Annual report for EL 22744 Arrla Bay 1, EL 22708 Arrla Bay 2, EL 24657 Arrla Bay 2a, EL 22707 Arrla Bay 3, for the period 6 June 2008 to 5 June 2009

Abstract

The Arrla Bay Project consists of four granted Exploration Licences (EL) 22744, 22708, 24657 and 22707 that were applied for in 2000 by Rio Tinto Exploration Pty Limited (RTX). A further six applications that are in various stages of the grant process also form part of the project. The tenements are located approximately 60km northeast of Oenpelli in north-west Arnhem Land and consequently are processed under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1975 (ALRA). The tenements were originally considered prospective for lateritic bauxite, however the drilling reported in the previous annual report has greatly downgraded the potential. The tenements still have uranium and manganese potential. Lateritised Cretaceous sediments of the Arafura Basin extend over most of the tenement area. Outcropping basement of Proterozoic granites and metamorphics also occur. Exploration completed during the reporting period included access negotiations on the surrounding tenement applications and participating in the GA (Geoscience Australia) Pine Creek (Kombolgie) multi-client airborne EM survey. Rio Tinto Exploration funded a total of 889 line kilometers of infill survey lines within the project. At the time of reporting, the EM survey had been flown however the final data had not been received from Geoscience Australia. No ground work was conducted.