Limbunya drilling project EL 25307 Lindeman's Bore

Abstract

Proto Resources & Investments Ltd and Joint Venture partners Neil Scriven and Rodney Johnston applied for funding for greenfields exploration through the NT Geophysics and Drilling Collaborations Program. The proposed work program was to drill one deep diamond core drill hole into a coincident magnetics and gravity geophysical anomaly at the Lindeman's Bore Project (EL 25307). The application for funding was successful with the Northern Territory agreeing to provide up to $100,000 in funding for the proposed program on the terms and conditions set out in the agreement. The Lindeman's Bore Project on EL 25307 is located approximately 400km SW of Katherine in the Northern Territory. The region is dominated by a series of Proterozoic metasediments overlain by Cambrian-age continental flood basalts of the Kalkarindji Volcanic Group which are considered to be analogous to the continental flood basalts in other parts of the world, most importantly the Nadezhdinsky series (Norilsk basalts) which host large Ni-Cu-PGE deposits at Norilsk in Russia. Exploration activities conducted by Proto Resources & Investments Ltd (Proto) and their JV partners are based on the possibility of the Antrim Plateau Volcanics (as part of the Kalkarindji Volcanic Group) hosting economic 'Norilsk-style' Ni-Cu-PGE mineralisation. Previous work at the project has included ground based magnetic and gravity surveys of which the data has been incorporated into historic geophysical datasets to allow detailed modeling of a coincident magnetic/gravity anomaly. This anomaly has been interpreted to possibly represent a magnetic mafic sill with potential to host Ni-Cu-PGE mineralisation at depth. The work program completed under the Geophysics and Drilling Collaborations Program involved drilling a deep vertical diamond core drill hole (hole number LBD 1). The drill core from this hole has been geologically logged and selectively sampled for thin section examination and assaying. The drill core from hole LBD 1 has been submitted for storage at the NTGS core facility at Winnellie in Darwin. Drill hole LBD 1 intersected three main geological units which include sediments of the Limbunya Group occurring from surface down to 322m and metamorphosed sediments of the Inverway Metamorphics from 322m to 751m (EOH). Intrusive throughout the Inverway Metamorphics are a number of basaltic sills ranging in thickness from a few centimetres up to 50m. Based on the geological relationships in LBD 1 and whole rock and trace element geochemical data these mafic sills appear to pre-date deposition of the Limbunya Group.