Phoenix Copper has been exploring several tenement blocks located on western Yorke Peninsula, the prime objective being to discover an economic iron oxide - associated copper-gold-uranium (IOCGU) deposit that may have formed in buried Proterozoic basement rocks of the southern Olympic Domain. Despite much of the ground being situated less than 30 km from the recently discovered Hillside deposit, and containing Hiltaba Suite basement rocks having known areas of metasomatic alteration disrupted by deep-seated faults, it had hitherto remained almost unexplored. With respect to initial work done on the two subject licences, Phoenix through its technical subcontractors spent most of 2009 and part of 2010 reviewing many historical mineral exploration records and re-processing all available geophysical information to try to define suitable targets for ongoing evaluation. A WNW-oriented structural corridor in basement was identified from contemporary company aeromagnetic survey infill to the 1999 TeiSA Area B5 regional airborne geophysical survey, that is possibly associated with the Arthurton Granite and concealed hydrothermal magnetite-silicate alteration west of Maitland. During May 2009, company personnel spent a week in the field in the Balgowan district collecting new surface geochemical data via 972 field portable spectrometric instrumental (Niton) XRF readings, plus 52 selected regolith / rock chip samples (predominantly calcrete) and 15 minus 2 mm sieved soil samples. The data revealed clusters of anomalous low level Ni, notably in the top left hand corner of the traversed area, near the coastline and Balgowan Point. A possible relationship was also noted between a linear demagnetised portion of the Balgowan magnetic complex and a change in the XRF geochemical data from relatively Ni and Fe - rich to Ni and Fe - poor zones. In late February 2010, Phoenix Copper instructed consultant Geoforce Pty Ltd to commence reprocessing and interpreting aeromagnetic and radiometric data over the Koolywurtie and Minlaton regions, the aim being to generate targets that could be tested for skarn-related copper-gold mineralisation of similar style to that found at Rex Minerals' Hillside Cu-Au project lying east of Phoenix’s tenements. As part of a site visit made in mid-March 2010, magnetic susceptibility measurements of the outcropping strata lithologies at Port Victoria were taken. It was determined that alternating narrow bands of magnetic and non-magnetic intrusive units occur within the larger granitoid intrusions around Port Victoria. At various times during 2010, more portable XRF geochemical analyses were made of soils and calcrete along roadsides over selected geophysical target areas; 1227 site readings were made on EL 4312 and 944 on EL 4031. No significant copper or arsenic anomalies were detected, but some elevated uranium was noted which will require follow-up laboratory assaying of surface material samples. After several geophysical methods were considered, Phoenix decided to undertake a “VTEM” (Versatile Time-domain Electromagnetic) airborne geophysical survey during the 2011-2012 licence year, using a helicopter platform to map possible mineralisation associated with inferred geological structures and other conceptual targets generated from interpretation of aeromagnetic data in the northern licence sub-block, as well as the northern part of the southern licence sub-block, where top of basement is expected to lie within 500 m depth from the ground surface. A reconnaissance geological tour was conducted in early December 2011, which involved examining the historic mineralisation related to Moonta and Wallaroo and Kadina , Rex Minerals' copper deposit at Hillside, and a number of coastal exposures which provided insights into the regional alteration patterns and styles of mineralisation. Historical aeromagnetic data was reprocessed to aid in target generation, and a 1016.5 line km helicopter-borne VTEM survey was flown over the northern parts of ELs 4031 and 4312 during November- December 2011, along east-west flight lines spaced 200 m apart, to identify areas of high conductivity with potential for massive sulphide mineralisation. Several strong conductive responses were seen which appeared to be associated with faults and geological contacts inferred from regional magnetic data. Based on the quality of the preliminary VTEM data collected near the coast, a further 30 line km of profiles were flown much closer to the shoreline, over historic diamond cored holes DD1 and DDH2 drilled by the South Australian Department of Mines in 1955 approximately two km south of Balgowan. It was decided to conduct a trial biogeochemical survey using native vegetation (eucalyptus tree species) growing along roadside reserves in the project area where the VTEM data had been acquired. Three trial sampling lines were chosen that overlay geophysical anomalies of interest, and 87 leaf samples were collected at nominal 100 m spacings along these lines. At the same time, FPXRF soil sample analyses were taken adjacent to the trees