A licence area located in South Australia's Far North-west Aboriginal Lands, approximately 140 km north-west of Marla, has been explored by Rio Tinto Exploration (RTE) as part of work planned for a larger set of project exploration licences currently held or under application for grant within the eastern Musgrave Province. Exploration targets for the project are primarily massive magmatic nickel sulphide deposits possibly associated with the Proterozoic Giles Complex mafic to ultramafic intrusive rock suite, while related lateritic and disseminated sulphide nickel mineralisation, as well as Bushveld-style platinum group element (PGE) deposits, Broken Hill style stratiform volcanogenic base metal deposits and diamonds in kimberlite intrusions were also regarded as attractive targets. RTE's activities prior to and during licence Year 1 included the acquisition of a 5600 line km detailed aeromagnetic/radiometric survey during June 1998, the acquisition of two airborne EM surveys of 925 line km and *** line km during June 1999 and November-December 1999 respectively, and the conduct of follow-up ground-based moving loop TEM traverses (33 line km), gravity surveys (749 stations read at 50 m spacing along 15 traverses), soil sampling (257 x minus 80 mesh samples) and geological reconnaissance. After experiencing delays in obtaining approvals for access onto the licence ground to check the prospectivity of six encouraging airborne geophysical magnetic/conductive responses, RTE was able to establish that three prospect areas, Kenmore 1, Kenmore 2 and Aidan Walking, show interesting conductivity and gravity anomalies, and they were given priority for future drilling. Soil sampling carried out at these locations disclosed weak anomalism in Ni-Cr-Cu(+/-Cd) coinciding with outcropping Tertiary silcretes. These geochemical anomalies were interpreted as a lateritic weathering expression of buried mafic/ultramafic bedrock. The aeromagnetic data display a well defined, steeply dipping magnetic lithostratigraphic succession striking roughly north-south across the licence area. Tight isoclinal fold structures are seen to occur rarely. Magnetic granitoid bodies disrupt the strata in the northern part of the licence area. Inferred buried Giles Complex picritic rocks correspond with magnetic lows, reflecting either low magnetite content or reversely polarised remanent magnetism of these units. The airborne EM data show that the licence area is generally resistive, and that both of the EM methods chosen can adequately penetrate the bedrock to detect buried conductors. Strong early time conductors lie along major drainage channels of the Marryat Creek, and they are believed to represent highly saline groundwater like that recovered from local water bores. Initial exploratory RC drilling carried out during licence Year 2 at the Kenmore 1, Kenmore 2 and Aidan Walking prospects failed to encounter any magmatic nickel-copper mineralisation. 10 holes, all inclined at 60 degrees to the east, were completed for an aggregate penetration of 1580 m. The targeted conductivity anomalies appear to be due to residual clay layers in weathered granulite bedrock, while coincident gravity anomalies may be caused by variations in the degree of fracturing and weathering of this same quartz-feldspar-biotite-magnetite bedrock. Geological reconnaissance and rock chip sampling (51 samples) of selected quartzite and calcsilicate horizons within magnetic high grade metamorphic Birksgate Formation felsic gneiss outcrops did not locate any potentially Broken Hill type mineralised strata. Eleven prospect areas with probable in-situ weathering of prospective magnetic BHT basement were also soil sampled (785 x minus 80 mesh samples collected along traverses at 50 m intervals), but no significant elevated above background base metal values were recorded. During licence Year 3, only office studies were conducted by RTE. Expert consultant Leigh Rankin was engaged to make both regional and detailed structural interpretations of the Musgrave Block using the recently released TEiSA airborne magnetic survey dataset acquired by the South Australian government, assessed in conjunction with RTE's own aeromagnetic survey data. These preliminary interpretations gave the licensee greater insight into the structural genesis and architecture of the subject tenement area. Subsequent in-house interpretations of its amassed Giles Project exploration data, made by RTE during licence Year 4, indicated that structural conditions in the area of the subject Pine Ridge tenement were probably not favourable for the emplacement of large mafic – ultramafic bodies at the time of Giles Complex intrusion (~1080 Ma), as none had been recognised in the area, although some might conceivably be hidden under shallow regolith: likewise, the potential for finding remnant-truncated portions of larger pre-existing intrusions was considered to be much downgraded. At this point, no new first rank exploration opportunities could be discerned. Nor could any secondary commodity targets of interest to RTE be identified in places on the licence accessible to exploration. After early 2004, no further work was done on EL 2583 by RTE. In August 2006, the company's exploration data was packaged and offered by negotiation to PepinNini Minerals, another explorer then active in the Musgrave Province. Following acceptance of Rio Tinto's offer conditions, the transfer of ownership for the Pine Ridge tenement (now EL 3536) was formally executed on 3/4/2007. However, the tenement acquisition remains subject to Ministerial approval of its transfer, and the approval of Anangu Pitjantjatjara.