Exploration for Mississippi Valley - type stratabound base metal deposits in the relinquished area covering the eastern flank of the Mernmerna Syncline, 10 km south-west of Wilpena Pound, has proved to be unsuccessful. At the Vanessa prospect, 28 stream sediment samples and 147 soil samples on a 50 m spaced grid were collected over sporadic minor surface barite, copper and zinc mineralisation seen in basal units of south-dipping massive Wilkawillina Limestone, that are associated with a talus covered west-trending fault zone juxtaposed on its northern side to an ramped up block of Early Cambrian carbonates, but their analysis yielded low values.