Target Drilling Commences at Nabarlek North Project, NT
Released
Released
Announcement PDF
ASX Announcement
26 August 2024
Target Drilling Commences at Nabarlek North
Project, ARUP, Northern Territory
Alligator Energy Limited ASX: AGE (Alligator or the Company) is pleased to advise that its 2024
target drill program for the Nabarlek North Project (Nabarlek North) in the Alligator Rivers Uranium
Province (ARUP) in the Northern Territory is now underway.
Highlights
•
Alligator’s Nabarlek North Project is targeting unconformity-style uranium deposits in the
Lower Cahill Formation, a mineralisation model played out throughout the district including
nearby deposits such as Ranger, Jabiluka and Nabarlek (10 km to the southwest of the
project area).
•
This year’s drilling program represents the culmination of two years of systematic
geochemical testing, initial targeted RC drilling, reconnaissance mapping and a high
resolution airborne magnetic and radiometric survey.
•
A reverse circulation (RC) drilling program has been planned for a total of 3,000 - 5,000 m
at up to10 targeted locations.
•
Topdrill of Western Australia has been awarded the contract and has significant experience
operating in the ARUP..
•
All approvals including cultural clearances have been completed and the program is being
complemented by NT Government co-funded stratigraphic drilling to the value of $100k.
•
Subject to the quantum of final drilling metress, laboratory assays and analysis of results
are expected to be finalised by November 2024.
Alligator’s CEO Greg Hall stated: “We are very pleased to commence this year’s drilling program
across an extended area within our Nabarlek North tenure package. This year’s program brings
together new geophysical datasets, two years of intensive geochemical sampling and
reconnaissance mapping - including within areas that have seen little if any ‘boots on the ground’
activity. Along with step-out drilling to follow up on our encouraging 2023 results north of the U40
prospect, we are making some bold but strategic tests of features sharing similarities to some of the
known deposits within the Alligator Rivers Uranium Province.
It should be a very exciting couple of months, and we are again very grateful for the continued
support from the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Northern Land Council, and to the NT
Government through their co-funded exploration initiative program.”
1
Project Background and Exploration Strategy
The Nabarlek North Project represents a highly prospective under-explored region within the
Alligator Rivers Uranium Province (ARUP). It is typified by the presence of an exhumed Proterozoic
unconformity with thin but sufficient cover sediments that masks bedrock radiometric signatures and
historically, has discouraged exploration.
The project is located less than 7km north of the historic Nabarlek uranium mine which produced
24Mlb of U3O8 at an average grade of 1.84% (Figure 1). The U40 Prospect, located 200m south of
Alligator’s southern tenement boundary, has historically reported grades of up to 6.3m @ 7.23%
U3O81 demonstrating high-grade occurrences proximal to the Nabarlek North Project.
Figure 1: Location of the expanded Nabarlek North work area and Alligators ARUP Project tenure in the NT
Work through 2022 to 2023 focussed on the southernmost portion of the Nabarlek North tenement
package, north of the U40 prospect. This included systematic shallow aircore drilling and
geochemical sampling below the base of cover. While locally proficient in testing for suitable host
and uranium mineralisation, this approach is considered unlikely to deliver effective vectoring for drill
targets across the entire tenement holding within a practical timeframe, particularly in areas with
thicker regolith cover.
1
Uranium Equities Limited (now DevEx Resources Limited) ASX Announcement, 4 October 2017. 43mxw3hmf60plg.pdf (asx.com.au)
ASX: AGE
ASX: AGE
ABN 79 140 575 604 | Suite 2, 128 Bowen St, Spring Hill, QLD 4000 | +61 (0) 7 3839 3904
info@alligatorenergy.com.au | www.alligatorenergy.com.au | Page 2 of 6
As such, the exploration methodology was changed in 2024 to a more regional and whole of tenure
approach including:
•
A high resolution airborne magnetic and radiometric survey2 at 50 to 100 m line spacing
across the entire tenure package. While interpretation of this data is at an early stage, it has
already provided superior structural mapping and lithology identification.
•
Regional geological mapping north of the Maningrida highway, where there has been limited
historical drilling or outcrop identification.
•
An RC drilling program (detailed below) targeting specific structural complexities and lithology
‘markers’ with similarities to known uranium mineralisation systems within the region.
Specific target areas (Figure 2) for the 2024 drilling program include:
• Follow up and step-out RC drilling to the north of the U40 prospect. With a minimum of six
holes, this includes follow up of subtle gamma radiometric anomalies in historic Uranium
Exploration Australia (UXA) drillholes and drilling surrounding AGE’s intercept last year3
where there remains prospective host rock not yet tested. Some deeper RC drilling will also
be undertaken following indications of the possibility of more fertile, thicker sections below
current nominal drilling depths of ~ 150 m (Area 1).
