Second Annual Report Ringwood EL 32244 for the period 20 March 2021 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 the smaller survey area, called 'No. 5 bore', is 13 square kilometres for a total of 51 line kilometres. Flying was completed in April 2021, and final data delivered in July 2021. Interpretation revealed two priority 1 anomalies, three priority 2 anomalies, and four priority 3 anomalies. Substantial areas of elevated and anomalous geochemistry from surface sampling by previous explorers are surprisingly devoid of any significant responses. Field inspection of the more interesting anomalies reveal they all occur in areas of no outcrop. Of the two priority 1 EM anomalies, one (RW01) is a curious annular-shaped feature two km in diameter located in the centre of an anticline. RAB holes drilled by Poseidon in 1993 which transect the feature intersected Amadeus Basin sediments and granitic rock. Bottom-of-hole assays are uniformly low. The EM anomaly is possibly weathering related to a granite intrusive. Ground EM surveys were completed on the other priority 1 anomaly (RW03) and all three priority two anomalies. Preliminary interpretation shows that one, NFB01, is a possible formational conductor but requires further investigation. Of the others one is a shallow-dipping formational conductor response (RW03), one is interpreted to be part of the basic volcanics in the Bitter Springs Group (RW02de), and one is a false anomaly due to altitude variation (RW07). In year 3 it is proposed to complete formal interpretation of the ground EM data and to further investigate the annular VTEM anomaly RW-01 with a view to drill testing the source.