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Basin Energy Limited (ASX:BSN) (‘Basin’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to provide an update on exploration activities at its 60% owned Geikie Uranium Project (‘Geikie’ or the ‘Project’), located on the eastern margin of the world-class Athabasca Basin in Canada.
Key Highlights
- Maiden drilling program at Geikie intersects anomalous uranium in four of the eight holes drilled. Significant intersections include;
- 0.5m at 0.27% U3O8 (2,680ppm U3O8) from 185m (GKI-002)
- 9m at 263ppm U3O8 from 84m within a broader 27m uranium anomalous intersection (GKI-004)
- Elevated lead isotope anomalies and extensive hydrothermal alteration observed in five holes indicate potential for a major uranium mineralising system
- The drilling results supported an immediate Airborne Gravity Survey designed to map alteration systems which is now complete and results expected early October
- This is an effective targeting technique that has mapped similar basement-hosted uranium alteration systems within the Athabasca Basin
- Basin remains fully funded to conduct follow up drill program in the winter season
Basin’s maiden drilling program at Geikie consisted of eight (8) diamond drill holes for 2,217 metres (Figure 1) and was completed in August 2023. All geochemical assay results have now been received and the results are highly encouraging.
Drilling has successfully identified uranium mineralisation, with assays up to 0.27% U3O8. Uranium mineralisation is located proximal to two regionally significant structures at Aero Lake and Preston Creek with associated extensive hydrothermal alteration indicative of large uranium mineralising systems. Furthermore, an extensive geochemical pathfinder halo has been identified at Preston Creek, characteristic of uranium mineralising systems seen elsewhere in the district.
Basin is now awaiting the results of its high resolution airborne gradient gravity survey, specifically designed to map the extent of alteration along the now proven fertile fault corridors. These results along with the exciting data from the maiden drilling program will form the basis for follow-up targeting for the Company’s upcoming phase two drilling program planned for early 2024.
Basin’s Managing Director, Pete Moorhouse, commented:
“Basin’s maiden drill program has identified significant uranium mineralisation within a system that is demonstrating the scale potential to produce a major discovery.
The presence of uranium, along with a coherent pattern of pathfinder elements associated with extensive and pervasive hydrothermal alteration, which is typical of basement mineralisation of the Athabasca Basin, is an excellent result for our maiden drill program.
We eagerly await the results of the now completed gravity survey, which has been specifically designed to map the extent of alteration discovered to date. This will drive the planning for the next phase of drill testing as we explore this emerging, historically overlooked portion of the prolific Athabasca Basin.
As the demand for uranium tightens, Basin is strongly positioned with exposure to multiple high quality uranium targets in the world’s leading jurisdiction for uranium discoveries.”
Phase 1 Drilling Geochemical Results
A total of eight (8) drillholes for 2,217 metres were drilled at Geikie this summer on three prospects. Basin’s maiden drilling program targeted potential structural disruption of a 15-kilometre conductive trend visible in the electromagnetic and magnetic data acquired in 2023 and 2022 respectively1.
Figure 1: Geikie Project Plan Map showing Uranium Anomalism from the 2023 Drilling Assay Results
Drilling successfully identified a series of regionally significant alteration patterns associated with the intersection of north-south and northwest trending faults within the Project area2. Additionally, multiple localised zones of radiometric anomalies were identified. Uranium assay results returned anomalous uranium in three drillholes at Preston Creek and one drillhole at Aero Lake (Figure 1, Table 1).
Drilling at Aero Lake intersected the highest uranium value of the drilling program: 0.27% U3O8 over 0.5 metres starting from 185 metres in GKI-002. This drillhole also intersected hydrothermal alteration consisting of argillization and chloritization spatially associated with large scale brittle-ductile faulting where multiple stages of reactivation were noted.