sampled, to compare the respective assay results; additional FPXRF analyses were also made over a number of other AEM and magnetic anomalies (for a total of 2465 new FPXRF samples). A complex univariate statistical analysis process - Exploratory Data Analysis - was undertaken on the resulting biogeochemical data. Correlation of associations in elemental assay values, notably those for gold, copper and nickel, suggested that the biogeochemical sampling trial had been successful in showing that native tree species leaves could reflect geologically sensible geochemical variations within regolith comprising up to 40 m of complex transported cover. By contrast, the FPXRF soil geochemical data was quite noisy, and making any correlation with geological and geophysical features was doubtful. During 2012-2013, Phoenix acquired a ground gravity survey in March of 3990 new stations read over six 100 m x 50 m grids laid out on selected areas of ELs 4031 and 4312, which were designed to define targets generated from recent interpretations of VTEM data and 3D magnetic data models. After processing and evaluation of the new gravity data, three selected targets were drilled: SGVT1, SGVT9, and NGVT56. The drilling revealed various types of buried basement rocks occupying three discrete geological and structural settings, each with the potential to host significant copper mineralisation. The rocks respectively belong to different stratigraphic units; Hiltaba Suite, Wallaroo Group, and possible Lincoln Complex, each with varying styles and intensity of alteration assemblages. A total of 6 inclined diamond cored holes with a total penetration of 1331 m were drilled by Phoenix between March and May. Inspection of the recovered drill cores highlighted that: a) the rocks are altered, with alkali feldspar, biotite, magnetite and chlorite being produced; b) sulphide, predominantly pyrite with minor chalcopyrite, has been introduced, especially in the western area (holes PYD005 & PYD006); c) the Wardang Volcanics Member and the granitic and mafic representatives of the Hiltaba Suite have been deformed, thus suggesting the possibility of proximal sheared zones; and d) there is evidence of brecciation. Phoenix recognised that these features are all positive vectoring characteristics towards IOCG style mineralisation; that is, alteration, pyritic and minor chalcopyrite mineralisation, Hiltaba Suite intrusions, and the possibility of open-spaced sheared zones and breccia bodies being nearby. It also stated that broad analogies can be made between the alteration assemblage associated with strong sulphides and copper mineralisation in the Moonta-Wallaroo copper-gold mines, and the late stage alteration assemblage observed in PYD005 and PYD006, which comprises chlorite-quartz-haematite-K feldspar–pyrite+/-chalcopyrite. The results of this maiden drilling program cover only a very small area within a clearly very prospective region, and the six holes involved are the first diamond holes to be drilled locally since 1955, when 2 holes were drilled by the SA Department of Mines at Balgowan. In addition, with this new drilling Phoenix so far has only tested three of the twenty nine VTEM targets it has generated, plus just one of its thirteen 3D magnetic data modelling targets. During 2013-2014, Phoenix reviewed its data prior to conducting an exploratory RC aircore drilling campaign of 100 holes for 3074 m in March 2013 to test coincident geophysical anomalies at the Balgowan, Cross and SGVT1/9 prospects. Encouraging results for copper were obtained at the Cross prospect, where the drilling defined a secondary copper dispersion halo within metasediments at the basement interface, which coincides with the gravity and magnetic anomalies (e.g. 1 m @ 0.34% Cu from 28 m depth in hole PYAC0061). The Balgowan prospect was drilled to delineate the lateral extent of the IOCG mineralisation intercepted in historic SADM diamond drillholes DDH1 and DDH2 which were completed in 1955. Phoenix's drilling encountered anomalous geochemistry (including elevated REE) in prospective rocks, including massively altered magnetite-biotite-calcsilicate metasomatites (containing high percentages of iron over a large area) which are possibly associated with a regional mineralising event. The alteration system identified is still untested at depth as the deepest drillhole (PYAC0038) was still within massive magnetite mineralisation at 100 m when the limit of the aircore rig's drilling capacity was reached. Significant intercepts included 86 m @ 16.8% Fe from 14 m in hole PYAC0038, and 33 m @ 15.83% Fe from 37 m in hole PYAC0026. Broadly spaced drilling over the SGVT1 and SGVT9 prospects detected subtle copper geochemical highs that are associated with VTEM anomalies and magnetite-haematite alteration of bedrock. No other field work ensued on the project licences in the next 6 years, before a decision was made early in October 2019 to allow tenure of the remaining ELs 5491, 6065 and 6399 to lapse. Tenure of EL 4983 had previously been allowed to lapse at the end of August 2017.