The main focus of a recently begun gold exploration programme on the Tarcoola Goldfield has been the Tarcoola Blocks mine, where gold occurs in subvertical quartz reefs, up to 2 m wide, which cross-cut folded Mid-Proterozoic sandstone and carbonaceous siltstone of the Tarcoola Formation. Recorded production from the goldfield is 63,703 t of vein ore yielding 2387 kg of gold bullion, of which 41,598 t yielding 1779 kg were produced from Tarcoola Blocks. In May 1986, an option agreement was signed with the lessees P. and P.B. Philip-Harbutt over Mining Leases 4650, 4667, 5179 and 5300 covering 27.67 ha around the Tarcoola Blocks mine. Since May 1987, three RC drilling programmes, comprising 138 holes aggregating 8182 m, have been completed. In late 1987, a new headframe was erected over the main shaft and the mine was dewatered. Underground surveying, geological mapping, sampling and diamond drilling of 37 holes totalling 1384 m were completed by May 1988. Sampling of the Ward, Imperial, Fabian, Western Branch and McKechnie reefs extended to 30 m below No. 3 level. Trial mining, which aimed to establish mining parameters, geological characteristics, grade distribution and ore reserves, commenced in April 1988, following rehabilitation of the underground workings. This new mining was done on No. 2 level to address: - Ward Reef in the Main Slide Fault zone; - Fabian Reef within the middle quartzite; - Imperial Reef within the middle quartzite; - Western Branch Reef within the middle quartzite. Faces exposed by mining were sampled, and a 685 t bulk sample was transported to Port Augusta for crushing and reduction. Two samples from Fabian Reef totalling 48.66 t produced yields averaging respectively 29.14 g/t and 42.54 g/t gold. The remaining 23 batches returned values of 0.32 g/t to 4.33 g/t gold. The trial mining campaign has delineated small high-grade ore shoots on Ward and Fabian Reefs, but the erratic nature of gold mineralisation has prevented delineation of economically mineable ore zones. The mine was placed on care and maintenance in September 1988.