Drilling at Preston Creek identified anomalous uranium concentrations in excess of 100 ppm U3O8 in drillholes GKI-004, GKI-005 and GKI-008 (Table 1, Figure 1). Drillholes GKI-004, GKI-005 and GKI-008 were drilled in a zone of structural disruption, where a north-south to north-northwest striking Tabbernor Fault is transecting a conductor trend. The drillholes were positioned at a bend in the conductor’s axis where the electromagnetic data identified potential fault splays with stacks of electromagnetic plates. Significant zones of hydrothermal alteration were encountered (Figure 2), commonly observed within or at the periphery of major structures (Figure 3).
Recent studies3 from major basement hosted uranium deposits demonstrated that utilising lead isotope data is a great tool to indicate areas with elevated potential for uranium mineralisation. Basin’s drilling has identified strongly anomalous lead isotope ratios (i.e., 207Pb/206Pb, 208Pb/206Pb vs 206Pb/204Pb) in GKI-004, GKI-005, GKI-006 and GKI-008 (Table 1), associated with anomalous uranium, structured intervals and zones of hydrothermal alteration. Anomalous lead isotopes proximal to mineralisation display radiogenic signatures, with ‘excess lead’ suggestive of derivation from greater uranium concentrations nearby3.
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This article includes content from Basin Energy, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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Basin Energy
Overview
Basin Energy (ASX:BSN) completed an IPO in October 2022 and is well-positioned as a uranium exploration and development company to take full advantage of the current political and economic environment for the global supply of uranium. The company operates three projects in the world-class Athabasca Basin in Saskatchewan, Canada, known as the world’s leading source of high-grade uranium, currently accounting for approximately 10 percent of global uranium production. The company’s projects are in close proximity to high-grade uranium discoveries and mining operations within the Athabasca Basin.
Interest in uranium has skyrocketed in recent months, driven by the need for lower emissions and stable power generation. Nuclear reactors provide significant power for 32 countries globally, including the US, Canada, China, France, Hungary, Japan and Finland.
Demand has become a key driver of uranium prices, with Sprott Asset Management further enhancing demand by launching two investment vehicles that have already found rapid success: Physical Uranium Trust (TSX:UUN) and Uranium Miners ETF (ARCA:URNM). Combined, existing demand and investment interest create a compelling opportunity for uranium miners and their investors.
In an interview with INN, founding director Peter Bird said, "It's hard to look past the Athabasca Basin as the premium mining jurisdictions for large, high-grade uranium deposits. The region also ranks highly as one of the most stable mining jurisdictions worldwide, which is an increasingly important factor given the current scrutiny on the source of uranium.”Company Highlights
- Basin Energy is a uranium exploration and development company with three highly prospective projects in the world-renowned Athabasca Basin in Canada, known for being a consistent top three global uranium producer.
- Basin Energy’s board, management team and joint venture partner have direct extensive experience in uranium exploration and development along with comprehensive expertise in corporate financing, investment banking and geology. The company’s highly prospective uranium exploration portfolio comprises:
- The Geikie Project - located on the eastern margin of the Athabasca Basin occupying an extensive land position of 351 square kilometers, showing multiple uranium and uranium pathfinder occurrences, and is prospective for shallow, high-grade mineralization with maiden drilling identifying uranium up to 0.27 percent;
- The North Millennium Project - an interpreted extension of the Mother Fault that hosts Cameco’s Millennium Deposit (104.8 Mlb U3O8 3.76 percent), located just 7 kilometers to the south; and
- The Marshall Project - located only 7 kilometers west of Cameco’s Millennium deposit centered on a strong magnetic and conductive anomaly interpreted as a significant unconformity-type uranium target.
- Basin Energy is committed to sustainable development throughout its operations, aiming to minimize environmental impact from all stages of the exploration and development cycle.
Key Projects
Basin has interest in and is actively exploring three highly prospective properties positioned in the southeast corner and margins of the Athabasca Basin, an area well known for its uranium endowment and pedigree. These are the Geikie (60 percent, North Millenium (40 percent) and Marshall (100 percent) projects.
