An area situated on Boolcoomata Station, ~35 km east-northeast of Olary, was explored both for possible epithermal/hydrothermal copper-gold-molybdenum deposits and for hydrothermal or stratiform/syngenetic base metal deposits that may have formed within Palaeoproterozoic basement intrusions and metasediments. During late 2003 and 2004 regional gold exploration was conducted by Exco Resources, who undertook surface mapping/prospecting and anomaly check sampling over geochemical and magnetic targets identified from a desktop review of available data. This reconnaissance work also incorporated site visits and evaluation of known prospects lying within the tenement boundaries, including the Oscar prospect and Shorts Dam prospect. In November 2004 Geoimage of Brisbane was commissioned to acquire, process and interpret Aster satellite images that cover the Drew Hill Project tenements, including EL 3136, as an aid to prioritizing anomalies. At the Shorts Dam Cu-Zn-Co prospect, the gossans which had previously been reported by MIM Exploration were unable to be located. A number of ferruginous/gossanous rock chip samples were collected from near to the reported location of the prospect, and submitted for analysis. Two of these samples returned values of up to 0.176% Cu. In early 2005, Noranda Pacific entered into an option agreement with Exco Resources, whereby it could acquire a 70% interest in new base metal discoveries on three of the Drew Hill Project licences by spending a minimum of $300,000 to drill identified targets spread across these licences. Noranda later withdrew from this option agreement, in October 2006. An airphoto interpretation was commissioned by Noranda Pacific in March 2005 to provide a detailed base map to be used in combination with existing spatial data from earlier government-run geophysical surveys and geological mapping. A number of surface grab samples were collected during the 2005 field season over a prominent alluvium-covered magnetic high anomaly, Target 3, but chemical analyses returned no significant results. Between June and August 2005, Exco and Polymetals conducted a drilling programme aimed at identifying water of sufficient quantity to facilitate development of the White Dam deposit. Two percussion holes were drilled on EL 3136 for a total penetration of 74 m. The drilling was unsuccessful in locating any substantial water supplies.