Data release - as updated : McDouall Peak. Annual reports and final report to licence expiry/full surrender, for the period 8/10/2007 to 7/10/2022.
Published: 27 Oct 1922 Created: 12 Nov 2024 Revised: 12 Nov 2024

Quasar Resources has been exploring a large licence area centred approximately 40 km south-west of the Prominent Hill mine for possible economic buried iron-oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) style mineralisation, epithermal base metal mineralisation of the...

Quasar Resources has been exploring a large licence area centred approximately 40 km south-west of the Prominent Hill mine for possible economic buried iron-oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) style mineralisation, epithermal base metal mineralisation of the Menninnee Dam type, Mount Gunson type stratiform copper mineralisation, and sediment-hosted uranium mineralisation. During licence Year 1, a ground gravity survey, reconnaissance calcrete geochemical sampling, Native Title clearance inspections of proposed field worksites and diamond drilling were undertaken. A semi-regional helicopter-assisted ground gravity survey of 504 stations at 1 km x 1 km grid spacing was acquired in November 2007 by Daishsat Geodetic Surveyors, to provide complete gravity coverage over EL 3950. The new gravity data was merged with the existing open file gravity data, and later interpretation of all the available gravity and magnetic data resulted in the interpretation of five firm drill targets. Euro Exploration Services were contracted in July-August 2008 to undertake regional calcrete sampling across all of the licence area. 1429 samples were collected at 400 m intervals along E-W orientated traverses, with the traverse spacing varied from 800 m in the south-eastern part of EL 3950 (over the Bulgunnia Shear Zone) to 1600 m in the western and northern sections. While preparations were being made to drill the selected geophysical targets, the Australian Commonwealth Department of Defence, who control the Woomera Prohibited Area, abruptly introduced a “no-go zone” over an area from north of the dividing line from south 30° 06’05.7”, east 134° 53’27.2” to south 30° 13’37.8”, east 135° 05’04.4” to south of the dividing line from south 29° 48’16.1”, east 135° 04’12.6” to south 29° 57’23.8”, east 135° 18’17.1”. The only indication given by the controlling authorities in Woomera regarding how long these restrictions would be in place for was the statement that they would ‘apply long term, i.e., for the foreseeable future’. This NW-SE running exclusion zone encompassed the southern portion of the subject licence. Quasar was planning to drill two targets that lay within this area: however, with the introduction of the “no-go zone” these targets were abandoned and the holes were not drilled. However, outside of the sterilised area, Quasar was allowed to pursue its drilling plans, and so, during September 2008, the company completed 2 holes for a total penetration of 939.9 m to test separate targets in the south-eastern part of EL 3950. Hole orientations were planned using filtered geophysical images and a combination of depth modelling and 3D inversion of gravity and magnetic data. The steeply inclined hole precollars were drilled using a combination of rotary mud and HQ3 diameter coring, and were cased with HQ3 rods, and the diamond tails were of NQ2 diameter core. Execution of the drilling programme was troubled by having to circumvent: • shallow unconsolidated sands (Algebuckina Sandstone), • thick swelling clay sequences (Stuart Range Formation), • very hard mudstones (Stuart Range Formation), • unconsolidated sands containing boulders at depth (Boorthanna Formation), and • a greater than expected depth to basement, that locally is in excess of 300 m. Drillhole MPC001 was sited to test a large gravity high. The associated magnetic character is of small isolated magnetic highs in a region of low magnetic intensity. While these appear to be mainly faulted dykes of the Gairdner Dyke Swarm, some may have other origins. The main structures are NE-SW trending, with smaller NW-SE structures. An earlier explorer's drillhole, BPH17 put into the SW corner of the gravity feature, had intersected semi-weathered fragments of amphibolite, dolerite and gneiss from 26-30 m depth (EOH). Drillhole MPC002 was sited to test a large gravity low that contains several magnetic highs and which straddles the Bulgunnia Shear Zone (BSZ). This gravity low could be a collapsed volcanic centre, a granite body (potentially of Hiltaba Suite age), or an area of deeper basement. Several of the magnetic highs are orientated along the BSZ and probably represent BIF units (e.g. ?Wilgena Hill Jaspilite). The other small magnetic highs may be due to alteration, or could denote dykes of the Gairdner Dyke Swarm. The BSZ changes orientation in this area, with the northern section rotated slightly anticlockwise. Structures trending NW-SE, as seen in the gravity data, intersect the BSZ in this region. They are aligned parallel to the Gairdner Dyke Swarm, but are too large to be dykes. Both of Quasar's 2008 exploratory holes intersected stratigraphic sequences consisting of Quaternary, Cretaceous, Permian and Mesoproterozoic aged sedimentary rocks, and both were terminated within the Pandurra Formation; MPC001 remained in this unit from 396.6 m to EOH (441.6 m), and MPC002 likewise, from 334.1 m to EOH (498.3 m). The pre-Pandurra crystalline basement was not reached, and so the presence or absence of prospective volcanic rocks or granite plutons in this part of the licence area remained unresolved. The gravity features targeted were thought to have been explained by the increased depth to basement, compared to prognosis (probably caused by local depressions in the Arkaringa Basin and/or an increased thickness of the Pandurra Formation). A mafic dyke was intersected in MPC002 over the depth interval 343.9-350.8 m, which may explain the magnitude, if not the shape, of the magnetic high coinciding with this hole's location. Drill core from both holes has been sampled for pathfinder element geochemistry (24 samples), petrophysical parameters (magnetic susceptibility, density, total count gamma ray response - 661 measurements taken overall), structural petrology attributes (37 measurements taken) and metamorphic petrology (6 samples studied), while the intact drill cores and their contained visual features of interest were extensively photographed, particularly those aspects of the >160 m thickness of Pandurra Formation cored in MPC002. Based on the drill results that it has obtained to date, Quasar plans to : • review the current regional geophysical interpretation in the light of additional information recently collected, and then construct a more accurate interpretative map of basement geology and depth, • assess the effectiveness of ground IP profiling with respect to its ability to 'see through' the thick cover clay sequences present on EL 3950, • acquire more detailed magnetic data and infill gravity data, to help define targets, • establish the potential for the presence of Hiltaba Suite granites within EL 3950, along with resolving the exact location and nature of the Bulgunnia Shear Zone, and • approach the adjacent tenement holder (Newcrest Mining) about a possible sharing of data. No field work was done on EL 3950 during licence Years 2, 3 and 4, while a revised Deed of Access was being negotiated with the Commonwealth Government's Department of Defence for gaining legal access onto the Woomera Prohibited Area. This Deed was finalised during licence Year 4, And Heathgate Resources began planning future field work. During licence Year 5, Heathgate Resources acquired part of a larger ground gravity survey in August-September 2012, when 1305 of 2423 new gravity stations were read over survey Areas 2 and 3 combined on 200 m x 200 m regular square grids, to infill these parts of the licence's 2007 ground gravity coverage. Some staggered 100 m x 100 m stations were also read on Area 3 to further resolve the McDP_2 anomaly, which was previously poorly defined. Preliminary interpretation of the merged gravity datasets for this area downgraded its exploration potential. The poorly defined Area 2 gravity feature had initially been interpreted as coinciding with regional NW-SE trending structures. Preliminary interpretation of the merged gravity datasets for this area defined an anomalous gravity feature that would require further modelling to determine its prospectivity. No field work was done on the renewed EL 5139/6069 ground during any of the ten succeeding licence Years 6 through 15, before tenure was allowed to lapse at the expiry of EL 6069.

