Diamond and wagon drilling on Cove and East Mesas, Apache County, Arizona

The U. S. Atomic Energy'Commission conducted four drilling programs in Apache County, Arizona, to investigate uranium-vanadium deposits of the Salt Wash member of the Morrison formation on Cove and East Mesas.On the Cove Mesa No. 1 ,project, under Contract AT(05-1)-155, conducted March to July, 1951, 586 wagon drill holes were drilled, totalling 40,974 feet.On the Cove Mesa No.2 project, under Contract AT(05-1)-120, conducted March 1 to May, 1951, 23 core holes were drilled, totalling 2,569 feet.On the Cove Mesa No.3 project under Contract AT(30-1)-1364, conducted in the fall of 1952, 198 core holes were drilled, totalling 12,712 feet.On the Cove Mesa No.4 project, under Contract AT(05-1)-231, conducted in the summer of 1953, 651 wagon drill holes were drilled, totalling 41,015 feet.This the other 3 and 4. report concerns chiefly projects projects is presented insofar as Results .arepresented chiefly as 3 and 4, although information on it was used in conducting projects figures and in'the tables.Isorad maps of the ore zones" const.ructedby the "area-under-the curve" method were useful in guiding the drilling, as were ore trends, sedimentary trends, and limonite.Favorable ground was delineated from drilling on 100-foot centers by constructing subsurface is orad maps.Drilling on 50-foot centers was required to outline ore bodies.Uranium-vanadium ore occurs in the interval from 20 to 100 feet above the base of the Salt Wash member.Deposits range from small pods to tabular bodies as large as 600 by 150 feet.Thickness averages 2 feet, and average grade is 0.19 percent U308 and 1.40 percent V205.