Millar's Workings (Millers Workings), Barrow Creek Pegmatite Field, Barrow Creek, Barkly Region, Northern Territory, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Millar's Workings (Millers Workings)	Workings
Barrow Creek Pegmatite Field	Pegmatite Field
Barrow Creek	Creek
Barkly Region	Region
Northern Territory	Territory
Australia	Country

In 1978, Albert Millar discovered tantalite at this location, and several small parcels were processed at a plant he erected at the Salt Lake City Bore, 6 kilometres to the north, bordering the west side of the Stuart Highway. Millar was in partnership with Freeman (surname), who had conducted some prospecting on neighbouring pegmatites, but litigation between the partners soon ended mining. Production was from a shallow pit to a depth of 2 metres, revealing mineralisation in a quartz vein only 20 cms below the surface. One source states only 1 tonne of ore was mined in 1980, across 1000 square metres, to a depth of 1.2 metres. Muscovite books are noted by this source in the pegmatite.

Explored by R.B. Mining Pty Ltd 1981, and Haddington Resources 2005-2006. The latter states the workings have been largely re-filled, and re-vegetated, with the pit fenced off. They further state the pegmatite could not be located due to the heavy ground disturbance in the area from prior mining/exploration.

There are two areas of workings called Main and South. Main is a discontinuous faulted pegmatite, discordant with the regional trend. The pegmatite meanders generally east south-east, with a 20-30 degree dip south, averaging 1.5 metres thick, but 3.5 metres in the pit. The pegmatite has intruded schist, interbedded with deeply weathered amphibolite. The pegmatite contains sections of the country rock within it, and quartz blows. Numerous faults offset the pegmatite.

The South workings are on a contorted pegmatite, 150 metres long, discordant trending east north-east, dipping 30-40 degrees south, with a thin layer of gravel covering it. Haddington states this is 200 metres south-west of the Main workings, as merely a scrape, with some low level ore heaps. The pegmatite sits in quartz and Bullion Schist.

Later testing by the Northern Territory Mines Department found patchy mineralisation in the South workings, and very limited mineralisation in the Main workings.

Neighbouring pegmatites to the north-west include Easy, Horizontal, and Anster. Halfway is about 500 metres to the south. Millars is about 2 kilometres west of the Stuart Highway. The minor shallow pit was located. See main Barrow Creek Pegmatite Field sub-heading for more geology information.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References