Possible buried Proterozoic IOCG-U deposits that may have formed in two small licence areas located ~50 to 65 km east of Marla were the targets of renewed exploration, based on a re-interpretation of existing regional geophysical data. It had been realised that there still remained a knowledge gap concerning the nature of the local basement because previous exploratory drilling which was done in the region did not reach its target depths. During licence Year 1, Eromanga Uranium acquired a semi-detailed ground gravity survey across the known Nicholson Hill aeromagnetic target on EL 4019, which appeared from existing widely spaced geophysical data points to be a 15 km wide elliptical magnetic feature of layered stratigraphy that gave the appearance of an eroded dome or volcanic complex. Six survey lines of variable length involving 414 gravity stations were read at either 500 m or 250 m spacing in February 2008, along with 38 line km of ground magnetic readings. This work defined a residual gravity anomaly of 10 mGal amplitude located within the ~100 square km magnetic feature. From March to July 2008, as a part of PACE Initiative collaborative drilling project DPY5-07, the licensee drilled two deep vertical diamond tailed, rotary mud precollared holes to re-test the Welbourn Hill regional 8-9 mGal residual gravity anomaly located on EL 4020. Hole EWHDDH01 was collared 250 m south of historic prior drillhole Newcrest WHD 2 [see Env 8445], within the recorded area of peak gravity response and IP anomalism, but sited well away from any influence of formation damage caused by Newcrest WHP 1 and WHD 2. Hole EWHDDH02 was located 800 m further away to the west, towards the flank of the residual gravity high. Both of these holes, which were completed at total depths of 831.17 m and 806.53 m respectively, encountered highly deformed and altered, retrogressed high grade metamorphic basement gneisses and metasediments containing traces of sulphide mineralisation. Also completed during July-August 2008 as part of the DPY5-07 subsidised drilling programme, the single vertical, diamond tailed, rotary mud precollared hole ENDDH01 located on EL 4019 at the Nicholson Hill magnetic feature penetrated a thick sequence of dolomitic Adelaidean siltstones and shales beneath 48.9 m thickness of younger Tertiary and Cretaceous cover, but the basement gravity target was not reached before this particular hole was terminated at a depth of 793.47 m. Due to competing corporate priorities requiring attention elsewhere, Eromanga Uranium and subsequent licence owner Maximus Resources did no new exploration work on the subject two licences over the lengthy period 2009 to 2014 inclusive. EL 4019/5247 Nicholson Hill was fully surrendered at the end of this time, on 21/4/2015. Early in 2015, Maximus Resources became aware that during September 2012 Eromanga Uranium's then joint venture partner Monax Mining Ltd had acquired gravity readings from 831 stations located in the Welbourn Hill area, using either 1 km, 500 m or 250 m grid spacing configurations, but those data had not been submitted to DMITRE at that time or afterwards. So it rectified the oversight by appending the data and contractor operations report to the 2015-2016 annual report. An additional drill core petrology consultant's report from November 2008 describing 8 selected samples from the two Welbourn Hill PACE diamond holes was also found, and it was forwarded to DSD as another appendix. During March 2015, an infill fixed-wing airborne magnetic and radiometric survey was flown for licensee Maximus Resources over the retained Welbourn Hill EL 5248, when 1239 line km were surveyed along north-south flight lines 100 m apart using an 80 m mean sensor elevation above the ground surface. Interpretation of the new geophysical data suggested that the underlying basement rocks might host a large breccia-hosted copper-gold mineralised system requiring further investigation via detailed ground IP surveys and a single deep diamond drillhole. The activities planned for EL 5248 did not eventuate before a decision was made to allow its tenure to lapse at the end of Year 9.