An advanced aerial survey system designed to better identify drill targets is being pioneered for the first time in Australia by Eromanga Uranium for its maiden exploration program. The 4,000 line km electromagnetic (EM) and magnetic survey commenced this month across the total area of its Marree Project in northern South Australia to identify palaeochannel drainage targets for drill testing early next year.
The EM survey is being undertaken by Adelaide-based Geosolutions, which has developed the new REPTEM system as a replacement for the resources sector’s internationally respected HoistEM system historically employed extensively throughout Australia for EM programs. “The REPTEM system is designed to be more stable during flight and should provide improved data quality,” Eromanga’s Managing Director, Kevin Lines, said. “This improved data should enhance geological interpretations from those previously possible with HoistEM surveys and therefore optimise Eromanga’s selection of our first drill targets and potential outcomes.”
Flight lines were spaced at 1 km intervals for the week long survey over the Marree acreage, located between the Marree township and the operating Beverley uranium mine.
Eromanga listed on the ASX on October 31 after successfully raising A$14.75 million in its Initial Public Offer to fund exploration across five uranium projects in South Australia and the Northern Territory. The Company is earning a 70% interest in the Marree project.
The programme is the first of five scheduled by Eromanga to be conducted in 2007 to map the geometry of ancient buried river systems (palaeodrainages) in which sandstone hosted uranium deposits can develop.
“We anticipate completing early next month the data processing from this survey and are aiming at first drilling a few weeks later,” Lines said. “There were some minor delays in commencing the survey as the most suitable helicopters were needed elsewhere to help in the early start of the bushfire season.”
Lines also announced that Eromanga anticipated a drill start by the end of January on a second Eromanga project, Billa Kalina, 70 km northwest of Olympic Dam, in which the company is earning a 50% interest. “A priority for the company since listing has been to identify a drilling contractor capable of testing the Billa Kalina gravity anomaly as soon as possible.” Lines said. “The very high demand for larger drill rigs has to date limited the options available to Eromanga but we now anticipate that drilling should commence at Billa Kalina by late January.
