Annual report for the year ending 2 September 2008

Abstract

The Arunta Project is located approximately 250km NNW of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. The North Arunta Province is dominated by a series of sulphidic Palaeoproterozoic sedimentary sequences intruded by granite plutons and mafic sills. Quaternary and Tertiary cover conceals large areas of bedrock in the area however the region has seen exploration for a variety of commodities including gold, base metals, iron ore, uranium and diamonds. Modern exploration in the project area includes a variety of exploration methods dominated by geophysics such as airborne magnetic, radiometric and GEOTEM surveys in conjunction with surface sampling and limited percussion drilling. Exploration completed during the current reporting period has been limited to re-evaluation of the GEOTEM data by geophysical consultants GeoDiscovery Group and review of the ground holding with view to partial relinquishment of the licence area. The work by GeoDiscovery Group confirmed the priority targets as the six previously selected by Discovery. On-ground exploration activities have been hampered due to a change in exploration management, however with new management Proto is optimistic it can move forward with plans to test the selected targets with moving-loop EM and drilling before the end of the next reporting period.