Data release - as updated [made at SA Director of Mines’ discretion] : Tarcoola. Annual reports for the period 2/6/2008 to 29/7/2018.
Published: 11 Sep 1918 Created: 12 Nov 2024 Revised: 12 Nov 2024

During the first year of renewed EL 4167, in October and November 2008, Stellar Resources Ltd ("Stellar") completed a 5 hole, 1286.9 m RC and 2 hole, 157.1 m diamond cored inclined drilling programme at the Coolybring prospect which is located...

During the first year of renewed EL 4167, in October and November 2008, Stellar Resources Ltd ("Stellar") completed a 5 hole, 1286.9 m RC and 2 hole, 157.1 m diamond cored inclined drilling programme at the Coolybring prospect which is located approximately 8 km north-northeast of Tarcoola. This work aimed to further test the main coincident and partially coincident magnetic-gravity features there for evidence of buried economic concentrations of magnetite dominant iron ore. The banded iron formation (BIF) at Coolybring is interpreted to be equivalent to the banded iron formations of the Middleback Range that host Onesteel’s Iron Magnet Project. It was believed by Stellar that potential exists to define, within the Coolybring project area, a large magnetite iron resource in excess of 500 Mt grading approximately 35% Fe. The drill programme intersected an extensive quartz-magnetite + haematite banded iron formation beneath approximately 100 m thickness of Tarcoola Formation siliciclastics and overlying Tertiary clays. Drill cuttings assay results returned encouraging iron values for the Coolybring Iron Formation, averaging approximately 34% Fe which is considered typical for BIFs, plus highly anomalous Zn-Pb-Ag values in disseminated and clustered sulphidic veins both from within the Tarcoola Formation and from within brecciated Proterozoic basement lithologies that comprise variably magnetic to haematitic oxide facies banded iron formation, quartzite, and doleritic and lamprophyric dykes. The tendency of siliciclastic units within the Tarcoola Formation to host anomalous Zn-Pb-Ag+Cu was noted by Stellar as being similar to that shown by the mineralised Urquhart Shale in the Mount Isa region. The latest drilling at Coolybring extended the known width of the magnetite iron zone to in excess of 300 m. Interpretation of geological data and geophysical profiling suggested that potential for further iron ore occurs to the west of the current drillholes. Based on downhole sample assay data and Davis Tube Recovery (DTR) test work data, the Coolybring prospect appraisal drilling so far completed has revealed that the magnetite mineralisation as sampled ranges in grade from 29% to 39% Fe, with mineral processing laboratory tests of it producing a high grade magnetite concentrate (~65% Fe) at moderate to low silica content (~8% SiO2). A detailed ground gravity survey was also undertaken in July 2008 across the Coolybring prospect prior to commencing the drilling, to extend the previous SA Mines Department gravity data coverage and to aid in accurately locating the anomalism evident in that earlier data. 568 stations were read at 50 m intervals along 14 irregular length east-west trending lines variably spaced either 100 / 200 / 250 / 300 m apart. Interpretation of the new gravity data confirmed the prior geophysical interpretation of a steep westwards dipping dense body lying beneath cover. The gravity feature, in general, is not coincident with the magnetic signature of the iron formation, but lies a little to the west, which implied that the geology is probably more complicated than drillhole data obtained to date would suggest. No exploration work was undertaken within the tenement during the 2008-2009 reporting period by JV partner UraniumSA Limited. During licence Years 7 and 8, no exploration field work was undertaken by Stellar. Stellar’s office-based work, however, concentrated on the production of a number of pre-feasibility technical reports required for advancing the Coolybring iron ore project towards the mining stage [those reports are included herein as appendices to the 2010 annual report for EL 4167, and cover groundwater availability and quality assessment, railway freight, metallurgical testing, mining costs estimates, power supply options and costs, and an orebody assessment reporting on geology, grade and tonnage.] No exploration work was undertaken within the tenement during either the 2009-2010 or the 2010-2011 reporting periods by JV partner UraniumSA Limited. No new exploration occurred within EL 4167 for the 2011-2012 reporting period (Year 9). Activity was limited to: (Stellar Resources): · hosting field visits by parties interested in acquiring the Tarcoola Iron Ore Project. All of its data was reviewed by a number of parties as part of this process; · office-based work involved facilitating a data review and its supply to Tunkillia Gold Ltd (owned by Mungana Goldmines Ltd); (UraniumSA): - no field work was undertaken. On 1/3/2012, UraniumSA withdrew from the Tarcoola tenement joint venture with Hiltaba Gold. (Tunkillia Gold): - entered into a joint venture agreement with Hiltaba, with its parent Mungana Goldmines Limited gaining the rights to explore for gold, copper and silver within the EL. A purchase and sale agreement with Hiltaba Gold, for MLs 4650, 5179, 5300 and 4667 which cover the Tarcoola Goldfield, was signed on 13/7/2012. Tunkillia has also purchased MC 4195 over