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About this record

Record No mesac26524
Topic Geoscientific Information
Type of Resource Document
Category Type
Document Type Mineral Company Report - Mineral Exploration
Contributor Daishsat Pty Ltd;Pontifex and Associates Pty Ltd
Sponsor Quasar Resources Pty Ltd;Antakarinja Land Management Aboriginal Council
Tenement
Tenement Holder Quasar Resources Pty Ltd
Operator
Geological Province
Mine Name
Stratigraphy Pandurra Formation
Commodity
Notes
Notes: This release to the public of the subject mineral exploration data, namely, company data which was acquired more than 5 years ago, is being done by DSD in accord with the provisions of Section 77D of the Mining Act 1971 and Regulation 88 of...

Notes: This release to the public of the subject mineral exploration data, namely, company data which was acquired more than 5 years ago, is being done by DSD in accord with the provisions of Section 77D of the Mining Act 1971 and Regulation 88 of the Mining Regulations 2011. Geographic Locality: McDouall Peak Station;Mirikata Outstation;Mount Soward;Wiltabbie Rockhole;Woomera Prohibited Area;Bulgunnia Shear Zone;1993 SAEI Area A7 Aerial Magnetic Survey;1993 SAEI Area A7 Aerial Radioactivity Survey;2007 Gawler Ranges Gravity Survey (McDouall Peak portion) Doc No: Env 11720 Drillhole: MPC001;(301348);MPC002;(301349)

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Language English
Metadata Standard ISO 19115-3

Citations

Use constraints License
License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
Persistent identifier https://pid.sarig.sa.gov.au/document/mesac26524
Citation Beinke, L.;Kropinski, L.;McCarthy, A.;Fitzpatrick, P.;Haines, T.;Barnes, J.;Rava, B. 1922. Data release - as updated : McDouall Peak. Annual reports and final report to licence expiry/full surrender, for the period 8/10/2007 to 7/10/2022. Mineral Company Report - Mineral Exploration
https://pid.sarig.sa.gov.au/document/mesac26524

Technical information

Status
Maintenance and Update Frequency
Geographic Reference GDA2020 (EPSG:7844)
Geo bounding box {"type":"Polygon","coordinates":[[[135,-30],[135.5,-30],[135.5,-29.5],[135,-29.5],[135,-30]]]}
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