Arafura Resources has a substantial land position in the Aileron-Reynolds Range district, covering an area of about 1,500 km2 (EL 23571, SEL 23671, EL 27290, EL 27291, EL 27335, EL 27336, EL 27337). In addition, the Company has non-uranium exploration and development rights over adjoining licences held by NuPower Resources Limited (EL 24741, EL 24548). The Nolans Bore REE-P-U deposit is located on SEL 23671, approximately 135 km north-north-west of Alice Springs. In late 2007, an application was lodged for a mineral lease over the deposit - ML 26659.

 

The Reynolds Range is in the central Aileron Province of the Arunta Region. The Aileron Province comprises greenschist to granulite facies metamorphic rocks with protolith ages in the range 1865-1710 Ma. Supracrustal rocks in the Reynolds Range are divided into 2 broad units: the Lander Rock Beds and the Reynolds Range Group. The Lander Rock Beds comprise (meta)turbiditic rocks that range in metamorphic grade from greenschist to granulite.

Granite intrusion occurred in the Reynolds Range area between 1810 and 1790 Ma. The supracrustal rocks and granites were overprinted by high grade metamorphism to amphibolite and granulite facies during 1590-1560 Ma. Dykes and irregular masses of very coarse grained pegmatite intrude the supracrustals and intrusive rocks, and transgress all observed metamorphic foliation.

The Reynolds Range has a characteristic NW-SE grain defined in large part by similarly oriented shear zones and faults. These late shear zones were probably active during the later stages of the Alice Springs Orogeny.

Exploration undertaken by Arafura over its Aileron / Reynolds Range holdings to date has largely been focused on the Nolans prospect area, with the exception of limited geological reconnaissance in 2005, and extensive airborne geophysical (magnetic-radiometric), airborne hyperspectral and ground gravity surveys during 2008. The district therefore remains highly prospective for the discovery of apatite-hosted REE mineralisation, gold, uranium and iron.