Mountain Creek Iron Ore

The Mountain Creek Iron Ore project is located in the Roper River region of the Northern Territory, with close proximity to the Gulf of Carpentaria. The nearest settlement is at Roper Bar to the northwest.

The area holds areas of outcropping ironstone and is also prospective for substantial quantities under thin cover.

The Mountain Creek project area totals over 1,000 sq kms, comprising one granted licence EL27143. The project is located in the northern part of the Northern Territory, a geological region endowed with numerous world class mineral deposits.

The iron ore deposits have many attractive attributes to develop into a major project.  Located close to the coast, the area is ideally placed for export of a bulk commodity.   Furthermore, the top end of Australia is closer to Asian steel mills than any other major iron ore producing region.

Geologically, the project area is located in the McArthur Basin, a Proterozoic province extending from Arnhem Land to the Queensland border.  A sedimentary iron formation called the Sherwin Ironstone Member occurs in the McMinn formation Mesoproterozoic Roper Group. The strata is predominantly flat-lying with gentle dips, although in places folding and steep dips due to structural dislocation are observed.

The iron formation is comprised of multiple oolitic beds, consisting of closely packed hematite concretions, or oolites, and well rounded quartz grains. Mineralogical studies show the iron formation in hand specimen is best described as a hematitic sandstone. Importantly, they have been locally enriched by the addition of microcrystalline specular hematite. This event has substantially upgraded the iron content of the original oolitic iron formation. The regional government airborne geophysntical data shows the magnetic activity over the entire area is very subdued, confirming the iron mineralogy is hematite rather than magnetite.

Limited mapping and sampling was completed on the ground in field season 2009 following grant of tenement in August.   Mapping shows the "Hells Gate Hinge line" extends from the Roper Bar project area into the Mountain Creek area.   This is a major geological structure which has influenced the development of high grade hematitic iron ore mineralisation.

The prospective Sherwin Ironstone member (SIM) also extends from Roper Bar project area into the Mountain Creek EL.   Surface samples have reported assays in the range 46-62% Fe.  A detailed ground gravity survey is in progress to define sites for drill testing in 2010.