Black Canyon (ASX:BCA) has begun 5,000m of reverse circulation (RC) drilling across 4.2km of untested ground along the 9km mineralised trend at its Wandanya Project in Western Australia.
The campaign will initially test a 1.4km southern extension before moving to a 2.8km iron-enriched ridge north of the existing mineralised area.
It follows resource definition and extensional drilling that increased the project’s base case footprint from 3km to 3.4km.
Results from the 400m southern extension comprise 5m @ 29.40% manganese (Mn) from 3m, including 2m @ 48.10% Mn from 6m; 6m @ 26.70% Mn from 2m, including 2m @ 41.70% Mn from 6m; and 4m @ 44.80% Mn from 4m, including 2m @ 51.20% Mn from 5m.
Managing Director Brendan Cummins says the drilling will test whether mineralisation continues beyond the base case area.
“We are keenly testing the broader 9km trend to unlock potentially significant incremental mineralisation, with 5,000m of RC drilling now underway across the 1.4km southern extension before moving on to the 2.8km northern iron-enriched ridge,” Cummins says.
The Wandanya South target lies on tenement E46/1571, directly south of E46/1407, which hosts most of the project’s manganese and iron discoveries.
Black Canyon says the geological sequence mapped and drilled on E46/1407 continues south onto the adjoining tenement. Drilling will use line spacing of between 100m and 200m, with holes spaced 50–100m apart.
To the north, the company is targeting an iron-enriched ridge with exposed widths of between 50m and 100m. The mineralisation is weakly bedded and dominated by hematite.
Rock-chip samples from the ‘higher-grade’ iron outcrops returned low alumina and phosphorus levels, which Black Canyon says could support blending with Pilbara iron ores.
The drilling is expected to take about a month, with initial assays anticipated in early October 2026.
A maiden mineral resource estimate covering the 3.4km base case remains scheduled for September, to be followed by a Scoping Study in early December.
“Delivering our maiden mineral resource estimate in September 2026, followed by a Scoping Study in early December, will mark pivotal milestones, outlining the economic pathway for Wandanya as a potential dual-commodity manganese and iron development project,” Cummins says.
Black Canyon is a manganese exploration and development company controlling more than 2,000km² across WA’s Balfour Manganese Field and Oakover Basin. Its Balfour projects contain a global mineral resource of 315 million tonnes @ 10.50% Mn, with almost 87% classified as measured or indicated.
Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au
Images: Black Canyon
