1982 Final Report for EL 1585 Molyhil

Abstract

Exploration Licence 1585, amounting to 243 square miles, was granted to Otter Exploration NL for 12 months, from August 10th, 1977. The Licence was renewed for a second term, commencing August 1978. The northwest section of the original Licence, amounting to 118 square miles was renewed for a third term, commencing August 1979. A reduced area amounting to 57 square miles was renewed for a fourth term, commencing August 1980. The Licence was allowed to expire on August 9th, 1981. The Licence area was originally considered to be prospective for tungsten, molybdenum, silver and base metal mineralisation. Tungsten, copper, silver and lead mineralisation occur at several locations in the northwest Licence area, centred on the old Jervois Mines. Copper ore has been mined from the mineralised shear zone known as the Bellbird Nine, and copper, lead and silver ores occur in skarns at the nearby Reward - Green Parrot workings. In recent months,(1981), Plenty River ('lining Co. have entered into an agreement with Petrocarb N.L., to develop and mine the lead, silver and copper mineralisation in the area of the former Green Parrot and Narshall workings. Subsequently, it was realised that the licence might also be prospective for uranium mineralisation. Traces of uraninite were discovered at Molyhill, to the west of the Licence, in 1977. A number of strong radiometric anomalies were recorded from a reconnaissance radiometric survey, flown over the southern Huckitta sheet area, in early June 1977. Work carried out in the four years of Licence tenure, has included systematic airborne radiometric surveys, field evaluation of uranium anomalies, scintillometer traversing, reconnaissance mapping and sampling, and detailed mapping and sampling and ground magnetometer surveys of areas of special interest. Samples were submitted for petrography and for uranium, tungsten, molybdenum, silver, copper, lead and zinc analysis. Results of this work are discouraging with respect to uranium and mildly encouraging with respect to tungsten and base metal mineralisation. Three separate occurrences of uranium mineralisation discovered, several occurrences of scheelite and copper mineralisation. Follow up not warranted on uranium anomalies as these of secondary origin. Quartz Ridge, Cliftons and Jervois North prospects warrant costeaning and detailed follow up. The anomalies found in the airborne survey need to be located on the ground, and the nature and size of each determined. As hydrothermal and metasonatic activity have been recognised in the area, the faults crossing the undifferentiated metamorphics, and Jervois Granite, appear to be worth investigating for base metals, particularly copper, lead, and tungsten.