An area surrounding and extending to the south of the Teetulpa Goldfield, which is centred about 60 km west of Olary and 31 km north of Yunta, was taken up primarily to try to find the source for the significant (>100,000 ounces so far recovered) alluvial gold resource present at Teetulpa, which in terms of areal extent is one of the largest such gold occurrences in South Australia. Despite much historical surface prospecting and later company exploration activity, no primary bedrock gold source had been identified to date which might have yielded this amount of often fairly coarse nuggetty placer gold. The average grade of wash sediment in the recorded richest part of the goldfield, Goslin's Gully, was estimated by recent costean sampling (done prior to issue of the licence) as around 0.34 g/cubic metre Au, distributed there over a 20 m wide palaeochannel. Accessory heavy minerals found deposited with the gold, such as 2-4 mm size euhedral crystalline monazite fragments plus similar fresh zircon, magnetite and rutile grains, have compositional trace element geochemistries attesting to a possible derivation from nearby intrusive igneous ultrabasic or carbonatite rock. This likelihood is supported by the common observation that, at Teetulpa, it is unusual to find gold attached to (reef) quartz; most of the nuggets recovered are clean. The licensee commenced field work in February 1996, attempting to establish the true grade and boundaries of the alluvial gold deposit by conducting grid-based auger drilling of the goldfield palaeochannel sediments to allow bulk sampling of them over a very wide area extending outside of the known field limits. A mobile, air-operated gravity separation plant was used to concentrate the heavy minerals (HM), which were then submitted for laboratory mineralogical examinations to describe and quantify the gold and, potentially also, any diamond indicators minerals that the concentrates might hold. By mutual agreement, some of the HM samples examined were obtained from gold processing plant concentrates that were being produced from the active mining leases at Teetulpa held by Goldus Pty Ltd and by Murray Raymond. Field geological mapping and grab rock chip sampling of the exposed bedrock was also begun during March 1996, along with office-based aerial photointerpretation and the interpretation of available regional geophysical data. Bedrock consists mainly of Adelaidean Tapley Hill Formation fine grained laminated sandstone, dolomitic siltstone and semi-graphitic carbonate beds, which have been much folded on a small scale and are cut by numerous quartz veins, most of which are less than 30 cm wide. A discrete aeromagnetic anomaly of significant amplitude was noted lying just to the west-southwest of the past recorded limit of the alluvial goldfield, near a relatively prominent hill that forms the highest topographic feature in the Teetulpa vicinity. The anomaly was observed to lie at the junction of an ENE-trending anticline and a NNW-trending photolineament. Hand auger-based geochemical sampling of surficial carbonate sediments capping the bedrock above this anomaly was performed during September-December 1997; the assay results were low order anomalous in many trace elements. Some rock fragments composed of probable deformed Willyama Group schist and gneiss were recovered by the augering, and these were interpreted as inclusions to a diapiric breccia that had breached the local Tapley Hill Formation country rock. In explanation of the magnetic anomaly, it was inferred that the Adelaidean Braemar Ironstone Formation may have been uplifted to near the surface in this locality by diapiric action and the intrusion of an underlying igneous body. Geophysical data modelling was commissioned from consultant David Miller in April 1996, once the recently released raw and processed data from the December1994 SAEI Area B2 and April 1995 BHEI - MESA Olary airborne magnetic/radiometric/DTM surveys were to hand. A radiometric anomaly with elevated uranium channel readings was noted that broadly coincides with the magnetic anomaly at Teetulpa. This coincidence further supported the model of a concealed igneous body that may have acted as the primary source for the Teetulpa gold. In addition, three more imprecisely resolved magnetic anomalies were identified in the Teetulpa - Manna Hill vicinity, that highlight the likely complex geology and structure present in the subsurface. To test the radiometric anomaly source model, a programme of shallow RC exploratory vertical drilling of 10 holes for a total penetration of 200 m was carried out during August 1998, using a drill rig supplied by Budd Drilling of Ilrymple, Victoria, after lengthy delays in contracting a start for this work had been brought about by rig