Alligator Energy Ltd (ASX:AGE) is expanding its tenement footprint in the Cooper Basin of South Australia's northeast more than 13-fold via an application for 11 new tenements, augmenting its Big Lake Uranium Project (BLU).
The company’s tenure at BLU now covers 10,802 square kilometres, up from 818 square kilometres, strengthening its first-mover status in this frontier uranium province.
This decision is based on the recent success in reprocessing publicly available seismic data and the recognition of emerging mineral exploration opportunities related to the deeper 'granite wash' geology of the underlying Cooper Basin.
Alligator believes that this buried radiogenic granite wash provides a source for uranium to naturally leach into the groundwater which then propagates upwards into overlying near-surface sediments that the company will be exploring for ISR-type uranium deposits.
“First-mover advantage”
Alligator CEO Greg Hall said: “Based on the desktop analysis performed to date and our dedicated senior geologists’ recognition of the importance of the granite wash play, Alligator has applied for additional exploration tenure to the south and west of the current licence.
“It has significantly expanded the uranium exploration search space in the Cooper Basin, reaffirming Alligator’s first-mover advantage there.
“We have commenced background analysis of available data and planning an expanded exploration effort in what is quickly becoming a significant opportunity for the company.
“We are also continuing to liaise and negotiate an exploration agreement with the local indigenous groups.”
Alligator’s Big Lake Project tenure showing the extent of the interpreted Big Lake Suite radiogenic granite and the associated 'granite wash' apron.
Granite wash play
What Alligator now recognises is the importance of what the petroleum industry refers to as the 'granite wash play' and how it relates to uranium mineralisation.
The company has identified that seismic interpretation of granite wash play substantially increases the area fertile for ISR-amenable uranium deposits.
The widespread footprint of this ‘granite wash’ and the overlying sediments means that the potential for reduced and oxidised fluids to interact and form a roll-front is also more extensive.
This has motivated Alligator to apply for a larger landholding to the south and west covering the footprint of the ‘granite wash play’.
‘Granite wash play’ from a petroleum perspective.
Forward plan
The seismic response of the contact between granites and wash-sediments is anticipated to be clearly imaged, identifiable and laterally interpretable in the reprocessed seismic data.
It is likely that the process of mapping the distribution and thickness of the ‘granite wash’ will be a first-order control on the focus of further exploration.
Alligator is currently reprocessing seismic data incrementally on its current tenure and this will be rolled out to the new tenement applications once granted.
The company also has started capturing the relevant data from historic petroleum and mineral exploration wells.
This exercise will expand in line with the additional data that pertains to the newly applied tenure.
Subsequently, a combination of these data sources will inform the drilling program design and implementation for Big Lake.