Updated 16 June 2008

Two applications for exploration permits were lodged in January 2008 in the Liberec District in northern Czech Republic. The Osecna-Kotel and Plouznice applications cover uranium deposits previously identified by Czech state uranium mining body Diamo, in the area of known uranium deposits south of Straz pod Ralskem where Diamo has a uranium processing plant which is currently on care and maintenance.

Uranium mineralization is developed in sandy sedi¬ments of the basal part of the Cretaceous formation, which lie within a fault-bounded block overlying crystalline basement. The sedimentary complex is up to 230 metres thick. Mineralisation is predominantly in extensive fairly flat-lying lenses 0.5 – 4.5 metres thick within coarse fluvial and lacustrine sandstones.

Previously both ISL and conventional uranium mining in similar deposits in the area have been carried out, with grades reported to be in the range 0.04 – 0.12% U₃O₈.


Osecna
A Mining Reserve or protected area was declared by the Ministry of Environment in early 2008 over the Osecna-Kotel uranium deposit, which has been publicly claimed to host at least 20,000 tonnes U. The protected area is not a mineral tenement, but a reserve designed to preserve mineral deposits for possible future exploitation by restricting development of new buildings. Uran has lodged an application for an Exploration Permit covering 9.81km2 over this deposit.

Previous detailed exploration indicated the existence of large areas of uranium mineralisation in shallow flat-lying sedimentary strata within the area of the application.


Plouznice
Uran has lodged an application for an Exploration Permit covering 11.91 km2 at Plouznice, to the west of Osecna. Previous exploration was not as detailed as that for Osecna, but disclosed the existence of uranium mineralisation in this area which was not further explored due to the existence of a military airport and high-security area. A Mining Reserve has been declared over this deposit.

Both the Osecna-Kotel and the Plouznice applications have been rejected by the Ministry for Environment and are the subject of appeals.