Black Canyon (ASX:BCA) has identified a dual commodity element at its wholly owned Wandanya Project, after recent drilling uncovered iron targets and confirmed the consistency of stratabound manganese mineralisation.
The company intends to follow up an expected 3km strike to test the prospectivity of the stratabound manganese horizon, as well as extending drilling to the north and east to inspect the iron formation with a reverse circulation drilling rig.
Remaining assay results are expected to be received during late July and August.
Arrangements are being made to mobilise an reverse circulation drilling rig in August to continue testing the full 3km strike potential of the stratabound manganese horizon. Drilling will also further extend coverage across the newly discovered iron rich formation to the north and east.
The western hematite zone has returned intersections of 12m @ 60.1% iron from 5m including 7m @ 64.2% from 7m, where the eastern stratabound manganese horizon returned intersections of 4m @ 29.8% manganese from 12m.
At drillhole WDRC063, Black Canyon intersected an overlapping of iron and stratabound manganese with assays returning 8m @ 31.1% manganese from 5m including 3m @ 41% manganese from 10m.
The program spanned 2,300m for a total of 101 drillholes with centres at 40m, each hole spaced between 100m and up to 350m.
Black Canyon expects the remaining 98 assays to be returned before the company follows up with an extended drilling program in August.
Managing Director Brendan Cummins says the dual commodity element with segregation of hematite mineralisation from the stratabound manganese mineralisation is what makes this project “valuable”.
“Often these two commodities are mixed but from the drilling we have completed we are now able to confirm distinct metal zonation,” Cummins says.
“The consistency of the stratabound manganese mineralisation from the drill logging is exceptional and provides confidence that further mineralisation will be drilled along the entire 3km of mapped manganese horizon.
“There remains a strong upside case with mapping showing the iron rich formations are laterally extensive and now we have exceeded expectations with the potential thickness and grade of the iron mineralisation with these fast-tracked results.”
Black Canyon is an Australian explorer, developing manganese projects across the Pilbara Region of Western Australia.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Images: Black Canyon
