For two years Deep Yellow has been exploring for possible economic sedimentary uranium deposits on four of Dominion Gold's mineral exploration tenements in the central Gawler Craton, under the terms of a joint venture agreement signed on...
For two years Deep Yellow has been exploring for possible economic sedimentary uranium deposits on four of Dominion Gold's mineral exploration tenements in the central Gawler Craton, under the terms of a joint venture agreement signed on 22/2/2006. The principal targets have been near-surface redox front geochemical traps which may have formed within the Tertiary Pidinga or Garford Formation fluvio-lacustrine carbonaceous sediments in palaeovalley settings. A 2840 line km airborne EM survey (12 Hz TEMPEST-EM) was flown for Deep Yellow across the prospective ground during the week of 11-18/8/2006, with 120 m mean terrain clearance. The resulting processed EM data confirmed the presence of meandering conductive traces within the Phanerozoic cover, which are likely to represent palaeodrainage features which form part of the headwaters of the Garford and Anthony systems. A scout aircore drilling programme was then designed, to test for tabular or roll-front uranium mineralisation which could be present in lignite beds or sand bodies flanking or infilling these palaeochannels (as had already been found at the Warrior prospect located a short distance to the south-east), or for calcrete or calcareous deltaic facies - hosted uranium mineralisation which could have developed near saline groundwater flow sumps. During July-August 2007 a total of 145 aircore holes with an aggregate penetration of 9885 m were completed, and the majority were probed downhole for natural gamma response, while the recovered drill cuttings samples were also scanned with a hand-held scintillometer. No anomalous radioactivity above background levels was detected. 72 selected composite cuttings samples were XRF assayed for uranium, and the best value obtained was 43 ppm U3O8 intersected in hole WG96 over the depth interval 38-40 m. Only one genuine palaeochannel was intersected by the drilling; this being in the 15 Mile Tank area (EL 3044). This narrow channel, containing pebbly basal gravel, lies in the headwaters of the Wynbring Palaeodrainage. Most of the drillholes passed through thick, puggy to dry, sandy clays and claystone from mid-hole to bottomhole (~ 100 m depth). These sediments resemble deep basinal fill rather than palaeovalley fill and, taken together with their commonly lithified appearance, they are interpreted as likely to be infaulted Arckaringa Basin sediments. It is likely that these lithified sediments are quite conductive and hence are the deeper sources being modelled by the AEM response. A minority of drillholes reached metamorphic basement; usually Christie Gneiss, and, in one instance, lamprophyre (in WG9). A broad palaeobasin containing lignite was intersected south of Lake Anthony (EL 3270). However, the redox zone at the top of the lignite was only mildly anomalous, with a best assay result of 4 m @ 21 ppm U3O8 being returned from hole WG93. A narrow palaeodrainage, defined by the AEM survey, lies just west of the Challenger mine site on the northern sub-block of EL 3270 Jumbuck. Carbonaceous sands intersected at around 40 m depth mark an indistinct palaeochannel fill, which returned the aforementioned best analytical result (hole WG96, 2 m @ 43 ppm U3O8). The extension of this mineralisation is not closed off to the west. This drainage forms a tributary of the Garford Palaeochannel. Due to the apparently poor Tertiary palaeochannel development within the subject licences, and the indicated low levels of sedimentary uranium concentration therein, Deep Yellow decided late in 2007 to discontinue further exploration, and therefore no field work took place during 2008. On 9/12/2008 the company notified Dominion Mining that it wished to exit the joint venture, which it was allowed to do within three years of the commencement of the agreement, having accrued the minimum expenditure required, but without earning any equity in the licences involved.
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