Uranium specialist Marenica Energy Limited (ASX:MEY) has identified expansive and deep palaeochannels in a survey of exclusive prospecting license (EPL) 7278 (known as Hirabeb) in Namibia, Africa.
The company elected to survey Hirabeb with Horizontal Loop Electromagnetic (HLEM) following its successful use at its Koppies Prospect, where the was successful in identifying palaeochannels that drilling subsequently showed to be mineralised.
Managing Director, Murray Hill, said Hirabeb – the largest of Marenica’s tenements in the Namib Area – has extensive historical exploration mapping, and is located upstream of the known Aussinanis deposit.
Historical documentation produced by General Mining Corporation (Gencor) indicates the presence of a potentially significant palaeochannel system within the area covered by EPL-7278.
As a result of this information, a number of HLEM survey lines were undertaken in order to investigate and confirm the location of palaeochannels within the Hirabeb license.
To date, four lines have been completed with an additional line partially completed prior to the COVID- 19 lockdown within Namibia. In all cases, HLEM has confirmed the presence of both calcrete valley fill and deeper, incised, palaeochannels within the area. In general, the depth of the calcrete material is greater than 10m, with the identified palaeochannels reaching depths of greater than 30m in a number of places.
In comparison, palaeochannels with maximum depths of between 15 and 18 metres were recorded in the Koppies palaeochannel system.
“The uncovering of historical exploration information produced by Gencor has been instrumental in identifying key exploration targets, Koppies was an exploration target identified by Gencor,” Mr Hill said.
“We are excited about the Hirabeb HLEM results which confirm the palaeochannels are at least the width indicated by Gencor, with potentially over half the tenement covered in prospective palaeochannels, presenting the rare opportunity of having an abundance of exploration targets.
“Much like Koppies, the Hirabeb exploration target is upstream of a known uranium deposit, increasing the probability of finding uranium, and this tenement is 15 times larger than Koppies.”
Analysis of the HLEM sections has identified a number of prospective areas for follow-up reverse circulation (RC) drilling. In the main, these areas are in locations where the HLEM identified palaeochannel base has a depth of at least 20m and are concentrated around the locations where the palaeochannel depth is greater than 30m.
