|
ESO Starts MPX Geophysics On Helicopter-Borne Magnetic And Radiometric Surveys |
 |
 |
 |
ESO Starts MPX Geophysics On Helicopter-Borne Magnetic And Radiometric Surveys On East Athabasca Uranium Properties In Saskatchewan
ESO Uranium Corporation (TSX-V: ESO), the Company, is pleased to announce that MPX Geophysics Ltd of Richmond Hill is starting helicopter based magnetometer and radiometric surveys on the 100% owned East Athabasca Basin properties, Saskatchewan. The contract calls for flying more than 15,000 kms of flight path and will blanket the approximately 625,000 acre (250,000 hectare) claim area.
Survey coverage will include anomalous boulder trains identified in earlier work by Uranerz in the southwest section of the property and anomalous geochemistry along structures to the north of this section. These structures may be part of the Cable Bay Shear Zone. A wide spaced 15 hole drill programme was carried out over 30 kms of strike length on these structures, largely within the ESO claim boundary. Cogema Resources reported anomalous boron in some holes and minor uranium mineralization (up to 0.04% U from a partial uranium assay) in drill hole CR-14 just outside the ESO property boundary. Other areas of particular interest in this airborne survey include extensions of the Mullins-Johnstone Lake conductors that were identified from earlier work by Cogema and Interuranium on the northern and eastern part of the main claim block. The Hatchet Lake property, a separate claim block to the northeast of the main claims, will also be flown to evaluate radioactive showings at the eastern edge of the Athabasca Basin in basement rocks close to the unconformity. The Hatchet claim block was staked on the strong recommendation of ESO Chief Geologist R. J. Beckett, PGeo.
The objective of the work is to develop drill targets that will be tested later this year and will add to the drilling programme now underway in the West Athabasca property interests of ESO. (See ESO news release July 9th 2007)
The radiometric survey will be used to identify possible leakage of uranium mineralization up fault zones and uranium mineralization in boulder trains. The boulder trains were formed by ice scouring the present subcropping bedrock and re-depositing glacial sediments down-ice. The equipment used for the radiometric survey consists of two GRS-410 multi-channel gamma-ray spectrometers with a combined crystal pack volume of 2048 cubic inches, which is twice the size of the crystal pack typically deployed by Canadian contractors.
Size makes a difference and the larger volume significantly increases the quality of the collected data from the gamma-ray detector. In addition to the conventional radiometry, data will be processed to identify gamma-ray plumes due to natural diffusion of radon from fault zones and/or boulder trains into the air. Radon gas, a product of the radioactive decay of uranium, can indicate the presence of uranium at depth in the bedrock and in boulder trains. Although radon is mainly an alpha particle emitter it decays to radio-isotopes that are gamma-ray emitters that can be detected with a sensitive gamma-ray spectrometer.
A high sensitivity magnetometer system deployed with the radiometric system will be sampling at a rate of ten times a second with an in-flight sensitivity of 0.002 nT. The magnetic data will help define structure and map geological features in the basement rocks. This combined survey will be carried out at low altitude and slow speed (60kts), allowing a much more detailed sampling than can be achieved safely with fixed wing aircraft.
The quality control overview of the geophysical surveys will be executed by MPH Consulting Limited of Toronto during the surveys which are expected to take about 4 weeks. In the next 10 days, MPH will be completing the first phase field work in the project area. An extensive program of boulder sampling, stream and lake sediment sampling and prospecting has been carried out in selected areas of the East Athabasca properties. This work will be used to select further areas for ground geophysical grids to define drill targets that may be available for this year. The work completed on the properties including the airborne geophysics and ground surveys is estimated to cover the assessment costs required for keeping all of the claims in good standing.
For reference, the current spot price quoted by uxc.com for uranium is US$130 per pound of U3O8; an assay reported as 1.0% of U3O8 is equal to 20 pounds of uranium oxide per short ton -- the conversion of percent metal or metal oxide from percent to pounds per short ton is done by multiplying the % value by 20.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of ESO Uranium Corp.
"Ben Ainsworth"
Vice President, Exploration
For corporate communications please contact:
Tom Corcoran or Bob Meister
ESO Uranium Corp.
Vancouver, BC
Phone: (604) 629-0293
Toll Free: 1-866-629-0293
Email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Please refer to the ESO Uranium website for further and updated information.
The Toronto Venture Exchange has not reviewed nor accepted responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of the contents of this news release which has been prepared by management. Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forward looking statements as that term is defined in the private securities litigation reform act of 1995. Such forward looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from estimated results. Such risks and uncertainties are detailed in the Company's filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
|
|
Last Updated on Tuesday, 28 October 2008 10:53 |
