Expanded 2023 Exploration Program NexGen Announces Expanded 2023 Exploration Program
VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 8, 2023 /CNW/ - NexGen Energy Ltd. ("NexGen" or the "Company") (TSX: NXE) (NYSE: NXE) (ASX: NXG) is pleased to announce the commencement of an expanded 2023 exploration program designed to follow-up positive results from the 2022 exploration drill program and to test prospective areas that have been highlighted by detailed 2022 geophysical surveys. Additionally, NexGen has planned a substantial geophysical program in 2023 for drill target generation across high priority areas of NexGen's mineral tenure (SW1, SW2 and SW3) in the southwest Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan. The geophysical program includes cosmic ray muon tomography initiated in 2022 on the Patterson Corridor at NexGen's 100% owned Rook I property as part of Ideon Technologies' early access program for first implementation of innovative muon detecting instrumentation in boreholes.
Leigh Curyer, Chief Executive Officer, commented: "Through exploration drilling and strategic geophysical surveys, NexGen is progressing high priority targets to advance towards the discovery of additional material mineralization. The focus of this expanded exploration program is to test for new "Arrow-type" mineralized zones across our dominant land position in the southwest Athabasca Basin. The application of muon tomography in 2022 is another example of NexGen's identification and application of industry leading techniques which focuses on further optimization of drilling time, cost, and elite environmental management.
It's an exciting time at NexGen with the permitting and licensing of Rook I advancing, as we transition into detailed engineering and in parallel, a targeted drill program incorporating extensive data analysis. NexGen is delivering a key component in addressing three major global challenges – decarbonization, energy security and access to energy for all, in a manner that is setting new standards in sustainability for all stakeholders, incorporating a highly efficient use of capital."
Grant Greenwood, Vice President, Exploration, commented: "The 2022 exploration program has highlighted numerous areas for follow-up drilling in 2023 and speaks to the systematic testing of NexGen's vast and many prospective targets across NexGen's land tenure. The 2023 drill program builds upon previous drill results and the 2022 geophysical program has elevated numerous targets for further investigation where pronounced stacked anomalies are now drill-ready. Also, with the recent discovery of high-grade mineralization by F3 adjacent to NexGen's SW1 property, we are excited to refine approximately 12 km of strike length along this trend which exists on our property as just one component of the 2023 program."
2023 Drilling
2023 exploration drilling will systematically test priority conductors that have been highlighted by encouraging 2022 drilling results, as well as geophysical survey results that identified drill-ready stacked anomalies. This drill program – targeting nine (9) conductive trends – has a planned total of 22,500 metres with up to three (3) drill rigs in operation.
Drill target areas:
SW2 – 2023 drilling is planned for the fertile Patterson Corridor and seven (7) additional prospective conductive trends of which the majority have not been drilled to date by NexGen (listed below from west to east) that are parallel to the conductor hosting the Arrow Deposit (Figure 1).
Patterson Corridor (PLC) – Systematic testing along trend of Arrow. This fertile trend has a strike length of approximately 9 km on the Rook I property and remains prospective for further investigation. Five (5) drill holes for 3,000 metres are planned in 2023.
PLC East – During the 2022 exploration drill program, encouraging brittle structure and hydrothermal alteration was intersected on this segmented, conductive trend. This conductor is proximal to Arrow and 2,300 metres in seven (7) holes are planned in 2023.
Derkson West – Similar geometry to the PLC with a northeast-southwest trending conductor along magnetic gradient, coincident with local gravity lows. 2023 drilling will follow-up positive 2022 results. Four (4) holes for 1,500 metres are planned on this conductor.
Derkson – This high priority portion of the Derkson corridor for testing in 2023 contains discrete and strong conductive responses with interpreted structural disruption. Systematic drilling along prospective conductors in gravity lows is planned to include two (2) holes for 750 metres.
Derkson East – Targeting a significant flexure of an underexplored conductor within a gravity low interpreted as localized structural disruption. Two (2) holes for 750 metres are planned for 2023.
