FORM 43-101F1 TECHNICAL REPORT GEOLOGICAL EVALUATION, MULGA TANK NICKEL PROJECT, NORTHEAST GOLDFIELDS,WESTERN AUSTRALIA PREPARED FOR NEWPORT EXPLORATION LTD FOR SUBMISSION TO THE TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE – VENTURE EXCHANGE Authors: Steve Le Brun, MSc, BSc (Hons), MAusIMM, MMICA Allen J Maynard, BAppSc(Geol), MAIG, MAusIMM Company: Al Maynard & Associates, Suite 9, 280, Hay Street Subiaco, WA, 6008, Australia. Tel: +618 9388 1000 Date: 4 th July 2004
Transcript
FORM 43-101F1 TECHNICAL REPORT
GEOLOGICAL EVALUATION,
MULGA TANK NICKEL PROJECT, NORTHEAST GOLDFIELDS,WESTERN AUSTRALIA
PREPARED FOR NEWPORT EXPLORATION LTD
FOR SUBMISSION TO THE
TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE – VENTURE EXCHANGE
Authors: Steve Le Brun, MSc, BSc (Hons), MAusIMM, MMICA
Allen J Maynard, BAppSc(Geol), MAIG, MAusIMM
Company: Al Maynard & Associates, Suite 9, 280, Hay Street
Subiaco, WA, 6008, Australia. Tel: +618 9388 1000
Date: 4th July 2004
Newport Exploration Ltd – Mulga Tank Technical Report
Newport Exploration Technical Report 2 July 2004 Page 1 of 23
22 DATE .......................................................................................................................... 15
23 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR TECHNICAL REPORTS ON DEVELOPMENT PROPERTIES AND PRODUCTION PROPERTIES............................................................................................... 15
Newport Exploration Technical Report 2 July 2004 Page 4 of 23
1 SUMMARY
This report details the geology and mineral potential of Joint Venture tenements managed by Newport Exploration Ltd (“Newport”) within the prospective Northeast Goldfields, Western Australia.
The project covers some 403km2 of Archaean greenstone terrain with good potential for dunite hosted nickel mineralisation.
The Mulga Tank tenements overlay portions of an extensive greenstone belt which includes the Minigwal dunite, a large, intense, circular, magnetic anomaly with an area of approximately 4 km in diameter. This anomaly has the characteristics for a major dunite hosted nickel sulphide deposit such as Mt. Keith which is also located in the Northeast Goldfields area of Western Australia.
Technical work undertaken by BHP at Mulga Tank in the early 1980s reported assay results of up to 2% nickel and defined an extensive zone of 0.2% - 0.5% Ni, which included 2,261m of shallow RC drilling, that remains open at depth in all directions.
An exploration program is set out to test some of the more advanced prospects by geophysical and drill testing methods. This exploration can be strongly focused and offers Newport an attractive opportunity to develop resources within an advanced exploration project. All dollar figures are in Australian dollars.
2 INTRODUCTION AND TERMS OF REFERENCE
2.1 Terms of Reference The writer has been requested by the Directors of Newport Exploration Ltd to summarize the geology and mineral potential of the Newport projects within the Northeast Goldfields region of Western Australia.
For the purposes of this report the writer is a ‘Qualified Person’ in accordance with National Instrument 43-101.
2.2 Report Purpose The writer understands this report is to be submitted to regulatory bodies and used by Newport to raise funds for the exploration of the project area.
2.3 Information Sources Information has been sourced from government authorities including GSWA (Geological Survey of Western Australia) and GA (Geoscience Australia; previously AGSO, Australian Geological Survey Organisation). Data sets of past exploration activity have also been utilized, as described elsewhere in this report. Details are contained within Item 23; References.
2.4 Field Involvement The writer visited the project area on a one day site visit during 30th June 2004, in company with geologist Mr J Haggman. Several old drill holes were sighted that targeted nickel – copper sulphide mineralisation, and is of direct relevance in the assessment of the Newport tenements. There were no suitable remnants for further sampling as the previous individual one-metre samples placed directly on the ground had all but been washed flat and merged. The writer is familiar with the general setting, geology and target models that apply to the project area.
