Moonta - Wallaroo district, Gawler Block, South Australia. A review of the geology, ore deposits and untested potential of EL 544.
Published: 15 Dec 1980 Created: 12 Nov 2024 Revised: 12 Nov 2024

The aim of this consultant's economic geological review was to ascertain whether any now obvious but still untested targets remained in the Wallaroo - Moonta mining area after 20 years of intensive exploration. WEST DOORA - VULCAN: This line of...

The aim of this consultant's economic geological review was to ascertain whether any now obvious but still untested targets remained in the Wallaroo - Moonta mining area after 20 years of intensive exploration. WEST DOORA - VULCAN: This line of lodes is regarded as a deformed, metamorphosed submarine exhalative copper deposit related to mafic volcanism (i.e. the Doora Schist). Underground exploration in the past has been carried out to a depth of 400 metres at West Doora and 100 metres elsewhere. More copper ore is probably present down dip, but the grade of the mineralisation is not expected to differ markedly, and hence deeper exploration is not warranted. The ore horizon represents a specific stratigraphic horizon close to and near the eastern contact of the Moonta Porphyry (an acid volcanic rock coeval with the Doora Schist). This same stratigraphic horizon has also not been explored at depth along the western contact of the Moonta Porphyry, and is seen as a similar target to the deep lode extensions. OLYMPIC DAM - TYPE MINERALIsATION: A number of coincidental gravity and magnetic anomalies warrant further checking. URANIUM POTENTIAL: Uranium minerals occur frequently in the Early Proterozoic rocks, and uranium enrichment occurs in some of the Middle Proterozoic granitic rocks. 2 widely spaced diamond drill holes at Alford intersected a zone of uraninite in the thermal metamorphic aureole, and this zone needs further testing. The deep weathering of the uraniferous source rocks in the area, and overlying Tertiary fluvial sequences containing lignitic sands, represent an attractive environment for roll-front uranium deposits. The Quaternary carbonate-rich, inwardly-draining saline lakes overlying and draining from a large area of the uraniferous source rocks represent an attractive target for calcrete-type uranium deposits.

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About this record

Record No mesac32011
Topic Geoscientific Information
Type of Resource Document
Category Type
Document Type Mineral Company Report - Mineral Exploration
Contributor
Sponsor North Broken Hill Ltd
Tenement EL 544
Tenement Holder North Broken Hill Ltd
Operator
Geological Province Gawler Craton
Mine Name Wallaroo mines;Moonta mines;West Doora mine;Vulcan mine;Alford prospect;Smitham's prospect;Pridham's prospect
Stratigraphy
Commodity
Notes
Geographic Locality: Moonta;East Kadina;Thrington;Cunliffe
Doc No: Env 06999 p: 1129-1200
Drillhole: DDH130;(23651);DDH160;(23675)

Geographic Locality: Moonta;East Kadina;Thrington;Cunliffe Doc No: Env 06999 p: 1129-1200 Drillhole: DDH130;(23651);DDH160;(23675)

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/mesac32011
Citation Plimer, I.R. 1980. Moonta - Wallaroo district, Gawler Block, South Australia. A review of the geology, ore deposits and untested potential of EL 544. Mineral Company Report - Mineral Exploration
https://pid.sarig.sa.gov.au/document/mesac32011

Technical information

Status
Maintenance and Update Frequency
Geographic Reference GDA2020 (EPSG:7844)
Geo bounding box {"type":"Polygon","coordinates":[[[137,-34.5],[138,-34.5],[138,-33.5],[137,-33.5],[137,-34.5]]]}
Purpose

                    
                    

                    
                  
Lineage