•
A series of RC holes to test a more northerly portion of the north-south structure that partially
controls U40 mineralisation (Area 2).
• A fence of holes over an elevated (50 ppm) uranium anomaly identified from 2023 aircore
drilling out to the east. The new geophysical data suggests key structural elements are
present here with the possibility that previous drilling only intersected the edge (Area 3).
• Drill testing features throughout the tenure that demonstrate similar structural controls,
radiometric and magnetic signatures seen in some of the nearby deposits. This includes an
untested section of potentially prospective stratigraphy where Alligator’s new geophysical
data and geological mapping suggests that Lower Cahill may be present, wrapped around
the King River Archean (gneissic) Dome (Area 4). Also of high priority for drill testing in 2024,
is a discrete magnetic high cross-cut by a series of deep-seated structures (Area 5).
The drilling program commenced late last week and is anticipated to take 4 - 6 weeks to complete.
Any indication of uranium, associated elements or strong chlorite or hematite alteration within the
right host, will be considered for immediate follow-up (subject to available time this dry season).
The results of the 2024 drilling program will be integrated into the Nabarlek North ‘geological
model’ leading into further drilling options. Alligator acknowledges that our current targeting
refinement process has been greatly aided by the stratigraphic drilling program co-funded under
the Northern Territory’s Government ‘Resourcing the Territory’ Exploration Grants program, Round
17 (refer https://resourcingtheterritory.nt.gov.au/exploration-grants/current-round-successfulprojects).
2 AGE ASX announcement, 26 June 2024. High Resolution Airborne Magnetic and Radiometric Survey to commence at Alligator’s
Nabarlek North. 02821062.pdf (weblink.com.au)
3 AGE ASX announcement 19 December 2023 Uranium mineralisation intersected at Alligator’s Nabarlek North Project in maiden RC
drilling program. 02755611.pdf (weblink.com.au)
ASX: AGE
ASX: AGE
ABN 79 140 575 604 | Suite 2, 128 Bowen St, Spring Hill, QLD 4000 | +61 (0) 7 3839 3904
info@alligatorenergy.com.au | www.alligatorenergy.com.au | Page 3 of 6
Figure 2: 2024 Nabarlek North preliminary drillhole proposals. Areas referred to in the text.
This released was authorised by Greg Hall, CEO and Managing Director.
Contacts
For more information, please contact:
Mr Greg Hall
Mr Mike Meintjes
CEO & Director
CFO & Company Secretary
gh@alligatorenergy.com.au
mm@alligatorenergy.com.au
For media enquiries, please contact:
Alex Cowie
Media & Investor Relations
alexc@nwrcommunications.com.au
ASX: AGE
ASX: AGE
ABN 79 140 575 604 | Suite 2, 128 Bowen St, Spring Hill, QLD 4000 | +61 (0) 7 3839 3904
info@alligatorenergy.com.au | www.alligatorenergy.com.au | Page 4 of 6
Forward Looking Statement
This announcement contains projections and forward-looking information that involve various risks and
uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include without limitation
statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees
of future performance of the Company. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results and the
Company’s plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information.
Actual results and future events could differ materially from anticipated in such information. These and all
subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management
on the dates they are made and expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company assumes no
obligation to update forward-looking information should circumstances or management’s estimates or opinions
change.
Competent Person’s Statement
The information in this report that relates to Exploration Results is based on information compiled by Alligator
Energy Limited and reviewed by Dr Andrea Marsland-Smith who is a Member of the AusIMM. Dr MarslandSmith is employed on a full-time basis with Alligator Energy as Chief Operating Officer and has sufficient
experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the
activity she is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the ‘Australasian
Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. Dr Marsland-Smith consents
to the inclusion in this release of the matters based on her information in the form and context in which it
appears.
About Alligator Energy
Alligator Energy Ltd is an Australian, ASX-listed, exploration company focused on uranium and energy related
minerals, principally cobalt-nickel. Alligator’s Directors have significant experience in the exploration,
development and operations of both uranium and nickel projects (both laterites and sulphides).
ASX: AGE
ASX: AGE
ABN 79 140 575 604 | Suite 2, 128 Bowen St, Spring Hill, QLD 4000 | +61 (0) 7 3839 3904
info@alligatorenergy.com.au | www.alligatorenergy.com.au | Page 5 of 6
Projects
ASX: AGE
ASX: AGE
ABN 79 140 575 604 | Suite 2, 128 Bowen St, Spring Hill, QLD 4000 | +61 (0) 7 3839 3904
info@alligatorenergy.com.au | www.alligatorenergy.com.au | Page 6 of 6
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