The Thomson Orogen is thought to be an extension of the Central Lachlan Fold belt, both of which are separated by the East-West trending Olepoloko Fault in northern NSW (Figure 1). The Thomson Orogen, situated to the north of the Olepoloko Fault, is one of the least explored areas in NSW. Extensive and in some parts thick sedimentary cover have limited the exploration of the underlying basement rocks. The Thomson Orogen has been identified as having large potential for orogenic, magmatic arc and oceanic crust -related gold and base metal deposits. 

Pangaea Minerals’ carefully planned drilling campaign in the Thomson Orogen comprises eight cored exploration holes spanning a vast and relatively underexplored region between the towns of Bourke and White Cliffs. The drilling targets have been largely defined through the interpretation of aerial magnetics flown by the Geological Survey of NSW, and will be drilled to an average depth of 400m with the purpose of physically identifying the potential of Cobar Basin style polymetallic Cu-Pb-Zn-Au-Ag deposits. The drilling program will cover 6 of Pangaea Minerals’ tenements which were each granted by the NSW Department of Primary Industries for a period of two years.

Exploration drilling will only be undertaken in defined areas and with appropriate authority granted under the Mining Act 1992 or the Coal Mining Act 1973. All boreholes will be drilled and P&A’d in compliance with legislation, regulations and guidelines from the NSW Department of Primary Industries and the NSW Office of Wate

Figure 1  Distribution of Silurian and Devonian stratotectonic units, after Figure 16.6 of Scheibner and Basden (1997).  The tenements are located approximately in the Louth Trough to the north of the Olepoloko Suture.

Scheibner, E and Basden, H. 1998  Geology of New South Wales.  Volume 2 Geological Evolution.  Geological Survey of New South Wales.  Memoir Geology 13(2).