Razorback Ridge (part of the Braemar Iron Project). Annual reports to licence expiry/full surrender, for the period 10/6/2010 to 9/6/2013.
Created: 12 Nov 2024 Revised: 12 Nov 2024

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 “Passive Magnetic Resonance Subsurface Exploration” (PMRSE) technique. This survey method is new to Australia, apparently, and remains unproven by the local mineral exploration industry – WMG confidently tout it as being cheap ‘virtual drilling’ 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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About this record

Record No mesac24929
Topic Geoscientific Information
Type of Resource Document
Category Type
Document Type Mineral Company Report - Mineral Exploration
Contributor GPX Airborne Pty Ltd;Archer Geophysical Consulting Ltd;Onyx, Inc.
Sponsor Bonython Metals Group Ltd
Tenement EL 4516
Tenement Holder Wentworth Metal Group Pty Ltd;Bonython Metals Group Ltd
Operator Wentworth Metal Group Pty Ltd
Geological Province
Mine Name Razorback Ridge iron deposit
Stratigraphy
Commodity
Notes
Geographic Locality: Olary Ranges;Woolshed Range;Batley Hill;Hook Hill;Grampus Hill;Manunda Station;Lilydale Station;2010 Cronje Dam Aerial Magnetic Survey;2010 Cronje Dam Aerial Radioactivity Survey;2010 Cronje Dam Aerial DTM Survey
Doc No: Env...

Geographic Locality: Olary Ranges;Woolshed Range;Batley Hill;Hook Hill;Grampus Hill;Manunda Station;Lilydale Station;2010 Cronje Dam Aerial Magnetic Survey;2010 Cronje Dam Aerial Radioactivity Survey;2010 Cronje Dam Aerial DTM Survey Doc No: Env 12149

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Language English
Metadata Standard ISO 19115-3

Citations

Use constraints License
License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
Persistent identifier https://pid.sarig.sa.gov.au/document/mesac24929
Citation Hillam, J.;Archer, G. Razorback Ridge (part of the Braemar Iron Project). Annual reports to licence expiry/full surrender, for the period 10/6/2010 to 9/6/2013. Mineral Company Report - Mineral Exploration
https://pid.sarig.sa.gov.au/document/mesac24929

Technical information

Status
Maintenance and Update Frequency
Geographic Reference GDA2020 (EPSG:7844)
Geo bounding box {"type":"Polygon","coordinates":[[[139.5,-33],[140,-33],[140,-32.5],[139.5,-32.5],[139.5,-33]]]}
Purpose

                    
                    

                    
                  
Lineage