Crossland Uranium Mines (ASX: CUX) has commenced drilling at its Kalabity uranium project in the Curnamona Craton province of South Australia.
The Kalabity drilling marks the start of an accelerated 2010 Australian exploration program by Crossland and its Canadian-based joint venture partner, Pancontinental Uranium Corp (TSX: PUC), which includes seven drill programs to be conducted across its SA and Northern Territory projects.
Geoff Eupene, Crossland’s CEO, said the Kalabity drill program - aimed at establishing the grade and distribution of uranium in the project’s Tabita Prospect - consisted of up to 1,500 metres of aircore drilling and excavator trenching.
Approximately 75 shallow holes are expected to be drilled in this program.
The Tabita Prospect at Kalabity represents a quite different style of mineralization in this area, where davidite is usually the main uranium bearing mineral in other nearby prospects.
On current available information, while Tabita appears to contain carnotite, the uranium vanadium mineral that is common in calcrete deposits, the prospect is not a calcrete channel deposit. The region around Tabita is on a slightly elevated area between streams, but the soils there carry gypsum, calcium sulphate.
We delayed our drilling on this SA prospect for a year to focus on our NT properties, so we are anxious to finally test this near-surface opportunity. The program will consist of aircore drilling and trenching and is designed to quickly evaluate the thickness, grade and extent of the mineralization at Tabita.
Crossland Uranium Mines shares rose 27% to 14 cents in trading today.
