The Project is located along the northeast margin of the Date Creek Basin of the Basin and Range Province of the western United States. The Date Creek Basin is one of hundreds of Paleogene basins throughout western Arizona, southeastern California, Nevada and western Utah. Paleogene lacustrine and fluvial sediments, and Quaternary gravels have filled these basins to depths of several thousand meters (Urangesellschaft, 1979a).

Three major faults cross the Project: the East Boundary Fault System; Fault 1878; and the West Boundary Fault System (MinEx, 1978b). Faults trend predominantly N30ºW to N55ºW and dip steeply (approximately 80º) to the southwest.

Another set of faults trending more westerly (N65ºW) are present in the south-central portion of the Project. A fault set trending northeast-southwest has been speculated by Urangesellschaft and others, but has not been observed in the field (MinEx, 1978b). Many of the north-westerly surface water drainage tributaries are developed partially along fault traces

Minor faults and shear zones occur throughout the Project. These probably represent fractures with slight offset of strata during differential compaction of the underlying sediments or local adjustment to major faulting.

The largest fold in the area is a broad, gentle, northwest-trending syncline in the south-eastern quarter of Section 9, T11N, R10W. Dips reach a maximum of 13º, except where modified by shearing. Many smaller fol ........

The geologic and topographic setting of the Anderson Uranium Project is such that mineralization occurs at the surface in the north and reaches depths in excess of 1,800 to the south due the geologic dip and local terrain. As a result portions of the deposit are amenable to open pit mining methods while others are more suited to underground methods. The current conceptual design approach includes conventional mining via open pit, highwall mining, and underground mining.

OPEN PIT:
Open pit mining has two major facets, primary stripping or the removal of overburden and the mining of the mineralization as it is exposed by the stripping. Primary stripping would operate 2, 10 hour shifts per day on a continuous basis. Manning would consist of 3 rotating shifts with each operator working approximately 208 days per year or 2,080 hours. Mining would be accomplished on a single daylight shift operating 5, 10 hour days for approximately 260 days per year. If it were necessary to increase production, it is recommended that the mining remain a daylight operation for grade control purposes but the days and shifts be extended, i.e., 2 rotating crews working 4, 10 to 12 hour shifts on a continuous basis.

The pit would begin in the shallower areas to the north (lower stripping ratio) and proceed to the deeper portions of the pit to the south and west. Mining will be predominantly in the C zone although the pit will intercept some mineralization in the A and B zones ........

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Water supply could be obtained by existing onsite wells. Water rights for both surface and ground water are administered by the Arizona State Engineer’s Office and are subject to prior water rights. There are existing water wells on site, however, the PEA does include cost provisions for additional wells if needed.