Exploration of an area centred 65 km north-east of Coober Pedy has continued from the licensee's previous work aimed at evaluating the IOCG mineralisation potential of Mesoproterozoic basement-hosted, large and regionally significant coincident magnetic / gravity anomalies which appear to be comparable to the anomalies characterising the Olympic Dam and Prominent Hill deposits. Alliance had completed two exploratory drillholes (ABNE01 and ABNE02) in 2002 during its prior tenure of EL 2705, both targeting the gravity-dominant portion of the BigNE anomaly. Both holes encountered metasedimentary basement rocks having varying degrees of low temperature hydrothermal haematite-carbonate-amphibole-sulphide alteration, brecciation and fracturing and an elevated copper content, which provided support to the concept that the BigNE positive gravity anomaly appears to be a response to products of an IOCG mineral - forming system. However, the intercepted zones of iron rich alteration did not adequately account for the magnitude of this large-scale gravity anomaly. During 2006, the first year of renewed EL 3533, Alliance shifted its attention to exploring the Big North West (BigNW) anomaly, located 14 km distant from BigNE. Geophysical traverses that Alliance had made over BigNW during 2002 had indicated a significantly larger gravity source than at BigNE, and with the attraction of shallower depth of cover on basement (modelled as between 80-250 m). This large prospect, like BigNE, also comprises a near-coincident positive magnetic/gravity complex, one of five untested such features that the company had so far identified. In detail, the prospect represents an isolated magnetic high trending east-northeast for over 10 km, parallel to the regionally significant Karari Fault to the south. A significant gravity anomaly is offset to the south of the strongest part of the magnetic high. During July and August 2006, semi-detailed gravity surveys were undertaken to extend the existing regional coverage at BigNE and BigNW. 420 ground-based gravity stations were acquired on three separate 1 km x 1 km, 400m x 400 m and 200 m x 400 m grids. 105 line km of traverses were read at Big NE, and 120 line km at Big NW, by Haines Surveys Pty Ltd. Gravity and magnetic data processing and modelling was performed by Bob Smith from Greenfields Geophysics, to determine optimal drilling targets. Alliance next sought PACE Initiative drilling subsidy funding from PIRSA for a proposed single vertical hole at the BigNW prospect. The application was successful, with the money granted under approved PACE Theme 2 drilling project DPY4-25 being 50% of the estimated direct drilling costs for the hole. Watson Drilling of Deniliquin was assigned to drill a rotary mud precollar, and the HQ/NQ diamond cored tail drilling was contracted to Underdale Drillers Pty Ltd (See Env 11517). Drillhole BNW01/01a was completed to a total depth of 601.5 m in two stages during December 2006 and March 2007, and to begin with, included 153.15 m of rotary mud precollar drilling that was carried to well below two sandstone aquifer units of the Cadna-owie Formation, but which did not reach basement. Instead, the precollar hole was prematurely terminated in an apparently tight siltstone-claystone sequence, which subsequent costly events have shown possesses expansive clay properties. The diamond tail section of the hole was also originally planned to be cored with an HQ bit and then stepped down in size to NQ gauge (inside the HQ drill string) once drilling had progressed to well within basement, or as required. However, it transpired that the combined absence of these requisites contributed to the drill rod breakage and equipment loss experienced in hole BNW01 at 340.5 m depth, which then necessitated twinning the hole as BNW01a from within the lower part of the grouted BNW01 precollar. The basement penetrated by the hole from 256.3 m depth consists of a sequence of magnetic, high grade metamorphic rocks with a very steeply-dipping metamorphic layering. These recrystallised rocks are now predominantly composed of feldspar and quartz, with lesser biotite and magnetite defining the metamorphic fabric. The texture of these metasediments is predominantly medium to coarse-grained in the upper 250 m, becoming generally finer grained at depth. A minor component of disseminated, very fine-grained pyrite and minor chalcopyrite appears to be present, associated with the magnetite in wispy, anastomosing fine sericite alteration. Very high magnetic susceptibilities (up to 200 x 10-3 SI units) were measured in the magnetite-bearing units, whilst subjective assessment suggested that the rocks are also very dense. The felsic minerals associated with quartz could be calc-silicates, which would account for the high SGs. The high grade metamorphic units are cut by zones up to several metres wide (downhole) of pink haematite-stained feldspar (K-spar?)