Uranium Projects
Albidon and African Energy Resources Limited have entered into an agreement for the exploration and development of a number of uranium prospects that have been identified on Albidon’s tenements in Zambia.
Under the Agreement A$500,000 was spent by African Energy within two years to maintain an option to enter a Joint Venture on one or more project areas, following which African Energy has, to date, nominated three projects for farm-in, the Chirundu, Kariba Valley and Luano Valley Joint Ventures.
African Energy may earn a 30% interest in each of these project areas selected by it for farm-in by expending A$1 million on the selected project area, and may then proceed to earn a 70% interest by drilling up a JORC Indicated Resource and completing a Pre-Feasibility Study. African Energy has earned an initial 30% interest in the Chirundu Joint Venture and is still earning a 30% interest in the Kariba Valley and Luano Valley JVs.
The key projects comprising the Chirundu JV are the Njame and Gwabe
uranium deposits, located approximately 80km south-east of Lusaka, the
capital of Zambia. African Energy Resources has earned an initial 30%
equity interest in the project and is earning a 70% equity interest by
completing the Chirundu Pre-Feasibility Study for possible development
of the Njame and Gwabe deposits.
Albidon Limited 30% operated by African Energy Resources Limited (‘AFR’) under an Exploration Agreement
- Resource modelling on the Njame and Gwabe
uranium deposits has confirmed a current resource of >9.5Mlb U3O8
contained within 14 million tonnes of ore.
- Based on
these resources, a Pre-feasibility Study (‘PFS’) was completed for the
Chirundu Uranium Project by joint venture partner African Energy
Resources (‘AFR’). The PFS demonstrates positive economics for uranium
mining and processing at Chirundu based on the parameters and
assumptions used by AFR.
- Following a review of the
results of the PFS for Chirundu, the Company has decided to maintain
its 30% interest in the joint venture and commit to funding its share
of the Bankable Feasibility Study (‘BFS’) which has now commenced.
- Albidon
owns 100% interest in the nearby Kariba and Luano uranium joint
ventures in which AFR is earning an initial 30% interest by
sole-funding drilling programmes and other exploration activities at a
number of mineralised prospects.
Drilling in 2007 has enabled an updated estimate for the Njame deposit.
The total Inferred Resource is now 8.8Mt @ 340 ppm U3O8 for 3,000t U3O8
(6.6 Mlb). This resource is concentrated in the Njame North deposit,
with contributions from the Njame East and Njame Central deposits shown
in the table.
Based
on drilling completed in 2007 a resource estimate has been completed
for the Gwabe project: Inferred Resource of 4.2 Mt @ 267ppm U3O8 for 2.5 Mlb of contained U3O8
(1,120 tonnes) at a 100ppm lower cut-off grade. The resource estimate
methodology and classification complies with the JORC Code and has been
independently reviewed by Coffey Mining Pty Ltd.
The Gwabe uranium deposit is located in Karoo-aged sediments and is
20km along strike from the Njame deposit. Uranium mineralization at
Gwabe is hosted in oxidised, coarse grained sandstone grits and pebble
conglomerates which overlie a nonmineralised, reduced silty-shale
horizon.
The mineralisation dips gently to the south-east and is located close to the surface, at between 3m and 29m depth.
The Albidon-African Energy Resources Joint Venture is currently
evaluating the potential for economically viable mining and uranium
processing at the Njame and Gwabe deposits as part of
the Chirundu Pre-Feasibility Study. With the increased Inferred
Resource at Njame, the total Inferred Resource for the Chirundu project
is now 4,120t U3O8 (9.1 Mlb U3O8). The Pre-Feasibility Study is
expected to be fi nalised by the end of the fi rst quarter of 2008,
with a decision to proceed to a full Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS)
in the second quarter. The Pre-Feasibility Study is based on mining a
number of deposits and trucking uranium-loaded resin from these to a
central processing plant.
Exploration continued at the Chisebuka and Namakande uranium
prospects in the Kariba Valley JV, in addition to an initial
reconnaissance programme covering an extensive area to the southwest of
the Munyumbwe and Chisebuka uranium prospects. This area was evaluated
through airborne radiometric surveying in November 2007.
Chisebuka Prospect
Rock-chip sampling in 2007 confi rmed the presence of high-grade
uranium mineralisation at surface with 11 of 46 samples exceeding
100ppm U3O8. A programme of RC drilling on a nominal 400m x 100m grid
was undertaken to test these anomalies. Signifi cant assays are listed
in the table below. Mineralisation at Chisebuka occurs in two parallel
zones over at least 800m of strike in the northern zone and at least
400m in the southern zone within coarse-grained sandstones interpreted
to be part of the Karoo-aged Escarpment Grit Formation that hosts the
Njame and Gwabe uranium deposits. Both zones remain open along strike
to the northeast. Drilling at Chisebuka is expected to recommence in
the second or third quarter of 2008. The Chisebuka uranium prospect is
situated 75 km to the south-west of the Njame uranium deposit.
Namakande Prospect
Reconnaissance geological mapping, geochemical sampling, rock-chip
sampling and gamma-ray scintillometer surveys were completed over a
number of previously identifi ed ground radiometric anomalies at
Namakande. Uranium mineralisation has been confi rmed at 5 out of 6
targets, with peak values up to 1,150 ppm U3O8 in rock samples and up
to 326 ppm U3O8 in soil samples. Additional soil sampling and
geological validation will be undertaken in 2008, with drilling as
warranted.
African Energy Resources formally nominated a third joint venture
project with Albidon Limited in November 2007. The Luano Valley JV
includes parts of two large scale prospecting licenses owned by Albidon
containing Karoo sediments located in central Zambia. Exploration will
commence in 2008.
Information in this report relating to exploration results and
mineral resources is based on data compiled by Frazer Tabeart (an
employee and Managing Director of African Energy Resources Limited),
who is a member of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Frazer Tabeart has suffi cient experience which is relevant to the
style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to
the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person
under the 2004 Edition of the Australasian Code for reporting of
Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. Frazer Tabeart
consents to the inclusion of the data in the form and context in which
it appears.
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