The project portfolio provides exposure to traditional “unconformity style” exploration, targeting the same mineralisation model as Cameco’s (TSE:CCO) prolific McArthur River mine which hosts 674.9Mlb uranium at 16.9 percent at its North Millenium and Marshall projects, as well as exposure to potentially shallower “basement style” exploration targeting deposits similar to NexGen Energy’s (TSE:NXE) Arrow deposit which hosts 30.61Mlb uranium at 4.6 percent.
Geikie Project
The Geikie Project covers a significant area of 351 square kilometers on the eastern fringe of the Athabasca Basin and is easily accessible from Highway 905, which is located just 10 kilometers to the east. This portion of the Athabasca Basin is deemed perspective for shallow “basement style” mineralisation, but has traditionally been overlooked from much of the previous campaigns of uranium exploration. The discovery of multiple basement-hosted uranium ore bodies in recent years elsewhere in the district has driven a focus on the area.
The project was initially prioritized following a targeting review utilizing historical geophysics. Historical geochemistry confirmed the presence of uranium and suitable host lithologies. Recent nearby high-grade, shallow uranium discoveries by 92 Energy (ASX:92E) and Baselode Energy (TSXV:FIND), further enhance the overall prospectivity of the asset.
Project Highlights:
- Exploration underway: Basin Energy has completed mapping, geochemical sampling, airborne geophysics and maiden drilling. Further drilling is planned for 2024-.
- Shallow targets amenable to rapid exploration: Target horizon sits directly beneath glacial cover, in what was historically an overlooked part of the district.
- Nearby high-grade discoveries: The proximity of recent discoveries creates further confidence in the prospectivity of the project geology, being located adjacent to two recent discoveries:
- 92 Energy’s Gemini discovery 43 meters at 0.6 percent eU3O8 including 6 meters at 2.2 percent U308.
- Baseload Energy’s AKIO discovery was 13.2 meters at 0.55 percent U3O8 including 6.3 meters @ 0.99 percent U3O8.
- Presence of uranium: The maiden drilling program intersected anomalous uranium in four of the eight holes drilled, with assays returning up to 0.27 percent U3O8.
- Extensive scale: Geophysical data, combined with drilling data demonstrates significant scale opportunity with over 30 metres of intense alteration and brecciation intersected in drilling, that can be correlated to regional structural features identified in magnetics. This provides immediate follow up targets.
Since its IPO, the company has completed an extensive campaign of high resolution modern airborne geophysics including magnetics, radiometrics, electromagnetics and gravity gradiometry, as well as initial ground prospecting. These surveys have confirmed the pre-IPO geological interpretation and successfully identified a series of uranium targets.
Basin Energy completed its maiden 2,217-meter drilling program at Geikie in the summer of 2023, the first drilling to occur within the Project area in over 50 years. Drilling successfully identified uranium mineralisation with assays up to 0.27 percent U3O8. Uranium mineralisation is located proximal to two regionally significant structures at Aero Lake and Preston Creek with associated extensive hydrothermal alteration indicative of large uranium mineralising systems. Furthermore, an extensive geochemical pathfinder halo has been identified at Preston Creek, characteristic of uranium mineralising systems seen elsewhere in the district.
The company further expanded the Geikie Project with two additional claims consisting of 11.87 square kilometers, bringing the total Geikie project area to 350.87 square kilometers. The newly staked claims are adjacent to the Preston Creek and Hourglass Lake prospects, where Basin’s maiden exploration drilling is underway.
The company currently owns 60 percent of the Geikie Uranium Project following the fulfillment of expenditure requirements to meet the option payment. Basin has elected to proceed with the option agreement to increase its ownership to up to 80 percent through earn-in stages.
North Millennium Project
North Millennium is located just 7 kilometers north of Cameco’s (NYSE:CCJ) Millennium Deposit, which contains 104.8 million pounds (Mlb) U3O8 at 3.76 percent, and 40 kilometers southwest of their flagship McArthur River Mine hosting 674.9 Mlbs U3O8 at 16.9 percent. Within the property, Basin Energy has identified two high-priority targets along a 5-kilometer corridor for initial priority exploration. The initial target is where an interpreted extension of the Millennium Mother Fault intersects a strong basement conductor.
