Annual and Final Report Mineral Leases 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161 and 162 for period 18 January 1995 to 20 February 2020

Abstract

Following many years of exploration and characterization of the target, initially in EL 6940 and subsequently and partially in EL 9420, the ML's embodied in this report were applied over dry creek beds from close to the host being the Riddoch Amphibolite and flowing generally northwards towards the Plenty River. Exploration was focussed principally on detrital garnet and other industrial minerals in the sands of the creek bed. Substantial systematic sampling efforts were undertaken throughout and subsequent detailed and bulk sampling, analysis and testing in part all demonstrate that the creek bed sands generally contain economic to moderately high grades of garnet. The licensed area of the MLs is 586.50ha, with varying lengths and widths. While these ML's are individually small, when combined with Inminerals other ML's of the lower Spriggs, Upper Entire Creeks and the Lizzie Creek, they contribute to a world class garnet resource. Sample intervals and methodology, appropriate for measured resource estimates, were provided by independent mining engineers and geological consultants and the sampling was performed accordingly. Mineralogical examination of the garnet in the sands within the MLs indicates that the garnet is almost exclusively dominated by almandine (~60%)-pyrope (~30%)-grossular (up to 25%, but generally below 10%) solid solutions, and sourced from garnetiferous amphibolites. From the limited garnet hardness testing carried out to date, these garnets are exceptionally hard, with Knoop hardnesses ranging from 1600 to 2000; they were the hardest garnets known to be currently commercially available at the time. Furthermore, the individual grains are quite fresh and show little if any sign of weathering; the grain morphologies are quite favourable, and leaching tests carried out on samples yield very low values of leachates. As previously established, garnet grades close to the host in these ML's is high demonstrating large sharp comparatively clear crystals with few inclusions and meets or exceeds all internationally accepted garnet quality criteria. Metallurgical testing on the two bulk samples programs, and the samples collected previously, assisted in the optimisation of separation techniques. Results to date serve not only to establish the viability of garnet production but have modified the envisaged processing stream to allow dry extraction of other industrial minerals if present in sufficient concentrations.