Progress reports on AP 2570, 1970 to 1972

Abstract

The following is a breakdown of the exploration activities carried out on AP 2570 over the 12 month period granted; 17/11/1971 to 14/12/1971 - Explorer 86 D.D.H. 1, was stopped at 386.5m. No lode was intersected, the magnetic anomaly being due to disseminated magnetite in sediments. Work continued on the transfer of aeromagnetic contours to standard map sheets. Grid extensions at Explorer 80 and North West Orlando were completed. 12/01/1972 to 08/02/1972 - Geological mapping in the Thompkinson Creek beds. D.D.H. 2 at Explorer 80 prospect was drilled to 172m and nearing completion. Narrow magnetic load intersected containing chalcopyrite but preliminary results indicate that the copper grade is much lower than in Hole 1. 01/02/1970 to 10/03/1970 - Diamond drilling at Explorer 69 completed at a depth of 1062 feet. No load was intersected. The sediments contained considerable disseminated magnetite which probably gave rise to the magnetite anomaly. At Explorer 1 Anomaly 3, Hole 1 entered a highly oxidised dolomite and ironstone lode containing appreciable copper at a depth of 415 feet. Core recovery to 465 feet was very poor and a wedge was placed at 419 feet to re-cut this section. At the end of the period this branch has reached 451 feet and has confirmed the original copper values. Geochemical sampling using the auger drill on the Jubilee grid was suspended after the completion of 146 hole so that further samplingcould be undertaken in the Explorer 1 area. Footage drilled at Jubilee for the period was 1700 feet. The geochemical sampling programme was extended to get greater coverage over Anomaly 3 and to do a preliminary study of anomaly 4. A total of 126 holes for an aggregate footage of 2470 feet of drilling was completed. Detailed field mapping in the Orlando area was continued. Reconstruction of the Explorer 14 grid and some minor extensions to the Explorer 74 grid. Extensions on the Jubilee grid are in progress. A hammer drill was used to precollar a diamond drill hole on the Explorer 65 prospect and casing was seated in the hole. 11/03/1970 to 07/04/1970 - The wedge run in the diamond drill hole, Explorer 1 Anomaly 3 Hole 1 was terminated at 451 feet de to a new hole being cut from a cave zone at 412 feet. This second branch continued through ironstone and dolomite lode to 617 feet and the hole was coompleted at 645 feet. The ironstone section of the lode again contained appreciable copper principally as chalcocite. A second hole on this prospect (Hole 3) has reached a depth of 631 feet after entering dolomite load at 544 feet. Copper content has been high to date. This hole was precollared to a depth of 320 feet early in the period. Drilling was commenced at Explorer 65 Hole 1 late in the period and has advanced from the predrilled depth of 300 feet to 308 feet. A hole was precollared at Explorer 1 Anomaly 5 Hole 1 to a depth of 225 feet using a Mayhew 1000 hammer drill and casing seated. Further auger sampling was undertaken on the Explorer 1 grid around Anomalies 3 and 4 and to the south west Anomaly 1. The footage drilled in 55 holes was 1320 feet. Sampling recommenced on the Jubilee grid near the end of the period. Six holes for 106 feet were drilled. The results of the previous sampling were received and the values plotted. Several spot highs for copper will be followed up. 08/04/1970 to 05/05/1970 - The diamond drill hole at Explorer 1 Anomaly 3 Hole 3 was completed at a depth of 1089 feet after intersecting a considerable width of copper mineralisation in the magnetite lode sheathed by dolomite lode. Two further holes have been commenced on the prospect. At the end of the period these holes (Hole 2 and Hole 4) had reached depths of 310 feet and 92 feet respectively. Diamond drill holes were also commenced at Explorer 1 Anomalies 4 and 5. Anomaly 4 Hole 1 had reached a depth of 137 feet at the end of the period in bedded sediments. Anomaly 5 Hole 1 is at 244 feet having cored 19 feet from the base of the precollared hole. Explorer 65 Hole 1 advanced from 308 feet to 595 feet. It intersected a wide load section consisting mostly of hematite. Mineralisation was minor except for a narrow high grade copper section at 410 feet. The hole is nearing completion. Auger sampling on the jubilee geochemical grid was completed with the drilling of a further 115 holes and samples dispatched for assay. A magnetometer survey on the western extensions of the Explorer 1 grid was commenced. 