Bastion Minerals uncovers widespread visible uranium oxide at Morrissey project
Bastion Minerals (ASX: BMO) has observed widespread visible uranium oxide during initial mapping and sampling at the Morrissey project in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia.
A comprehensive field reconnaissance program conducted over seven days focused on the project’s known prospects and potential new targets and saw the collection of 211 rock chip samples for analysis.
More than 50% of the 63 mapping locations returned high to very high spectrometer readings for uranium detection in association with outcropping schist and calcrete where redox fronts (or sites for uranium deposition) have been interpreted.
Radiometric readings
High radiometric readings were recorded along a creek exposure mapped towards the west of a radiometrically-warm granite.
Extensive visible carnotite was also observed in the project area, particularly on contacts with schist host rock (which appear to have acted as a redox contact) and in calcrete.
Accumulations of uranium and rare earth elements (REEs) along similar redox fronts on the flanks of granites and pegmatites are considered to be suitable source rocks for economic concentrations in shallow calcrete deposit settings.
The results highlighted the Morrissey project’s potential for economic uranium and REEs hosted at shallow depth in calcrete, with possible contemporary analogues such as Lake Maitland and Yeelirrie.
Uranium oxide sightings
Executive chair Ross Landles said the company was pleased with the uranium oxide sightings.
“It has been great to finally get on the ground at Morrissey following an extended wet season,” he said.
“And it has been worth the wait, with mapping and sampling confirming the presence of widespread visible uranium oxide.”
“We believe field work has revealed a significant new discovery which identifies potential for economic uranium.”
“The area hosts abundant pegmatite outcrop and subcrop and it is exciting to have detected extensive carnotite mineralisation associated with the large central pegmatite body.”
He said the company would conduct follow-up activities once all assays from the sampling programme had been received within the coming weeks.