Core Energy Minerals (ASX:CR3) has started the drill contractor tender process for its maiden program at Barking Gecko within the Nova JV Project in Namibia.
The initial campaign is expected to comprise around 2,500m across 15 RC and diamond holes.
The final earn-in agreement was only executed a week ago, now Core Energy is already working on getting rigs to site.
Testing the high-grade system
The program is designed to test the company’s updated geological model around hard-rock uranium mineralisation identified in historical drilling.
The plan includes step-out drilling to push known mineralisation boundaries and a fence of fully oriented diamond holes to build a more detailed structural model.
Barking Gecko is not a blank-sheet target.
There is already uranium in the system, the next question is how well Core Energy can define and extend it.
Figure 1: Proposed Barking Gecko RC/D drilling campaign showing priority drill holes to be completes as part of an initial drilling campaign, as well as contingent follow-up hole locations.
Building the model before the rigs arrive
Core Energy is also moving on the geology in parallel.
The company is finalising the appointment of a specialist structural geologist to relog existing core, integrate downhole optical logging data and build a 3D model of the alaskite-hosted mineralisation.
Existing core and RC samples will also be re-sampled using full multi-element analysis.
The idea is simple, to understand the system better before spending the next drilling dollar.
Bigger footprint, sharper target
The Nova JV sits beside Core Energy’s 100%-owned Gemsbok and Oryx tenements.
Together, they create a much broader uranium position in Namibia.
But Barking Gecko is now the near-term test of whether that expanded footprint can translate into a real discovery story.
What comes next
The tender process needs to be completed.
The rig needs to be mobilised.
Then Barking Gecko gets its first serious drill test under Core Energy.
The company has already made the portfolio bigger, now it has to make the geology count.
