The possibility that economic coal seams may occur in suspected buried Lower Permian sediments occupying the north-western corner of the Canegrass Lobe, where no deep stratigraphic drilling has hitherto been done, was investigated by Minad using models based on making comparisons with lithologic data from earlier stratigraphic drillholes in the Renmark Trough, and by deriving velocity estimates from the results of a previous seismic refraction survey run by the SA Mines Department. The licensee's attempts at identifying the nature of a shallowly buried 1,400 feet/second seismic refractor recognised in the vicinity of SADM shotholes R10, R9 and R8, which was thought to represent the top of the interpreted 580 m thick Permian target section, were stopped shortly after its two vertical rotary air/mud exploratory drillholes both met with an almost impenetrable, extremely hard formation near the base of the Cainozoic sedimentary section. The drilling then had to be abandoned, with only a minimal total penetration of 224.68 m achieved. Therefore the presence or otherwise of any coal-bearing sediments in this area still remains undetermined.