Core Energy Minerals has started a tender process with Namibian drilling contractors for a maiden 2,500-metre drilling programme at the Barking Gecko uranium prospect, as the company moves to begin exploration work under its recently executed Nova joint venture.
The ASX-listed explorer said the proposed programme would comprise about 15 reverse circulation and diamond drill holes targeting high-grade hard-rock uranium mineralisation identified by previous operators at Barking Gecko.
The drilling is designed to test Core Energy’s updated geological interpretation of the prospect, while also determining whether the boundaries of the known mineralisation can be extended.
Core Energy has approached several local drilling contractors, and initial discussions have been positive. The company has also made provision for additional infill and step-out holes depending on the results of the initial campaign.
Managing director Tony Greenaway said the tender was initiated about a week after the company executed its final earn-in agreement for the Nova JV.
“Our initial discussions with the multiple local drilling contractors in Namibia were very positive, and we are confident that we can secure a suitable drilling rig for this maiden drilling campaign,” Greenaway said.
While the tender process is under way, Core Energy’s geological team plans to begin relogging and sampling existing drill core and reverse circulation samples from Barking Gecko.
The company is also finalising the appointment of a specialist structural geologist to undertake detailed work on the prospect. This will include relogging existing drill core and integrating historical down-hole optical logger data to develop a three-dimensional geological model of the alaskite-hosted uranium mineralisation.
Part of the new drilling campaign will involve a fence of fully oriented diamond drill holes intended to improve understanding of the structural controls on the mineralisation. Step-out traverses will then test areas beyond the currently identified mineralised boundaries.
Greenaway said both historical samples and material from the planned drilling would undergo multi-element analysis to build a more detailed geochemical model.
“The aim of this work [is] to fingerprint the mineralisation to better understand the wider metallogenic province and controls to mineralisation,” he said.
Barking Gecko forms part of the Nova JV, comprising EPL 3669 and EPL 3670. The licences lie next to Core Energy’s wholly owned Gemsbok and Oryx uranium exploration projects, held under EPL 9725 and EPL 9652 respectively in the Erongo Region.
Core Energy said the four licences collectively give it a district-scale uranium exploration position.
The drilling programme follows the execution of the Nova earn-in agreement announced earlier this month. However, Core Energy has not yet announced when drilling will begin, with mobilisation dependent on completion of the contractor tender and securing a suitable rig.