Perseverance from Low Impact Diamond Drilling Specialists. During the 2012-2013 reporting period (Year 10), the principal event was the transfer of licence ownership from Hiltaba Gold Pty Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of Stellar Resources) to Tarcoola Iron Pty Ltd. The new licence owner did no field work during the year. However, recent farminee Tunkillia Gold Pty Ltd (TGL) was busy spending $3.25 million on evaluating mine development opportunities for the Perseverance - Last Resource and Wondergraph gold deposits. Some studies were also done for continuing to build the regional gold, copper and silver exploration framework. Specific field activities / studies so far conducted by TGL have included: - an archaeological clearance survey. - a flora and fauna survey. - completion of 806.6 m of HQ3 diamond drilling and 1932 m of RC drilling. - preparation by H&S Consultants Pty Ltd of an updated JORC Code - compliant recoverable gold resource estimate for the Perseverance and Last Resource deposits : 973 Kt @ 3.12 g/t Au for 97.5 Koz Au (as given to Mungana Goldmines in January 2013). - geotechnical reviews of data derived from dedicated diamond drilling. - groundwater studies to identify potential water supplies. - waste rock characterisation studies. - metallurgical testwork. - an open pit optimisation and prefeasibility assessment. - surface geochemical sampling (72 samples). - undertaking alteration assemblage studies to better characterise the footprint of the Tarcoola mineralisation event. This involved mapping alteration patterns discerned from petrographic studies of regional drill chips, to assess if there is potential for a “near miss” scenario to have occurred in regional exploration. During the 2013-2014 reporting period (Year 11), after licence renewal for a third five-year term as EL 5355, the Tarcoola Blocks Mining Leases and a now-lapsed Mineral Claim were sold to TGL by Tarcoola Iron Pty Ltd. Meanwhile, TGL continued with using a portable hyperspectral mineral analyser instrument to scan stored historical drill core and drill chips, rehabilitated drill holes, erected hazard signage in the Tarcoola Blocks mining area, conducted an aboriginal heritage survey, and progressed work on the Tarcoola feasibility study. The latter work involved: receipt and review of a final report on results from a hydrogeological field test; updating process engineering studies; reviewing results of metallurgical test work for an envisaged heap leach operation; and making a waste rock characterisation assessment. TGL was sold to WPG Resources on 29/5/2014. WPG Resources did no field work, but undertook preparatory and due diligence work in relation to the purchase. Hiltaba Gold did no field work. During the 2014-2015 reporting period, WPG Resources progressed the Perseverance - Last Resource gold mining project from the pre-feasibility stage towards the completion of a Definitive Feasibility Study, as well as undertaking the pegging of a mineral claim and submitting a mineral lease proposal to DSD. A 5-hole diamond drilling programme totalling 389 m was performed in November 2014 to obtain drill core for metallurgical testwork. Three inclined holes were drilled into the Perseverance deposit (TAD005 to 007) and two into the Last Resource deposit (TAD008, TAD009). An application for a mineral claim covering the greater Tarcoola prospect area was registered with DSD on 9/4/2015. On 26/6/2015, WPG Resources' subsidiary Tarcoola Gold Pty Ltd purchased EL 5355 from Tarcoola Iron. No exploration was done in the period by Hiltaba Gold or Tarcoola Iron. During the 2015-2016 reporting period, Mineral Claim 4376 pegged by WPG Resources in the previous period was granted, and subsequently the Tarcoola Mining Lease Proposal documentation was submitted to DSD on 11/8/2015. Once this had been ratified, ML 6455 was then granted on 8/3/2016. New work accomplished was focussed on obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals which would allow the company to bring the operation promptly towards production. This included preparing an initial feasibility study and later a DFS (Definitive Feasibility Study), with the mine's operational plan now being changed to abandon the onsite heap-leach and instead do the ore processing offsite at the Challenger mine plant, after the purchase of that asset from Kingsgate Consolidated on 30/10/2015. A draft Tarcoola PEPR (Program for Environmental Protection and Rehabilitation) was lodged with DSD at the end of the period. An updated JORC-compliant ore reserve estimate (900k t @ 2.6 g/t Au for a contained 74k oz) was calculated and released to the ASX on 23/9/2015, and a Native Title clearance survey was conducted over the mining lease ground. No field work was conducted by Tarcoola Gold. An appraisal of the near-mine gold potential will be undertaken next. During the 2016-2017 reporting period no field work was carried out, and as such no new technical data was generated and no new annual report submitted. Regional drill hole rehabilitation was assessed as well as ongoing prospect review of targets. During the 2017-2018 reporting period no field work was carried out and as such no new technical data was generated and no annual report submitted. An ongoing prospect review of targets was completed; however, exploration focus for Tarcoola Gold was near mine surface exploration on the Tarcoola Mining Lease.