06/05/1970 to 02/06/1970 - At Explorer 1 Anomaly 3, Hole 2 intersected a slightly narrower lode section than that in Hole 3. The ironstone part of this load contained significant copper mineralisation in two sections separated by a barren zone. It was completed at a depth of 1070 feet. Hole 4 at the same prospect encountered very bad drilling ground and had reached only 169 feet at the end of the period. A new hole (Hole 5) had reached a depth of 230 feet by the period end. Hole 6, a shallow hole, was precollared with a hammer drill to a depth of 220 feet and casing placed. This should avoid the bulk of the difficult ground encountered in Hole 4. At Explorer 1 Anomaly 4, Hole 1 was advanced only 27 feet by contract drillers. Attempts are being made to recover broken rods. A similar situation exists at Explorer 1 Anomaly 5 where the contract drillers have gear stuck at 244 feet. Explorer 65 Hole 1 was completed at a depth of 605 feet. No further lode was intersected. Results from the last phase of geochemical sampling in the Jubilee area were received. Two minor copper anomalies were indicated and follow up detailed sampling is planned. 03/06/1970 to 30/06/1970 - At the Explorer 1 Anomaly 3 prospect, Hole 4 drilled ahead to 336 feet in a very oxidised and difficult ground. The hole intersected a narrow width of lode material with only mnor copper values. Hole 5 at this prospect advanced to 976 feet and is passing through dolomite lode material with minor copper values. A rig is being shifted on to Hole 6 and a deeper Hole No 7 planned. The first hole at the Explorer 1 Anomaly 4 prospect moved ahead but at the end of the period was again stopped due to stuck gear. It intersected lode containing minor secondary copper at 357 feet and is stopped in lode at 386 feet. Hole 1 at the Explorer 1 Anomaly 5 prospect has again shown no progress in the period due to stuck gear. Detailed geological mapping contiinued south of the Bernborough prospect. A grid has been surveyed in over the Explorer 71 Anomaly in the Gecko-Orlando area. Magnetics will be read over this in the near future. The initial gravity survey has now been completed at the Explorer 1 prospect. Some extension is now planned. The magnetometer survey on the Jubilee grid is about half completed. 01/07/1970 to 28/04/1970 - At the Explorer 1 Anomaly 3 prospect diamond drill hole No 4 was completed at 452 feet. Hole 5 on the same prospect intersected only dolomite lode and was completed at a depth of 1033 feet. Hole 6 was completed during the period at a depth of 340 feet. It intersected a moderate width of secondary copper mineralisation. Hole 7 was commenced during the period and has reached a depth of 500 feet in sedimentary rock. Hole 8 was predrilled with a hammer drill to 360 feet and has advanced 6 feet beyond this with diamond drilling. Hole 9 was predrilled to 350 feet and casing seated. Explorer 1 Anomaly 4 Hole 1 recommenced using EXT gear and advanced to 417 feet in hematite lode. Copper mineralisation is minor to date. Explorer 1 Anomaly 5 Hole 1 recommenced drilling and advanced to 404 feet when the gear was again stuck in the hole. Explorer 1 Anomaly 6 Hole 1 was drilled to completion at 372 feet during the period. No lode was intersected. Grid extensions and further magnetometer surveys are scheduled in the Explorer 80 area as a consequence of this mapping. magnetometer survey continued on the jubilee grid. magnetics at Explorer 76 were completed and the Explorer 71 survey is in progress. Auger drilling for geochemical samples was recommenced on Explorer 1 grid. 01/07/1970 to 28/07/1970 - At the Explorer 1 Anomaly 3 prospect diamond drill hole No 4 was completed at 452 feet. Hole 5 on the same prospect intersected only dolomite lode and was completed at a depth of 1033 feet. Hole 6 was completed during the period at a depth of 340 feet. It ntersected a moderate width of secondary copper mineralisation. Hole 7 was commenced during the period and has reached a depth of 500 feet in sedimentary rock. Hole 8 was predrilled with a hammer drill to 360 feet and has advanced 6 feet beyond this with diamond drilling. Hole 9 was predrilled to 350 feet and casing seated. Explorer 1 Anomaly 4 Hole 1 recommenced using EXT gear and advanced to 417 feet in a hematite lode. Copper mineralisation is minor to date. Explorer 1 Anomaly 5 Hole 1 recommenced drilling and advanced to 404 feet when gear was again stuck in the hole. Explorer 1 Anomaly 6 Hole 1 was drilled to completion at 372 feet during the period. no lode was intersected. 