Kaolin, derived mainly from deep weathering of Hiltaba Suite granites, was the principal target of exploration in the area south and south-west from Poochera, near Streaky Bay on western Eyre Peninsula. Following a review made of historic drillhole data for identifying reported subterranean kaolin occurrences encountered by previous explorers, drilling that was specifically targeting clays commenced at Poochera in 1986 with 20 reverse circulation holes and one diamond tail (480 m open hole, 12 m HQ core), to sample a white kaolin zone up to 10 m thick and with minimum dimensions 600 m x 400 m. Early laboratory test work indicated potentially good quality kaolin, and further definition drilling at Poochera and several nearby deposits, plus composite sampling and test work, continued (50 diamond tailed rotary holes for 788.9 m open hole and 755.3 m core), culminating in the construction of six Calweld holes totalling 156.2 m that were designed to produce a 50 tonne bulk sample from the best-rated Carey's Well deposit. At about the same time, the licensees' inspection of some recently released aeromagnetic data showed several small highs possibly associated with kimberlitic intrusions. A small confirmatory ground magnetic survey undertaken late in 1990 was not followed up. Following a change of licence ownership in 1992, two substantial drilling programmes were completed for kaolin, comprising in total 248 aircore holes for 7050 m (some of this drilling data was released in Env 9199). At the same time, the potential of the basement rocks as hosts for gold and base metal mineralisation was tested by assaying bottom-of-hole samples from past drilling, and by conducting a licence-wide calcrete sampling program. No significant results were returned from a multi-element analysis. Continuing detailed test work on the kaolin samples, both in Australia and overseas, confirmed the superior quality of some of the deposits, and intensive market research was then undertaken. However, in a change of opinion stemming from licensee corporate re-structuring in recent times, the kaolin resource is no longer considered to be of strategic value.