The NT Independent is providing an update of resource news from across the Northern Territory. Highlights this week include Empire’s highest sustained gas flow yet in the Beetaloo Basin, Core Lithium getting a new grant for exploration work, DevEx Resources and Alligator Energy reporting good prospects in the Nabarlek area in the Territory, plus more.

Empire announces highest sustained gas flow to date in Beetaloo Basin

Empire Energy Group Ltd (EEG) have announced that the flow testing of the Carpentaria-2H (C-2H) well in EEG’s 100 per cent owned Beetaloo Sub-basin regional project has yielded excellent results, indicating that the well has the highest sustained gas flow rate among all wells drilled in the Beetaloo Basin to date.

The test, which began on August 5, shows that fluid flow-back from C-2H has progressed, with 27.8 per cent of placed fluids recovered to date and water rates declining as the well continues to “clean up”.

EEG has also successfully placed 6,283,200 pounds of proppant across the 927 metres stimulated horizontal section, representing a proppant concentration of 2,066 pounds per foot.

“As previously announced, the primary goal of the Carpentaria-2H stimulation and flow testing program is not to achieve maximum flow rates but rather to assess which of the four fluid systems trialled (crosslink, HVFR, hybrid and slick water) is likely to provide the best production performance in the Beetaloo Basin’s shales and to optimise our completion methodology,” EEG Managing director Alex Underwood said.

“Our successful stimulation of 21 stages using these various fluid systems and the placement of the entire planned quantity of proppant in those stages was a crucial first step.”

Recent test results gave the company confidence that its Beetaloo project will be confirmed as commercially viable, particularly given its significant cost advantage compared to other parts of the basin. The company intends to apply the most productive systems when stimulating the Carpentaria-3H well scheduled to be drilled late this year. It holds over 14.5 million acres of highly prospective exploration tenements in the McArthur and Beetaloo Basins.

Tamboran secures EMP approval from NT Government

The NT Government has approved Tamboran Resources Limited’s (TBN) Environmental Management Plan (EMP) allowing for up to seven wells to be drilled within the  EP 136 permit. The EMP is the final approval required for Tamboran to commence drilling of the Maverick 1H (M1H) well, which is due to spud in early September 2022.

The final approval will allow the company to start drilling activities of its high-impact M1H well within the EP 136 permit. The EMP would permit for the drilling of up to seven wells, including drilling of the Maverick 2H and 3H wells scheduled for next year.

“Our team on the ground have done an excellent job delivering the civil activities safely and on budget. We look forward to delivering further updates as drilling activity commences,” TBN managing director and CEO Joel Riddle said.

 

 

DevEx reports favourable findings with its Nabarlek project

DevEx Resources (DEV) reported extraordinary intercepts of uranium at its Nabarlek project in the Territory. Results included 10.7 metres at 1.2 per cent uranium oxide equivalent at the Nabarlek South prospect and 9.1 metres at 0.15 per cent uranium oxide equivalent at North Buffalo. DevEx has also expanded its drilling program for both prospects and will be mobilising a second drill rig later this month.

“Our 2022 drilling programme at Nabarlek is off to a flying start, with the early success at Nabarlek South and North Buffalo demonstrating the scale and quality of the opportunity in this highly endowed uranium field,” DEV managing director Brendan Bradley said.

DEV holds a big tenement package along the Alligator Rivers uranium province, which includes the former Nabarlek uranium mine. This mine is considered Australia’s highest-grade uranium mine which historically produced 24 million pounds at 1.84 per cent uranium oxide.

 

Alligator Energy starts exploration work on the Nabarlek project

Alligator Energy (AGE) has started its airborne gravity work at the Nabarlek North Project in the Alligator Rivers Uranium Province (ARUP) in the Northern Territory. AGE’s mining management plan for the auger and rotary air blast (RAB) drilling program has also been approved. ARUP is an important primary exploration area for AGE and is the region with the highest-grade uranium in Australia.

AGE believes information obtained from its first exploration works with the airborne gravity results will inform the targeting of a deeper reverse circulation (RC) drill testing program.

“The gravity survey followed by auger and RAB drilling will be our first work program on the Nabarlek North Project, which is in a region where the overlying Kombolgie sandstone is shallow, or weathered away, and hence is extremely attractive for exploration of high-grade uranium,” AGE CEO Greg Hall said.

“The extensive work and engagement undertaken by Alligator in Arnhem Land in previous years have contributed to our successful and important agreement over the Nabarlek North Project with the Traditional Owners.”

The company said its works program has been approved by Traditional Owners at a Northern Land Council-facilitated work program meeting paving the way for implementation of the airborne gravity survey and regional auger and RAB follow-up drilling.

Core Lithium secures grants for new exploration work

Core Lithium (CXO) has received Territory Government grants for fresh exploration work in the Territory as drilling across its Finniss lithium project near Darwin progresses. CXO reported that the diamond drilling at the BP33 Zone in the Finniss area is well underway.

The co-funding grants from the government will benefit CXO to finish an ambient noise tomography survey at its Shoobridge lithium project near Pine Creek and a single diamond hole at the Sandras lithium deposit, the company has said. The company is also scheduled to resume work at its Anningie-Barrow Creek project in the Territory later this year following a rock chip sampling program at the Bismark prospect.

CXO reported that it has started a 40,000-metre reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at Finniss to follow up on prospects that returned “excellent” exploration results last year. These include the Bilatos, Penfolds, Centurion, and Talmina West prospects, as well as many new conceptual targets.

The company has also been approved by Grants NT to obtain two detached applications for co-funding in Round 15 of the NT Geophysics and Drilling Collaboration program.