Fury – 2023 drilling to target gravity lows uncovered by the 2022 ground gravity survey that are coincident with pronounced conductors. Two (2) holes for 700 metres are planned.
R Seven – 2022 ground gravity has highlighted numerous sections of this complex and prospective conductive corridor that has approximately 32 km of verified conductive strike length that is underexplored. Approximately 5 km of this conductive trend is planned for initial testing in 2023 with ten (10) drill holes for 3,000 metres, spanning the Athabasca Basin boundary.
Morrow – Approximately 11 km of segmented conductors is present within this corridor with complex geometry that is coincident with gravity lows that have been highlighted by 2022 ground gravity. This corridor is untested and the 2023 program has ten (10) holes planned for 3,000 metres.
SW1 – 2023 drilling is planned on the SW1 portion of the fertile trend hosting F3 Uranium Corp's PLN discovery as well as on the prospective and underexplored Gartner Corridor along with (Figure 2).
F3 Uranium Trend – F3 Uranium Corp's recent PLN discovery is on a trend that is interpreted to extend onto the SW1 property. The NexGen portion of the trend has an approximate strike length of 12 km and is actively undergoing analysis to bring the area to a drill-ready state in early 2023.
Gartner Corridor – The 2022 ground EM survey highlighted numerous locations with interpreted structural disruption for focusing hydrothermal fluids along the approximately 13 km long, northwest-southeast striking Gartner conductive trend. Located in the central region of the SW1 property, fifteen drill holes for 7,500 metres are planned in 2023 along this corridor.
2023 Geophysics (Figure 3)
SW1 – Ground EM, resistivity, and gravity surveys are planned for high priority conductive trends on the SW1 property. Evaluation of historical geophysical surveys along strike to the northwest of F3 Uranium Corp's recent PLN discovery will determine drill targets or the requirement of additional geophysical surveys to develop the fertile trend for drilling. Approximately 12 km of strike length on this trend is interpreted to be on NexGen's SW1 property (Figure 2).
SW2 – In August 2022, six borehole muon detectors were deployed within hole AR-22-269, with the deepest positioned 540 m downhole, resulting in the ongoing successful capture of muons. Drill hole AR-22-269 tested down dip of South Arrow while also being ideally placed to image density contrast associated with South Arrow uranium mineralization. This high-resolution density survey will determine further drilling at South Arrow and inform additional muon tomography application along the fertile Patterson Corridor in 2023. Potential further application of muon tomography on the Patterson Corridor has the benefit of investigating more rock mass than conventional step-out drilling while reducing metres, cost, and environmental disturbance. See below for additional information on muon tomography technology.
Additionally, a high-resolution magnetic survey is planned over the complex R Seven corridor prior to drill testing this high priority area in summer 2023. The survey is designed to gain greater resolution across the conductor, highlighting prospective cross-cutting features to prioritize structure that can focus uranium mineralization associated with hydrothermal fluids.
SW3 – A ground gravity survey across the southeastern portion of the SW3 property is planned for 2023 along with ground resistivity on a prospective conductor in the north-central portion of the property. Both surveys are designed to image the subsurface for hydrothermal alteration associated with uranium mineralization and advance these prospective areas towards drilling in subsequent programs.
Muon Tomography
Muon Tomography uses energy from supernova explosions in space to provide 3D imaging down to 1km beneath the Earth's surface and is the only straight-line geophysical methodology that can accurately determine location of any density anomalies indicative of uranium mineralization. As part of the 2022 exploration program, NexGen partnered with Ideon Technologies' early access program for borehole muon tomography, becoming one of the first companies globally to embrace the innovative new approach to mineral exploration that integrates proprietary detectors, inversion technologies, and software algorithms to produce 3D density models of features – like uranium pods – underground. It provides the ability to accurately locate subsurface anomalies and reduces the need for expensive drilling activity while lowering environmental impact and increasing exploration certainty in the subsurface.