Mount Ellison EL 4177 Annual Report for year ending 23 March 1986

Abstract

During 1985, CSR Limited carried out an exploration programme for gold within Exploration Licence 4177 (EL 4177). The programme consisted of geological mapping, airborne and ground geophysical surveys, and soil and rock-chip geochemical sampling. Five sills of the prospective host rock, the Zamu Dolerite, as well as a major northwest-trending fault, were identified. Approximately 1,000 soil samples were collected along regional soil lines over areas of Zamu Dolerite. Although a full assessment of these results has not been completed, anomalous arsenic zones have been defined. Anomalous zones were assigned priorities according to their geological association. Composite sampling of the zones defined several intervals containing anomalous gold. Rock-chip sampling defined two areas of anomalous gold. One area is located north of Ban Ban Homestead and another is located near the Olive prospect. Geological mapping and rock-chip and soil sampling were also completed along sections of the Darwin-Amadeus Basin gas pipeline trench where it crosses EL 4177. Rock-chip sampling confirmed the presence of anomalous gold north of Ban Ban Homestead. The results of the soil sampling were inconclusive. An area of anomalous arsenic values along soil lines B34, 35 and 36 was gridded and a closely spaced soil sampling programme was completed. The arsenic anomalies are due to the presence of an ultrabasic flow with a high arsenic background. Further work is recommended. The high priority arsenic soil anomalies should be checked by a programme of trenching and composite rock-chip sampling. Lower priority anomalies should be checked by a small programme of rock-chip sampling. The two anomalous gold zones will be further investigated by geological mapping, soil sampling, trench and rock-chip sampling. A drilling programme will be completed on the most prospective areas.