Newport Exploration Technical Report 2 July 2004 Page 5 of 23
3 DISCLAIMER
Much of the information within this report is sourced from historical company exploration reports released by the West Australian Department of Industry and Resources (DOIR) as part of the WAMEX public domain database, together with geological mapping and geoscientific datasets released by a variety of government departments. These datasets are utilized with the assumption they are true and correct. In the writers opinion this is a reasonable assumption.
For description of land tenure the writer has relied on material provided by representatives of Newport Exploration who are commercial tenement managers and information provided directly from the Western Australian State Government’s Department of Industry and Resources (“DoIR”).
4 PROPERTY DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION
4.1 Property Area The property comprises one Exploration Licence (“EL”) E39/988 and one Exploration License application (“ELA”) ELA39/1072 covering an area of 403 km sq. The areas of individual properties are detailed within Table 1 (see section 4.3 below).
4.2 Property Location The project area comprises an exploration project within the Northeast Goldfields region of Western Australia. Geologically it is contained within the Northeast Goldfields greenstone belts of the Archaean Yilgarn Block. They are within the Shire of Menzies local government authority and are administered within the 39 District mining division.
The project can be spatially defined using the standard co-ordinate system within Australia. This is the Australian Map Grid (AMG) Zone 50 using the Australian Geodetic 1984 (AGD84) as a datum.
The project is centred around 520,000 mE, 6,694,000mN (AMG Zone 51 AGD84).
4.3 Claim Numbers Table 1 below details claim numbers and status
Table 1: Claim numbers, liabilities and status
Claim Number
Location Area Km sq/ Blocks
Holders Granted Expiry Minimum Annual Expenditure
Annual Rental Fee
E39/988 Mulga Tank 210km2/70 blocks
Newport Exploration 80% / King Eagle Resources 20%
06-10-2003
06-10-2008 $63,000 $6,729.80
E39/1072 Mulga Tank 153km2/51 blocks
Newport Exploration 75% / King Eagle Resources 25%
Newport Exploration Technical Report 2 July 2004 Page 6 of 23
4.4 Property title
Newport Exploration Ltd has rights to earn an 80% interest in the Exploration License (E39/988) and a 75% interest in the Exploration Licence Application (E39/1072) as detailed in 4.3 above. Table 1 above displays the minimum annual exploration expenditure that must be met to keep the licence in good standing (i.e. with continuing grant), as well as the annual rental fee and expiry date of each tenement. Each of the tenements is located over crown land (i.e. not freehold or privately owned property) and as such the mineral rights that the tenements provides to the holders extends from land surface down.
4.5 Tenement Surveying The exploration tenements have not been surveyed in keeping with Western Australian standard practice. Tenement boundaries are spatially defined by longitude and latitude with each graticular block having corners one minute of latitude and longitude apart.
4.6 Outside Mineralised zones In a regional perspective major resources relative to the outside of the tenement boundary are shown as Figure 1.
4.7 Royalties, rights and encumbrances Newport may earn an 80% interest in the Mulga Tank Nickel Project under the terms of an Option Agreements with King Eagle Resources Pty Ltd (“King Eagle”).
The terms of the Option Agreement for the Company to acquire the interests in both licences from King Eagle are staged payments totaling Six Hundred Thousand Canadian Dollars (C$600,000), the issuance of Two Million Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand (2,250,000) common shares of Newport over a three year period and expenditures of Two Million Five Hundred Thousand (C$2,500,000) Canadian Dollars within 36 months of approval by the TSX Venture Exchange (the “closing”). Should Mulga Tank be placed in commercial production a further one million common shares of Newport will be issued to King Eagle. The schedule of the cash consideration of the Purchase Price payable by Newport is as follows:
- Thirty Thousand Canadian Dollars (C$30,000) within 10 days of signing the Option Agreement;
- Thirty Thousand Canadian Dollars (C$30,000) on closing;
- Sixty Thousand Canadian Dollars (C$60,000) within twelve (12) months of closing;
- Ninety Thousand Canadian Dollars (C$90,000) within twenty-four (24) months of closing;
- One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Canadian Dollars (C$150,000) within thirty-six (36) months of closing.
