A large licence area, comprising two separate blocks aligned along strike, which cover the northern Cowell Hills and the less elevated country stretching north-east of Lucky Bay, was taken up by Avoca Resources Ltd as part of a much wider search directed along the eastern margin of the Gawler Craton for possible economic epithermal/hydrothermal basement-hosted copper and gold mineralisation. Avoca’s strategy for commencing this search was to identify gravity anomalism adjacent to Hiltaba Suite granites, with or without a coincident magnetic anomaly. Structures originating from or cross-cutting the adjacent granite were also regarded as important ingredients for generating the type of mineral deposit sought. Avoca's prospectivity assessment was carried out using regional aeromagnetic and gravity data combined with historical drillhole information. The Proterozoic basement geology of the Cowell Project area is dominated by a Hiltaba age granite pluton called the “Glensea Granite”, which sits immediately offshore north-east of Cowell. Evident in the aeromagnetic data adjacent to the granite, and fortuitously situated wholly on land, is a large (~80 square km) zone of magnetic anomalism which coincides with a pronounced deflection in the strike of the basement strata. Avoca wished to primarily target this anomalous area because it might denote a concealed geological setting which potentially could be analogous to that of the large Ernest Henry iron oxide - associated copper-gold (IOCG) deposit in Queensland. During the first licence year, the company carried out gravity surveys, surface geochemical sampling and ground magnetic surveys, followed by diamond drilling of three gravity and magnetic targets at the Glensea prospect during May-June 2003. The drilling discovered high grade Cu-Au mineralisation in all three holes, probably extending over an area of at least 10 square km. In addition, downhole TEM logging done in two of the drillholes revealed off-hole conductors with similar conductance to the massive sulphides intersected by those holes. Consequently, rather than reflecting the products of an Ernest Henry type IOCG mineralising system, Avoca now considers that the entire magnetic anomaly adjacent to the Glensea Granite may be prospective for Cu-Au mineralisation of a tectonically controlled, narrow en-echelon lode style analogous to the large such occurrences of the historic Moonta and Wallaroo mining district, located 60 km to the south-east. During January-February 2003, a gravity survey totalling 1141 stations was acquired in several places along the interpreted buried margin of the Glensea Granite, with varying degrees of regional grid infill coverage, ranging from 2 km x 2 km through 1 km x 1 km and 400 m x 400 m, right down to 100 m x 100 m station spacing, to detail aspects of prioritised gravity anomalies such as the Glensea prospect. During March 2003, regional MMI soil geochemical sampling (19 samples) was conducted at approximately 2 km intervals along roadsides over the eastern sub-block of EL 3016. Sample analyses performed by partial leach and enzyme leach methods yielded inconclusive results, perhaps due to the wide sample site spacing, along with the presence of thick Cowell Basin sedimentary fill that would undoubtedly have masked basement rock geochemical dispersions. Also during March 2003, Avoca commissioned consultant Jim Hanneson to prepare a basement density-susceptibility model for the Glensea prospect region, where five gravity anomalies of interest had been identified from the new Daishsat survey data. Based on his recommendations of exploration priority from careful modelling of the known geophysical factors, Avoca proceeded to drill 3 RC precollared diamond holes with a total penetration of 792.6 m (451.7 m cored) to test the best gravity and/or magnetic anomalies at Glensea. The discovery hole COD001 was designed to test the gravity anomaly modelled as body “209” by Jim Hanneson. It RC drilled through 110 m of Cowell Basin sediments including clay, siltstone, lignite and gravel, before reaching crystalline basement that comprises a biotite-rich granitic gneiss, subsequently interpreted to be part of the Donnington Suite. The hole was then continued by diamond coring through this biotite-rich gneiss, which in places is transected by undeformed dykes of aplite and syenite aligned at high angles to the dominant foliation direction of the gneiss. The hole intersected an almost 1-metre wide quartz-chalcopyrite-pyrite vein from 115.57–116.47 m depth, which assayed 0.9 m @ 3.26% Cu, 0.24 g/t Au and 2.4 g/t Ag. Sporadic shows of chalcopyrite and pyrite