Drilling progress has been slower than anticipated, but the programme is now expected to be completed by around December 2009. About 1,600 meters have been drilled to date in 300 vertical holes, on both the Oued El Foule Est and Ain Sder targets.
The drilling programme is aimed at determining the extent and continuity of widespread shallow uranium mineralization previously located by Aura Energy. Drilling of the Oum Ferkik targets will commence later this week. Downhole radiometric logging of the holes is expected to commence around December 26, 2009.
Deeper, inclined drilling will commence shortly with the arrival of a second drilling rig to test for primary mineralization at depth at Oued El Foule Est.
The projects are joint ventures between Aura Energy and GCM Resources plc. Aura Energy is managing the drilling programme. Aura Energy’s participating interest in the permits is anticipated to rise to around 50% by the end of this programme.
The Reguibat Project is focussed within the Paleoproterozoic Reguibat Craton in northern Mauritania. Aura Energy/GCM currently hold three granted permits here covering 3,500 km2 and have a further nine under application. Previous field work by Aura Energy involving shallow pitting and sampling over broad areas indicated that uranium vanadate mineralization occurs over large areas within 1m of surface.
Of 47 pits sampled within zones of elevated airborne radiometric response, 32% were significantly mineralized with values ranging up to 2217 ppm U3O8. Higher grade zones occur within this. The majority of these pits were spaced at 500m. The mineralization is associated with pedogenic calcrete.
These known mineralized zones are being tested by shallow vertical reverse circulation drilling a drill pattern varying from 200m x 200m to 200m x 400m.
