A largely sand dune and salt lake - covered area of the north-central Stuart Shelf, centred about 65 km north-west of the Olympic Dam mine, is being explored for possible economic buried IOCGU mineralisation that may be hosted by Mesoproterozoic basement rocks. The primary exploration target within EL 3430 is copper-uranium-gold-silver-rare earth element (Cu-Au-U-REE+/-Ag) mineralisation of the style typified at Olympic Dam and lately being developed at Prominent Hill. This mineralisation style commonly occurs within Mesoproterozoic age intrusive, volcanic extrusive, metamorphic and brecciated units of the eastern Gawler Craton, which are overlain by the generally flat-lying Mesoproterozoic to Phanerozoic sediments of the Stuart Shelf. Deep drilling from the surface is the only technique capable of proving the existence of mineralisation in areas of extensive cover. The main regional aeromagnetic feature discernible on EL 3430 is thought by licensee Uranium Exploration Australia (UXA) to be the Gardiner Dyke Swarm magnetic response. The generally elevated and broad highs in the north-west quadrant and in the south of the tenement are considered to be associated with Gawler Range Volcanics and probable Hiltaba Suite granites. At the outset of its exploration effort, UXA integrated the existing geophysical, geochemical and geological data to highlight localities to evaluate for mineralisation. A surface radiometric and geochemical surveying programme was next used to select possible drill targets at such localities. Above 2x background radiometric anomalies detected by hand-held scintillometer scans were sampled and assayed for IOCG indicator elements (25 soil, weathered sedimentary rock and volcanic rock samples were collected during February 2006). Several samples taken in three different areas were marginally anomalous, having above 2 ppm U, with weakly elevated cobalt > 10 ppm, zinc > 50 ppm and lead > 20 ppm. The most notable uranium anomaly of 9.2ppm U occurred in sample PD-6, from the Curdlawidny Swamp traverses. This anomaly was also elevated in Pb - 99 ppm, Zn -102 ppm, Co - 29 ppm, and was weakly elevated in Mn - 833 ppm. The traverse to Midway Swamp was also anomalous in these elements, the most notable sample being AD-2 which had 4.4 ppm U and 1556 ppm Mn. The adjacent sample AD-3 was also elevated in Mn, 1561 ppm. During mid-May 2006, UXA drilled a single vertical exploratory RC hole, PE1, to a total depth of 140 m at a site by the road running along the western side of Curdlawidny Swamp. It intersected Recent surface gravels to 20 m depth, then passed through the Neoproterozoic Arcoona Quartzite to 90 m, below which it remained within Tregolana Shale to the end of the hole, where drilling was terminated to high groundwater pressure. The drill cuttings were logged and assayed, and scintillometer radiometric total count readings were taken and recorded for each 2-metre depth interval as well as spectrometer K/Th/U radioactive element discrimination readings. No significant mineralisation was encountered. Weakly elevated uranium values ranging from 1.06 to 358 ppm U were noted to lie at and near the contact between the Arcoona Quartzite and the upper Tregolana Shale. This anomalism was believed to be related to groundwater movement along the contact, with local scavenging of dissolved uranium by the more iron-rich interbeds. A single noteworthy copper anomaly of 592 ppm Cu occurring at the sampled depth interval 110-112 m is associated with weak values of 1.32 ppm Ag, 186 ppm Pb and 1271 ppm Mn. This anomaly lies within, or on the contact with, an interbed of quartzitic sandstone within the Tregolana Shale. UXA decided that the results obtained by PE1, although indicative of some metalliferous fluid movement, did not warrant any further attention at that location. The hole was plugged and abandoned, and the site was subsequently rehabilitated. Field work undertaken by UXA during the second licence year comprised the conduct of two detailed ground gravity surveys across geophysical anomalies of interest during May-July 2007, and the drilling of a single vertical diamond cored hole to TD 1009.3 m during early September 2007. The Playford survey consisted of 549 gravity stations in a regular grid composed of 33 lines, with a line spacing of 500 m and station intervals of 500 m and 1000 m. A further 113 stations on 18 infill lines, with line spacings of 250 m and 500 m and station spacings of 250 m and 500 m, were proposed and acquired during the course of the survey. The Playford South-east survey consisted of 368 gravity stations in a regular grid composed of 16 lines with a line spacing of 1000 m and station interval of 500 m. A further 95 stations on 8 infill lines, with a line spacing of 250 m and a station spacing of 250 