Aurora Energy Metals Limited announced the imminent commencement of its first drilling program, since listing, at the Company's 100%-owned Aurora Energy Metals Project in Oregon, USA. Aurora is finalising the preparatory work for its Phase 1 RC drilling program at the Aurora Energy Metals Project, the first drilling at the project in a decade. Drilling is expected to commence next week. The 17-hole Phase 1 RC drilling program of approximately 3,400m, received approval from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) earlier this year and the Company has been advised that by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) that they are finalising documentation for the issue of the permit next week. The
required work program bond was paid on October 17, 2022. The Midnight Sun Drilling company has been engaged as the drill contactor, and their team is currently mobilizing to Aurora's recently acquired exploration base in McDermitt, Nevada. The location of the holes and the defined DOGAMI Phase 1 Project Area, which is the subset of a larger planned exploration drilling program consisting of 47 RC holes and 21 diamond drill (DD) holes for the
2022-23 financial year. Phase 1 drilling is expected to be completed in December 2022, with assays to be submitted progressively and results expected to be available from late December.
The program will target uranium and lithium mineralisation, with the first eight priority holes focused to the north-west of the existing Aurora Uranium Deposit. The decision to commence in this area was driven by outstanding uranium intersections from the five most northern holes drilled in Aurora's 2011 DD exploration program, which consistently delivered shallow, thick, high-grade results. These previously released results are fully presented in Annexure C, but worth noting are intersections such as hole AUD010, 19.2m at 1,161 ppm eU3O8 and 11m @
1,281ppm Li and hole AUD028, 40.2m at 672ppm eU3O8 and 27.3m @ 1,164ppm Li. The lithium is located in the lakebed sediments overlying the uranium. The previously released lithium assay results are fully presented in Annexure B whilst selected lithium results.
Aurora adopted a phased permitting approach to adhere to DOGAMI's 640-acre project area restriction and recently submitted an amended exploration permit application to the BLM, incorporating all the remaining holes of the FY2022-23 program. The application was amended to accommodate recommendations made during the heritage survey completed at the end of September. Once BLM approval for the remainder of the program has been obtained, multiple applications will be made to DOGAMI in keeping with the regulator's 640-acre project area restriction.