- Two Hundred and Forty Thousand Dollars (C$240,000) upon completion of a feasibility study.
• The share consideration of the Purchase Price payable by Newport is as follows;
o One Hundred and Fifty Thousand (150,000) common shares of Newport to be issued to King Eagle within ten (10) days of closing;
o A further Three Hundred Thousand (300,000) common shares of Newport to be issued to King Eagle within twelve (12) months of closing;
Newport Exploration Technical Report 2 July 2004 Page 7 of 23
o Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand (450,000) common shares of Newport to be issued to King Eagle within Twenty-Four (24) months of closing;
o Six Hundred Thousand (600,000) common shares of Newport to be issued to King Eagle within thirty-six (36) months of closing.
o Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand (750,000) common shares of Newport to be issued to King Eagle on completion of a feasibility study.
o One million (1,000,000) common shares of Newport to be issued to King Eagle on commencement of commercial production.
• Expenditure commitments on Mulga Tank are Two Million Five Hundred Thousand
• (C$2,500,000) Canadian Dollars within 36 months of the date of closing, such expenditures to be at the following schedule;
o Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Canadian Dollars (C$250,000) within 12 months of closing;
o A further Five Hundred Thousand Canadian Dollars (C$500,000) within twenty-four months of closing;
o A further Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Canadian Dollars (C$750,000) within 36 months of closing;
o A further One Million Canadian Dollars (C$1,000,000) within 48 months of closing.
o Amounts of less than 30% of the committed expenditures that are incurred annually as per the schedule as outlined can be accrued for expenditures the following year with no penalty or default on the part of Newport. The balance of other unspent amounts will be subject to a 50% penalty of such amount to be paid in cash to King Eagle.
Native title rights may apply within the project area.
4.8 Environmental Liabilities Past explorers have undertaken extensive rehabilitation and fencing of exposed shafts and workings. No significant environmental liabilities are known to exist associated with the tenements.
4.9 Permits Required for Exploration Work In keeping with standard conditions for all exploration licenses granted within Western Australia, imposed at the time of grant, some permits are required in order to conduct certain work. These include approval from the District Mining Engineer for ground disturbing activities such as track and drill pad construction. Several active exploration areas have been cleared to allow drilling to take place. In other areas exact extents of future drilling has not been determined and so permits have not yet been sought.
5 ACCESSIBILITY, CLIMATE, LOCAL RESOURCES, INFRASTRUCTURE AND PHYSIOGRAPHY
5.1 Topography, elevation and vegetation The Northeast Goldfields presents a range of topography, generally reflecting the weathering effect of the varied underlying geology. Within the project areas it varies from poorly exposed flat expanses to low rocky hills and ridges, locally dissected by salt lake drainage systems.
Newport Exploration Technical Report 2 July 2004 Page 8 of 23
Elevation within the projects ranges from 238m to 429m, (Lipple et al, 1982).
The vegetation of the Northeast Goldfields region varies from open woodland and Mulga scrub in rangeland areas to salt tolerant halophyte species within salt lake drainage systems.
5.2 Access Access to the project areas is by 25km of sealed road then 135 km of graded shire road from Kalgoorlie to Pinjin Station and thence by way of 75 km of unsealed station tracks and old mining and exploration tracks.
5.3 Proximity to Population The city of Kalgoorlie is 235km to the southwest of the project area and provides all facilities to supply and maintain exploration activities.
5.4 Climate The climate is semi arid Mediterranean (Beard 1976). The annual rainfall averages 250mm with most rain occurring in winter months. Maximum daily temperatures between 20 to 40 degrees centigrade are common in summer but are typically between 15-25 degrees centigrade in winter. Exploration is rarely constrained by weather and is possible all year round.
5.5 Surface conditions for mining Local topography is generally subdued and the general environment is amenable for mining and associated infrastructure to be developed.
6 HISTORY
6.1 Prior Ownership The area has only been intermittently held under mineral title since the 1980s. The project area has been held by BHP Ltd., MPI Pty Ltd. and King Eagle Resources Pty Ltd. Current ownership is 80% King Eagle Resources Ltd., who have an option on the remaining 20%, from whom Newport is earning its interest under a joint venture.