m, were proposed and acquired during the course of this survey. Rotary mud / HQ-NQ diamond core hole 07PD01 (950.3 m cored) entered the Tregolana Shale at 169 m depth, and passed into Pandurra Formation at 419 m depth. After coring out of the Pandurra - basement unconformity at 892 m, it remained in and was terminated within inferred Early Proterozoic highly altered metasediments, logged as iron and chlorite-rich with abundant fine carbonate veining. It failed to intersect significant uranium mineralisation, as indicated by scintillometer scans of the recovered drill core, and subsequent core sample assaying yielded no anomalous returns. Geophysical modelling and interpretation of the infill gravity data had led to three possible IOCG drill targets being identified, including the one tested by drillhole 07PD01. However, because this first deep exploratory hole did not find the source for its targeted anomaly (TPG1), and had entered crystalline basement at a depth which was about 200-300 m deeper than had been prognosed, UXA found it necessary to conduct revised gravity modelling for the untested targets TPG2 and TPG3. During the third licence year, UXA switched its attention to a fourth gravity anomaly located in the north-east of EL 3084. TPG8 lies close to a north-west trending basement fault zone which the company thought might have been an effective conduit for IOCG mineralising fluids. During March 2008, infill gravity coverage was acquired on this particular target (1075 stations in total, with 425 read at 800 m x 800 m grid spacing to complete semi-regional coverage of the licence area, and the remainder programmed as infill at 400 m x 400 m grid spacing). The new data defined a coherent 2 mGal gravity high lying just to the north-east of the interpreted fault zone, for which modelling gave an estimated depth to source of 900 m. Directed (with a 71 degrees dip towards azimuth 032 degrees True) PQ-HQ-NQ fully diamond cored hole 08PD04c (the driller's third attempt, due to difficult near-surface broken ground conditions foiling two previous tries at angled RC precollaring) was drilled during March-April 2008 to a total depth of 1157 m to test the TPG8 target. Basement (interpreted as Tarcoola Formation) was reached at 740 m depth. This drillhole was terminated while within haematite-altered Wandearah Formation metasediments. No significant uranium mineralisation was detected by scintillometer scans of the recovered drill core, and core sample assaying yielded no anomalous returns. No field work took place on the subject licence during licence years 4 and 5 because, in August 2008, UXA received notification from the Commonwealth Department of Defence that future access to land falling within the Woomera Prohibited Area's newly proclaimed Core Zone of Operations would be denied to mineral explorers. EL 3430 is situated within this zone. UXA reviewed all of the data which it had gathered for the area, and decided to offer a joint venture partnership to another company, which was accepted by Straits Exploration in late August 2010. Straits subsequently made a submission to the Commonwealth's commissioner Dr Hawke regarding the JV being able to regain access to its portion of WPA land, as part of the urgently organised Woomera Review which had been instigated by the South Australian Government regarding “Opportunities for the co-existence between the Department of Defence and the South Australian Mining Industry”. The farminee then re-compiled UXA's gravity data, and had Southern Geoscience Consultants prepare 1:250,000 scale magnetic and gravity images which it used to determine the areas of greatest potential for finding IOCGU mineralisation and the areas where additional geophysical data would need to be collected in the field. Straits planned to infill and/or extend the licence's magnetic and gravity coverage where required, and then conduct inversion modelling of the additional data to assist in target generation. If a suitable target was identified, the JV partners would re-negotiate exploration access with the Department of Defence and also conduct heritage clearance surveys, before proceeding to drill the target. Following the renewal of tenure at Playford as EL 4927 during June 2012, UXA experienced financial difficulties stemming from the effects of the Global Financial Crisis and mineral industry investment downturn, and had to be de-listed from the Australian Stock Exchange. However, during December 2013, the company administrators signed a Deed of Company Arrangement with Palgrave Resources Limited, whereby UXA was to be restructured and re-financed prior to re-commencing trading on the ASX. This plan did not reach fruition, unfortunately, and tenure of the subject licence was consequently allowed to lapse 18 months later.