An area centred approximately 30 km south-west of Tarcoola has been explored primarily for possible economic shear-hosted or epithermal/hydrothermal IOCG style Proterozoic gold, and for inferred Archaean magmatic nickel deposits associated with...
An area centred approximately 30 km south-west of Tarcoola has been explored primarily for possible economic shear-hosted or epithermal/hydrothermal IOCG style Proterozoic gold, and for inferred Archaean magmatic nickel deposits associated with ultramafic intrusions of the Harris Greenstone Domain. Initially, an interpretation of existing (March 2004) Falcon airborne survey gravity gradient data by Gravity Capital showed a broad, complex gravity high at the south-western limit of the survey coverage, within the eastern portion of EL 3205. A response comparison with available aeromagnetic data indicated that this feature is essentially non-magnetic, but also showed that it is situated along strike from known ultramafic rocks of the Lake Harris greenstone belt to the east. Following a compilation of historical drilling and geochemical data for the gravity high region, 11 vertical RAB holes with a total penetration of 227 m were drilled during November-December 2004 to test three discernable local gravity culminations, as well as an unusually intense gravity low position located immediately to the east. The drilling results indicated that the gravity high reflects shallowly subcropping mafic to ultramafic lithologies, inferred to represent the westward continuation of the Lake Harris komatiite lava flow sequence. These rocks were considered to be promising exploration targets warranting further work. Following an upsurge during 2005 of industry interest in the potential for finding significant commercial roll front style palaeochannel-hosted uranium mineralisation within the Gawler Craton, Stellar undertook a review of the distribution of the Kingoonya palaeodrainage system across the Tarcoola region, including the area of EL 3205. As a part of this review, a series of 10 broadly spaced reconnaissance airborne electromagnetic survey lines were flown across the region during October 2005 using the helicopter-mounted 'HoistEM' proprietary equipment. A complete data set for the Tarcoola region survey, which includes all of the lines surveyed across EL 3205, is included in this Envelope. An image plot of the interpreted conductivity values, reflecting the extent and configuration of a branch of the Kingoonya Palaeochannel which transects EL 3205, is also included. In an attempt to increase the level of activity on its ground holdings through joint ventures, the licensee's parent company Stellar Resources during 2006 entered into a farm-in agreement with UraniumSA Ltd (USA) whereby USA could explore Stellar’s tenement holdings including EL 3205 within the central Gawler Craton for palaeochannel-hosted uranium, while Stellar would retain sole rights to any basement-hosted mineralisation. Early in 2007, USA was able to complete a detailed, 22 flight line EM coverage of EL 3205 to better define the Tertiary palaeochannel geometry and enable the planning of preliminary rotary mud drilling traverses across the inferred channels. However, progress of the planned 42-drillhole programme during 2007-2008 was hindered by the JV's inability to settle with Native Title claimants on cost-effective terms for conducting heritage clearance surveys over the proposed drill sites, particularly in the majority of the area held, lying to the south of the Trans Australian Railway line. In the meantime, Stellar reviewed the gold prospectivity of the licence area and was encouraged by features it saw in the vicinity of the Boomerang prospect, enough to start to try to attract another joint venture partner in order to advance drill-based assessment there. Due to the impasse arising in land access negotiations with Aboriginal custodians belonging to the Far West Coast Native Title claimant group, no field work was able to take place on EL 3205/4301 from mid-2007 until late in 2011. However, during October-December 2011, USA was finally able to conduct a diminished, 14-hole rotary mud drilling and geophysical well logging programme for a total of 792 m on EL 4301. Disappointingly, the results from all of these holes were not considered sufficiently anomalous for defining uranium within the Kingoonya Palaeochannel sequence, yielding only sporadic narrow gamma ray log spikes to 100 counts per second, plus three slightly more intense spikes of approximately 200 cps. The basement granite interval radioactivity readings for all the drillholes consistently showed approximately 100 cps, denoting background level radiation. Because this drilling had not disclosed any uranium mineralisation, on 1/3/2012 USA withdrew from the joint venture agreement with Stellar. In the same licence year, Stellar decided to allow tenure to lapse at its expiry, despite retaining belief that the area holds good prospectivity for palaeochannel- hosted uranium mineralisation, and for Mount Isa/McArthur River-HYC style base metal deposits and gold mineralisation within siliciclastic sediments of the Tarcoola Basin.
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