were observed in core cut throughout the remainder of the hole, which was stopped at 249.1 m depth. Widespread magnetite-amphibole alteration was also observed in the basement core from this drillhole. Core sample assay results show a general antipathetic relationship between K and Na, presumably related to alteration. A single very high Ag value, 18.5 ppm, occurs towards the end of the hole at 236.1 m depth. Magnetic susceptibility data increases to a peak of 15,000 x 10-5 SI Units at about 160m depth, and then gradually decreases with greater depth. Hole COD002 was collared approximately 6 km north-east of COD001. It was designed to test the gravity anomaly modelled as body “94” by Jim Hanneson. The top-of-basement lithology here consists of altered augen gneiss, penetrated beneath an 85.5 m thickness of Cowell Basin sediments. Thin calcite-chalcopyrite veins were intersected throughout this drillhole, yielding a best drill core sample assay of 0.3 m @ 0.3% Cu from 262.8 m depth, just above the hole's TD of 263.9 m. Directly beneath the cover, a zone of elevated rare earth elements and uranium content was detected within bleached augen gneiss. The anomalous interval, extending from 86.9–114.9 m depth, averages 246 ppm La + Ce and 155 ppm U. Hole COD003 was collared approximately 500m south-east of COD001, to test a magnetic anomaly adjacent to the Glensea Granite. It encountered finely laminated and haematite-altered mylonitised volcanic rocks beneath 144 m thickness of Cowell Basin sediments. These volcanics have interspersed fine grained, dark amphibolitic layers. Thin chalcopyrite and pyrite veins occur throughout the basement section that was cored above the drillhole's TD of 279.6 m. The best assay result came from a thin, massive chalcopyrite vein in the depth interval 183.6–184 m, which returned 0.4 m @ 3.5% Cu, 0.95 g/t Au and 2.0 g/t Ag. Anomalous rare earths are present here too, with assay values of up to 270 ppm La + Ce over a 36.2 m depth interval. Magnetic susceptibility readings increased downhole to a peak of 20,000 x 10-5 SI Units, measured in the volcanics just above where the drillhole entered undeformed granite at approximately 266 m depth. No typical IOCG haematitic breccias were observed in any of the Glensea prospect drill cores, and no sources for the targeted gravity anomalies could be identified. Nevertheless, because of finding massive sulphides in COD001, Avoca decided at the completion of drilling of hole COD003 to log the first two holes with downhole TEM to try to detect other massive sulphide occurrences in proximity to these holes. Following advice provided by Jim Hanneson, a large 200 m per side square loop was set out over each hole collar during May 2003, and four 100 m per side loops were also set out, to make up four quadrants for the larger loop. Each of these five loops was read for both drillholes to determine the near-hole position and orientation of any conductors. The TEM data for COD001 showed two off-hole conductors: one associated with the massive sulphide vein at 115 m depth and another, 20-30 m below the end of the hole, at 260-270 m depth. The deeper of the two conductive plates strikes almost north-south and dips to the west. The TEM data for COD002 also showed two plates. The shallower of the plates is a small, 20 m x 40 m plate that dips to the north-east and was probably missed by the hole. The deeper plate, at 240 m depth, is larger and dips to the south-east. Some disseminated chalcopyrite was intersected in the hole at this depth, but it appears the hole did not intersect the plate. The massive sulphide vein intersected in COD003 would certainly be a conductor, but unfortunately, the hole could not be logged due to poor ground conditions which had resulted in the driller leaving 50 m of HQ drill rods in the hole. Trial surface TEM readings obtained by contractor Zonge Engineering, using the down hole TEM data to constrain models of the likely EM responses obtainable from varying loop sizes and station spacings, implied that this geophysical technique should be effective at locating more of these high grade Cu-Au sulphide veins beneath the Cowell Basin sediments. Work completed by Avoca during the second licence year of EL 3016 comprised evaluation of the previous diamond drilling results, and the acquisition during January-February 2004 of a moving loop surface TEM survey covering the main area of magnetic anomalism adjacent to both the Glensea Granite and the three diamond holes COD001-003. This survey, contracted to Solo Geophysics, was performed with 200 m loops moved at 200 m intervals along east-west lines 400 m