resource update, the company is aiming to include results from this additional work in the December resource calculation.