Prior owners who carried out exploration work are detailed within section 6.2 below.
6.2 Past Exploration Work Publicly available exploration data, released as part of the Western Australian Mineral Exploration (WAMEX) Open File database has been researched to determine past work within the tenement area. Previous companies’ exploration is detailed in Table 2 below.
Previous explorers include BHP (1981 to 1983) and MPI / North (1994 - 1998) where BHP’s primary targets were Olympic Dam and dunite hosted nickel deposits, however because of considerable drilling difficulties the target remains essentially untested.
Newport Exploration Technical Report 2 July 2004 Page 9 of 23
BHP focused on coincident magnetic and gravity anomalies and completed aeromagnetic surveys, ground magnetic surveys, radiometric surveys, bedrock drilling (hole depths 51 to 117m), diamond drilling (two vertical holes 215m and 63m deep), and geophysics.
MPI / North’s work specifically targeted structurally controlled gold deposits and the Minigwal dunite was not tested for nickel.
BHP carried out diamond coring using a Foxmobile top-drive rig and RC drilling using a truck mounted Schramm. Vertical RC drill holes totaling 2,261m were completed over 5 lines at the southern margin of the dunite body with assays in the range 0.2% to 0.5% Ni, including a highly anomalous value of 2.0% Ni over a 1600m strike length. The body remains open in all directions.
Diamond drillhole (DDH 1A) targeting the Minigwal dunite body intersected a magnetic dunite mainly comprising coarse grained olivine with varying degrees of serpentinisation, intestitial magnetite, chromite and sulphides. Assays returned values in the range 0.2% to 0.6% Ni and confirmed the presence of nickel sulphides.
The second diamond drillhole (DDH 1D) was targeted into the linear trending northwest-southeast magnetic structure and intersected amphibolites and banded iron formations, but did not exhibit any igneous textures in the samples.
6.3 Historical Mineral Resources Past work has not included any mineral resource estimates.
6.4 Production No historical nickel production has been undertaken within the Mulga Tank Nickel Project.
7 GEOLOGICAL SETTING
7.1 Regional Geology The Mulga Tank Nickel Project area is contained within the Northeast Goldfields, the eastern most of the three major granite greenstone terrains that comprise the Archaean aged Yilgarn Craton of Western Australia.
The Mulga Tank tenements overlay portions of an extensive greenstone belt which includes the Minigwal dunite, a large, intense, circular, magnetic anomaly with an area of approximately 4 km in diameter. This anomaly has the characteristics for a major dunite hosted nickel sulphide deposit such as Mt. Keith, which is also located in the Northeast Goldfields area of Western Australia.
The dunite forms part of a dominantly unexposed greenstone sequence, near the eastern exposed edge of the Yilgarn Block. The rocks are presumed to be Archaean on structural and lithological grounds. The belt is traceable on regional magnetic maps over an area of about 25 km by 15 km northwesterly from the dunite body. Small exposures of banded iron formation and amphibolite occur adjacent to foliated granite in the northern part of the belt.
The Mulga Tank tenements are close to the western limit of complete cover of Archaean rocks by Phanerozoic sediments of the Officer Basin.
Newport Exploration Technical Report 2 July 2004 Page 10 of 23
7.2 Local and Property Geology The dunite forms part of a dominantly unexposed greenstone sequence near the eastern edge of the Yilgarn Block. The area is mostly covered by a veneer of Cainozoic quartz rich surface aeolian sands or colluvial soils and transported material with less than 5% of the Archaean greenstone belt outcropping. Through aeromagnetics, regional synclines, mafic and ultramafic rocks, BIF’s, metabasalts, dolerite and granitoid intrusions have been interpreted. The greenstone belt is flanked to the east by felsic gneisses while the serpentinised dunite body at the south is flanked by sericite schists and metamorphosed mafic rocks.
