2012-01-09_PERMIT FILE - P2011033 (2)

Home Browse Search

Response to Notice of Deficiencies for Uranus Patented NOI, File No. P- 2011 -033 1. Drilling Contingency Should a drill hole encounter water sufficient to flow on the ground, Nuvemco will suspend drilling, and then construct a mud pit sufficient to contain the produced water prior to continuing drilling. This will alter Application section: III.6.C, with contingent mud pits possible. Although no water has been encountered or anticipated, Nuvemco proposes a contingency to construct up to four (4) pits at any time if needed to drill out a selected area with water. Pit dimensions are expected to be approximately 5 feet x 20 feet x 5 feet deep, with tapered ends (and a perimeter of less than 10 x 30 feet). With a 1 /2 feet freeboard, this pit will hold approximately 2500 gallons of water, much more than expected during drilling. Should the pit need to remain open for evaporation and infiltration while unattended, a temporary fence will be constructed to protect wildlife, and flagging or netting installed to keep water fowl out. Reclamation of the pits will done as soon as possible by backfilling and broadcast seeding as described in Exhibit C. At no time would more than 4 pits be open and thus potential disturbed ground would be 300 feet squared x 4 = 1200 feet squared. Additionally, should any area encounter groundwater; Nuvemco will confer with DRMS and construct a monitoring well at a suitable site for background studies. 2. Progressively Modified Drilling Program Nuvemco's intent with the Uranus Patented NOI, is to drill sufficient holes to evaluate mineral potential throughout the patented claim area. A broad area drilling program is designed to progressively modify a 200 feet grid. The initial grid will be drilled on inconsistent spacing because it will all be on existing trails, roads, and open areas that are accessible to the drilling equipment with minimal improvement or impact. The 200 feet grid will be progressively modified. Should significant uranium mineralization be indicated by downhole geophysical logging, 25 feet offsets may be drilled in a pattern around the initial hole. If continuous mineralization is discovered, or a trend indicated, the drilling may be modified and extended to further explore the occurrence. Similarly, should Stratigraphic anomalies occur, additional drilling may be required to further define the subsurface geology and structure. Exhibit B, Map 5 is enclosed to locate anticipated drill sites. This map, on an aerial photographic base, shows the county roads (hi- lighted blue) in addition to existing trails and roads and open areas. Also shown are the most promising existing trails and roads (hi- lighted green). Actual drill hole site selection will be based on existing site conditions, but an example grid is shown to estimate accessible locations for drill sites. The map includes some additional 50 or 100 feet grids in areas of known previous mining activities (adits, declines and shafts). As shown on the map approximately 300 initial holes are anticipated to be on this NOI. Add an additional 200 holes to define ore presence, and a total of 500 holes may be drilled. 3. Continuous Drilling, Logging and Plugging Nuvemco proposes a drilling program in which, no more than 50 holes will be drilled, before the logging is completed, and the holes plugged and abandoned on a continuous basis. The rig may only be able to drill 5 holes per day, while the logging truck can log about 15 holes per day. Thus after about two weeks of active drilling, the logger commences geophysical logging and has caught up with the rig in less than a week. After logging, the holes are abandoned in accordance with procedures described in IV. 4., and at no time are more than 50 sites open, prior to plugging and reclamation. The boreholes are not left open, but a large rock is set to