thx presentation ages mpm v3
TRANSCRIPT
THX – Exploring for Uranium in the NT
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Murphy Inlier
Pine Creek Orogen
Ngalia Basin Uranium Occurrence
Operating & Developing Uranium Mines
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Sandstone49%
Vein9%
Metasomatite8%
Volcanic8%
Quartz-pebble Conglomerate
7%
Unconformity6%
Surficial3%
Intrusive2%
Olympic Dam1%
Others7%
Source: IAEA/ UDEPO 2011 Edition in prep.
Sandstone hosted - grade vs. tonnes
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0.010% 0.100% 1.000%100
1000
10000
100000
1000000
ConventionalISL
Grade
Reso
urce
(ton
nes U
3O8)
Source: IAEA/ UDEPO 2011 Edition in prep.
Operating Costs – Conventional vs ISL!Mine (ISL) Country Cost / lbHoneymoon Australia $30.0Four Mile (?) Australia $25.0Beverley (?) Australia $25.0South Inkai Kazakhstan $21.0North Kharasan Kazakhstan $8.7South Kharasan Kazakhstan $20.0Akdala Kazakhstan $7.3Karatau Kazakhstan $13.5Lost Ck USA $40.0Nichols Ranch / Hank USA $24.0Bison Basin USA $18.0Reno Ck USA $26.3Lance USA $21.4
Average ISL: $21.6
Mine (Conventional) Country Cost / lbDawson Hinkler Australia $52.0Lake Way / Centipede Australia $40.0Jabiluka Australia $41.6Pele Mtn Elliot Canada $55.5Cigar Lake Canada $23.1Midwest / McLean Lake Canada $23.0Michelin Labrador $28.2Kayelekera Malawi $33.0Dornod Mongolia $23.2Etango Namibia $48.0Husab Namibia $27.8Trekkopje Namibia $40.0Valencia Namibia $53.0Langer Heinrich Namibia $26.0Imouraren Niger $41.0Jahonda/Kuriskova Slovakia $36.2Dominion South Africa $46.0Colorado Plateau USA $52.2Arizona 1 USA $30.5Lost Soldier USA $35.0Mutanga Zambia $33.7
Average Conventional: $37.6
Source: Macquarie Research, September 2008 & public company financial reporting (Uranium One, Paladin, ERA, Cameco, Denison, Rio Tinto)
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ISL – Proportion of Global U Production
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2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
16%
36%
Source: world-nuclear.org
Sandstone-hosted deposits by Country
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United States of America
26%
Kazakhstan 20%
Niger 15%
29 Others w/ < 40,000 t ea.12%
Uzbekistan 8%
Russian Federation 5%
Gabon 5%
Czech Republic 4%
Australia 3%
S. Africa 2%
China 2%
World Distribution of Uranium Deposits (UD-EPO), with Uranium Deposit Classification, 2009 Edition IAEA TECDOC Series No. 1629
Southern Kazakhstan
8Jaireth et al 2008 after Yazhikov 1996
Powder River Basin (US)
9 Whitehead, R.L. 1996. GROUND WATER ATLAS of the UNITED STATES Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming USGS Report HA 730-I.
Frome Embayment
10Skirrow, R.G., 2009 (editor). Uranium ore-forming systems of the Lake Frome region, South Australia: Regional spatial controls and exploration criteria. Geoscience Australia Record 2009/40, 151 p.
Ngalia Basin – Previous gravity
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Ngalia – initial conceptual targets
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Seismic Line / Model
Structure, sedimentation & porosity
13Thorne, A. M. & Seymour, D. B. & GSWA. 1991 Geology of the Ashburton Basin, Western Australia
Ngalia Basin – 1km Gravity Survey (2009)
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Mineralisation! (May 2010)
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TNG006MD
Looking WNW
Step-out Drilling (end 2010)
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Cross-section
TNG034AC: 1.0m at 1,798 ppm U3O8
TNG006MD: 0.32m at 1547 ppm U3O8
TNG045MD: 0.55m at 1150 ppm eU3O8
TNG021MD: 0.55m at 922 ppm eU3O8
TNG035MD: 4.35m at 209 ppm eU3O8
TNG032MR: 0.2m at 656 ppm eU3O8
Afghan Swan Anomaly
Afghan Swan Cross Section (end 2010)
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Hole collapsed
SEM – Lower T Channel sands (299 ppm U3O8)
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SEM - Lower T Mudstone (2580 ppm U3O8)
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Correlation with Nearby Cenozoic Basins
20Source: Senior et al, BMR Record 1994/66
Context – Tertiary Climatic Record
21Source: Uriarte 2011 (http://web.me.com/uriarte/Earths_Climate/Earths_Climate_History.html) & Zachos, 2001
Afghan Swan - ISL Amenable? Maybe…
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Hosted in Aquifer– Drillers report water intersections in running sands
– Samples lifted by Air Core drilling
– Higher grades report to sand/mud contact (e.g. Beverley)
Hydrogeological confinement– Consistent intersections of the lower T mudstone
– Drillers report pressurized aquifers
Typical Mineralogy– Anatase, uraninite, pyrite & LREE enriched hydrated phosphates
Evidence of variable disequilibrium– Up-to 5x in TNG006MD
Low salinities– TDS ~2000mg/L in air-lifted water samples
Low carbonate– Average = 0.15% Ca from diamond core of channel & mud facies
Drill campaign completed early Nov 2011
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Afghan Swan Prospect
TEMPEST Survey mid Nov 2011
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Afghan Swan Prospect
TEMPEST Survey (Jan 2011) – Channel z9
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Afghan Swan Prospect
Avg(CDI 100-125m) / X Time Constant
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Afghan Swan Prospect
TDR(Avg(CDI 100-125m) / X Time Constant)
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Afghan Swan Prospect
TDR = Shade, EM z9 = Amplitude (Colour)
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Afghan Swan Prospect
TEMPEST 320m data - Afghan Swan – EM z9
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Drill hole with uranium intercept
Barren drill hole
Afghan Swan – TEMPEST CDI “Line A”
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Line A
Afghan Swan – TEMPEST CDI “Line B”
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Line B
Forward Exploration Program
Focus on Tertiary Hosted Uranium– Reconnaissance Rotary Mud Program & gamma/resistivity
– 800m & 1600m spacing within interpreted paleo-valleys– Drill along EM lines– Map oxidation fronts– Understand Tertiary facies distribution
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YuendumuVaughan Springs
Bigrlyi
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