First annual report for the period ending 13 October 2005 EL 4170 Cato Plateau

Abstract

EL 4170 Cato Plateau was applied for by BHP Minerals on 3rd October 1982 and was granted on 14th October 2004. Rio Tinto Exploration Pty Limited (RTE) signed an agreement with BHP on 27th March 2000 whereby RTE took over management of the tenement. The original tenement application covered an area of 593.5 km2 of which only 57.0 km2 was granted. The remainder of the area was split off into a new application, EL 24389 and put into moratorium. The tenement is located 22 km southwest of Nhulunbuy, east Arnhem Land and consequently is processed under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1975 (ALRA). This first annual report describes the exploration completed during the first year of the tenement and includes auger drilling and stream sampling. EL 4170 forms part of the larger contiguous tenement package in east Arnhem Land, which is prospective for bauxite. EL 4170 covers part of the Cato Plateau, which is a known area of bauxite of similar style to the nearby world class Gove deposit. Exploration was focused on testing the area for bauxite. Stream sampling for diamonds was a secondary opportunistic target. Work completed during the period included: review of previous exploration, completion of consultation meetings and site clearance surveys, interpretation of existing TM data, establishment of an exploration camp, clearing access for a small drill, drilling 10 auger holes, collecting 6 gravel, 9 -80# stream sediment and 2 rock samples. This auger drilling programme showed similar results to that reported from the 1966 work. The potential for bauxite within the granted area of EL 4170 is very limited with the vast majority of the preserved bauxite plateau lying within the split off tenement application EL 24389. The stream sampling did not have any positive results. No work is planned in this tenement for a year two.