In June 2008, Hot Rock Limited announced that it had won a competitive tender for an exploration permit geothermal (EPG) EPG19 in Queensland.

This EPG19 is called Walsh Hot Springs. It covers approximately 657sq km and is located 115 km west of Cairns in north Queensland (Figure 1).

Hot Rock believes this permit to be one of the most prospective of the geothermal permits offered by the Queensland government in its Land Release Area GLR2007-1.

Two thermal springs have been identified in the permit area with recorded surface discharge temperatures of 42^oC and 56^oC (Figure 2). No previous geothermal exploration has been carried out in the area. The permit is located within 75 km of major transmission lines and electricity markets in north Queensland. The prospect appears associated with Carboniferous age, heat generating plutonic rocks and associated fractured volcanic rocks in the Featherbed Cauldron Complex.

Hot Rock will commence initial exploration work to sample and examine the geochemical composition of springs and water bores to investigate possible connections between the surface springs and a high temperature geothermal reservoir in fractured rocks at depths of up to 3.5 km below surface.

Walsh Figure 1 - Location and geology

Walsh Figure 2 - Magnetic interpretation of geology.