Valor Resources Ltd (ASX:VAL) has kicked off an airborne gravity gradiometry (AGG) survey at the Hook Lake and Hidden Bay uranium projects in the eastern Athabasca Basin.
The survey is expected to take in 2,700 line-kilometres at 150-metre line spacing.
Valor project locations.
Prospective for basement-hosted uranium
The Hidden Bay Uranium Project, around 95 kilometres northeast of Hook Lake, covers 31.9 square kilometres and is prospective for basement-hosted uranium mineralisation.
Historical exploration data from the Hidden Bay project area has been compiled and, based on a preliminary review, indicates that Hidden Bay should be immediately prioritised for AGG.
The AGG data will help delineate geology and structure that are important in the formation of a uranium deposit.
Next step in development
Executive chairman George Bauk commented: “This airborne gravity gradiometry survey is an important next step in the development of the Hook Lake Uranium Project.
"Following our maiden drilling program completed in the March quarter this year, we will be using this survey and further on-ground exploration to assist us with the development of further targets for the next drill program at the project.
“We are expecting assay results in June from our drilling program and the interpretation of the gravity survey data around the end of June.
“A modern airborne gravity survey has never been completed over the Hook Lake and Hidden Bay project area, and this will provide the third dimension (depth) to the existing geological data sets to assist with identifying and prioritising drill targets.”
Gravity lows point to uranium
Gravity anomalies provide direct detection of the hydrothermal alteration associated with a uranium deposit. Hydrothermally altered or de-silicified rocks have a lower density than the unaltered host rocks and can therefore be identified as gravity lows.
An example of this is the basement-hosted Arrow uranium deposit, which has a total mineral resource of 337.4 million pounds of triuranium octoxide (U3O8) at a grade of 1.8% and was discovered in 2014 by NexGen Energy Ltd.
The discovery of the Arrow deposit was in part the result of drill-testing a circular gravity low with a diameter of around 1 kilometre.
The company is waiting on assay results from the recent drill program at Hook Lake, while further on-ground work is expected in June.