East Darwin

The highly prospective contact between the Tyndall Group and the CVC strikes north-south through the project area, with remnants of the Owen group occupying some topographic highs. The CVC volcanics are composed of competent rhyolite volcanics in the west of the project area, and a series of chloritic-schistose volcaniclastic rocks and sediments in between the rhyolites and the Tyndall group. The competent CVC rhyolites have undergone variable silicification and potassic alteration, and the volcaniclastic sediments have undergone extensive silica-sericite-chlorite-pyrite alteration. A north-east striking fault is off-setting the two above mentioned units, and a large north-west striking structure; a possible splay off of the Great Lyell Fault is present through the project area. The Tyndall Group is composed of a series of quartz rich volcaniclastics and siltstones which overly the CVC volcaniclastics unconformably, dipping to the west.

Chalcopyrite-pyrite mineralisation in association with extensive hydrothermal alteration is seen over a strike length of ~800m within the schistose CVC volcaniclastic sediments. A drill hole intersected remobilised silica-sericite-pyrite altered clasts that contained galena-sphalerite mineralisation within the Tyndall group (NCT002: intersection averaged 6m @ 0.31 g/t Au, 0.15% Pb, 0.25% Zn).

Historical exploration began at the turn of the 20th century. Seven historical workings have attempted to exploit the East Darwin mineralisation over a strike length of 800m. The town of Darwin was built to service the mines on East Darwin. Activity at East Darwin ceased when the Crotty Smelter was shut down in about 1905.

Modern exploration started in earnest in the early 1970’s with companies sampling the historical workings, conducting IP surveys and mapping programs. This led to the drilling of two diamond drill holes by INAL in 1973 (drilling tabulated below), and subsequent Controlled Source Audio Frequency Magneto-Tellurics (CSAMT) led to the drilling of a single diamond hole in 2004 by Newcrest (NCT002). Drill hole NCT002 was collared in the Tyndall group and drilled west, down dip, and consequently never reached the target horizon (the contact between the CVC and Tyndall group). A geochemical soil survey was completed after the drilling resulting in delineation of several gold anomalies. Jaguar Minerals Ltd infilled and extended the Newcrest soil surveys resulting in better definition of the gold anomalism.