shortages in the industry. The drilling was funded by Thompson Wagstaff Pty Ltd, who had been option holders over EL 2126 since May 1996. TE3, the deepest of the ten holes, reached a total depth of 102 m, having passed through a monotonous sequence of dark grey to black calcareous metasiltstone showing visible pyrite mineralisation. Another eight of the holes, completed to merely either 6 m or 10 m depths, also bottomed in this lithology. Only the second deepest hole, TE9 completed to 30 m depth, encountered a different stratal section comprised of khaki-coloured weathered non-calcareous shale. All of the holes were sited in shallow (to 3 m) alluvium-covered areas within the drainage headland overlooking the goldfield. Four samples of drill cuttings from TE3, including a bottomhole sample, and one bottomhole sample from TE9 were submitted for multielement assaying. No significant trace metal or rare earth element assay values were returned. Petrographic studies made on samples of the drilled metasediments proved inconclusive as to determining their origin and history. Besides minor celestite and/or barite, it appeared that some albite and ankerite are present, which increase in proportion with depth. The pyrite appeared to be concentrated on joint surfaces, suggesting that it was a product of metamorphic remobilisation, or could have been introduced from magmatic hydrothermal fluids, as it contains minor silver, zinc and copper values. However, due to the lack of alteration evident in the bedrock of deepest hole TE3, it was thought that the intrusive igneous body, if present, could lie at >400 m depth under the target geophysical anomalies. The licensee used his attendance at the inaugural Broken Hill Exploration Initiative (BHEI) Conference held in Broken Hill in October 1998 to liaise with researchers from the CRC-LEME at the ANU in Canberra, regarding the need for mapping and evaluation of the regolith geology at Teetulpa. At this time too, it was decided to widen the exploration effort on the licence to cover Adelaidean to Delamerian structural gold targets at the western end of the stratabound Manna Hill goldfield, plus Quaternary placer gold and other heavy mineral commercial suite targets within the upper reaches of the large Salt Creek contemporary drainage system. Late in September 2000, a single bulk sample of alluvium was collected from Salt Creek near Four Brothers Homestead, and sent to Amdel for heavy mineral separation and concentrate analysis. The proportion of heavy minerals that this creek carries was found to be very high, approximately 17% of total bed load. However, most of the HM are non-commercial iron minerals, with metamorphic accessory HM species such as amphiboles comprising most of the remainder. Interestingly, no monazite is present, unlike within the nearby Teetulpa drainage basin. By the end of November 2000, Mintech Resources' ideas regarding the immediate source of the Teetulpa gold had shifted to settle on the long-prevailing and generally supported notion of it being the later, subordinate yet pervasive north-south orientated, up to 1.5 m wide quartz vein set of the area, which predominantly carries iron sulphides, magnetite, siderite and barite. The licensee's ongoing programme of alluvial sediment bulk sampling over an area of more than 4 square km had continued to show a genetic association of monazite with the gold, thereby perhaps explaining the airborne radiometric anomaly as being derived from a range of rare earth elements held within this mineral, whose source remained a mystery. During mid-2001, attention shifted to first-pass prospecting of areas near Teetulpa Goldfield using metal detectors. The Jensen family of amateur goldseekers were retained to do this work over several months, reporting to Peter Lewis, one of the directors of Mintech Resources. They found ~64 g of small nuggets on the now renewed EL 2799, ranging in weight from 0.4 g to 15.5 g; importantly, a separate, 34 g piece of gold plus other smaller fresh fragments were found on a hillside at Bonnie Brae, across an area of 0.5 square km, representing a new eluvial discovery in a previously unmined area. The discovery site lies on the edge of one of the previously noted circular aeromagnetic anomalies, again likely denoting a potential subsurface gold source. This find showed the need for a more detailed geophysical coverage of the licence area to allow accurate palaeochannel mapping besides providing better definition of bedrock structures and geology. Following the renewal of tenure of the subject ground in February 2001, Mintech Resources entered joint venture discussions with several parties, aiming to spread the cost of planned ground-based geophysical surveys and ongoing geological and geochemical exploration. Goldus