An area of the southern Stuart Shelf, with untested potential for hosting possible stratiform base metal deposits within a probable concealed Early Proterozoic sedimentary basin embayment, was explored by BP as part of their regional mineral evaluation of that province. A series of 12 percussion stratigraphic/exploratory holes (total 1410 m) plus one diamond hole (30.35 m) were drilled to find the distribution of the preserved erosional top surface of the Pandurra Formation. Radiometric logging of drillholes proved a valuable tool for subsurface correlation of the surrounding stratigraphic units, enabling a number of conclusions to be made about their past deposition, relations to intrusive igneous bodies, and history of erosion or preservation. Only sparse copper mineralisation (malachite, chalcopyrite) was encountered downhole. Two aeromagnetic anomalies were recovered by ground magnetic surveys, but their attributes for indicating possible Olympic Dam type mineralisation in the deeper, pre-Pandurra basement were considered unlikely to match reality.