Report on a quarterly inspection of the south alligator river uranium

BMR
Record C.
1959/4
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.
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DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
BUREAU OF MINERAL RESOURCES
GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS.
RECORDS.
REPORT ON A
SUARTERLr INSPECTION
of the
#
SOUTh ALLIGATOR
~I~ u~ANIUM ~
JuL~,
1959
by
G. E.
PRIC.tlARD
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REPORT ON A
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QUARTERLY. INSPECTI ON
of the
SOUTJ:i ALLiuA'rOR RIVER URANIUM AREA
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CONTENTS
Page
Introduction
united Uranium NoLo
El Sherana
Palette Prospect
Scinto - Saddle Ridge Area
Coronation 11ill
Scinto No 5
South Alligator uranium N. L.
Ore Reserves
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INTRODUCTION
The operations of United Uranium N.L.Limited and South
Alligator uranium N.LoLimited in the South All;i.gator River area
were inspected 28th-31st July, 1959.
UNITED uRANIUl\1
.No
L.
Since the dry season commenced there has been the nor.mal
seasonal increase in~ining at El Sherana and ore transport to the
treatment plant at moline. About 30 men are employed at El Sherana
and nearly 70 at molineo
El Sherana.
lVlJ.nJ.ng at the El Sherana opencut resumed in lVLay. At
the time of inspection about 24,000 tons of ore had been won from
the opencut, the floor of which was at RL 1170. The planned
operation was based on excavation to RL 1140.
The Company has decided to mine the souther~~ortion of
the orebody by opencut. A second mechanical shovel has been purchased
and initially it will be used to strip the overburden from this
southern extension.
Palette Prospect
underground work at Palette Prospect had ceased shortly
before the inspection. Winzes at 203 feet and 150 feet had been
sunk 98 f'eet and 96 feet below theJ.l'e'veJ. respectively, and No 1 Sub•
level had been driven 40 feet from the 150 :eeet winze at a level
20 feet below the adit levelo
The results of this exploration programme were dis•
appointing. Although radio-activity was general on and near the
contact between upper and Lower Proterozoic rocks the tonnage of
ore grade disclosed was not significant.
Development ore stockpiled from Palette is 217 tons of
29o221 lbs/ton, no significant additional ore reserves have been
proved.
Scinto - Saddle Ridge Area
The programme of surface mapping at 100 feet to the
inch of this area continued as staff was availableo It will be
some time before it is completed and maps are available.
Coronation hill
An adit has been commenced at Coronation nill designed
to check the results of probing of' waggon drills along the 50S
co-ordinate and to provide information on the nature of the dis•
tribution of the ore. On 29/7/59 it was about 80 feet long and
was entering the target area. Only one small length of lowgrade
ore had been intersected to date.
Probing of waggon drill holes at this prospect indicate
that the mineralisation is irregularly distributed along small
discontinuous partings in the country rock. This is very similar
to the Sleisveck No 4 prospect which proved unminable. It is
hoped that the adit will provide the information on ore occurence
to decide whether this deposit is minable.
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Scinto No 5 South Prospect
This prospect has been gridded, contoured, and benches
have been bulldozed ready for a programme of waggon drilling.
Examination discloses a narrow zone of radio-activity about 220
feet long which gives a maximum reading on an Austronic PR1v1 200
of 7,000 counts per minute. The radio-activity is associated with
a brecciated silicified shear zone striking at 285°
SOU Th .ALLIGATOR URAl'UU .M N. L.
No mining or exploration work has been completed during
the quartero Am airshaft has been commenced at the surface designed
to intersect the adit at about 850E. This shaft was about ten feet
deep when inspected. The underground worlcings have been kept in
good order. Further timbering was found to be necessary during the
wet season.
A iv1ill Superintendent has been engaged and is super•
vising the construction of the plant. A member of the South
Australian mines Department twhich designed t he plant) is also
present in an advisory capacity. Progress has been good and trial
runs will commence during the next quartero
quarter.
An average of 25 men have been employed during the
There is no change in the Companies ore reserveso
ORE RESERVES
No additional ore reserves have been proved during the
quarter. The only changes in ore reserves is that due to treat•
ment of ore in United uranium N.L. plant. In the table ore stock•
p i led is shown as Buch. All mining has been at El Sherana and
only small tonnages of development ore from other investigations are
included in the stockpile figures.
To the 8th August, 1959, 8,079 tons ore containing
80,532 lbs of u~ 0 8 had been treated at the moline plant. This
has been deducted rrom ore reserves.
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SU MMARY 0:81 T.l:1E URI.lUUM ORE
RESERVES
OF T !:IE
SOUTrt ALLIGK£0R RIVER uRANIUM AREA,
NORT.l:1ERN TERRITORY
PROSPECT
TONS
El Sherana
27,000
0.54
326,100 lb
1,800
Oo25
10,080 lb
26,000
0.44
256,256 lb
Coronation .l:l.ill 11,000
Oo27
66,528 lb
Scinto 5
5,200
Oo36
41,888 lb
Scinto 6
800
Oo25
4,480 lb
16,620
0.39
146,550 lb
88.420
~
8!21.882 lb
QUANTIT :t. IN LBS
eu3o8
united uranium .N.L.
1\.oolpin Creek
saddle Ridge
Stockpiled
South Alligator u ranil.liP
.N. L.
Rockhole
No 1 Orebody
1,200
49,996 lb
No 2 Orebody
4,500
164,304 lb
5 1 700
214,300 lb
94,120
1066,182 lb