Elevate Uranium boosts exploration with five rigs in operation across key projects
Elevate Uranium (ASX: EL8) spent more than $3 million on exploration activities during the June quarter as it looks to rapidly grow its promising suite of uranium assets.
In releasing its June quarterly results, the company highlighted its aggressive exploration work, particularly at its Koppies project in Namibia.
Multiple rigs
Elevate had three rigs active at Koppies during the reporting period as it continues a campaign aimed at converting the project’s resource from the inferred to indicated JORC category.
While the major focus of the Koppies activities was an in-fill program, several exploration holes were also drilled around the perimeter of the mineral resource envelope.
Around 23,956 metres of drilling for 864 holes have been completed for the program.
Metallurgical studies
Elevate is also stepping up its metallurgical assessments of the Koppies mineralisation, with ore samples identified as being suitable for beneficiation test work with the company’s patented U-pgrade process collected from eight test pits.
The shallow nature of the Koppies resource saw excavating carried out to a depth of 6m to obtain ore samples that will be used for the test work.
The company has sent 6 tonnes of Koppies bulk ore samples to a facility in Perth, with the results of that bench-scale program to be used to design the pilot plant.
Other drilling
Elevate increased the number of rigs it had in action during the quarter to five, with exploration drilling underway at the Hirabeb and Capri projects.
At Hirabeb, 262 holes for 6,419m of drilling were completed during the quarter.
Located only 25km from the southern portion of the Koppies resource, Hirabeb is part of the greater Koppies project area.
At Capri, 203 holes for 5,731m of drilling were completed during the quarter.
An in-fill program is being undertaken there to close up the spacing between drill lines to better define the outline of the mineralisation.
Australian interests
In Australia, Elevate holds a 20.82% interest in the Bigrlyi uranium project in the Northern Territory, in a joint venture with Energy Metals (ASX: EME) (72.4% and operator) and Noble Group (6.8%).
Energy Metals announced during the quarter that reverse circulation (RC) drilling had commenced at Bigrlyi, with diamond drilling (DD) expected to follow shortly thereafter.
The program comprises more than 10,000 metres of RC and DD and is targeting extensions of known mineralisation in high-grade areas of the deposit.