Partial relinquishment report on EL 6810 (Bullo River)

Abstract

The relinquished area of the licence was examined in a 4 phase work programme, which has shown that the region contains chromite, garnet, diamond, and particulate gold. Initially, 105 stream sediment samples were collected with 9 samples returning positive results (9 chromites and 1 diamond). In the second phase, 21 infill samples were collected over 6 TM anomalies, giving only one positive sample. The third phase of sampling included 160 infill samples, of which only 10 were positive (23 chromites and 1 diamond). In the final phase 107 samples were collected. Traverse sampling within the Moonlight valley Tillite suggests that most, if not all the chromites found within the relinquished area originate from this unit, as would appear to be the case for the particulate gold. Follow-up sampling of the diamonds proved inconclusive. Surface features indicate that the diamonds most probably have spent some time in a secondary sedimentary host. The garnet recovered was not of high interest, but as it was not repeated in follow-up sampling, its presence remains unexplained. It appears very unlikely that a primary diamondiferous source exists in the relinquished area.