An area centred approximately 20 km north of Olary was taken up by Aberfoyle Resources to explore for possible economic size (>10 Mt), structure-related hydrothermal/stratiform lead-zinc and/or gold deposits which might have formed within Palaeoproterozoic metasedimentary basement rocks. A number of abandoned historic copper, lead, gold and barite mines and significant previously detected bedrock trace metal geochemical anomalies are present in the district. Initial work consisted of a review of available records of past exploration activities, and a lineament interpretation of Landsat false colour composite images covering the area. A number of surface features of interest were indicated, which were followed up by reconnaissance geological mapping and rock chip geochemical sampling (215 samples) in the Old Boolcoomata (Homestead) - Mount Mulga and Meningie Well - Blue Dam environs, focussed on assessing calc-silicate and calc-albite rock units and iron formations and their variants. Several promising gold and zinc anomalies were revealed which were deemed worthy of drill testing. 3 inclined percussion holes totalling 347 m were drilled at the Mary gold mine during August-September 1985, seeking a bulk tonnage low grade gold deposit amenable to open pit extraction, but they disclosed no gold or sulphide mineralisation. Another 2 inclined percussion holes for 372 m were then put in at the Blue Dam zinc prospect to test the fresh bedrock beneath zinc-rich (to 1.89% Zn) gossans, and minor zinc mineralisation was encountered, associated with thick units of pyritic calc-silicate gneisses and marbles (e.g. 36 m @ 0.21% Zn, including 2 m @ 0.52% Zn). Channel and rock chip sampling carried out at the Woman-in-White gold mine returned encouraging gold values, e.g. 2.9 g/t Au and 3.5% Cu from a 4 m channel sample. Sampling of numerous old pits sunk into malachite-stained albitites to the north also gave anomalous gold (maximum 2.2 ppm Au). No field work was conducted over the period November 1985 to November 1987, while office assessment of the drilling results took place, and because Aberfoyle's base metal exploration effort had become concentrated within its adjoining Kalabity EL 1119. Lead isotope characterisation studies were commissioned for several samples of the zinc-bearing massive iron sulphides intersected at Blue Dam, which yielded isotope compositions comparable to those of Broken Hill ore. A PhD thesis newly written by R.G. Wiltshire on the Old Boolcoomata - Cathedral Rock area was thoroughly reviewed, preparatory to detailed mapping planned for the area surrounding the Blue Dam prospect. In October 1987, a farm-in agreement with Poseidon Ltd was finalised, to fund exploration proposed to be done on the subject EL 1244 over the upcoming fourth and fifth licence years. Work on Drew Hill under the new licence partnership commenced with surveying and gridding of the Blue Dam and Woman-in-White prospects, in readiness for ground geophysical surveys and RAB drilling. At Blue Dam, a ground magnetic survey read at 10 m station intervals along 200 m spaced grid lines totalling 78 line km was completed in January 1988, and 1:5000 scale geological mapping and rock chip sampling (88 samples) were performed during February-March 1988. Interpretation of the local bedrock structure and geology, in part derived from the magnetic data for covered areas, was used to guide shallow RAB drilling undertaken during March-May 1988 (300 holes for 1218 m, put in at 20 m or 10 m spacings along lines 200 m apart). This drilling defined the limits of the target Bimba Formation, and demonstrated that this folded unit thickens both structurally and stratigraphically to the south of Blue Dam. RAB sample geochemistry revealed widespread anomalous lead-zinc within the Bimba, and in conjunction with rock chip geochemistry, suggested that upper levels on the south-eastern side of the syncline tend to have more pronounced anomalies in these metals. During June 1988 Aberfoyle carried out an experimental 3-loop UTEM survey of 15 line km over the Blue Dam grid, aimed at testing the relative responses from known stratiform sulphide units and adjacent carbonaceous (frequently graphitic) schists, as influenced by overburden thickness. This survey outlined a number of conductive features both within the Bimba Formation and/or close to the contacts of the overlying carbonaceous unit. However, no significant conductivity variations were mapped along the known pyritic horizons within the Bimba sequence. In September 1988 an extra single loop 8 line km UTEM survey was run to obtain additional information needed for interpreting a conductor located east of Blue Dam. It was decided to drill two deep percussion/diamond core holes, each to about 350 m depth, to investigate the most pronounced UTEM and lead-zinc anomalies at Blue Dam at inferred downdip positions of the upper levels of the Bimba Formation. Drillhole BDD2, collared some 400 m south of Blue Dam during October 1988, was drilled to 364 m total depth to test beneath the area of best surface Pb-Zn-Ag anomalism. Nearly 300 m thickness of sulphidic rocks were intersected (undoubtedly repeated by folding) and several