Exploration for possible economic buried magmatic/epithermal/hydrothermal/metamorphic gold and copper deposits, which may have formed within Archaean and Proterozoic basement rocks in an area located approximately 24 km north-west of Kingoonya, addressed regional greenfields magnetic and geochemical targets identified as originating in Hiltaba Suite granitoids and in older mafic/ultramafic intrusions. The initial work was done by Dominion Mining, who undertook an interpretation of available company and government (SAEI) aeromagnetic data to identify prospective structures, and then sampled surface calcretes (141 samples taken at 1.6 km x 1.6 km spacing across the entire licence area, followed by 251 additional samples to confirm indicated gold-in-soil anomalies). An early target was the projection of the known gold-bearing Earea Dam fault system, which had been worked historically at sites located in one of Dominion's adjoining tenements. One coherent gold anomaly, designated North Hicks 2, was disclosed along this structure, when three calcrete samples returned >20 ppb Au, with a highest value of 50 ppb Au. After Mount Isa Mines farmed into the licence as exploration manager, seeking to earn up to a 60% interest through the staged spending of up to $1 million, it undertook an independent assessment of the existing geophysical and geochemical data, reprocessing the magnetic dataset to try to identify any additional structural targets before it undertook a regional power auger shallow bedrock geochemical sampling programme across the entire licence, analysing 191 samples from a staggered 400 m x 400 m sampling grid. This early MIM work was not as successful as Dominion's, returning only a best assay result of 9 ppb Au. MIM next chose to drill Dominion's North Hicks prospect, completing 35 mixed aircore/RC percussion holes late in 1996 for a total penetration of 607.5 m. The best results were obtained from some of the deeper drillholes, e.g. 14 m @ 0.1 g/t Au from 28 m depth in hole NH20; 2 m @ 3.46 g/t Au from 42 m depth in hole NH32; and 18 m @ 0.27 g/t Au from 6 m, plus 8 m @ 0.48 g/t Au from 26 m, in hole NH34. The prospect setting was shown to consist of a 20 m-wide quartz vein striking WNW-ESE, with a parallel - formed dolerite intrusion, both cutting into chlorite-altered Archaean Kenella Gneiss. During March 1997, MIM conducted a 100 m line-spaced detailed helicopter-borne aeromagnetic survey over the North Hicks prospect at a nominal 25 m sensor flight height, for a total coverage of 6445.6 line km, part of which crossed into adjacent project licences (ELs 1792 & 1795). The intent was to identify other nearby similar dilational zones which could be calcrete sampled. In April 1997, MIM carried out a campaign of deeper RC percussion drilling to evaluate the North Hicks gold occurrence, completing 9 angled holes along two traverses 100 m apart, for a total penetration of 786 m. The only significant result came from hole NH44, which encountered 17 m @ 0.78 g/t Au from 103 m depth (including 7 m @ 1.28 g/t Au from 114 m), although lesser gold mineralised intercepts were also made in another 3 drillholes. During May 1997, MIM conducted a second, 6673.6 line km helimag survey to explore more widely along strike on the Kingsnag prospect to North Hicks prospect trend, and this survey was able to map the magnetic character of the shallow basement rocks with greater precision than before. The majority of this survey was flown within EL 1955, and the data clearly showed the disposition of the thin mafic units present at North Hicks. A high amplitude magnetic anomaly seen in the south-west corner of the licence area, named the Rocky Hill prospect, was rock chip sampled (3 samples were taken from a mylonitic ironstone unit), and one sample reported an interesting 30 ppb Au. Additional power auger calcrete and bedrock sampling (627 samples) was then done here, but it returned only low order gold anomalism. Early in 1998, MIM undertook further detailed calcrete sampling (643 samples) over previously detected gold-in-calcrete anomalies. However, in general only low-level values were returned (maximum 10.5 ppb Au). Preliminary gravity data modelling was carried out for the Kingsnag regional gravity anomaly, a very strong (~21 mGal) and broad anomaly extending across adjoining JV tenements that was originally defined by a past AGSO regional gravity survey, and which represents the largest gravity feature present on EL 1955. It was thought that it may be the signature of an Olympic Dam / Ernest Henry - type IOCG mineralised system, since the anomaly in part coincides with a magnetic feature having a circular outline. The gravity 2D model results gave a source depth of 1000-1300 m, but this estimate was poorly constrained, and clearly required the input of more gravity data that might delineate a much shallower drill-accessible target body. In late 1998, a further 14 shallow RC drillholes for 651 m were put down into the North Hicks prospect to appraise the extent of the low order gold mineralisation, which now appeared to be associated with a larger, low order gold-in-calcrete anomaly. This drilling showed that the gold mineralisation does extend along strike away from the perimeters of the calcrete anomaly, but its grade decreases markedly (the best new intercept being 4 m @ 0.33 g/t Au from 4 m depth in hole NH53). The likely economic significance of North Hicks was therefore downgraded. Late in 1999, a detailed gravity survey was acquired over the Kingsnag anomaly, with coverage extending from EL 2466 onto EL 1955 (795 of a total 1151 stations were situated on the latter licence). The new gravity data is presently being interpreted. Also during 1999, orientation soil sampling, geological mapping and rock chip sampling were performed by MIM over two prospects located in the south-eastern corner of the licence. A total of 80 soil samples were taken from 16 sites (i.e. 5 from each site; these 5 were then separately assayed using either BLEG, Enzyme Leach, MMI, Deep Leach 11 or Deep Leach 35 techniques). The geochemical results are currently being interpreted. 14 rock chip samples were taken in the Mount Eba Homestead vicinity, where some malachite is visible in outcrops, but no significant trace metal anomalies were detected.