Project Highlights:
- Favorable geology: The interpreted structural and stratigraphic geology has strong similarities with some of the major uranium deposits within the Athabasca, such as a basement conductor trend disrupted by an interpreted extension of the Millennium Deposit Mother Fault.
- Proximity to known mineralization and recent discoveries:
- Located 7 kilometers north of Cameco’s Millennium deposit
- Drilling to the south of the project, proximal to the Millennium Deposit Mother Fault intersected uranium and uranium pathfinder elements.
- A drill hole on a nearby property completed by joint venture partner CanAlaska (TSXV:CVV) identified high-grade mineralization of 9 meters at 2.4 percent U3O8, further enhancing confidence in the project.
- Thoroughly defined exploration strategy: The company is currently compiling historical data, including completing a 3D inversion of results from an existing historic airborne ZTEM campaign. Exploration work will subsequently consist of:
- Targeted ground geophysics
- Stepwise moving loop time domain electromagnetics
- Potentially DCIP resistivity
- Exploration diamond drilling
- Targeted ground geophysics
Marshall Project
Located in the southeast corner of the Athabasca Basin, the Marshall Project has received limited historic exploration between 1979 and 2009, which included surface geochemistry, electromagnetic surveys and ground geophysics.
The Marshall Project contains a strong magnetic and conductive structure indicative of an unconformity-type uranium target, the asset’s primary target. Recently completed modern 3D inversion and processing works of historical geophysical data identified multiple geophysical anomalies above and below the Athabasca unconformity within the sandstone and basement stratigraphy at the Marshall Project.
Project Highlights:
- Significant geophysical anomalies: Interpretation of historical geophysical data suggests a metasedimentary basin with a graphitic basal unit, cross-cut by a magnetic and conductive NE/SW structure – indicative of a geological setting suitable for high-grade uranium mineralization.
- Proximity to known mineralization and recent discoveries:
- Located 10 kilometers west of Cameco’s Millennium deposit
- A drill hole along strike at the McArthur West project, completed by joint venture partner CanAlaska (TSXV:CVV) identified high-grade mineralization of 9 meters at 2.4 percent U3O8, further enhancing confidence in the project.
- Thoroughly defined exploration strategy: The company is currently compiling historical data, including completing a 3D inversion of results from an existing historic airborne ZTEM campaign.
- Exploration work will subsequently consist of:
- Targeted ground geophysics
- Stepwise moving loop time domain electromagnetics
- Potentially DCIP resistivity
- Exploration diamond drilling as merited
Management Team
Blake Steele - Non-executive Chairman
Blake Steele is an experienced metals and mining industry executive and director with extensive knowledge across public companies and capital markets. He was formerly president and chief executive officer of Azarga Uranium Corp (Azarga), a US-focused integrated uranium exploration and development company. He led Azarga into an advanced stage multi- asset business, which was ultimately acquired by enCore Energy Corp (TSX.V:EU) for C$200 million in February 2022.
Pete Moorhouse - Managing Director
Pete Moorhouse has 18 years of mining and exploration geology experience with extensive experience in the junior uranium sector, having spent over 10 years with ASX-listed uranium explorer and developer Alligator Energy (ASX:AGE). He holds significant competencies in evaluating, exploring, resource drilling and feasibility studies across many global uranium and resource projects.
Jeremy Clark - Non-executive Director
Jeremy Clark has over 19 years of mining and exploration geology experience. He previously held technical and management roles at the recognized consultancy firm RPM Global for over 13 years, gaining experience across a number of uranium, base metals, and precious metals deposits globally. Subsequent to RPM, Clark established his own boutique geological consultancy firm, Lily Valley, focused in regards to compliance-related issues, IPOs and M&A.
