Wollogorang Project
WOLLOGORANG URANIUM PROJECT (NT)
The project area is contained within three
granted Exploration Licences and one Exploration
Licence Application and covers approximately
2,277 square kilometres of the Wearyan Shelf
tectonic domain of the south eastern part of the
Proterozoic McArthur Basin. The
majority of the rocks in the project area consist
of a northwest-dipping package of sedimentary,
volcanic and carbonate rocks that comprise the
Tawallah Group, the lowermost unit of the
McArthur Basin sequence.
Stratabound Base Metal
Mineralisation
Base metal mineralisation occurs within specific
stratigraphic intervals of the Wollogorang Formation
of the Talwallah Group over several kilometres in
length. This mineralisation is evidenced in a number
of copper/lead/zinc stream sediment anomalies
and mineralised rock chip samples over a distance
of approximately 75 kilometres. GML considers that past exploration
of these anomalies has been inconclusive. The
spatial association of some of these geochemical
anomalies with recently detected geophysical
features (magnetic depletion zones, fault and domal
structures) has enhanced their potential as exploration
targets. GML considers
that these targets are prospective for:
- Large tonnage, stratabound copper ± cobalt
deposits within various sandstone units of
the Wollogorang Formation. It is suggested
that the style of mineralisation will have similarities
with the giant deposits of the Central
African Copper Belt or the Kupferschiefer of
Europe.
- Large tonnage zinc-lead-silver deposits in
the shale-dolostone units of the Wollogorang Formation, similar to the nearby giant
McArthur River and Century deposits.
Breccia-hosted Base
Metal Mineralisation
GML’s tenement area surrounds the Redbank
Copper Field contained in ERL 94, which is
currently under development by Redbank Mines
Limited . The Redbank Copper Field
contains twenty-one copper-bearing pipes developed
within altered and brecciated Gold Creek
Volcanics and the underlying Wollogorang
Formation, which contains current published
resources of 4.3 million tonnes at an average grade
of 1.5 % Cu within two major pipes. The Redbank
copper-rich breccia pipe structures exhibit many
geological similarities with the El Soldado pipe
deposits of central Chile, which contain approximately
200 million tonnes at an average grade of
1.35 % copper.
GML have recognised a large (3 km diameter),
circular, magnetic low feature at Masterton Ridge
which could represent a large buried breccia pipe
close to the Redbank Copper Field. It is planned to test this feature with a
number of deep drill holes. A number of smaller
magnetic features in the Hobblechain area could
also represent a cluster of smaller mineralised pipe
structures.
Uranium Mineralisation
Many uranium and uranium-copper occurrences
are known to occur in the lower units of the Tawallah
Group. The most significant deposits are associated
with altered mafic dykes intruding the Westmoreland
Conglomerate, the oldest member of the
Tawallah Group. GML has a joint venture
over the southern portion of the tenement area
which includes the uranium occurrences of the
Pandanus Creek uranium field.
Exploration has delineated a number of targets
for ground follow-up.
In the northern portion, GML have generated
several uranium targets from the recent airborne geophysical survey, based on interpretation of
uranium/thorium (U/Th) ratios. The largest of these, at Twelve Mile Creek, is
characterised by a number of spot U/Th highs
over an aggregate length of approximately 20
kilometres. The target
area is spatially associated with a major linear fault
structure and could result from leakage along a
fault/dyke, an unconformity structure, a contact
zone or a uranium-enriched volcanic unit.
GML considers that the entire target feature
could indicate a previously unexplored uranium field.
Several prominent spot U/Th highs,
representing residual uranium anomalies, within
the large zone are scheduled for initial ground
follow-up and possible scout drilling.
Diamond Mineralisation
Micro-diamonds occur as a “cloud” over a large
area of the Northern Territory. Previous exploration
has resulted in the discovery of the Coanjula
diamond prospect and the Merlin Diamond Field,
both approximately 170 kilometres west of the
Wollogorang Project area.
Diamond exploration by CRA Exploration in the
period 1993 to 1998, resulted in the discovery of
four macro diamonds and 38 micro diamonds in
the headwaters of Branch Creek. These occurrences,
at Queenslander Creek and Nabunga
Creek, are spatially associated with magnetic
low and Dighem features, possibly indicative
of kimberlitic source bodies. GML considers that the geophysical
features have not been adequately tested and a
program of scout drilling is planned. Circular
magnetic features at Coolibah Creek and Calvert
could also be
indicative of kimberlitic bodies.
Exploration Programs and Budgets
Exploration programs will initially involve geological mapping, geochemical sampling, reconnaissance induced polarisation (IP) and radiometric geophysical surveys and scout reverse circulation percussion and diamond drilling (5500 m in the first two years) of the detailed target areas. Initial exploration success during Year 1 will be followed by delineation and definition drilling programs at priority target areas.
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