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About this record

Record No mesac27053
Topic Geoscientific Information
Type of Resource Document
Category Type
Document Type Mineral Company Report - Mineral Exploration
Contributor Haines Surveys Pty Ltd;Genesee and Wyoming Corp.;MiningOne;Aquaterra Consulting Pty Ltd;ProMet Engineers Pty Ltd;Power Network Strategies Pty Ltd;Hellman and Schofield Pty Ltd;H&S Consultants Pty Ltd;Austral Archaeology Pty Ltd;EBS Ecology;Pells Sullivan Meynink Consultants Pty Ltd;ALS Metallurgy;Sinclair Knight Merz Pty Ltd;Parsons BrinckerHoff Australia Pty Limited;Australian Mine Design and;Development Pty Ltd
Sponsor Stellar Resources Limited;Mungana Goldmines Limited
Tenement
Tenement Holder Hiltaba Gold Pty Ltd;Gingertom Resources Pty Ltd;Tarcoola Iron Pty Ltd;Tunkillia Gold Pty Ltd;Tarcoola Gold Pty Ltd;WPG Resources Ltd;Tarcoola 2 Pty Ltd
Operator Stellar Resources Limited;Uranium SA Pty Ltd;Tunkillia Gold Pty Ltd;Tarcoola Gold Pty Ltd
Geological Province
Mine Name Tarcoola Gold Field;Coolybring prospect;Perseverance gold deposit;Last Resource gold deposit
Stratigraphy
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 DMITRE in accord with the provisions of Section 77D of the Mining Act 1971 and Regulation 88...

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 DMITRE in accord with the provisions of Section 77D of the Mining Act 1971 and Regulation 88 of the Mining Regulations 2011. Low Impact Diamond Drilling Services entered into an agreement with Stellar Resources in 2008 to drill the Perseverance gold prospect located on the Tarcoola Blocks Mining Leases 4650, 4667, 5179 and 5300. Geographic Locality: Tarcoola;Wilgena Station;Woomera Prohibited Area;Kychering Palaeochannel;2008 Tarcoola Detail Gravity Survey Doc No: Env 10693 Drillhole: WIL015RC;(348604);WIL017RC;(348605);WIL018PD;(273116);WIL019RC - WIL021RC;(348606 - 348608);WIL022PD;(273117);TARC001 - TARC043;(276034 - 276076);TADD001 - TADD004;(276030 - 276033);QR027D;(276023);QR030D;(276024);QR089D;(276025);QR137D;(276026);QR146AD;(276027);QR152AD;(276028);QR251D;(276029);GP090RD;(276022);TAD005 - TAD009;(363539 - 363543)

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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/mesac27053
Citation Rava, B.;Rigg, A.M.;Haynes, K.;McArthur, A.;Tear, S.;Bell, P.;Moyle, T.;Grocott, G.;Rayner, S.;Baird, R.;Eadie, A.;Crameri, K.;Wittwer, P. 1918. Data release - as updated [made at SA Director of Mines’ discretion] : Tarcoola. Annual reports for the period 2/6/2008 to 29/7/2018. Mineral Company Report - Mineral Exploration
https://pid.sarig.sa.gov.au/document/mesac27053

Technical information

Status
Maintenance and Update Frequency
Geographic Reference GDA2020 (EPSG:7844)
Geo bounding box {"type":"Polygon","coordinates":[[[134,-31],[135.5,-31],[135.5,-30],[134,-30],[134,-31]]]}
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