Eclipse Metals Ltd (ASX:EPM) reports positive results from a Native Title meeting regarding access to a further two of the Liverpool Uranium Project tenements in the world-class Alligator Rivers Uranium Field of the Northern Territory.
On July 21, 2020, the company met with the Traditional Landowners through their legal representatives, the Northern Land Council (NLC), at Oenpelli in the Northern Territory to seek approval for uranium-gold-palladium exploration and mining within ELA’s 31065 and 31770 adjoining to the south, east and north of EL 27584 (Devil’s Elbow).
The Traditional Owners have given their consent for the NLC to enter into negotiations with Eclipse Metals and once the final terms of the exploration agreement are reached between the parties, the NLC will present all terms and conditions of the agreement to the Traditional Owners during a final on-country meeting.
Devils Elbow prospect
The Devil’s Elbow prospect is part of a group of five tenements and applications with a total area of 1,463 square kilometres, known as the Liverpool Project area in the Alligator Rivers Uranium Field.
Eclipse Metals executive chairman Carl Popal said: “The potential granting of these two additional exploration licences will allow further exploration to the south of the Devil’s Elbow prospect in an area never before explored for uranium and PGE metals and to the east along the Ranger Fault zone.
“Several extensive first-order radiometric and seismic anomalies remain untested within ELA31770 and ELA 31065 – these remain priority exploration targets and will be assessed once land access is granted.”
The company has conducted the first onsite reconnaissance program over the Devil’s Elbow prospect and surrounding radiometric anomalies to the southeast in EL27584 and expects to update the market with results in due course.
Eclipse Metals plans to begin exploration on receiving approval of programs by the Northern Territory Department of Mines and Energy.
West Arnhem Uranium Project map showing ELA’s 31065 and 31770 location.
World-class potential
The project is hosted within the world-class Alligator Rivers Uranium Field which includes the Ranger, Nabarlek and Jabiluka uranium mines.
Large uranium deposits in the Alligator Rivers Uranium Field account for 96% of past production and 95% of known resources in the Northern Territory.
The company has focused on these licence areas based on the large number of untested uranium anomalies, historical high-grade uranium mineralisation within the tenement application areas and the proximity to known world-class uranium deposits.
The tenements are around 41 kilometres southeast of the worked-out Nabarlek Uranium Mine which produced 12,000 tonnes of uranium oxide from 568,402 tonnes of ore with a grade of 1.95% triuranium octoxide.
Major uranium explorers such Rio Tinto Limited (ASX:RIO), Cameco Australia (TSE:CCO), Devex Resources Ltd (ASX:DEV), and Vimy Resources Ltd (ASX:VMY) are just a few companies which hold significant exploration ground in this sought-after district.