Fifth Annual Report ML 29494 reporting period from 21 December 2016 to 20 December 2017

Abstract

ML 29494 is a unique type of tenement in that the economic commodity sought is valued for its scientific and collector value. I.e. specimens of circular blue azurite, often collected on a background matrix of near white kaolin and referred to as 'azurite suns'. Marketing is carried out via mineral shows in Australia, overseas and by e communications. The underground mining operation is a cut above fossicking but is still very small scale and was a type of activity originally covered by mineral claims until the demise of mineral claims in 2012. Mining work at the mine site in the 2017 reporting period commenced in early June and the program was completed on 31st July 2017. A fly camp was maintained on the old waste rock dump opposite the adit entrance to the mine for the period and was occupied 5 times for 6 nights at a time. Four day breaks were taken in Alice Springs to replenish fuel, water and food, repair equipment, new equipment purchases, box potential mineral specimens for transport and recover from the stresses of manual labour. The core mine site activity in 2017 was focused on driving forward down the main adit tunnel (the Adit Drive) in the cusp of the anticlinal axis (See Plan 1). The Adit Drive had been opened up towards the end of the mining campaign in 2016 based on a reinterpretation of the geology in the Down Dip Drive. The Adit Drive was advanced 5 metres in 2017 across an average 3.5 metre working face. This involved 10 sequential cuts of an average horizontal distance of ~0.5 metres comprising hammering out solid rock using a large electric jackhammer to create a vertical working face, removal of waste rock, undercutting of the mineralised area to ~0.5 metres, sampling of specimens and removal of excess waste rock during specimen collecting. This work in 2017 combined with the Down Dip Drive mining in 2016 has improved the ore reserve estimates. A total of 25M3 rock and 'ore' was mined consisting of waste rock and hanging wall kaolinite containing azurite.