Annual and Final Report for EL 29354 Tablelands for the period 4 October 2012 to 22 March 2013

Abstract

This report describes the short exploration life of tenement EL 29354 where exploration was aimed at the discovery of economic phosphate deposits. The tenement is located 140 km east of Tennant Creek and lies on the 1:250,000 ALROY SE53-15 map sheet. It covers flat to undulating land on Dalmore Downs station with access via the Barkly Highway. Access within the tenement is virtually non-existent. The tenement covers 10 blocks (32.21 km) and was granted on 4 October 2012 for a period of six years. Geologically, basement is comprised of folded meta-sediments of the Mesoproterozoic South Nicholson Group and these rocks are unconformably overlain by Lower Cambrian basalts of the Helen Springs Volcanics.The volcanics are unconformably overlain by dolomitic rocks of the lower Gum Ridge Formation. Based on the stratigraphy approximately 80 km to the east, at the large Wonarah phosphate deposit, the overlying Upper Gum Ridge Formation is the target for phosphate mineralisation. The Wonarah Formation overlies the Upper Gum Ridge Formation and consists of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone. Regolith is dominated by aeolian sand, travertine, claypans and ferruginous deposits. The tenement was acquired to replace ground that had been recently dropped due to failure to meet expenditure commitments. No exploration work took place during the current tenure. The tenement was relinquished as part of the rationalisation of a regional phosphate exploration joint venture with Geotech International.