-silica-epidote alteration, in places associated with pink quartz-feldspar-muscovite pegmatitic intrusions. The felsic alteration is patchy to pervasive, often with a grey selvedge of strong silicification surrounding a pink felsic core. It is commonly associated with flatly-dipping jointing and minor similarly orientated puggy faulting. The joints commonly have epidote coatings or fill. The felsic alteration has low magnetic susceptibilities and is less dense than the magnetite-bearing rocks. Zones of pervasive, dark chloritisation are also present in the lower part of the sequence. This alteration appears to overprint the metamorphic units and has destroyed magnetite, giving locally lower magnetic susceptibilities. The magnetite-rich sequences appeared to explain the targeted magnetic anomaly at BigNW, while the dense biotite-rich rocks and possible calc-silicates are possibly generating the gravity anomaly, with the steeply dipping metamorphic fabric accounting for the slight offset of the two. Alliance interpreted that these Proterozoic metasediments are most likely part of the Mabel Creek Ridge tectonostratigraphic succession, since they are very different to the high grade metamorphic rocks that are present to the west in the Paragon Bore district. Assaying of precollar and drill core downhole rock samples returned only low levels of trace metals. The main interest in analysing the rotary cuttings samples was for uranium, which reported a range of 0.3 – 1.69 ppm U. Likewise, the drill core returned low but anomalous levels of several elements, e.g. maximum values of 16 ppb Au, 356 ppm Cu and 6.99 ppm U, plus generally moderate Fe levels reflecting the rock chemistry. During the second licence year, Alliance returned to examining the BigNE prospect with the benefit of the additional gravity data it had acquired in 2006, and by utilising better calibration of depth to basement models for the area, that now were reliant on data obtained from the recently completed vertical rotary mud precollar drillhole for planned diamond corehole BNE03. During February 2007, this precollar hole had been drilled to 342.0 m depth without reaching basement but coming close to it, based on stratigraphic correlations Alliance made with nearby previous drillholes ABNE01 and ABNE02. The source of the magnetic anomaly targeted in BNE03 was assumed to extend to the top of basement, and therefore this depth was used as a constraint for a revised geophysical model calculated with the top of basement fixed at 350 m. No artesian groundwater flows were encountered while drilling through the cover sequence, as expected from previous experience gained while drilling on this prospect. Underdale Drillers were contracted by Alliance to complete the diamond tail for BNE03, starting in late September 2007. The drilling rig arrived on site on 5/10/2007 and commenced coring the day after, from 341.3 m depth. The NQ corehole was progressed to 374.8 m depth, at which point the drill string broke, and the severed portion could not be retrieved. In consequence, the diamond drilling programme was abandoned at Alliance's insistence, and the drill site cleared. The basement lithology that was logged in the retrieved drill core is a variously carbonate-altered, magnetite-rich metasediment (ex - BIF?) containing minor carbonate-haematite-quartz veinlets; the more prominent, highly magnetic magnetite-rich bands define a tight folding. In places, the veinlets expand to a 50-60% carb-haem-sil breccia overprint that is associated with chlorite-coated joints/faults running at 30 degrees to the core axis. Assaying of 10 samples of the recovered drill core was completed in January 2008. Low values of trace metals were returned (maxima 2 ppb Au, 48 ppm Cu and 1.95 ppm U, and consistently low Fe levels). Such results were anticipated, as the diamond core drilling had not reached the modelled target zone believed to lie at greater depth. During the third licence year, Alliance continued its drilling programme at BigNE prospect by successfully completing two exploratory diamond drillholes, BNE04 and BNE05, during October-December 2008. While no significant results were achieved, Alliance considered that the anomalous Cu and to a lesser extent the Ag, Pb, Zn and U associations returned still tended to support the adopted IOCG exploration model. The company decided to seek a joint venture partner to conduct future drilling at the BigNE prospect. Drillhole BNE04 was designed to identify the source of the gravity anomaly which hole BNE03 had been unable to test. It was vertically rotary mud precollared to a depth of 335.1 m, and then was HQ/NQ diamond cored to a total depth of 601.7 m. The main basement rock types penetrated by BNE04 are variably biotite-magnetite altered metapsammitic and minor metapelitic units. These mostly have high magnetic susceptibilities, but from 354-390 m a zone of low magnetic susceptibility is pervasively carbonate - altered, with common haematite - altered bands in its