The basement ultrabasics are medium to very coarse grained, adcumulate textured, serpentinised dunites with partially developed talc-carbonate alteration selvages. The mineralogy is dominantly serpentinite group minerals after olivine, with veins of quartz, secondary serpentinite, talc and carbonate. Euhedral grains of primary chromite/spinel are common and magnetite forms masses in cross-cutting veins of serpentinite. Secondary sulphide minerals include pyrrhotite and rare chalcopyrite and pentlandite.
8 DEPOSIT TYPES
Large dunite-hosted
The primary targets are large (>100Mt) low grade (<1% Ni) deposits of fine disseminated sulphides within olivine adcumulates, for example Mt. Keith and Six Mile / Yakabindie.
Stratiform dunite-hosted
Secondary targets are stratiform small to medium sized deposits of massive, matrix and disseminated sulphides at the base of thick komatiitic / dunite units composed mainly of olivine adcumulates, for example the Digger Rocks deposits in the Forrestania Greenstone Belt.
9 MINERALISATION
Results of past exploration are described within Section 6 above and this includes mineralisation that has been encountered by this work.
10 EXPLORATION
Newport Exploration has not commenced exploration within the project.
11 DRILLING
Drilling methods etc are detailed in Section 6 above; History within this report.
12 SAMPLING METHODS AND APPROACH
12.1 Sampling Methods Sampling methods etc are detailed in Section 6 above; History within this report.
12.2 Factors Impacting the Accuracy of Results No factors impacting a fair collection of samples are apparent from the data available within the project areas.
Newport Exploration Technical Report 2 July 2004 Page 11 of 23
12.3 Sample Quality In the writers opinion the quality of historical sampling provides a reasonable basis to plan further investigations.
12.4 Controls on Sample Intervals The majority of the historical drilling has been by reverse circulation techniques. In these instances Australian standard practice is to sample at one metre intervals.
12.5 Sample composites and true widths Typical drill intercepts and true widths are described in Section 6 above within this report and detailed in Table 3 below for nickel sampling.
Table 3: Assay intersections for Mulga Tank Nickel (source BHP Pty Ltd).
Hole No. Interval (m)
Sample No. Ni % Cu ppm Zn ppm Cr ppm Mn ppm Co ppm
13.1 Related Party Sample Preparation The prospectivity of the project is largely defined by sample results from historical explorers. This work is unrelated to Newport.
13.2 Sample Analytical Methods Sample preparation carried out by past explorers has been conducted by commercial laboratories specializing in this work, including Analabs of Welshpool WA and Amdel of West Perth, WA.
The Analabs analyses were carried out using AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy) for Ni, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn and Zn.
Amdel carried out petrological reports on three samples from the BHP exploration program.
13.3 Sample Quality Control No details on any quality control procedures undertaken are available.
13.4 Sample Adequacy In the writers opinion the sampling methods, preparation, security and procedures have been adequate.
Newport Exploration Technical Report 2 July 2004 Page 12 of 23
14 DATA VERIFICATION
14.1 Quality Control No details on any quality control procedures undertaken are available.
14.2 Data verification Data used in this evaluation report is sourced from historical exploration reports and has been collected by a various exploration companies independent of the current tenement holders.
14.3 Limitations to Data Verification Sample data relates to historical work in which quality control issues are not discussed.
14.4 Reason to Verify Data Sample data relates to historical work in which quality control issues are not discussed and the data is not obtainable from different sources.
15 ADJACENT PROPERTIES
No information on adjacent properties is included here.
16 MINERAL PROCESSING AND METALLURGICAL TESTING
No mineral processing or metallurgical testing has been carried out.
17 MINERAL RESOURCE AND RESERVE ESTIMATES
No mineral resource or reserve estimate has been carried out by Newport Exploration or its Joint Venture partner. No historical resource estimates have been carried out.
18 OTHER RELEVANT DATA AND INFORMATION
NOTES ON MT KEITH - A MULGA TANK ANALOGUE
The Mount Keith orebody is one of the world’s largest low-grade, economically mined, disseminated nickel sulphide deposits. It is some 425 km north of Kalgoorlie and lies within the Agnew-Wiluna segment of the regional Achaean Norseman-Wiluna greenstone belt. Mt Keith occurs near the centre of the narrowest part of the belt, which ranges from 5 to 25 km in width.
