Lyons/Curbur
Curbur (E 09/1467, E 09/1468, E 09/1469, E09/1470, E 09/1509, E09/1646, E09/1647, E09/1648, E09/1649, E09/1650, E 70/3199) — Carnarvon Region, Western Australia
Location:
The Lyons/Curbur Project is situated in the southeastern Carnarvon Region, Western Australia, approximately 230km north-northeast of Geraldton, 240km east of Denham and 260km west of Meekatharra.
The company has approximately 10 exploration licences in its Lyon/Curbur project. These conceptual projects contain all of the essential ingredients for sandstone-hosted uranium deposits and the exploration targets are analogous to the Manyingee (Paladin Energy), Bennet Well (Cauldron Energy) and Carley Bore (Energia Minerals) deposits located in the Carnarvon palaeodrainage system.
Exploration Activity:
A regional scale airborne TEMPEST electromagnetic survey was completed to further define the location of these palaeochannels and potential trap sites for uranium-rich fluids draining westerly from the Gascoyne Complex and northern Yilgarn Craton.
Interpretation of the survey had identified prospective palaeochannel locations in the Curbur, Curbur North and Lyons River West sub-project areas. These interpreted palaeochannel targets have been surveyed by the company for access and ground geology targeting.
Field checking and evaluation is currently underway as an assessment of the outcropping Gascoyne Complex basement to the east. The vein unconformity mineralisation model between the Gascoyne Complex and the Lyons group sediments is applicable where the graphitic and carbonaceous sequence of the Morrisey Metamorphics trend into the Company's tenements.
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Exploration model:
(a) The project areas cover various sections of a major palaeo-drainage system (pathway for uranium transport by oxidised fluids) that drained felsic and mafic igneous rocks along the western margin of the Archaean Yilgarn Region (potential source of uranium and vanadium). Valley calcrete (favourable host rock) is present locally and further calcrete bodies may be present under cover.
(b) The permeable strata within the palaeochannels may have promoted migration of uranium-bearing groundwaters into the Carnarvon basin where uranium may have been precipitated along redox boundaries within or adjacent to the palaeochannels.
- Uranium and vanadium sources: metamorphic and igneous rock in the hinterland
- Pathway for uranium transport: palaeochannel and permeable strata
- Redox boundaries to promote deposition: reduced strata
- Favourable host rock: porous sandstone at regional redox interfaces and deposits of valley calcrete
