Annual Report EL 5351 and EL 5352 Mary River for year ended 15 October 1988

Abstract

Exploration Licences 5351 & 5352 are situated approximately 180 km southeast of Darwin in the Northern Territory. The licence areas were applied for with the object of locating economic alluvial gold and tin resources. Initial reconnaissance shows there is a strong possibility of locating alluvial deposits of varying sizes within the licence areas. At this stage there appears to be a bias toward tin on EL 5351 although gold does occur. We are satisfied that the results of this years work on these two licences are sufficiently encouraging to warrant further expenditure in both areas. Exploration Licences 5351 and 5352 have been explored in conjunction as they are situated in adjacent areas. The initial programme has been essentially one of reconnaissance to determine the potential of the area for alluvial deposits of gold and/or tin. The programme was conducted using traditional exploration techniques. This entailed gravity concentration of sample material using a gold pan. Samples were taken from streams and river flats. River flat samples were obtained using a hand operated posthole digger with a maximum penetration of approximately 800mm. Water was carried in 200lt. drums and the samples washed on site. In the vicinity of the old Maude Creek tin mine, situated on Exp1oratior Licence 5351, a number of samples showed promising tin results worthy of further investigation Time was spent walking over the area in an effort to locate a possible hardrock source of this tin but without success. On Exploration Licence 5352 the most promising results were found along Frances Creek. In many places sampling was hampered by the depth of topsoil which prevented samples of the underlying sediments being obtained with the equipment in use. Costeaning and/or pit sampling with a rubber tyred backhoe will be necessary in these areas. Where the overburden permitted and sampling was successful small quantities of very fine gold and some tin were observed in the dish concentrates. The area south of Frances Creek appears to have the best potential for alluvial tin. However, allowing that this year's work programme was chiefly a reconnaissance exercise, it was not possible to ascertain whether the area merely contains a high background tin value or whether there are viable deposits of alluvial tin present.

RECOMMENDATIONS.

(i) Costeaning and/or pit sampling around the Maude Creek Tin Mine area.

(ii) Pit sampling on grid basis over the drainage system adjoining Maude Creek on Exploration Licence 5351.

(iii) Pit sampling on a grid basis, using a rubber tyred backhoe, along Frances Creek and the area to the South on Exploration Licence 5352.