Nickel mineralisation is hosted by a serpentinised dunite within a large lenticular peridotite-dunite komatiite body. The mineralization extends for over 2 km along strike and continues steeply down dip to a depth of at least 500 metres. Ore grade mineralisation is developed over 250 to 300 metres of the 650m thickness of the dunite. Total reserves and resources are 517Mt @ 0.56% Ni, at a 0.2% recovered Ni lower cut-off grade.
The predominant nickel sulphide is pentlandite accompanied by pyrrhotite±magnetite.
19 INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS
No exploration work has been carried out by Newport Exploration. Historical interpretations and conclusions are included in Section 6 above. Recommendations are described below.
Newport Exploration Technical Report 2 July 2004 Page 13 of 23
20 RECOMMENDATIONS
It is recommended further exploration be conducted to define if economic mineralisation is present within the project areas. Work should continue on drilling the southern rim and peripheral zones of the dunite body while delineating targets throughout the greenstone belt. Given the size of the body it is envisaged a large drilling program will be required to test the targets.
Proposed Exploration Program and Budget
Rationale
The Mulga Tank exploration program will consist of 2 phases and take 12 months to complete. The goal of Phase 1 is to define anomalous zones within the dunite body and elevate these to drill target status. Phase 2 will involve drilling these targets.
Phase 1 consists of the acquisition and re-interpretation of the BHP airborne magnetic data, a surface EM survey, soil geochemistry and mapping of the dunite body-magnetic anomaly. The soil techniques to be used are mag lag and enzyme leach which have been proven to be successful methods in exploring for deep nickel sulphide and laterite deposits. Given the nature of the terrain and dense vegetation line-clearing will be required for the ground EM survey. Approval for major earth works will need to be obtained from the Department of Industry & Resources. Phase 1 is estimated to take 6 months to complete.
Phase 2 will involve drill testing of anomalous zones and will consist of a 2000m program of RC drilling and downhole-EM subject to satisfactory results being gained from Phase 1.
Phase 1 Budget
Item A$
EM survey / 10 days at $2500 day 25 000
Line-clearing 10 000
Soil sampling / 3 lines at 15 km x 100m / 450 samples
Newport Exploration Technical Report 2 July 2004 Page 15 of 23
21 REFERENCES
Aldous. R., (1983), Annual Report for the Mines Department on TR8741H, Minigwal, Mount Margaret Mineral Field, April 1983, Item 2940, A12443
Beard J.S. & Webb M.J. 1974, The vegetation survey of Western Australia : its aims, objects and methods. Great Sandy Desert. Part 1 of explanatory notes to sheet 2. Vegetation survey of Western Australia, 1:1 000 000 Vegetation Series, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Perth.
King Eagle Resources Pty Ltd (2004). The Mulga Tank Nickel Project.
Stephens C., (1983), Report on Bedrock Drilling of an Obscured Dunite Body, TR 8741H, Minigwal, WA, June 1983, Item 2940/1, A13701.
22 DATE & SIGNING
The effective date of this report is 4th July 2004
Allen J Maynard BAppSc(Geol), MAIG, MAusIMM
23 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR TECHNICAL REPORTS ON DEVELOPMENT PROPERTIES AND PRODUCTION PROPERTIES
Australian & International Exploration & Evaluation of Mineral Properties
CERTIFICATE and CONSENT of AUTHOR
I, Allen John Maynard, B.App.Sc.(Geol) do hereby certify that: 1. I am currently self-employed as a Principal Geologist of geological consulting firm Al
Maynard & Associates, Suite 9, 280 Hay Street, Subiaco, WA, 6008, Australia.
2. I graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Applied Science in Geology from the Western Australian Institute of University (now Curtin University) in 1978. (Cert. No. 10534)
3. I am a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (Cert. No. 0883) and a
Corporate Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (No. 104986). 4. I have worked as a geologist for a total of 26 years in all Australian States (including
Christmas Island – Indian Ocean), Cambodia, Chile, China (Sechuan Province), Ecuador, Egypt, Greenland (Southwest), Indonesia (Java & Sumatra), Mauritania, Mozambique, Peninsular Malaysia, Peru, Philippines (Cebu, Luzon & Mindanao), Portugal, Republic of South Africa, Zimbabwe and mid-west USA (Wyoming, Colorado).
