Annual Report 2008 - Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines

additional exploration program to demonstrate
the economic viability of the project.
Kalaat Sraghna – Mkhalif (Cu, Pb, Zn)
In Kalaat Sraghna – Mkhalif district, located in
the eastern Jebilets, NE of Marrakech, the works
first focused on Ouled Chorfa copper bearing
index where rock sampling showed copper
grades exceeding 6 % Cu in some samples.
In order to recognize the bottom of these
structures, two core drillings totalling 210.65
m were carried out and intersected zones with
quartz veinlets more and less mineralized with
chalcopyrite traces and malachite coatings over
a dozen of meters. Copper grades are weak
and do not exceed 0.25 m over 1 m.
At the same time, detailed geological surveys of
copper veins of Kharouba and Snoussine old
mines were carried out. The results at the level
of Kharouba structures show grades that reach
6 % Cu and 400 ppm Co.
Toundout (Cu, Au, Ag)
In Toundout sector, located on the southern side
of central Haut Atlas, a geological, geophysical
and structural reconnaissance survey was
conducted. In the veins of Abidli district, where
copper grades are relatively high and reach
5 %, geophysical surveys were conducted and
showed the limited deep-seatedness of these
structures.
«ONHYM –Areva Draft Agreement» on the
Anti-Atlas (Uranium)
The draft agreement between ONHYM and
Areva NC concerns the implementation of a
Activity Report 2008
Geographic Information System (GIS) on the
Anti-Atlas, dedicated to uranium exploration.
In addition to the exchange of geological,
geochemical and geophysical data, the works
pertaining to the interpretation of airborne
geophysical data were carried out and
concentrated on the achievement of geophysical
grids, the crossing of geological, geochemical,
geophysical data and remote sensing under
ArcView and non supervised classification of
radiometric data.
Finally, a compilation of thematic data and their
crossing were carried out.
General exploration (base metals)
In North Ment sector, located in central Morocco,
a geochemical survey was conducted with the
taking of 700 alluvional samples, 803 stream
samples and 14 rock samples. Several multielementary
anomalies in Pb and Zn as well as
anomalies in Cu and Au were highlighted.
The control of these anomalies undertaken
revealed, in a quartz vein encased in granite,
grades of 4.8 g/t Au, 0.45 % Pb, 10 g/t Ag and
10.4 % As over a thickness on the range of 1
meter.
Research for uranium in the Southern provinces
started East of Dakhla, around the Cretaceous-
Proterozoïc contact for the achievement of 13
radiometric profiles. Petrographic studies show
that this concerns stripped carbonatites that
extend to 900 m with metric thicknesses and
that show a mineral association with monazite.
Cerium grades may reach 1 187 ppm and
lanthanum grades 762 ppm.
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