EL 22821 Annual and final report for the period ending 19 October 2016

Abstract

EL 22821 on Elcho Island, East Arnhem Land was initially granted in October 2014 after traditional owners provided consent for bauxite exploration following a period of punctuated consultation dating back to 1981. Exploration programmes aimed to test whether bauxite occurrences on the eastern side of the island reported by Plumb (1965) are indications of a significant deposit of marketable bauxite. Preliminary geological reconnaissance, which included the collection and analysis of rock-chip and float samples, provided only limited encouragement and a programme of vacuum drilling aimed to better test the laterite thickness and alumina grade across the license area. The drilling programme failed to find indications of marketable bauxite and interpretation of results suggests that any significant bauxite deposits that may have existed on the island have been eroded.