Manganese explorer and developer Black Canyon (ASX:BCA) has confirmed the prospectivity of its Balfour East Discovery within the Balfour Manganese Field in Western Australia.
The $7.73 million market capitalisation company says these results, which have been returned from the 7,000m reverse circulation (RC) drill program completed across 6 key targets, including Balfour East, demonstrate ‘thick’ manganese enriched shale mineralisation.
Key results include hole BSRC032 with 33m @ 13.5% manganese (Mn) from 2m including 17m @ 15.6% Mn from 2m; hole BSRC033 with 32m @ 11.3% Mn from surface including 7m @ 14.6% Mn from 6m; and hole BSRC044 with 41m @ 11.9% Mn from 7m including 7m @ 15.3% Mn from 12m.
These results also confirm a cross-strike width of between 200m to 300m and at least 600m of strike extent.
Black Canyon reports these results also build upon the targeting and drilling of the KR1 discovery.
Further results are expected for the remaining Balfour manganese targets over the next month, with data, subject to review, expected to be utilised to estimate mineral resource and/or exploration targets.
“The prospectivity of the Balfour Manganese Field is further emphasised with the discovery of manganese enriched shale at Balfour East“
Commenting on the results, Black Canyon Executive Director Brendan Cummins says: “The prospectivity of the Balfour Manganese Field is further emphasised with the discovery of manganese enriched shale at Balfour East. We have only drilled a small section of outcropping mineralisation at Balfour East, but it appears to be continuous and open in all directions except to the southeast.
This reconnaissance style drill program does not fully test the potential of the targets, but it does provide important early parameters such as grade ranges, thickness and continuity, which we can use to assess the significance of the discovery. These results from our first pass drill campaign at Balfour East have delivered fantastic outcomes for the company and we will further evaluate the drill results to understand the geometry of the mineralisation.”
Black Canyon has consolidated a ‘significant’ land holding totalling 2,400km-square in the underexplored Balfour Manganese Field across the Oakover Basin in Western Australia.
The company had $1.183 million cash and cash equivalents at hand as of 30 June 2023, however, the company added an additional $1.95 million following a placement in July.
Write to Adam Drought at Mining.com.au
Images: Black Canyon