apart. Readings were taken at the loop centres. The results disclosed a probable 600 m long and 300 m depth extent vertical conductor continuing to the south-west of COD1 and possibly remaining open to the south. The modelled body has a similar size and conductance to the Eloise low-iron type copper-gold deposit in Queensland. ****** re. the two-year reporting hiatus in this Abstract - see Notes entry for explanation. During the fifth licence year of EL 3016, farminee Stellar Resources assumed management of its exploration. Based on gravity and aeromagnetic data, Stellar drilled 4 inclined diamond holes (COD006 - COD009) for 871.4 m (including 485.2 m of rotary mud precollars) during March-April 2007, to further test for IOCG-U type mineralisation within the tenement area. These drillholes encountered basement rocks comprising variably altered to fresh, metamorphosed and unmetamorphosed igneous lithologies ranging in composition from diorite to monzogranite to syenite, beneath 100-140 m thick Cowell Basin sedimentary cover. Later petrological examinations of the drill core samples concluded that the monzogranites and other intermediate intrusives appear to be younger and mostly undeformed, when compared to the more acidic and generally less potassic granitoid rocks. Minor vein and lesser disseminated sulphide mineralisation was noted in all of the drillholes, with chalcopyrite being the dominant vein sulphide. But core assay results in general were disappointing. A quartz-sulphide-carbonate vein within aplitic monzogranite in hole COD006 returned 0.5 m @ 0.12% Cu and 0.2 g/t Au from 139 m depth. Elevated REE values were obtained from all drillholes, with maxima of 2 m @ 204 ppm Ce, 105 ppm La and 36.5 ppm Y from 284 m depth in hole COD007, and 3.4 m @ 174 ppm Ce, 117 ppm La and 41 ppm Y from 111.6 m depth in hole COD006. Subsequently, Stellar decided that the disseminated Cu-Au sulphide mineralisation is of limited extent, and did not warrant further investigation. Disappointingly, no significant IOCG-U type breccias, alteration or mineralisation were found by having drilled selected gravity high features. However, hole COD008, one of the three diamond drillholes Stellar put in at the Franklin prospect located ~7 km north-east of Glensea, encountered two wide intervals having elevated to anomalous uranium values ( i.e. 5.15 m @ 63 ppm U and 3.05 m @ 108 ppm U) in core samples taken from within coarse-grained pegmatoidal tonalite to trondhjemite intrusives. These unusual rock types exhibit ‘alaskite’ petrological affinities, by containing abundant sodic plagioclase, and along with associated fine grained aplitic intrusives, may be similar to the uraniferous lode host rocks that occur in the Rossing district of Namibia. During the first year of renewed licence EL 3978 over the subject area, Stellar submitted an application for and was approved to receive a grant of PACE Initiative Year 5 drilling project funding to test interpreted ‘alaskite’ type intrusive rocks for Rossing style uranium mineralisation. A drill programme of 4 inclined diamond holes for 960.95 m, comprising 741.50 m of rotary mud precollaring and 219.45 m of HQ/NQ diamond coring, was completed during January-March 2008 to test postulated such rocks at target locations defined by gravity lows within the geophysical dataset. Interpretation of the drilled sequences would suggest that to some extent a palaeodrainage channel network has developed over target intrusive units that may have undergone preferential weathering. However, no anomalous uranium geochemistry was returned from Eocene lignites or lignitic sands intersected within the interpreted palaeodrainage. The PACE drilling core assay results also revealed that, where penetrated, the target fine-grained aplitic intrusive rocks are weakly to moderately uraniferous [cf. Env 11633]. In late February 2008, Stellar completed a single rotary mud precollared diamond drillhole, POD001 to 127.1 m, that was designed to test one of several linear magnetic features defined in regional aeromagnetic data for economic magnetite iron mineralisation. It was found that, at the Poldar anomaly, a thin cover sequence of interpreted Cowell Basin sediments overlies a stripped basement weathering profile. The vertical test hole did not find any inferred magnetite BIF units, but instead, at 20 m depth, encountered basement consisting of weakly to moderately magnetic megacrystic to porphyritic intrusive syenites having a variable but generally low level magnetite content (drill core sample assaying returned a maximum intercept of 3 m @ 3.34% Fe). No other assay values were worthy of note.