Pty Ltd, the operator of a number of mining leases on the Teetulpa Goldfield, and the holder of adjacent EL 2822 to the east, emerged as a prospective co-venturer on EL 2799. Further geological mapping around the goldfield was undertaken later in 2001, which raised doubts about the stratigraphy of the bedrock seen there. Despite the outcrops being much affected by diagenetic weathering effects, structural and textural features were observed which led the mappers to correlate the rocks with those much older metasediments occurring in the Willyaman basement of the Weekeroo Inliers situated 20 km to the east, rather than the Tapley Hill Formation sequence of Adelaidean strata of the Delamerian Fold Belt. The mineralogy of the bedrock indicated a metamorphic grade equal to or higher than biotite grade. The rocks appeared to have undergone three or more phases of deformation, most likely reflecting Olarian orogenic tectonism. Therefore it was concluded that the local bedrock geology is possibly much older than previously recognised, with attendant far greater deformation and associated veining. During September 2002, drawing on project majority funding provided by Goldus, the licensee contracted UTS Geophysics to fly a 1715 line km detailed airborne magnetic/radiometric/DEM survey across a small area in the north-western corner of the Teetulpa exploration tenement, utilising a 20 m north-south flight line spacing and 20 m sensor height above the ground surface. Interpretation of the processed magnetic and radiometric data gave new insight into the geophysical nature of the basement at Teetulpa. A subtle ring-shaped structure about 3 km in diameter could be defined by the magnetic fabric and by geographical features such as Deep Creek (prominent in the NW), Strawbridge's Gully (E and S) and Salt Creek (E). Recognizing this structure tallied with previous geomorphology findings that had indicated the Teetulpa Goldfield to be a dome structure. Further, a small dipolar magnetic anomaly <100 m wide was discernable at the north-eastern end of Brady's Gully, which could represent an intrusion of kimberlite or carbonatite. In early January 2003, Goldus completed negotiations to purchase the whole of the assets of Mintech Resources, including EL 2799, and took over as exploration operator. That company spent most of the remainder of 2003 engaged in discussions with Native Tile Claim registrants for the Teetulpa area, and no field work was undertaken, nor any in the following year either. Eventually, on 21/12/2004, the SA Government took the decision to cancel EL 2799 on the grounds of the holders' continual poor performance and ostensible lack of intent to meet explicit licence obligations across all aspects of management responsibility (monetary commitments, timely reporting and technical proficiency). A final report written by a consultant to Goldus, summarising such exploration work as had been done on the Teetulpa licence area, was belatedly submitted to PIRSA on 17/2/2005. In the meantime, the licensee acting under his rights had made an appeal against the licence cancellation to the Environment, Resources and Development (ERD) [formerly the Mining Act Warden's] Court. The appeal case levied against the Minister for Mineral Resources Development was duly heard on 11/11/2005, and the judicial outcome was that the cancellation of EL 2799 was declared void. Field work on EL 2799 re-commenced during May 2006, when Goldus contracted more RC drilling to further investigate the Teetulpa and Wagstaff aeromagnetic anomalies and semi-coincident radiometric anomalies with elevated uranium counts. 5 new vertical holes totalling 408 m were completed at sites spread across the Teetulpa target, and the previously drilled hole TE3 at the centre of the 1 km diameter Wagstaff radiometric/magnetic anomaly was re-entered also and deepened from 102 m to 140 m. All of the holes stayed within interpreted Tindelpina Shale Member of the Tapley Hill Formation, which exhibits a variable development of black graphitic shales having a minor disseminated fine pyrite plus occasional visible trace chalcopyrite/gold, and which in places has been partly displaced within fractured ground by some coarse ?diapiric carbonate breccias. Hole TE3 was left open to allow further deepening at a later time, to try to reach the inferred buried igneous intrusive body underlying the Wagstaff anomaly. During June 2006, Goldus commenced joint venture negotiations with Dr R. Curtis of Sydney, seeking expert help with targeting stratabound gold on the Manna Hill Goldfield in an untested proposed structural trap setting at its western end. A field trip was conducted in August to an area south of the Westward Ho mine, to select locations suitable for planned exploratory RAB drilling.