Elevate Uranium Managing Director,
Geophysics
The Company commenced planning this Airborne EM survey in
During the 12 days of flying, a total of 5,217 line kilometres were flown, at a flight height of between 30 and 50 metres with 250 metre line spacing, using a SkyTEM helicopter based system. Once the raw data was collated and validated by SkyTEM, it was transferred to the Company's geophysical consultants, Resource Potentials in
Multiple images of the processed Airborne EM data were produced at different apparent depth slices, in order to define the position of potential palaeochannels within the large survey area, i.e. identify the deeper, more continuous subsurface palaeochannels from the shallow, more laterally extensive, surface drainage patterns. Previous drilling results were used to 'calibrate' the depth profiles and images to more efficiently gauge the position of the palaeochannels. The SkyTEM data has been combined with historical AeroTEM Airborne EM data over the western portions of the tenement package, in order to gauge the likely extent of the palaeochannel systems to the west.
The AeroTEM survey, undertaken by previous tenement holders prior to Elevate acquiring the tenements, was flown using 500 metre spaced flight lines and was not optimised for definition of near surface palaeochannels and therefore, shows a slightly more diffuse and less detailed image than the recent, optimised SkyTEM data. Resource Potentials also provided a number of images representing different apparent depths of basement and these have been used to identify areas which are likely to represent palaeochannel systems.
The areas identified to contain palaeochannels, cover an area of approximately 347 square kilometres, which is about the total size of Namib IV tenement. The corresponding length of the palaeochannels is estimated to be approximately 280 kilometres, which is the distance from
The SkyTEM survey has been successful in identifying significant palaeochannel systems and this information will be used as the basis for planning future drill programmes. The Company expects that, once the SkyTEM palaeochannel positions are analysed in conjunction with the existing mineralised intersections from previous drilling in the Namib Area, a more targeted approach to identifying mineralisation within the identified palaeochannel systems will be defined.
As an example, the connection between the various mineralised intersections along the main palaeochannel contained within the Hirabeb tenement is not well defined and it is expected that detailed analysis of the SkyTEM survey will allow identification of individual, continuous and mineralised palaeochannels, within the wider drainage system. In addition, once drilling has been undertaken in the additional palaeochannels identified from the SkyTEM survey, it is anticipated that this mineralised trend analysis will enable a more targeted approach to define continuous mineralisation in the greater Namib Area, which was covered by the SkyTEM survey.
The Company will now design and undertake drilling programs to physically confirm the existence of the palaeochannels and determine the grade of uranium mineralisation. Due to the large and extensive area of these palaeochannel systems, the drilling programs are expected to continue into 2022. The Namib Area is characterised by featureless terrain with no obvious surface expression to identify palaeochannels. Prior to undertaking this Airborne EM survey, Elevate's exploration method to locate these featureless palaeochannels, was to complete ground-based geophysics, using horizontal loop electromagnetic ('HLEM') surveys, to confirm the location of the palaeochannels, before drilling to physically validate the HLEM survey results and to determine the grade of uranium mineralisation.
This exploration method has proved successful in identifying an extensive palaeochannel system hosting uranium mineralisation at Koppies and Hirabeb, and an extensive palaeochannel system at Namib IV on which drilling is planned to confirm the presence of uranium mineralisation. www.elevateuranium.com.au Page 3 of 8 The Company may continue to use HLEM for smaller specific geophysical surveys, as an adjunct for this Airborne EM survey.
EPL 7435 was not included in this Airborne EM survey, as the environmental clearance certificate to allow access had not been issued by the
Contact:
Tel: +61 8 6555 1816
Email: murray.hill@elevateuranium.com.au
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The information in this announcement as it relates to exploration results, interpretations and conclusions was compiled by
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