Annual Report on EL 2613 Finniss River, period ending 05/10/1985 to 04/10/1986.

Abstract

Exploration Licence 2613, comprising 11 blocks, is located 46 kilometers south of Darwin in the Finniss range area. Talmina Trading Pty Ltd has been exploring the area for tin, tantalite mineralization in the pegmatite under a joint venture agreement with the licencsee JW Benger. Exploration during the 1985/86 consisted of costeaning, costean mapping, bulk sampling and sampling of pegmatites and alluvial, elluvial material from all over EL 2613. The pegmatites, which have been emplaced in Burrell Creek Formation, are zoned and a large proportion contain visible mineralization. Microscopic and microbe studies of mineral concentrates has established that the ore minerology consists of tantalite-colombite, cassiterite, rutile, ilmenite, magnetite and amblygonite. The distribution of mineralization throughout individual pegmatites is patchy. Therefore, as exploration proceeds it is planned to utilise the pilot plant currently being used for bulk testing ore from MLN 1052 to sample and test material from EL 2613.