Annual Report on Finniss River NT year ending 4-10-87.

Abstract

Exploration Licence 4954 comprising 6 blocks, is located 46 kilometers south of Darwin in the Finniss range area. Corporate Developments Pty Ltd has been exploring the area for tin /tantalite mineralization in the pegmatites and, other prospective zones and envisages recommissioning the existing alluvial plant on adjacent tenements in 1988. Exploration during the 1986/87 year consisted of mapping of pegmatites and alluvial/elluvial material from a number of places within EL 4954. The pegmatites, which have been emplaced in Burrell Creek Formation, are zoned and a small 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. Other associated minerals are a wide spectrum of rare earths, gold, muscorite and kaolin. The distribution of mineralization throughout individual pegmatites is patchy. As exploration proceeds it is planned to utilise the existing alluvial plant on MLN (A) 1052 for bulk testing ore to sample and test material from EL 4954 and adjacent tenements.