Partial Relinquishment Report Ringwood EL 32244 for the period 20 March 2020 to 19 March 2022

Abstract

EL 32244 was granted in March 2020. Principal commodities sought are base metals, primarily copper. About one half of the area has outcrop/subcrop of Amadeus Basin sediments. Most of the Basin stratigraphies are represented within the tenement area, from basal Heavitree Quartzite to Devonian Pertnjara Group. Aeromagnetics suggests the remainder of the area has similar stratigraphies under cover. There are no mines or deposits within the EL area; copper has been recorded at Ringwood and Waldo Pedlar prospects. Previous explorers, notably Poseidon Exploration Ltd in the 1990's, targeted base metals in the late Neoproterozoic Bitter Springs Group, Areyonga Formation and Aralka Formation. Elevated and anomalous Cu-Pb-Zn was identified from historical surface sampling and RAB/auger drilling, but only ten RC or diamond holes have been completed in 50 years of exploration. Work in year one comprised comprehensive review and re-compilation of relevant data from government geotechnical databases and previous exploration results, and planning of airborne EM surveys. In year two VTEM MAX data were acquired on 300 metre flight lines over two areas. The larger area, called 'Ringwood', is 267 square kilometres for a total of 980 line kilometres, and covers about half the relinquished area. the smaller survey area, called 'No. 5 bore', is on the retained part. Flying was completed in April 2021. No priority bedrock conductor anomalies were recorded. Interpretation revealed only two anomalies, comprising a group of six labelled RW-02a to RW-02f, and a single line anomaly labelled RW-07. All are rated priority 2 except RW-02e which is rated priority 3. Substantial areas of elevated and anomalous geochemistry from surface sampling by previous explorers are surprisingly devoid of any significant responses. Field inspection revealed the anomalies occur in areas of no outcrop. Ground EM surveys were completed over all anomalies. Preliminary interpretation indicates that RW-02de are regolith variations related to shallow-dipping basic volcanics in the Bitter Springs Group, and RW-07 is a false anomaly due to altitude variation. In summary, the results of the airborne EM survey are disappointing, although it has been very successful in effectively sterilising from further investigation a substantial part of the tenement area. Hence the reason for relinquishing this part of the EL.