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Project Highlights
- C Zone contains NI 43-101 uranium resource open in all directions for expansion
- numerous targets along a 30 km trend
- summer drilling focused on expanding the known mineralization along the C-Zone - Armstrong Corridor
Geology
Geology Map with Target Areas |
The Central Mineral Belt project lies on an area composed of Archean to Mesoproterozoic gneissic, sedimentary, volcanic and granitoid rocks. The project lies near the junction of three regional faults, where the Grenville front overprints the northeast trending boundary between the Nain and Makkovik tectonic Provinces. Basement to the area is Archean gneiss of the Nain craton.
The local geology comprises Early Paleoproterozoic submarine volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Moran Lake Group overlain unconformably by the late Paleoproterozoic continental sediments and subaerial volcanics of the Bruce River Group. The Moran Lake stratigraphy was deformed during the Makkovikian Orogeny, and after a hiatus of perhaps 500 Ma without sedimentary record, the Bruce River Group was deposited above a profound angular unconformity.
The Moran Lake Group consists of shale, arkose, and dolostone overlain by iron formation in the southwest and pillowed basalts to the northeast. The Bruce River Group consists of a basal, polymictic conglomerate and sandstone overlain by tuffaceous sandstone.
Geology in the northern area of the Property is dominated by the Kanairiktok Intrusive Suite granite, mafic volcanics of the Joe Pond Formation overlain by sandstones and conglomerates of the Heggart Lake Formation. Mineralization styles include both unconformity controlled uranium mineralization and IOCG type mineralization.
The Northstar Division hosts several main targets including the C Zone, Area 1, Armstrong, B Zone, Area 51, Moran Heights, Blue Star and the Apollo Zone.
C Zone is hosted in brecciated, altered mafic volcanics and cherts of the Joe Pond Formation as well as chloritized sandstones of the Heggart Lake Formation. It is generally fracture controlled and locally associated with the uranium mineralization are sulphides dominated by pyrite, chalcopyrite, and iron oxides, similar to Area 1. Armstrong, also located within the Joe Pond Formation, is hosted by two undulating, north trending, shear zones. Pillow textures are preserved in outcrop and rocks are sericite, chlorite, Fe-carbonate altered. Radiometric surveys indicate that C Zone, Area 1 and Armstrong, which all show similar mineralization, comprise a 4.5km long uranium bearing trend.
B Zone mineralization is mainly hosted by strongly altered Heggart Lake sandstone, which is cut by diabase dikes. Mineralization also occurs in fractures associated with silicification, although this is less common. Further to the northeast, the Apollo Zone is also hosted within the sedimentary rocks of the Heggart Lake Formation. A strong penetrative foliation is locally developed, notably within sericite-altered matrix-supported conglomerates. Kinematic indicators suggest the mineralized zone is hosted within an oblique, steeply east-dipping sinistral shear zone. Sulphide minerals present are predominantly pyrite but locally include chalcopyrite and bornite.
Located 4 km north of the C Zone, Area 51 is dominated by veining with occasional sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite and locally has uranium mineralization that is commonly found at the unconformable contact between crystalline basement rocks of the Archean Kanairiktok Intrusive Suite and Moran Lake Group sedimentary rocks. The Moran Lake Group rocks are in turn unconformably overlain by rocks of the Bruce River Group. To the East is Moran Heights. Pillow basalts of the Joe Pond Formation are unconformably overlain by reduced sandstone and conglomerate of the Heggart Lake Formation, which hosts the stratabound uranium mineralization. Copper mineralization and sometimes silver also occurs in the sandstone.
Blue Star, which is located furthest north on the property, includes uranium mineralization, as well as locally visible chalcopyrite, hosted by weakly sheared and fractured sandstone and conglomerate, overlying the highly prospective Aphebian/Helikian unconformity that is spatially associated with a number of key prospects on the property. Sulphides are uncommon, but locally, float has been discovered with significant copper sulphides.
Previous Exploration Work
In early 2005, Crosshair embarked on a program to resample the Shell drill cores archived in the government core storage facility in Goose Bay. The samples were sent to SGS Laboratories to determine the uranium, copper, gold and silver concentrations and these, plus the historic values were incorporated to estimate the 43-101 mineral resource in the Upper C Zone. The resource was based on very shallow drill holes (maximum of 75 metres deep) and was completed by Roscoe Postle Associated. They determined an inferred resource of 124,000 tonnes grading 0.25% U3O8 containing 688,000 lbs of U3O8.
During the summer of 2006 Crosshair mounted an extensive helicopter supported exploration program based out of a camp on Armstrong Lake. The work, designed to follow-up airborne radiometric anomalies and Proterozoic unconformities, included prospecting, geological mapping, scintillometer surveys, trenching, sampling and drilling in a number of areas including the C zone, Armstrong, Madsen Lake, Moran Heights, B zone, Croteau Lake, Areas 1, 2, 3, and 51. The 2006 drill program consisted of 137 holes (21,486 metres) of which 58 tested the Upper C Zone and to a lesser extent (10 holes of the 58) the Lower C zone.
During the winter of 2007, the company drilled a total of 9,404 metres in 34 holes. An additional 19,280 metres of drilling in 121 holes was completed on the property during the 2007 summer drill program. Drilling focused on expanding the resource in the C Zone, but also included drilling at Area 1, Armstrong, and Croteau Lake.
During 2008, Crosshair completed a total of 15,558 metres of drilling in 74 holes. While the winter drill program successfully anchored the southern end of the 4.5 kilometre long mineralized corridor, the summer drill program focused on further proving the existence of the corridor, with 4 holes, all intersecting uranium mineralization, being drilled approximately half way between Area 1 and C Zone. All three areas which comprise the corridor (C Zone, Area 1, and Armstrong) remain open for expansion. An updated independent NI 43-101 resource estimate was announced August 2008. The report included an indicated resource of 5.19 million pounds of uranium (6.92 million tonnes at 0.034%) and an additional inferred resource of 5.82 million pounds of uranium (8.17 million tonnes at 0.032%).
In addition to increasing the uranium resource, the vanadium resource was also significantly increased to 11.75 million pounds of vanadium (6.92 million tonnes at 0.077%) in the indicated category and an additional 15.81 million pounds of vanadium (8.17 million tonnes at 0.088%) in the inferred category. This resource, however, includes only the vanadium found within the uranium envelope, but it's possible that the ultimate vanadium resource could be much greater. For example, although hole ML-181 averages 0.168% V2O5 over 210.55 metres (m), less an 20 m was actually used in the resource estimate because the resource focused solely on uranium. The company recently completed Phase 1 of re-assaying existing core samples and is set to commence Phase 2 of the program in July 2010.
For additional information on the Exploration Work of various targets on the Central Mineral Belt, please visit the C Zone, the B Zone, Area 1, Armstrong, Area 51, Moran Heights, Blue Star and the Apollo Zone.
Technical Report
Click here for the complete NI 43-101 report on the Central Mineral Belt Uranium Project (C Zone, Area 1 and Armstrong) (PDF 12.2MB)
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