Black Canyon (ASX:BCA) has returned 99% high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPSM) extraction rates from hydrometallurgical testwork on samples from its recently drilled KR1 Target in Western Australia.
The $9.84 million market capitalisation company says its KR1 leach test yielded a 97% extraction rate and, through a phased purification, produced a greater than 32% manganese content HPMSM, exceeding minimum specification.
Black Canyon reports the KR1 sample was collected from its wholly owned tenement within the Balfour Manganese Field as part of a broader variability study to assess the amenability of multiple manganese oxide sources to simple beneficiation, leaching, and production of battery-grade HPMSM.
The company notes recent drilling at KR1 demonstrated a ‘large’, mineralised footprint over 2,000m long with multiple shallow manganese drill intersects. Black Canyon has now begun Mineral Resource Estimation (MRE) studies on the prospect.
The company notes that the HPMSM testwork demonstrates that direct reductive acid leach methodology is suitable for extracting manganese from manganese oxide ores as opposed to conventional low-temperature roasting.
Black Canyon is currently scoping the next stage of hydrometallurgical testwork to utilise up to 400kg of material from the recently drilled KR1 and KR2 prospects to advance its flowsheet design.
The company believes this work will continue to de-risk its process design, optimise test conditions, examine waste products, and provide an understanding of physical and chemical reaction kinetics and regent consumption.
Black Canyon Executive Director Brendan Cummins says these results represent a ‘milestone achievement’ for the company as it seeks to bring local and international partners on board.
“Producing battery-grade HPMSM is a milestone achievement for Black Canyon and shareholders.
The testwork confirms manganese oxide materials from the KR1 prospect, located within the Balfour Manganese Field, can produce high purity and in-specification HPMSM. The company will continue to deliver key milestones to attract the next level of interest in our projects, which is to establish large mineral resources, evaluate hydrometallurgical variability, substantially progress the battery grade HPMSM flowsheet development, and now commence upscaled testwork for flowsheet robustness and understanding the carbon footprint.
“The company has a clear mineral resource growth trajectory by defining substantial sources of manganese in the geopolitically stable jurisdiction of Western Australia”
The company has a clear mineral resource growth trajectory by defining substantial sources of manganese in the geopolitically stable jurisdiction of Western Australia.
In parallel, we are assessing HPMSM plant locations, recognising growing gigafactory capacity across Europe, North America and Southeast Asia. The site selection process is complex, with many factors to consider. As part of the Scoping Study, we are initially examining Australian locations that could provide a base case solution for a HPMSM facility.”
Black Canyon is a manganese explorer with a consolidated ‘significant’ landholding totalling 2,400km-square in the underexplored Balfour Manganese Field and across the Oakover Basin in Western Australia.
The company holds several wholly owned exploration licences within the Balfour Manganese Field along with a 75% interest in the Carawine joint venture (JV) with ASX-listed Carawine Resources (ASX:CWX).
Black Canyon had $1.183 million cash and cash equivalents at hand as of 30 June 2023, although in July it raised an additional $1.95 million through a 2-tranche placement to fund exploration and HPMSM studies.
Write to Adam Drought at Mining.com.au
Images: Black Canyon
