BUENOS AIRES (miningweekly.com) – The Directorates of Mining and Environmental Protection for the province of Mendoza, in Argentina, have effectively approved an exploration programme proposed by Calypso Uranium, for its Huemul project in the province, the company reported earlier this month.

A final ratification by the provincial congress was now required before exploration can get under way.

"This is excellent news for Calypso and for Energia Mineral (Calypso's subsidiary with a branch in Argentina), and especially for the community of Malargue which is making such an effort to diversify their economy," CEO Stephen Barley said.

The Huemul project consists of 20 673 ha, in an historic uranium producing district.

The approved exploration programme is focused on exploring a two-kilometre-long mineralised corridor that includes the district's three underground past producing mines, as well as exploring the new Vega Larga and Black Zone sectors that were detected by an airborne radiometric survey in the southern part of the district.

Five of the seventeen targets identified in the district will be tested in this initial exploration phase.

Elsewhere in Argentina, State owned Fomicruz is already exploring the region of Las Heras, also in the province of Mendoza, and, in the province of Chubut, governor Mario Das Neves has already given exploration permits for 50 000 ha, most of which was handed to the firm UrAmerica, a UK-incorporated uranium exploration and development company.

To the north, Brazil has also announced an official plan to triple the current deposits of the nuclear fuel in the next three years.

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