During the 2009-2010 licence year, 8 vertical open rotary mud drillholes, YR035 to YR042, were completed along two drill traverses for a total penetration of 1614 m. They were designed to intersect the Eyre Formation adjacent to interpreted faults...
During the 2009-2010 licence year, 8 vertical open rotary mud drillholes, YR035 to YR042, were completed along two drill traverses for a total penetration of 1614 m. They were designed to intersect the Eyre Formation adjacent to interpreted faults in the Bulldog Shale, and to provide a broad scale understanding of the geology in the Hamilton Creek area, where Tertiary fluvial sediments overlie relatively shallow basement rocks of the Mount Painter Domain. In this area, interpretation of previous drilling data indicated that the depth to the Bulldog Shale can be mapped using electromagnetic data. However, it transpired that planned holes sited close to the target Bulldog Shale fault in the Hamilton Creek area were unable to be drilled in the 2009 program due to time constraints. Eyre Formation sands were encountered in all of the drillholes, but no anomalous gamma ray log readings were recorded. The holes were wireline logged using a GeoVista tool suite which included gamma, dual induction, dual resistivity, neutron, caliper and deviation sondes. Equivalent uranium (eU3O8) grades were calculated from calibrated gamma ray readings. The neutron, induction and resistivity logs were used to interpret lithology. The best log-interpreted mineralised intercept was 0.0053% eU3O8 at a depth of 14 m in hole YR035. The depth to the Bulldog Shale was shown to decrease on the north-western ends of the drill traverses, as had been expected from interpreting the airborne EM data. However, the faulting within the Bulldog Shale appears to be complicated, and more interpretation of the AEM data is needed to try to understand it. Also, a reliable pick for the top of the Eyre Formation has yet to be recognised within the geophysical data. No field work was undertaken on EL 3903 during the 2010-2011 reporting year. Evaluation of the previous year's drilling results produced the following stratigraphic observations: - the interpreted Eyre Formation as intersected by Quasar's drilling consists of a very thick (~40 m), mainly sandy sequence with interbedded clays and silts also present. It is variably oxidised, with oxidation usually becoming weaker at depth. This oxidation exists as low to moderate goethite content. A broad fining upwards pattern is commonly observed within the unit; - the interpreted Namba Formation present in the drillholes consists of variably oxidised clays interbedded with thin silts and sands. The formation is generally less than 15 m thick, but it may thicken moderately in palaeovalley axes. Extensive haematitic oxidation and kaolinisation is seen within the formation, and this has been attributed to surface-acting weathering through sediment exposure, rather than because of the passage of an oxidised uraniferous fluid. This conclusion is based on the oxidation systematically increasing up hole. Quasar expects that any sands corresponding to the Beverley prospect Alpha and Beta sequences are likely to be best developed adjacent to major fault zones, which are known to have been active during the Tertiary, and therefore to have acted as loci of palaeo-topographic relief. Major such structures include the Yerila Platform - bounding Paralana Fault and its southern continuation along the margin of the Ranges (in the southern parts of the tenement). Exploratory mud drilling on the licence area resumed during June 2012, when 6 vertical open holes were drilled for a total of 1800 m into sediments adjacent to the range front. These slightly deeper than before holes all intersected the Eyre Formation, with one hole returning anomalous gamma ray log signatures from within a neutral/oxidised part of this sequence, i.e. YR046 with a 1 m wide interval @ 0.018% eU3O8 from 229-230 m depth, plus 1 m @ 0.010% eU3O8 from 241.1-242.1 m. This good result has served to upgrade the prospectivity of the Eyre Formation adjacent to the range front north of Heathgate’s Pepegoona deposit. Additional drilling near here is consequently planned as a priority, to locate and test for redox fronts between YR046 and reduced Eyre Formation to the east. New proprietary models for mapping roll fronts and redox boundaries in the region are allowing the joint venture to more accurately explore for roll-front style mineralisation, which could lead to the discovery of Pepegoona and Pannikan style deposits with fewer holes drilled. The depth of drilling found necessary this time in order to reach the underlying Bulldog Shale varied greatly from north to south, with the south-western holes needing to be drilled beyond 320 m deep, while the northern holes entered the Bulldog Shale at around 240 m depth. The thicknesses of the Willawortina and Namba Formations were found to be relatively constant, while the Eyre Formation appears to be more clay rich and thins going northwards. Along the southern drill traverse, the Eyre Formation thickens markedly and has abundant lignite and woody fragments. During the 2012-2013 licence year, Year 11, Quasar acquired aerial photography of the renewed licence area (EL 5118) and completed the rehabilitation of the previous years drill sites. No other fieldwork was undertaken in the reporting period. During the 2013-2014 licence year, Year 12, a cultural heritage field survey for a Work Area Clearance was completed by representatives of the Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association, in conjunction with Quasar Resources. During the 2014-2015 licence year, Year 13, during the reporting period Quasar purchased the remaining rights from the other two joint venture partners and is now sole holder of the licence. A cultural heritage field survey for a Work Area Clearance was completed in May by representatives of the Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association. This was followed by a rotary- mud drilling program in July 2014, with 12 holes drilled for 3226 m. The drill program was designed to target potential ‘Range Front style’ mineralisation adjacent to both the Mount Babbage (north) and Mount Painter (east) inliers. Historic drilling within the area identified the Namba and Eyre Formations as preferential hosts for economic concentrations of sedimentary uranium. The main target for the program was mineralisation hosted within reduced sands of the Eyre Formation, while also investigating gamma anomalies within thin palaeochannel sands of the Namba Formation. Eyre and Namba Formation sediments were encountered in all holes with the exception of YR049 & YR050, where the Willawortina Formation unconformably overlies the Bulldog Shale. Eyre Formation sediments intersected are interpreted as similar to those noted within the Four Mile deposit, comprising a large, homogenous reduced sand package that coarsens upward and is capped by an oxidised (goethite) clayey sand/sandy clay. Reduced Namba Formation sediments were only observed in two holes; YR052 and YR059. Both these holes were positioned furthest from the range front and interpreted redox front to the west. Anomalous gamma intercepts were recorded in YR054, 055 and 056 within oxidised Namba Formation sandy clays. The anomalies encountered are characterised by thin accumulations of radiogenic material at the interface between sandy clays and clays. These thin spikes in gamma are typically 10-20cm in thickness and found towards the base of the Namba Formation within interpreted reworked sediments eroded from the underlying Eyre Formations. YR055 returned the best results with 0.6m @ 0.02% eU3O8 from 213.6m within oxidised sandy clays at the base of the Namba Formation. All intersected Eyre Formation sediments returned background levels for gamma geophysical logs. New models for mapping roll fronts and redox boundaries are allowing Quasar to more accurately explore for roll-front style mineralisation within individual stratigraphic formations, which may lead to the discovery of Pepegoona and Pannikan style deposits adjacent to the range front. Results from the current reporting period are encouraging for future exploration targeting within EL 5118, Mt Yerila. Interpreted Eyre Formation occurring parallel to the Flinders Ranges remains highly prospective for uranium mineralisation and will be Quasar’s main focus for exploration drilling in the future.
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