29/07/1970 to 25/08/1970 - Diamond drilling continued as follows; Explorer 1 Anomaly 3 Hole 7 advanced from 500 feet to 700 feet in sediments. Explorer 1 Anomaly 3 Hole 8 advanced from 366 feet to its final depth at 855 feet. Dolomite lode was intersected but it contained no significant mineralisation. Explorer 1 Anomaly 3 Hole 9 made slow progree through very broken ground to 480 feet. The hole has not reached lode to date. Explorer 1 Anomaly 4 Hole 1 was abandoned in lode at 419 feet after the contract drillers again got the core barrel stuck in the hole. Explorer 1 Anomaly 4 Hole 2 was precollared to a depth of 250 feet with a hammer drill. A diamond rig will commence on this hole in the near future. Explorer 1 Anomaly 5 Hole 1 cut a new hole at 350 feet during barrel recovery operations. It advanced from this depth to 584 feet where it is again stopped due to stuck gear. Detailed geological mapping has been completed in the Ivanhoe area and this is now being extended westward to the Balck Angel area. mapping is also being completed in the Bernborough area. A block west of this is now being mapped. Another phase in the geochemical sampling programme in the Explorer 1 area was completed. Results are not yet at hand. a grid has been pegged over the Explorer 83 anomaly to the east of Explorer 72. Minor grid extensions on the Explorer 80 grid were completed. Magnetics were completed over the Jubilee and Explorer 83 grids. Reading of the Queen of Sheba grid was commenced. The low level aeromagnetic survey has finally commenced. 26/08/1970 to 22/09/1970 - Diamond drilling continues as follows; Explorer 1 Anomaly 3 Hole 7 intersected dolomite lode at a vertical depth of about 900 feet. No ore values were recorded. The hole was completed at 1412 feet. A branch hole to the east has been started. Explorer 1 Anomaly 3 Hole 2 intersected magnetite-hematite lode containing abundant pyrite but little copper. Hole 2 was completed at 672 feet. Further drilling on this body is planned in several months time. Explorer 1 Anomaly 5 hole 1 advanced to 957 feet. Lode has not yet been intersected. One-Oh-Two Anomaly 2 Hole 1 will commence within a few days. Target depth on this hole is about 500 feet. Geological mapping has comtinued in Whippet area and between Ivanhoe mine and Black Angel. An auger drill has been used to define the granite contact north of Ivanhoe. A grid has been completed over the Explorer 55 anomalies and ground magnetics read. Magnetics have also been read over a small extension to the Explorer 72 grid. The aeromagnetic survey over part of the AP is still in progress. 23/09/1970 to 20/10/1970 - Diamond drilling continued as follows; Explorer 1 Anomaly 3 Hole 7 Wedge Run 1 was completed at a depth of 1314 feet after intercepting a moderate width of high grade copper ore. This completed the surface testing programme on this prospect. Ore reserve calculations on the Anomaly 3 body have been completed and the reserves added to those of the Gecko Mine. Detailed ore blocking will be under-taken when the underground development on Gecko Orebodies 1, 2 and 3 has reached a stage to allow a drive to be taken to Anomaly 3. (Now designated Orebody No 4). Explorer 1 Anomaly 5 Hole 1 drilled ahead to a depth of 1284 feet. Minor zones of mineralisation have been intersected. One-Oh-Two Anomaly 2 Hole 1 reached a depth of 570 feet. To date the core is only weakly mineralised. Geological mapping has continued in the Whippet-Barkley Highway locality, and previous mapping is being transferred from photos to controlled plan sheets. Transfer of the mappinig in the Ivanhoe area to the sheets has been completed. Some time has been spent on reconstruction of the survey in the Red Bluff area and most grids on the AP have had permanent markers cemented in on the base lines. A maagnetometer survey at the Queen of Sheba prospect is in progress. Flying has been completed in the contract for low level aeromagnetics but no results have been received. 12/10/1970 to 17/11/1970 - Diamond drilling continued as follows; Explorer 1 Anomaly 5 Hole 1 was completed at a depth of 1460 feet. A narrow lode was intersected at 1370 feet. This contained minor copper as chalcopyrite. One-Oh-Two Anomaly 2 hole 1 was completed at 741 feet. The hole passed through a broad zone of weakly mineralised chloritic rock. Assays reveal no significant metal values. Explorer 65 Anomaly 2 Hole 1 was commenced from the base of a precollared hole and has advanced to 277 feet. Al detailed geological mapping complted on the AP has been transferred to controlled map sheets. Mapping has commenced in the Great Western syncline to the north east of the Warrego mine. Photo enlargements to allow very detailed mapping in the Orlando-Gecko mine area have been ordered. The magnetometer surey over the Queen of Sheba prospect has been completed and the results are being analysed. A trial magnetic survey over an ironstone outcrop to the south west of the Monument has revealed a significant anomaly. A grid will be pegged over the anomaly prior to a detailed magnetometer survey. The prospect has been designated as Explorer 85. Grid extensions to cover a small anomaly on the south east corner of the Explorer 80 grid have been completed. 