The Paulsens East tenement includes sediments of the Middle Proterozoic Wyloo Group which contain hematite mineralisation. The Wyloo Group rocks range from the continental Beasley River Quartzite to red beds of the Mt McGrath Formation that have been overlain by the shallow marine Duck Creek Dolomite.

The iron mineralisation found within the tenement occurs as a hematite conglomerate in the Mt McGrath Formation forming a prominent arcuate ridge up to 60 metres high, with cumulative average widths of ~6 metres and approximately 3,000 metres long. The conglomerate consists of hematite pebbles in a hematite rich matrix and cement. The conglomerate, when it is fully mineralised, is composed of hematite clasts in a hematite matrix. When the conglomerate is “unmineralised” (i.e. below economic cut-off grade) the clasts are composed chert and often Weeli Wolli BIF (a distinctive banded red chert alternating with a siliceous hematite BIF).

The Paulsens East iron ore deposit comprises three main bands of iron rich hematite conglomerate mappable as continuous bands along its three kilometre strike length. These bands were originally deposited in the Proterozoic and formed by erosion of mineralised bedrock and its subsequent reconstitution. During reconstitution, hematite pebbles were deposited and held together in hematite matrix along land and marine interface such that the high purity heavy hematite conglomerate bands occur interbedded with ferruginous quartzite ........

In Stage 1 of operations, up to 400,000 tonnes of ore will be crushed and screened from these areas to produce DSO Lump and Fines products, with an estimated average Lump product grade of ~62% Fe and Fines product grade of ~59% Fe.

Mining, crushing and screening and haulage operations will be undertaken by specialist contractors with overall supervision and management provided by Strike’s ‘Owner’s Team’.

The detrital ore requires no drill and blast activities and will be undertaken predominantly through very shallow trenching and screening operations. The detritals area sits partially over the area of the open Main Pit and as such, the mining of the surface material will assist in the development of the Main Pit during Stage 1.

Iron ore mineralisation outcrops on top of the ridge, which protrudes between ~40 to 60m above its base.

It is envisaged that a ‘pioneering mining fleet’, comprising a small 50 tonne excavator and associated articulated dump trucks (ATD’s), together with two drill and blast drill rigs, will be required initially in order to access the top of the ridge, as well as to establish and mine the initial benches.

Once the pioneering fleet has established three to four mining benches across the upper portion of the ridge surface, the production mining fleet will commence mining. The production fleet will utilise a 105 tonne excavator, with waste and ore transported to waste dumps and the ROM pad respective ........

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