Iron ore exploration undertaken within two small licence subareas centred 60 km south of Yunta, in the vicinity of the outcropping Razorback Ridge banded iron formation of Sturtian age, was directed at assessing the economic potential of the...
Iron ore exploration undertaken within two small licence subareas centred 60 km south of Yunta, in the vicinity of the outcropping Razorback Ridge banded iron formation of Sturtian age, was directed at assessing the economic potential of the tillitic/siltstone Braemar Iron Formation which was thought to shallowly subcrop in the area, beneath mainly Recent alluvium covered plains. Initial work performed by the licensee comprised a field geological reconnaissance and portable XRF spectroscopic geochemical analyses of grab samples of ironstone float collected at 9 locations [no assay or site locational data submitted]. These float occurrences appeared to overlie a series of north-easterly trending aeromagnetic anomalies that had been mapped by previous SA Government regional airborne geophysical surveys. Western Metal Group (WMG) decided to fly its own, more detailed airborne magnetic survey in order to better delineate the magnetic anomalies [this work to be done in conjunction with the programmes of other similar airborne surveys then being flown in the Olary region by separate licensee members of the Braemar Iron Project exploration consortium]. During September-October 2010, contractor GPX Airborne flew 1474 line km of fixed-wing aircraft instrument platform, combined magnetic, radiometric and digital elevation model coverage over the smaller, southern subarea of the subject EL 4516 and mainly over Mega Hindmarsh's adjoining EL 4589, along 100 m spaced SE-NW lines, with a 30 m sensor mean terrain clearance. The resulting magnetic field intensity data was reported to have a dynamic range extending up to 6000 nT, with the highest readings occurring in the northern part of EL 4589 and continuing north-eastwards into the southern subarea of EL 4516. These anomalies were forward modelled by WMG's geophysical consultant to estimate possible depths to and dips of various buried structures that might contain significant amounts of magnetite. During November 2010, WMG employed a contractor from overseas [? Ukranian] company Onyx, Inc. to acquire surface geophysical readings using the âPassive Magnetic Resonance Subsurface Explorationâ (PMRSE) technique. This survey method is new to Australia, apparently, and remains unproven by the local mineral exploration industry â WMG confidently tout it as being cheap âvirtual drillingâ for the iron explorer that is capable of locating buried magnetite bodies down to depths of 250-300 m, and of providing estimates of the magnetite-haematite ratio of susceptible iron oxide mineralisation. The contractor made 13 angled and 4 vertical PMRSE depth soundings at several sites on ELs 4516 and 4589, and the resulting 'virtual drillhole' data that originated from traverses which cross surface geochemical sample sites CD2 - CD5 and CD7 are tabulated, while some the CD2 and CD5 depth sounding layer plots and Fe3O4 compositional results are presented in pseudo-structural profiles. Beneath the CD2 site on the southern subarea of EL 4516, it was interpreted that magnetite-rich beds aggregating more than 250 m thick dip south-eastwards at 40-50 degrees from the horizontal, and it is indicated from the PMRSE data that they may contain magnetite (Fe3O4) grading in places up to 35%, although the statistical average content is nearer 17%. No further work was performed on the subject licence during the following two years, due to purported delays in concluding Native Title negotiations necessary for gaining land access. At the end of this period tenure of the tenement was allowed to lapse.
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