18/11/1970 to 15/12/1970 - Diamond drilling continued as follows; Explorer 65 Anomaly 2 Hole 1 was completed at a depth of 603 feet. Assays of the lode section showed minor copper but gold and bismuth content were negligible. Explorer 64 Hole 1 encountered difficult drilling and advanced to only 400 feet. Explorer 1 Anomaly 4 Hole 3 has been predrilled to a depth of 303 feet and casing seated. Explorer 1 Anomaly 6 Hole 2 was drilled vertically to 293 feet with a hammer drill. Geological mapping continued in the Great Western syncline area. A grid has been pegged over the Explorer 85 anomaly and magnetics read. Preliminary contour plans from recent aeromagnetic survey have been received. A number of new magnetic anomalies have been indicated. Grids are plnned for these. 13/01/1971 to 09/02/1971 - Drilling continued as follows; Explorer 64 Hole 1 was completed at a depth of 538 feet after intersecting an epidote rich magnetite lode between 390 and 436 feet. The lode contained no ore rich mineralisation. Explorer 1 Anomaly 6 Hole 2 was deepened with a hammer drill from 290 to 350 feet. Minor sulphides were noted. Samples were taken for assay. Explorer 12 hole 1 was predrilled to 180 feet, and casing seated prior to diamond drilling. Geological mapping on a scale of 500 feet to an inch was commenced in the Gecko-Orlando locality. Auger drilling for geochemical samples was carried out at the following prospects; Explorer 80, Explorer 71, Explorer 57, Explorer 74 and Explorer 54. A total of 1767 fet drilled during this period. 10/03/1971 to 06/04/1971 - Diamond drilling commenced on Explorer 1 Anomaly 4 hole 3 from a hole previously predrilled to 303 feet. At the end of the period the hole had reached 317 feet. Ground magnetic surveys were completed over grids at Explorer 86 (3 miles south east of Gecko Mine), Explorer 12 extensions, Explorer 80 extensions, and extensions to the Jubilee grid. At the end of the period work was in progress in the Olive Wood prospect locality. Physical survey work included the pegging of a grid over the Explorer 87 prospect, and extensions to the Explorers 12 , 85 and 80 grids. 07/04/1971 to 04/05/1971 - Diamond Drill Hole no 3 at Explorer 1 Anomaly 4 advanced from 317 feet to 807 feet. Lode has not yet been intersected. Explorer 12 Hole 1 was drilled from a precollared hole to a depth of 542 feet through quartz-feldspar porphyroid. No mineralisation has yet been encountered. At Explorer 86 grid extensions have been completed and magnetics read. Magnetcs were read over grids at Olive Wood, Orlando north west, the Explorer 80 area and extensions to the Explorer 74 grid. 30/06/1971 to 27/07/1971 - Explorer 85, DDH 1, was completed at a depth of 140.3m. A narrow lode zone was intersected but this contained no significant mineralisation. A diamond drill rig is being set up on Explorer 54, DDH 1. 28/07/1971 to 24/08/1971 - Explorer 1 grid extensions have been completed. Explorer 54, DDH 1 has progressed to 248m. Fine grained disseminated magnetite in the primary sediments indicates that the magnetite anomaly is probably due to disseminated magnetite rather than a massive lode. The hole is being drilled ahead of the target. 25/08/1971 to 21/09/1971 - Explorer 54, DDH 1, was completed at 381m. No lode was intersected, the magnetic anomaly being due to disseminated magnetite in sediments. Explorer 80, DDH 1, was started during the month and had reached 108m. 20/10/1971 to 16/11/1971 - Explorer 80 plane table mapping of the lode outcrop and surrounding geology was completed over an area of about 40 acres, and the results are being plotted up. Explorer 86, DDH 1 was drilled ahead to 228m through sediments. Progress has also been slow due to drilling difficulties. The following includes details of work carried out in the month of January, 1970 on APs 1847, 2039, 2200, 2215, 2240, 2266, 2267 and 2284 for the first half of the month; Diamond drilling was continued at the Explorer 69 and Explorer 1 Anomaly 3 prospects. At Explorer 69, Hole 2 progressed to a depth of 790 feet by the end of the month. The hole passed through porphyroid to 400 feet and continued through bedded sediments. Hole 1 at Explorer 1 Anomaly 3 was recommenced late in the month and progressed slowly through highly oxidised and broken ground to a depth of 330 feet at the end of the month. In the Jubilee area the planned grid lay-out has been completed and geochemical sampling using an auger drill has commenced. This work is being supervised by a newly appointed graduate who has familiarised himself with the prevoius geological mapping and will complete this. Plane table mapping of the Queen of Sheba prospect has been completed and plans are being drawn up. Geochemical results from the programme completed at the prospect have not yet been received. The grid at the Explorer 1 prospect has been extended for approximately a mile westward. Ground magnetics will be read on this when the geophysical team returns from Sydney. minor grid extensions have been completed in the Explorer 12 area. Grid extensions at the Explorer 80 and Warrego grids have also been completed.