upper 11 m. The haematite alteration becomes less abundant in the lower part of this interval. At 380-394 m, minor 2-4 cm wide quartz-carbonate veins with irregular clots of brown garnet cut the metasediments at low angles to the core axis. A similar carbonate-altered zone with minor haematite - altered bands is present at 447.6-469.5 m. At the top of the latter zone, several silicified and sericitised bands, with minor patchy haematite alteration, cut the magnetic biotite-magnetite altered metapsammite. At 478.0-507.9 m, a weakly foliated zone of pervasive chlorite alteration with minor wispy haematite-carbonate-silica bands also has low magnetic susceptibilities. This zone has minor pyrite-chalcopyrite disseminations, particularly in the lower 10 m. Below the chlorite-altered zone, the sequence is dominated by metasediments that are strongly banded by biotite-magnetite alteration with high magnetic susceptibilities. In places, these exhibit small scale isoclinal folding and are locally demagnetised by chlorite-haematite alteration. The magnetite - altered rock in the drill core is hard and has a relatively high density. It would appear that the abundant magnetite and/or haematite explains the coincident magnetic and gravity anomalies. Very minor mineralisation seen in BNE04 is associated with the few zones of haematite alteration in the upper part of the hole. Comparison of the lithologies and alteration encountered in BNE04 and ABNE02 suggested to Alliance that the interval of relatively strong haematite alteration and brecciation with anomalous copper values, seen in both holes, dips moderately to steeply westwards. Drillhole BNE05 was intended to probe beneath the total depth reached in hole ABNE02, to further investigate the anomalous copper intercepts and associated fracturing and brecciation found at that level. From logging of the core recovered from BNE05, it was interpreted that the thicker basement sequence penetrated by BNE05 is predominantly comprised of metapsammitic and metapelitic units that are possibly turbidites, with intercalated carbonaceous units. Despite the rocks' observed moderate metamorphic grade and extensive layer deformation (e.g. tight, small scale chevron folding in pelitic units, boudinage of sandy beds), it was noted that possible deformed flame structures, rip-up clasts and intraformational sedimentary breccias could also be seen to be preserved. The upper 100 m of basement in the drill core is comprised of dominantly pelitic units, including several thick intervals of carbonaceous metapelite. Throughout this interval, common cms-thick haematite-carbonate-silica veins cut the core both parallel and at high angles to the metasedimentary foliation. Five narrow intervals of haematite-carbonate-quartz breccia up to 2 m thick are present in this pelitic sequence, mainly within carbonaceous units. The breccias are in places vughy, and have pyrite-chalcopyrite (-arsenopyrite) disseminations and pyrite replacing clasts. The lower part of the cored basement sequence has intercalated 40-60 m thick metapsammite and metapelite units, the latter including carbonaceous units, some with minor pyrite-sphalerite-rich laminae or veins. The hole was terminated within highly magnetic and noticeably denser, but unmineralised, variably biotite-chlorite-magnetite - altered amphibole/calc-silicate-rich laminated rocks. The density contrast most likely explains the gravity anomaly. Magnetic susceptibilities are low throughout most of BNE05. In the upper 80 m of the basement sequence, the low magnetic susceptibilities are associated with the zones of haematite-carbonate-silica veining. Below this, low susceptibilities are associated with pervasive carbonate alteration. Magnetic susceptibilities are elevated at 529-662 m, where the rocks are chlorite-magnetite-biotite altered. Biotite-magnetite alteration, with relatively high magnetic susceptibilities (similar to alteration in DDH BNE04) is present in the lowest 14 m of BNE05 within a sequence of amphibole/calcsilicate - rich laminated rocks. Geochemically, the assay results returned from Niton XRF handheld scanning of the BNE04 core were mostly very low, although copper values are slightly elevated in the chlorite-altered interval at 478.0-507.9 m, with a best value of 1m @ 448 ppm Cu from 498 m (including 4 ppb Au, 5 ppm Pb and 97 ppm Zn). The BNE05 drill core Niton XRF copper assay values were higher than those of BNE04. Best results included 1.1 m @ 0.32% Cu from 395 m, in haematite-carbonate veins and breccia, with veins of pyrite-chalcopyrite-marcasite(?) and 0.5 m @ 0.24% Cu from 490 m, also associated with carbonate-haematite veining. Zn and Pb values were anomalous in sulphidic laminae or veins in several of the carbonaceous metapelite units at 685-785 m. No field work was conducted on EL 3533 during licence Years 4 and 5, while Alliance reviewed its drilling results and conducted farm-out discussions. During 2012, the first year of renewed