Havilah Resources (HAV) has commenced a new drilling program at the Johnson Dam prospect, situated 14 km south-southwest of the Kalkaroo copper-gold-cobalt deposit. The program aims to extend the known uranium and multi-metal mineralisation discovered in 2023. The primary target is a 1,200-meter long airborne radiometric uranium anomaly, potentially indicating a mineralised and altered fault zone. Previous drilling at Johnson Dam yielded encouraging results, including 6 meters at 1,613 ppm U3O8 and 330 ppm cobalt from 112 meters (KKRC0622), and 6 meters at 1,269 ppm U3O8 from 93 meters (KKRC0641).
The current drilling seeks to locate near-surface hardrock uranium in association with copper, cobalt, and rare earth elements (REE), potentially suitable for shallow open-pit exploitation. Preliminary leach tests on uranium-rich samples showed rapid leaching of uranium and copper, suggesting potential for ion exchange recovery. Mineralogical studies identified coffinite and uraninite as the primary uranium minerals. Havilah’s Technical Director, Dr. Chris Giles, expressed optimism about identifying a shallow, open-pit hard rock uranium deposit with favorable leaching characteristics. The proximity to Kalkaroo, along with the presence of critical minerals and copper, further enhances the prospect’s appeal. The company plans further mineralogical studies pending the results of the current drilling campaign.
