West Wits Mining Ltd (ASX:WWI) has kicked off first-phase drilling to confirm historical data on a uranium exploration target at its flagship Witwatersrand Basin Project (WBP).
In October 2021, the company announced its intention to include uranium as a targeted mineral in the Bird Reef exploration program at the project.
Historical data to be tested
WWI now plans to test 2008 exploration results which revealed consistent uranium mineralisation over roughly 3.3 kilometres with more than 7 kilometres of strike picked out along the targeted Bird Reef section within the WBP mining right area.
This phase of the company’s uranium drilling program will be the first of a three-phased diamond drilling initiative aiming to convert the declared JORC uranium exploration target into an inferred mineral resource.
WWI will start by drilling three holes of around 120 metres each, in known areas of mineralisation, and expects results by the end of September. Once the data is in and has been analysed for the first phase, the second drilling phases will start, following the zone of mineralisation on the strike and down dip within the mining right area.
The company plans to be in a position to convert the exploration target to a JORC-compliant inferred mineral resource at the end of the second phase. Phase three drilling will then test the continuous nature of the uranium-bearing reef to depths beyond 400 metres below surface.
Study to confirm viability
Once the target has been successfully updated to a JORC-compliant resource, the company plans to complete a scoping study to confirm the viability of a stand-alone uranium mining operation on the Bird Reed Central area.
It is hoped that the scoping study will motivate the third phase, which targets mineralisation below 400 metres to test possible continuity of the zone, with the plan to move towards an indicated mineral resource if the study confirms the viability of the project.