The results support the proposed ‘oxidised tails or interface zones’ of roll-front uranium-style mineralisation and show the potential for a new uranium province in South Australia, which already has sandstone-hosted uranium deposits
Norfolk confirms Uranium presence in South Australia. (Credit: WikiImages from Pixabay)
Australia-based mineral exploration company Norfolk Metals has confirmed the presence of uranium at three targets tested at the Orroroo project in Walloway Basin, South Australia.
The announcement unlocks the potential for a new uranium province in South Australia, which already has sandstone-hosted uranium deposits.
The downhole geophysical survey in historical exploration wells showed peak results of 650ppm pU3O8 within an interval of 192ppm pU3O8 over 0.5m from 112.59m deep.
According to the company, the results supported the proposed ‘oxidised tails or interface zones’ of roll-front uranium style mineralisation theory proposed by its geology team.
Norfolk Metals executive chairman Ben Phillips said: “We are excited by the results of the downhole geophysical survey and cannot understate the implications this has for the potential of a greenfields discovery in the Walloway basin.
“Typically, sandstone uranium mineralisation is hosted in flat and planar tabular bodies close to the surface, and as a consequence, the best discoveries typically occur early in the life cycle of defining a new fertile sedimentary basin.
“We have rapidly and successfully confirmed the potential of the Walloway via the novel approach of reviewing gamma anomalies in historical wells drilled by the oil and gas industry, and overlooked by the minerals industry.”
The uranium occurrence was confirmed at depths of 100 to 113m, which is potentially suitable for proven in-situ recovery methods.
The occurrences, (well 15P1 to 7P3) are located more than 5km apart, and the remaining area in the basin is not tested for uranium.
Walloway Basin was never explored for uranium, irrespective of being the same age as Frome Embayment, which hosts Beverley, Four Mile and Honeymoon uranium resources.
Norfolk said that it is the company to fully control the Walloway Basin, under two exploration licences covering 659km2.
The company aims to advance the exploration with geophysics and roadside drilling to follow up on the initial results and target potential roll-front style uranium mineralisation.
Phillips added: “Norfolk have 100% ownership of a very large basin area in Australia’s leading uranium resource state. Norfolk has presented favourable uranium occurrences at depths potentially suitable for in-situ extraction technology.
“We look forward to working with our stakeholders to accelerate our exploration efforts, leveraging modern geophysics for rapid delineation of potential paleochannels followed by high-impact drilling.”