Cory Belyk - Non-executive Director
Cory Belyk holds 30 years’ experience in exploration and mining operations, project evaluation, business development and extensive global uranium experience most recently employed by Cameco in the Athabasca Basin. He was a member of the exploration management team that discovered Fox Lake & West McArthur uranium deposits. Currently CEO/VP of Canadian Athabasca uranium explorer & project generator, CanAlaska (TSXV:CVV).
Peter Bird - Non-executive Director
Peter Bird is an investment banking professional with experience leading and managing a variety of global transactions including IPOs, Capital Raises and M&A Currently working with New York based investment fund, where he provides strategic funding solutions to a variety of international clients. He previously held the role of associate director at a Perth-based boutique corporate advisory firm focused on natural resources.
Ben Donovan - NED/ Company Secretary
Ben Donovan has over 22 years of experience in the provision of corporate advisory and company secretary services. He holds extensive experience in ASX listing rules compliance and corporate governance and has served as a Senior Adviser to the ASX for nearly 3 years Currently CoSec to several ASX listed resource companies including M3 Mining (ASX:M3M), Magnetic Resources (ASX:MAU) and Legacy Iron Ore (ASX:LCY).
Odile Maufrais - Exploration Manager
Odile Maufrais is an exploration geologist with over 14 years of experience and has an extensive understanding of the uranium exploration and mining industry, having worked at ORANO, one of the largest global uranium producers for 12 years on various assignments in Canada, Niger, and France. Maufrais has significant Athabasca Basin-specific experience, being involved on over 15 greenfield and brownfield uranium exploration projects located throughout the Basin. Her most recent roles for ORANO comprised leading various uranium exploration campaigns and being an active member of the ORANO research and development team, which involved working on trialing and implementing cost-effective and streamlined drilling techniques within the Athabasca Basin. She also played a key role in the update of the National Instrument 43-101 compliant mineral resource estimate for the Midwest Main and Midwest A deposits. Mrs. Maufrais holds a Master of Science from Montpellier II University, France.
Maiden Drilling Program at Ti-Tree Completed
- 9,086m drilled in 78 holes across six project areas
- Campaign designed to test extensive surface mineralisation identified through soil sampling and rock chip analysis
- Visual observations of copper sulphide mineralisation in quartz veining in multiple holes at depth
- Assays are due back progressively over the coming weeks.
- Exploration and drilling activities to re-commence in Q1 2024
The drilling campaign included 78 holes totalling 9,086m of Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling. The program consisted of discovery drilling only and was designed to confirm historical results and to test near surface mineralisation at depth and along strike, with drilling having been limited to approximately 70m vertical depth.
Holes in the Crawfords, Nic’s Bore and Copper Ridge areas also intersected some visible disseminated mineralisation within quartz veins in the form of pyrite, malachite and chalcopyrite and assay are awaited.
Andrew Reid, Managing Director
“Our maiden drilling campaign following the IPO in May 2023 is now completed and has been a great success. The campaign was designed to test for mineralisation both at near surface and at depth and resulted in visually identifying mineralisation/veining in the majority of drill holes at our Minnie Springs copper-molybdenum-gold project.
Minnie Springs could represent a sizeable porphyry hosted copper deposit with the next step to be the completion of drilling in the remaining 50% of the copper-in-soil anomaly yet to be tested during the next drilling campaign in Q1 2024.”
Figure 1. Location map showing prospects drilled to date, Minnie Springs, Copper Ridge,Nick’s Bore, Crawford and Crawford South and COO Creek.
Table 1. List of RC holes completed by prospect location.
Figure 2. Minnie Springs soil sampling, rock chip and drilling location map showing location of the x-section A – A’.
Figure 3. Hole MSRC012 – showing visual pyrite - chalcopyrite – chalcocite – covellite mineralisation in zones from 127 – 139m downhole at the Minnie Springs prospect1.
