Annual Report for the period 15 October 2018 to 14 October 2019 EL 24389 Cato Plateau, EL 4171 Cato River and EL 4170 Cato Plateau GR077 Cato Project

Abstract

EL 4170 Cato Plateau and EL 4171 Cato River were applied for by BHP Minerals Pty. Ltd. (BHP) on 3rd December 1982. EL 4170 was granted on 14th October 2004 and EL 4171 was granted on 12th September 2005. EL 4170 has been renewed untill 13 th October 2018 and EL 4171 until 11 September 2019. EL 24389 was granted on the 23rd of June 2016 for a period of 6 years, expiring on the 22nd June 2022. Rio Tinto Exploration Pty Limited (RTX) signed an agreement with BHP on 27th March 2000 whereby RTX took over management of EL 4170 and EL 4171 (the tenements). This agreement was amended in 2007 to allow for BHP to conduct simultaneous activities for manganese within the licence package. GEMCO (a subsidiary of South32) now are the responsible party for the agreement. GEMCO transferred ownership of EL 24389 to RTX on the 10th of May 2017. The original tenement application, ELA 4170 covered an area of 593.5 km2 of which only 57.0 km2 (28 blocks) was granted. The remainder of the area was split off into a new application, EL 24389 and put into moratorium. The original ELA 4171 tenement application covered an area of 846 km2 of which 598.2 km2 (208 blocks) was granted. Both tenements have undergone relinquishments, with the retained areas being 16 blocks (El 4170) and 14 blocks (EL 4171). The subsequent granting of EL 24389 in 2016 increased the size of the project area by 191.4 km2 (92 blocks). The tenements are located 50 km west of Nhulunbuy, east Arnhem Land and consequently are administered under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1975 (ALRA). Combined reporting of EL 4171, EL 4170 and EL 24389 was granted in June 2017 and the project called 'Cato Project' with reporting number GR077. The Cato Project forms part of the larger contiguous tenement package in east Arnhem Land, which is prospective for bauxite and manganese. These three licences (Cato project) cover the Cato plateau, which is a known occurrence of bauxite within the east Arnhem area. The Cato plateau bauxite target has the potential to contain resources similar in style to the nearby Gove deposit. BHP (now GEMCO), under the agreement with RTX, retains the right to explore for manganese on EL 4170, EL 4171 and EL 24389. When EL 24389 was granted on 23 June 2016 (for a period of 6 years), the bauxite targets identified from the data review were prioritised. A program of work was developed to initially drill test the priority bauxite targets on EL 24389 with subsequent phases of drilling extending to ground peripheral to the main plateau on EL 4170. A mine management plan (MMP) for exploration for the broader Cato Plateau Project (EL 24389, EL 4170, and EL 4171) was prepared and submitted to Government. The MMP was assessed on 21 September 2016 and authorised by the Northern Territory Mines Direct orate i.e., Authorisation 0882-01. Further work on the broader Cato Plateau Project included desktop assessment of the reported assay results and mineralogical estimates. This work aimed to identify the potential quality of the bauxite present and it spatial distribution. However, no economically viable resource could be defined within the Project and the area is under review for additional targets or the ground will be recommended for relinquishment.