Black Canyon (ASX:BCA) has been awarded co-funded grants under the Western Australian Government Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS), to fund a detailed gravity survey and follow-up drilling at the Wandanya Project in Western Australia.
The company will commence a gravity survey this month, with $84,800 covered by the EIS funding to target potentially concealed manganese mineralisation beneath the Wandanya stratiform manganese and iron footprint, followed by further reverse circulation drilling, with $180,000 funded by the EIS.
Resource definition drilling has been completed at Wandanya recently, totalling 18,500m of reverse circulation drilling for around 640 holes. Assays are expected to be returned over the next six weeks.
Black Canyon expects to return a maiden resource estimate for the project by the end of Q3 2026.
The company has completed upscaled pilot dense media separation metallurgical test work. Final assets and recovery information is pending.
Scoping Study assumptions and cost estimates are currently underway as well. Black Canyon has engaged key consultants, contractors, and equipment suppliers, with the Scoping Study expected to be completed in Q4 2026.
In preparation for further exploration and water search drilling campaigns, Black Canyon has completed its fourth heritage survey in six months, with another survey planned for August.
Initial baseline autumn flora and fauna surveys have been completed. A hydrological assessment with recommendations is underway to test drill potential aquifers/targets and initial water quality.
Managing Director Brendan Cummins says the company is pleased with Wandanya for being recognised under the EIS with a “significant grant”.
“The EIS program is highly competitive, and our proposal was able to demonstrate an innovative exploration model for manganese evident at Wandanya with potential to discover concealed mineralisation,” Cummins says.
“With 18,500m of resource definition drilling completed and metallurgical beneficiation test work consistently approaching or exceeding high-grade manganese oxide benchmarks, we are rapidly moving towards delivering a maiden JORC mineral resource estimate by late Q3 2026.
“In parallel the company is working on multiple fronts to de-risk the Wandanya Project with the commencement of key site surveys and engaging with specialist consulting groups to map out a project development pathway.”
“Wandanya is a highly strategic asset located in a tier one mining jurisdiction proximal to key Asian markets.”
The company recently attended the International Manganese Institute conference. Black Canyon says marketing groups and manganese alloy producers showed “strong interest in Wandanya’s potential to produce a high-quality product”, recognising the strategic value of Australian-sourced manganese ores.
Black Canyon is a manganese exploration and development company operating in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Images: Black Canyon