EL 4802, work undertaken by the company included obtaining Native Title clearances to conduct further drilling, geochemical sampling of additional parts of the BNE05 drill core, and the acquisition of ground geophysical surveys incorporating gravity, 3D magnetotellurics and induced polarisation. Processing and modelling of geophysical data, incorporating SG measurements from the drill cores to refine the gravity interpretation, was completed to assist in planning a further drilling campaign. During November-December 2011, 79 magnetotelluric stations spaced 400 m apart were read at the BigNE prospect, and the MT data was processed by 1D and 2D inversion techniques. A near-vertical north-east oriented zone of high conductivity was interpreted to extend from about 750 m south-east of DDH ABNE02 to 1 km north-east, plunging towards the north-east. During February 2012, 515 additional gravity stations were read over the Warrina grid, to expand and infill the coverage. The merged gravity dataset for the licence area and its immediate surrounds now contains readings made at 62,370 gravity stations. During September 2012, an Induced Polarisation survey consisting of one 6.4 km long traverse was completed across the Big NE gravity anomaly in a NW - SE direction and read with a dipole-dipole electrode configuration: the Rx spacing was 200 m and the Tx spacing 400 m. The results were found to be inconclusive due to difficult field conditions, however, it was suggested that some IP responses might support the existence of basement targets near BNE05. A total of 18 additional drill core samples were assayed from hole BNE05. No extensions of the high Cu values beyond the previously assayed intervals were returned. Results for the extra samples taken around the previously detected Zn anomalies confirmed a zinc-rich zone of 12 m averaging 3151 ppm Zn between 719-731 m depth. During the second year of EL 4802, Alliance undertook a drill test of the MT target near BNE05, that was offset to the south-east of the main gravity and magnetic highs, by re-entering that hole and deeping it with further NQ diamond coring carried out during April-May 2013. Unfortunately, the approach of bad weather necessitated the early removal of the drilling rig, and the hole extension (denoted BNE05X) was stopped short of the 1200 m depth target, at 1164.9 m. A sequence of north-eastwards dipping, banded metapelites, metapsammites and calc-silicate gneisses was intersected, having thin magnetite and graphite laminae dispersed throughout. Sulphide minerals, averaging <1% and locally up to 3% by volume (mainly pyrite, plus locally minor chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and sphalerite), were observed within the 319 m of recovered drill core as disseminations and veins occurring in all lithologies. No significant IOCG alteration was encountered. Despite not having reached its target depth, the hole extension revealed the existence of a previously unknown massive graphitic unit in the basement at BigNE which was now thought to be sufficient to explain the anomalies from the gravity, magnetic and electrical geophysical surveys. A broad lithostructural model for the prospect was created by Alliance, which explained the mapped gravity and magnetic anomalism by the magnetic susceptibility and density of the upper (above 1040 m deep) zone of magnetite - bearing banded calc-silicate rocks, and the steeply dipping MT/IP electrical conductivity anomaly by the massive graphitic schist zone below 1040 m. Planned gyro and downhole EM surveys were cancelled, due to the early removal of the rig. The high graphite content in the rocks suggested to Alliance that a DHEM survey tool function would probably have been overwhelmed by the conductive response of the graphite, and therefore running it would not have been useful anyway. The drill core from BNE05X was sent to Challenger Geological Services for core logging and assay sampling. 6 selected core samples were sent during May 2013 to Geochempet in Brisbane for petrographic analysis. Advice for the proper method of geochemical assay was sought from Interteck Genalysis, since the high magnetite and graphite content of the samples would cause interference in analysing for sulphide. A high acid digestion method was used for the multielement analysis. Results gained from drilling BNE05X showed a paucity of hydrothermal or metasomatic alteration in basement breccias – a disappointing negative indicator for IOCG mineralisation. Consequently, the syngenetic sedex model became favoured by Alliance as a best fit for the origin of the sulphides seen at the BigNE prospect. Although clearly subeconomic, it was stated that there might remain good potential for finding better grade mineralisation of this type elsewhere in the Mabel Creek -Paragon Bore region. After considering all the accumulated results of its Warrina exploration programme later in the year, Alliance decided to surrender the tenement.