Second Partial Relinquishment Report Edwards Creek South EL 32758 for the period 16 December 2021 to 15 December 2024

Abstract

EL 32758 of 292 square kilometres was granted in December 2021. It is located 90 km north of Alice Springs in rugged country of the Strangways Range. Primary targets are gold, base metals and REE's. Dominant lithology is good outcrop of Strangways Metamorphic Complex in Palaeoproterozoic Arunta Complex Division 1, comprising mostly mafic and felsic granulites, gneiss, calc-silicate rocks and amphibolite. Schists of the retrograde Southern Cross schist zone are also present. There are no mines, deposits or mineral occurrences in the EL area. Mineralisation proximal to the EL is Johnnies Reward Cu-Au deposit to the east, very small high-grade base metal prospects at Harry Creek to the south and Edwards Creek on competitor tenement within original EL 32758, and REE's at Mud Tank carbonatite to the east. Previous exploration focussed on collection of surface samples, mostly drainage with some soil traverses and rock chips. Anomalous assay results within the EL area include scattered low-level base metal anomalies and a cluster of gold in drainage anomalies to maximum 88ppb. A detailed airborne mag/rad survey flown by Davenport Resources in 2017 covers the southern part of the EL including all of the relinquished area. Work completed in year 1 included analysis of surface sample assays from previous exploration , field reconnaissance and pXRF readings of a cluster of aeromagnetic anomalies labelled T1-T5, and an airborne EM survey comprising acquisition of VTEM data at 200 metre line spacing for a total of 387 line kilometres. The magnetic anomalies are caused by dolerite and did not show any visible signs of mineralisation. Assessment of the VTEM results identified four priority 1 prospect areas, all in Yambah granulite. All four anomalies are within the area subject of second partial relinquishment. Work completed in year 2 comprised fixed-loop ground EM surveys over two of the four priority 1 VTEM anomalies. Readings were acquired at 149 sites on 14 traverses for total 7.45 line km. Extremely rugged topography prevented access of 4WD and trailer-mounted generator to the other two anomalies. The ground data reveals weak responses with noise overprint. Interpretation concluded the source of the AEM anomalies is small, shallow conductors of low conductivity thickness. No further work is warranted. In year 3 no new data have been acquired by Gempart within the area relinquished.