5. I have read the definition of “qualified person” set out in National Instrument 43-101 (“NI 43-101”) and certify that by reason of my education, affiliation with a professional association (as defined in NI 43-101) and past relevant work experience, I fulfill the requirements to be a “qualified person” for the purposes of NI 43-101.
6. I am responsible overall for the preparation of the technical report titled “Geological
Evaluation, Mulga Tank Nickel Project, Northeast Goldfields, Western Australia ” dated 4th July, 2004 (the “Technical Report”) prepared for Newport Exploration Ltd of 408- 837 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 3N6. I have visited the property during on the 30th June, 2004 and have had recent discussions during June and July, 2004 regarding the property with senior geotechnical personnel regarding all available exploration data.
Certificate of Qualifications and Consent of Author – Newport Exploration Ltd Page 2
7. I have had no prior involvement with the properties that are the subject of the Technical Report.
8. I am not aware of any material fact or material change with respect to the subject matter
of the Technical Report that is not reflected in the Technical Report, the omission to disclose which makes the Technical Report misleading.
9. I am independent of the issuer applying all of the tests in section 1.5 of National
Instrument 43-101. 10. I have read National Instrument 43-101 and Form 43-101F1, and the Technical Reports
have been prepared in compliance with that instrument and form. 11. I consent to the filing of the Technical Reports with any stock exchange and other
regulatory authority and any publication by them, including electronic publication in the public company files on their websites accessible by the public, of the Technical Report in the form and context within which they are written.
Australian & International Resource Estimation, Exploration & Evaluation of Mineral Properties
CERTIFICATE and CONSENT of AUTHOR I, Steven Le Brun, BSc(hons), MSc, do hereby certify that: 1. I am currently self-employed as an independent consulting geologist of 3 Carterton
Place, Padbury, Perth, WA 6025, Australia.
2. I graduated with a honours degree in Bachelor of Science in Earth Sciences from the University of Leeds, England in 1984.
3. I graduated with a degree in Master of Science in Mineral Exploration and Mining
Geology from the University of Leicester, England in 1987. 4. I am a Member of the Mineral Industry Consultants Association and a Corporate
Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. 5. I have worked as a geologist for a total of 20 years in Australia, France, England,
Uganda, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Tadjikistan, Armenia, Libya and Saudi Arabia.
6. I have read the definition of “qualified person” set out in National Instrument 43-101 (“NI 43-101”) and certify that by reason of my education, affiliation with a professional association (as defined in NI 43-101) and past relevant work experience, I fulfill the requirements to be a “qualified person” for the purposes of NI 43-101.
7. I am responsible for the preparation of the technical report titled “Geological
Evaluation, Mulga Tank Nickel Project, Northeast Goldfields, Western Australia” and dated 4th July, 2004 (the “Technical Report”) relating to the properties prepared for Newport Exploration Ltd. Of 408-837 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC Y6C 3N6..
8. I am not aware of any material fact or material change with respect to the subject
matter of the Technical Report that is not reflected in the Technical Report, the omission to disclose which makes the Technical Report misleading.
9. I am independent of the issuer applying all of the tests in section 1.5 of National
Instrument 43-101.
10. I have read National Instrument 43-101 and Form 43-101F1, and the Technical Report has been prepared in compliance with that instrument and form.
11. I consent to the filing of the Technical Report with any stock exchange and other
regulatory authority and any publication by them, including electronic publication in the public company files on their websites accessible by the public, of the Technical Report.
Dated this 4th Day of June, 2004.
Signature of Qualified Person Steve Le Brun
Mineral Titles Online System
A13 Type Tenement ReportDISCLAIMER: This is not a copy of the official Register s referred to in Reg. 106 of the Mining Regulations 1981.
