On 19th May 2021 Sinosteel SA secured ADI funding to carry out the comprehensive Curnamona Geochemical Sampling Program utilising the skills of the in-house geologist together with academic research collaboration to perform rigorous geochemical surveys to target previously under-explored potential for base and precious metals and REE in a historically actively explored area in the southwest of the Curnamona Province, SA. The area lies within the Paleoproterozoic Willyama Supergroup and 50% of the bedrock lies under thin to moderate transported cover, a key barrier to mineral exploration throughout the state. The region is recognised as prospective for stratiform Pb-Zn-Ag, stratiform Zn-Pb, strata bound Cu-Au, iron oxide copper gold (IOCG), hard rock U, and banded iron formations. The area is also environmentally sensitive, in part overlapping the Bimbowrie Conservation Park. Sinosteel SA planned the program to challenge traditional thinking by trialling innovative low impact techniques including: • Re-assaying of drillhole samples for new target minerals to build a more complete geochemical signature of the host rocks and mineralised zones to tie back into surface sampling results. • Novel use of robust biogeochemical sampling over 3 prospects on the Kalabity EL correlated to soil chemistry, depth of cover, and regolith landform mapping. • A research collaborative study with the University of Adelaide to perform isotope analysis to develop and validate the use of vegetation and soil-based biogeochemical tracers for mineral exploration. Work under the ADI commenced in August 2021 with a total of 2242 sample intervals selected for re-assay collected in the Calico area. Selected samples focused on significant lithologies where structures and alteration were apparent. Zones of coarse grained, hypogene magnetite were re-assayed for trace elements, gold and REE’s. Where elevated copper had been assayed with XRF, samples were re-assayed with trace element analysis (ICP61) and gold. Identified mafic rocks, and metasomatite lithologies were assayed for PGEs. REE anomalism was found in oxidised rocks near surface and presented potential for ionic clay hosted mineralisation. All drill holes were then assayed for REE in their top 25 m. Elevated PGE results were returned from a mafic lithology. All mafic units were then re-assayed for PGEs. Work on the large-scale biogeochemical surveys was planned in 200x200 m spaced grids over three prospects (Calico, Dome Rock, and South Koolka) with various depth of cover and metal targets to determine if these could be delineated by chenopod geochemistry. An orientation survey of 61 samples of both vegetation and soil was completed in October 2021 and after a change in laboratory the main vegetation surveys totalling 1790 samples were completed between mid-February and the beginning of April 2022. The Calico survey identified a large copper anomaly which will be subjected to further work. Potential IAC REE, and PGE anomalism identified from re-assays is reflected in the vegetation assays and has also highlighted areas for further investigation. The Dome Rock biogeochemical copper assays accurately delineate known Cu and Co occurrences at the historic Mine and the northern prospect, however, effectiveness of delineating basement anomalism through cover is inconclusive. The Dome Rock dataset will be used in regional targeting and ranking in combination with magnetics, gravity, and induced polarisation datasets. The effectiveness of biogeochemistry at South Koolka through greater depths of cover (15 – 20 m) does not appear to have produced meaningful results. Cu (±Au and Co) is not reflected in the vegetation assay results. The results of the large-scale biogeochemical surveys showed that chenopod biogeochemistry can effectively identify trends of multielement anomalism through varying amounts of cover, although careful and thorough analysis and interpretation is needed. Further investigations and interrogations with other datasets may assist in delineating anomalies and increase the usefulness for ranking exploration targets. The research collaboration between Sinosteel SA and the University of Adelaide focused on isotopic analyses of soil, regolith, plant, and rainwater samples collected in the Calico area. In total 50 samples were analysed in the scope of this project, including 10 shallow soil samples, 28 regolith samples, 3 rainwater samples, and 8 plant samples. The samples were collected across a slight altitudinal gradient to test if the morphological position impacts plant water take up and/or regolith disturbance by sheetwash erosion. Strontium isotope analysis was applied to all 50 samples, whilst uranium isotope analyses were applied to soil and regolith samples only. Oxygen isotope analyses were applied to plant and rainwater samples. The results of the research collaboration project provided insights into the vertical depths from which plants extract water and metals from underlying regolith. The project demonstrated the utility of Sr isotope geochemistry as an exploratory tool to determine plant water source, which can be used in future exploration surveys to determine whether the biogeochemical composition of plants is reflective of bedrock, or instead overlying transported regolith. The project also demonstrated that QQQ-ICP-MS, which is a relatively cheap and fast throughput method that provides 87/86Sr isotope data which can sufficiently detect the difference between rainwater, bioavailable strontium in regolith, and bedrock. The University of Adelaide team plan to write results of the project up as a paper to be published in peer reviewed literature. The project generated a new collaboration between the University of Adelaide, Sinosteel SA, and the Geological Survey of South Australia and fostered collaborative efforts and analytical advancements between analytical facilities at the University of Adelaide and the University of Wollongong. Sinosteel SA believe they have tested the viability of these innovative techniques to accelerate new discoveries in areas hampered by transported cover and environmentally sensitive sites. Outcomes indicate that biogeochemistry is a worthy tool to be utilised in conjunction with other methods of exploring under cover in an area such as the Curnamona, and the results will be shared in the hope of encouraging other explorers in SA to implement similar exploration tools.