narrow zones of visible stratiform sphaleritic mineralisation were noted within variably pyritic marbles and K feldspar gneisses (best result 1 m @ 1.7% Zn). After experiencing difficulties with diamond drilling out of the precollar shoe at 115 m depth, the second hole BDD3 was completed to TD 362.5 m to test an interpreted UTEM conductor trending north-east from Blue Dam for some 1200 m. The anomaly source appears to correspond to a zone of remobilised and interconnected pyrrhotite within pelitic sediments which overlie the prospective Bimba Formation sulphidic transition facies. Both of the above diamond holes had a downhole EM37 logging (DHEM) tool run in them during 1989 to check for possible 'missed' sulphide occurrences which might exist near the trajectories of BDD2 and BDD3, but later interpretation of the results did not reveal any significant off-hole conductive anomalies. Petrological examinations of Aberfoyle's Blue Dam diamond drill cores showed that within the Bimba Formation subunits intersected, there are associations of different specific iron sulphides. Pyrrhotite is the dominant sulphide in the K feldspar gneisses, whereas pyrite is prevalent in the calc-silicate and marble beds, both sulphide species frequently being present as bands parallel to a compositional layering. Also, the ubiquitous presence of accessory apatite, plus lesser bedded tourmaline and high Mn epidote, suggested an exhalative component to these various lithologies. Furthermore, it seemed likely that minor intervals of magnetite-bearing Upper Albite facies rocks have intruded into the lower Bimba sequence due to folding and shearing, as evidenced by drill core from hole BDD2. The petrological observations bear out earlier interpretations by Dampier Mining and Esso of major facies changes to the abnormally thickened (120+ m) Bimba Formation in the eastern part of the Blue Dam syncline, where a number of strike faults present in the vicinity of hole BDD3 may in part reflect re-activated syndepositional structures. During June-July 1988, 6 shallow vertical percussion holes were drilled at the Mary mine to test a theory that the gold mineralisation there may have a shallow westerly plunge. Only low levels of gold were recorded from three holes drilled at the eastern end of the workings, mostly from within the oxidised zone (maximum 0.36 ppm Au in hole MMP8). The fine grainsize to the metasediments, and lack of pyrite, indicated the the mine host rock section had been missed. Better results were obtained by hole MMP5 drilled further west near a mine shaft, where a 10 m intercept of 3.3% Cu, including 4 m @ 3.1 g/t Au, was obtained across the base of the oxidised zone, the lower 3-4 m apparently being in fresh sulphides within albitite rock. It appeared that the Mary mine copper-gold mineralisation is associated with an iron formation of mixed sulphide-oxide facies. Also during June 1988, shallow RAB and percussion drilling of a single traverse of 20 holes for 121 m was performed at the Woman-in-White prospect, north and north-east of the mine, to explore for gold mineralisation that could be related to intrusion of the nearby massive amphibolite body. Most of the very shallow holes bottomed in unaltered albitite, and many were clearly copper-mineralised (to a maximum 5480 ppm Cu), but contained only trace gold (just above the 0.02 ppm Au detection limit). A single deeper vertical percussion drillhole, WWP1 to 46 m total depth, was completed in July 1988 at Woman-in-White to test for a down-plunge extension to the altered rocks of the historic mine lode. Weathered and fresh amphibolite, with abundant intermixed pegmatite below 22 m depth, was underlain by unaltered albitite containing traces of amphibole and rare pyrite. All gold assays from the albitite zone were below detection. A high copper background, to several hundred ppm was evident in the amphibolite, peaking at 2200 ppm Cu over 2 m in fresh amphibolite, accompanied by 0.07 ppm Au. The drilling results were considered discouraging, and no further work was recommended at this prospect. Late in 1988 the joint venture flew a detailed 2584 line km airborne magnetic/radiometric survey over the eastern side of EL 1244, to assist in mapping possible bedrock base metal and gold targets within this mainly covered area. The survey was flown at 60 m altitude along north-south lines spaced 150 m apart. Follow-up reconnaissance rock chip sampling of selected magnetic targets thought to have copper-gold mineralisation potential, within the central and eastern parts of the licence area, gave some encouraging results. Late in 1989, regional BLEG soil sampling (269 samples) was conducted across the eastern part of the EL, which identified three broad, low-level gold-anomalous localities (>14 ppb Au). During December 1989, shallow RAB and percussion drilling of some magnetic and gold geochemical anomalies was undertaken near the Mary mine, and other shallow RAB drilling was done to test magnetic features within covered bedrock near Esso's Shorts Dam prospect, the overall total programme comprising 115 holes for 615 m. No lithologies with gold or with stratiform Zn-Cu-Pb potential were encountered.