E 3900988 (EXPLORATION LICENCE) Status: LIVE
Tenement SummaryFile ID: 11425/2 Death reason:
Mark Off: Death Date:
Lodged: 13/08/2002 10:56:00 Granted From: 06/10/2003 To: 05/10/2008
Purpose: Wardens action: Recommended for Approval
DESCRIPTION DETAILS
Remaining Blocks
Date Description No. ofBlocks
Million Plan Primary Graticules
13/08/2002 APPLIED FOR 70 KALGOORLIE 1478 wxyz
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1551 ab
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1624 qrvw
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1696 abfghlmn
06/10/2003 GRANTED 70 1478 wxyz
1550 abcdefghjlopqvwx
1551 ab
1622 bchjknoptuz
1623 lqrstuvwxyz
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1695 abcdefghjkmnop
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SHIRE DETAILS
Shire Shire No Area
MENZIES SHIRE 5390 70.00000 BL.
RESERVE AND SPECIAL AREA DETAILS
PUBLIC PLAN DETAILS
Created 15/07/2004 11:39:56 Requested By: Allen J Maynard/Page 1 of 2
Plan code Plan Name Scale Million Reference Plan Status Action Charted details
00000S NO PLAN NAME GIVEN 0 SC52 ACTIVE PP 01 13/08/2002
HOLDER DETAILS
Name and Address Tenement Interest Holder Code
KING EAGLE RESOURCES PTY LTD ACTIVE 017564 03SUITE 701: LEVEL 7 121 WALKER STREET NORTH SYDNEY NSW 2060
RELATED TENEMENT DETAILS
Relationship Relationship Tenement ID Tenement Status
SURVEY DETAILS
UNCONDITIONAL PERFORMANCE BOND DETAILS
COMBINED REPORTING DETAILS
RENT DETAILS
Year Payment date Payment Centre Receipt No Amount
2004 03/10/2003 PERTH 64902 $592.20
2004 13/08/2002 LEONORA 4407 $5,922.00
EXPENDITURE DETAILS
A13 Report E 3900988
Created 15/07/2004 11:39:56 Requested By: Allen J Maynard/Page 2 of 2
Mineral Titles Online System
A13 Type Tenement ReportDISCLAIMER: This is not a copy of the official Register s referred to in Reg. 106 of the Mining Regulations 1981.
E 3901072 (EXPLORATION LICENCE) Status: PEND
Tenement SummaryFile ID: 0/0 Death reason:
Mark Off: Death Date:
Lodged: 09/01/2004 11:49:00 Granted From: To:
Purpose: Wardens action: Recommended for Approval
DESCRIPTION DETAILS
Remaining Blocks
Date Description No. ofBlocks
Million Plan Primary Graticules
09/01/2004 APPLIED FOR 51 KALGOORLIE 1550 uz
1551 qvwx
1623 abcdfghjkmnop
1624 flmnstxy
1696 cdjopstuxyz
1768 cdeghjmnrsx
1840 ch
SHIRE DETAILS
Shire Shire No Area
MENZIES SHIRE 5390 51.00000 BL.
RESERVE AND SPECIAL AREA DETAILS
PUBLIC PLAN DETAILS
Plan code Plan Name Scale Million Reference Plan Status Action Charted details
00000S NO PLAN NAME GIVEN 0 SC52 ACTIVE PP 01 09/01/2004
HOLDER DETAILS
Name and Address Tenement Interest Holder Code
KING EAGLE RESOURCES PTY LTD ACTIVE 017564 03
Created 15/07/2004 11:42:35 Requested By: Allen J Maynard/Page 1 of 2
SUITE 701: LEVEL 7 121 WALKER STREET NORTH SYDNEY NSW 2060
RELATED TENEMENT DETAILS
Relationship Relationship Tenement ID Tenement Status
SURVEY DETAILS
UNCONDITIONAL PERFORMANCE BOND DETAILS
COMBINED REPORTING DETAILS
RENT DETAILS
Year Payment date Payment Centre Receipt No Amount
09/01/2004 LEONORA 6442 $4,457.40
EXPENDITURE DETAILS
A13 Report E 3901072
Created 15/07/2004 11:42:35 Requested By: Allen J Maynard/Page 2 of 2
