TRENCH METALS • PROJECTS
Gorilla Lake
Uranium Project
Exciting Discovery in the World’s Highest Quality Uranium Mining District
TRENCH METALS • PROJECTS
Gorilla Lake
Our Gorilla Lake project is an exciting opportunity in the heart of the Athabasca Basin: the highest quality uranium mining district in the world. Located close to key infrastructure and the two largest Uranium mines in Canada, we are perfectly situated for exploration and development.
Uranium exploration in the area of Gorilla Lake has been ongoing since the late 1950s with two major periods of work. The first major period was associated with the discovery of the Cluff Lake Deposits in the early to mid 70s by Amok (Orano) and Numac Oil and Gas. The second phase of work has taken place from 2004 right up to the present time.
During this second phase of work, uranium mineralization intersected in drill holes CLU-01 and CLU-07 and is associated with a virtually untested structure extending over 700 metres. This structure represents a prime target for further drilling. Additionally, the basement in this area has been overturned and lies above the sandstone. Consequently, the possibility for unconformity uranium mineralization exists in this area.
In 2005, Fugro Airborne Surveys completed an airborne magnetic and MEGATEM survey over the Cluff Lake area that included the Gorilla Lake Property (Fugro Airborne Surveys, 2005). Of particular interest is a magnetic “button” anomaly approximately 1500 metres south of Gorilla Lake. In 2016, a gravity survey was carried out in the northern portion of the Gorilla Lake Property. This gravity survey identified two significant gravity anomalies to the east and west of Gorilla Lake and confirmed a third geophysical anomaly approximately 1500 metres south of Gorilla Lake.
Trench recently announced that a field team would be heading to Gorilla Lake to further investigate these findings. Simon Cheng, Trench Metals CEO commented, “Our team is looking forward to the results of this phase of exploration. Everyone has been working hard to prepare for this, making sure we take full advantage of the time on the ground to learn more about these exciting anomalies.”
Geology
Athabasca Uranium District
The Trench Metals Corp. exploration and development portfolio consists of approximately 7,000 hectares in the Athabasca Basin region, close to critical infrastructure that already supports successful uranium operations.
“The conditions at Gorilla Lake this summer are perfect for exploration. The on-site team of experts is well under way and making good progress,” said Dr. Peter Born. “In addition to mapping and short hole drilling, the field crew will be utilizing Radiation Solutions RS125 scintillometers to identify radioactive samples at surface.”
The Athabasca Basin is home to the world’s largest and highest grade uranium mining and milling operations – including the McArthur River and Cigar Lake uranium mines, as well as the Key Lake and McClean Lake uranium mills.
Nearby Projects
The McArthur River uranium mine which commenced production in 1999 is one of the world’s two largest (in terms of production) – the other being Cigar Lake. It also has enormous reserves of high grade ore (16.5% U3O8 after allowance for dilution) located 600 metres underground. Remote control raise boring methods are used to mine the ore, which is then trucked 80 km south to be milled at Key Lake, site of the closed mine that once produced 15% of the world’s uranium.
Cigar Lake began mining in 2014. The proven and probable ore reserves at Cigar Lake are extremely large and very high grade. A 480-metre-deep underground mine was developed using ground freezing and remotely-controlled high pressure water jets to excavate the ore. Production ramped up to 8,200 t/yr U3O8 (7,000 tU/yr) in 2017 and remained at that level in 2018 and 2019.