The second northern-most line at Minnie Springs (Figure 2. MSRC 010 – 012) intersected multiple zones of copper sulphide mineralisation1 co-incident with chlorite-epidote alteration in hole MSRC012, which is characteristic of propylitic alteration commonly seen in in porphyry copper-molybdenum-gold deposits.
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This article includes content from Augustus Minerals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
EMU Records Gold Assays to 36.1 g/t - Georgetown, Queensland
HIGHLIGHTS*
- Camp Oven Creek area historic surface rock assay results ranging from 12.9 g/t up to 224 g/t gold and 24 g/t to 135 g/t silver from rock samples in broad rhyolite breccia hosted veins in the NW1.
- 15.4 g/t gold assay results recorded from EMU’s first reconnaissance rock samples in the NE Dagworth area, ~19km east from Camp Oven Creek, along Delany Fault extension2.
- 15 historic rock values greater than 31.1 g/t gold (> 1 Ounce) identified from zones in the Camp Oven Creek, 130 Quartz Vein and Quartz 250 Prospects (“new historic information”)3.
- Three historic rock samples in the Quartz 130 prospect returned values ranging from 51 g/t gold up to 73 g/t gold4.
- Limited historic drilling at Rhyolite Breccia/Turtle Arm returned values to 2m at 15.8 g/t Au and 3m at 2.8 g/t Au.( See table 3).
- 86 historic surface rock samples greater than 1 g/t gold with a weighted average of 17.3 g/t within Georgetown EPM 27667 - NW Camp Oven Creek/Turtle Arm quadrant5.
- 2 EMU first reconnaissance rock samples returned 36.1 g/t gold and 25.6 g/t gold respectively from the Sandy Creek prospect just south of Georgetown6.
- Limited historic drilling at Munitions Creek (EPM 27642) returned values to 4m at 2.73 g/t Au and 1m at 10.85 g/t Au. (see table 3).
- EMU’s geological teams currently in field undertaking follow up sampling from these areas.
Commenting on the high gold values historically reported in the project area coupled with EMU’s latest results, EMU’s Chairman Mr Peter Thomas commented:
“It is quite remarkable that the Georgetown tenements and surrounding areas have not been comprehensively subjected to a modern and systematic exploration effort previously. EMU’s initial “first pass” reconnaissance field survey comprised the collection of a limited number of samples from rock outcrop, termite mounds and stream sediments in multiple areas targeted for gold, base metals, lithium and critical minerals. In addition to the recently reported copper, silver and lead values, the gold assay results and historic exploration results support EMU’s view that the project has the potential to deliver world-class discoveries which underpinned its decision to farm into the project”.
Further to the recent announcement7 confirming a substantial high-grade copper and silver system at Fiery Creek and high-grade lead and silver assays results from Snake Creek, EMU reports high grade gold values from rock chip samples collected from a number of prospective areas at Georgetown.
Recently compiled historic gold and base metal drill hole and surface outcrop sampling values from the Georgetown area and from within the three tenements which comprise the project, confirm the outstanding prospectivity of the project.
EMU is currently undertaking a new, limited and targeted follow-up exploration programme with teams in the field over areas not previously sampled to investigate zones which have historically reported high-grade gold and base metal values.
Figure 1 - Identified current and historic Gold Occurrences at Fiery Creek and Georgetown Tenements
Table 1. Emu’s Significant Gold Sample Assay Results (>1 g/t Au in bold text)
Historical Gold Reported:
Fiery Creek EPM 27667 (Gold + Base Metal Targets)
Based upon significant results that have emerged from the compilation of historic data and the limited field work already completed by EMU, the significant northern portion of the Fiery Creek tenement (EPM 27667) is emerging as a high priority for both precious and base metals. The higher priority targets include structural settings for gold in the Camp Oven Creek, Quartz 130, Quartz 250 and Dagworth Prospect areas, whilst the Fiery Creek prospect within the Yataga Granodiorite demands further attention due to the high-grade outcrop sample assay values for copper and silver.
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This article includes content from EMU NL, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Basin Energy Investor Kit
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- Upcoming projects