Cauldron Energy Ltd (ASX:CXU) has appointed Asha Rao, an experienced geologist with key gold and uranium experience, as fulltime exploration manager.
Rao has broad experience in gold and uranium mineralisation across Canada, Australia and Africa and specific experience in relation to in-situ recovery (ISR) of uranium.
She has 16 years of experience, ranging from early-stage, grass-roots exploration through to brownfields pre-production work.
With her experience also encompassing a wide range of geological terranes, countries and resource companies, she is ideally suited to advance Cauldron’s Blackwood Gold Project and Yanrey Uranium Project.
“Good fit of experience”
Cauldron director Jess Oram said: “Cauldron is very fortunate to regain the services of an experienced motivated geologist with such a good fit of experience to Cauldron’s projects.
“No doubt the style and quality of the Bennet Well Uranium deposit and the exceptional opportunity at the Blackwood Gold Project in Victoria helped bring Asha back.”
Experience and qualifications
According to the company, Rao has proven technical ability in identifying new exploration targets, with a passion for geology, challenging concepts and ideas, and employing innovation to unravel the intricacies of mineral deposits.
In the gold sector, she has worked in the central Murchison Goldfields for Westgold Resources Ltd (later as part of Metals X Limited) and was involved in the exploration, resource extension and upgrade towards operational readiness of multiple high-grade gold mines and prospects including the Great Fingal, Golden Crown, Cuddingwarra and Big Bell gold mines.
As for the uranium sector, she has worked across multiple styles of uranium mineralisation including those amenable to in-situ recovery mining at various stages of development throughout Australia, Africa and Canada.
Her contribution in the development of the Bennet Well mineralisation led to Cauldron’s advanced understanding of this highly mineral-rich area of Western Australia and its extensive potential.
She has a Master of Earth Science (MESci Hons) Geology degree from the University of Liverpool, UK, and is a member of the Australasian Institute for Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) and the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG).
ISR uranium
ISR uranium mining is extremely energy efficient and has the lowest mining cost with the lowest carbon footprint.
Uranium as an energy commodity is increasingly being recognised as a solution to the energy issues facing the globe.
Blackwood Project
The Blackwood Gold Project in Victoria’s highly productive ‘Golden Triangle’ represents an opportunity for Cauldron to extend the ore shoots abandoned by past miners.
Moreover, the company also believes that there is potential to discover new ore shoots lying proximal to the underground tunnel system left by historical mining activity.
Cauldron holds key exploration intellectual property for uncovering more uranium mineralisation at Yanrey and developing the gold system at Blackwood.