Crossland Uranium Mines Limited (Crossland Uranium) has updated on its systematic exploration at its flagship Chilling Project, Australia. Geological mapping of the Fish River Valley during July and August 2009 has revealed significant new information about the geological setting there. This new information enhances the favourability of the Chilling Project area for large uranium deposits.
A 32 square km area of poor bedrock outcrop to the east of the Soldiers Creek Granite in the Fish River Valley in Crossland Uranium’s recently granted EL22738, has not previously been mapped. Crossland Uranium has now revised the interpretation of this setting based on field mapping and geophysical patterns. There are extensive outcrops of tightly folded, fine grained siliceous sediments. These are strongly reminiscent of silicified carbonates and dolomitic shales that are present in the Pine Creek Orogen around the Rum Jungle district, and also in association with uranium mineralisation at the Alligator Rivers Uranium Field, particularly at the Ranger No1 Orebody. In several places, there are dolomite outcrops associated with these siliceous zones.
The siliceous outcrops are commonly found brecciated, with an iron rich matrix, and are often close to the projected plane of the Proterozoic unconformity surface.
Crossland Uranium has concluded that the 32sq. Km. window is occupied by Lower Proterozoic metamorphosed sediments. Because of the nature of the rock types present, it is likely that the metasediments are from lower portions of the Pine Creek Orogen succession. The lower portions of the stratigraphy are more favourable for the development of uranium mineralisation, and almost all uranium production from the Northern Territory has come from these lower portions of the Orogen stratigraphic sequence. Crossland Uranium therefore considers this an important development that enhances the favourability of the Chilling project area generally, but the southern portion in particular. The geological setting of the area is summarised in geological sketch map of the Fish River Prospect included below. There are several priority radiometric anomalies associated with this zone. Three of these had previously been related to “ironstones” along a faulted contact of the Soldiers Creek Granite called the Fish River Fault. The new interpretation of the setting is that these are radioactive breccias associated with the silicified sediments. More detailed information on the setting will be revealed by drilling.
Crossland Uranium is following up this realisation with detailed stream sediment sampling, soil lines over the favourable horizons, and a ground based spectrometer survey of an extensive zone within the window. This work is well advanced, and crews are working to complete this work before the wet season commences.
A program of air core drilling to unoxidised bedrock will commence during September. Elsewhere at Chilling, plans are being made to drill two core holes at targets generated from last year’s drilling at the March Fly Prospect, with the aim of extending the mineralised zone. Additionally, follow up of anomalies in the Muldiva and Fletchers Gully areas to the north of Fish River, and the Mema Granite window, all to the north of the Fish River Valley will get under way within the next two weeks.
Crossland Uranium has received the preliminary results from the Airborne EM collaboration with Geoscience Australia over its detailed areas in ELs24557, 25076 and 25078. This, along with the regional GA survey that surrounds these detailed survey areas, which should become available to Crossland Uranium in late September, will permit Crossland Uranium to target potentially uranium- bearing structures at the unconformity beneath the Tolmer Group cover. Drilling at these targets should commence in the 2010 season.