Concern about the provenance of supplies of the metal tantalum
are driving exploration for sources to offset artisanal
production in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Like
the “blood diamond” issue raised during the West African civil
wars, clandestine export of the mineral columbite-tantalite
(coltan) from the DRC has come to represent for many, a symbol of
anarchy and [...]
We have entertainment out in the bush that is far superior to cable TV or even Hollywood’s best action films. Vivid dreams are served up each night by our favorite malaria prophylaxis, Malarone. Just pop one before bed and you are in for an exciting nocturnal adventure full of narrow escapes from the [...]
Semmous Lion Mining (SLM) of Niamey Niger has signed an exclusive consulting contract with Stratamodel Inc. Stratamodel’s president Thomas Bell PhD PG will serve as chief consulting geologist on SLM’s fourteen uranium exploration permits in Niger. Stratamodel is still free to offer consulting and exploration services to the rest of the exploration [...]
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We’re on our way home at last. This survey for Niger Uranium SA took sixteen days to cover three thousand stations where we collected a gamma spectrum, a radon measurement and a soil sample at 1,500 individual grid points. Data must now be processed and interpreted to identify areas of high soil radon [...]
As we leave the Northeast US, the weather is gloomy, most of the fall color has faded and we look forward to the best weather of the year in Niger. We’re flying on Royal Air Maroc with a long stop in Casablanca. After several weeks of preparation for this survey, it is a [...]
It’s time to return to the Sahara. The rainy season is over, the temperature is cooling, and the days are bright and sunny. Perfect conditions for a radiometric survey. Our first survey will be conducted for Niger Uranium of South Africa. Two of my technicians, Miles and Scott will accomapny me.
Lots more [...]
If only it were so easy as clicking the heels of our ruby slippers. The trip home was certainly quicker by a day because our client chartered a plane to get us back down to Niamey. After a day there, we got out in the middle of the night and had an uneventful trip back [...]
On a high lonely rock in the Sahara
We’re short timers now. Homeland has chartered an aircraft to take us back to Niamey on Sunday so we can avoid the arduous two day drive. All 1800 radon detectors have been retrieved from the
field and the films are safely packed in bags for their journey to the [...]
Ventifacts: Rock eroded by wind borne sand.
Arlit, Niger Lat (DMS), 18° 43′ 57N, Long (DMS), 7° 22′ 5E,
Altitude (meters), 439. Time zone (est), UTC+1 2008/02/09;23:20
“We gotta get out of this place, if its the last thing we ever do.” A week of frustration and problems has been resolved by the addition of two of our [...]
Let me begin with a short account of our survey progress and local news. I will follow this with some observations and ideas about the local geology and the formation of our target uranium deposits. When your eyes begin to glaze over reading about geochemistry and the evolution of this sedimentary basin, give it up [...]
Continue reading about THE ROAD GOES ON FOREVER BUT OUR SURVEY WILL END »
