Bryah Resources Limited (ASX: BYH) has announced a highly positive update on the RC drilling program at its Bryah Basin project in central Western Australia.
The company reported that potential direct shipping grade (>30% Mn) manganese was intersected in the latest RC drilling at Brumby Creek and Black Hill prospects. Byrah noted that the grades support near-term direct shipping production strategy.
Best results from the new shallow high-grade manganese discovery at Brumby Creek Prospect includes 12 metres (11 2 3 m) @ 24.7 % Mn Mn, and 10 metres (29 39m) @ 31.1% Mn Mn, including 3 metres @ 41.0% Mn from 34 m; 1 7 metres 7 24m) @ 26.5 % Mn Mn, including 3 metres @ 36.6% Mn from 15 m; and 15 metres (8 23m) @ 26.1% Mn Mn, including 3 metres @ 37.3% Mn from 16 m.
The Manganese mineralisation at Brumby Creek is open down dip and along strike.
Direct shipping grades intersected from Black Hill includes 4 metres @ 3 2.7% Mn Mn, including 1 m @ 41.9% Mn from surface; 6 metres (1 7m) @ 30.0 % M nn, including 1 m 47.9% Mn from 4 m; 3 metres (1 4m) @ 33.3 % Mn Mn, including 1 m 44.6% Mn from 2 m; and 2 metres @ 38.8 % Mn Mn, including 1 m 43.2% Mn from surface.
The company noted that Cobalt values of up to 1,320ppm were reported, with consistently anomalous association with Manganese mineralisation requiring further investigations.
BYH said that the drilling results from Mount Labouchere Prospect and Horseshoe South Mine are expected next week. The company said that it is commencing a fast track strategy for production leveraging off existing mining lease and new higher-grade prospects.
Bryah Basin project
The Bryah Basin project is located approximately 100-150km north of the town of Meekatharra in Western Australia.
Significant prospects of the 1,135 km2 Bryah Basin Project include the Forrest gold, Brumby Creek, Black Hill, Cheval, Black Beauty, Windalah, Wodger, and Labouchere prospect.
In April 2019, Bryah executed a Manganese Farm-In and Joint Venture Agreement with OMM, subsidiary of OM Holdings Limited, which applies to the rights to manganese only over approximately 660 km2 in the Bryah Basin including the historic Horseshoe South Manganese Mine.
OMM presently holds a 10% Joint Venture interest with Bryah retaining a 90% Joint Venture Interest in manganese and 100% in respect to all remaining minerals on the tenements.
The Brumby Creek and Black Hill prospects lie on Exploration Licence E52/3237, while the Horseshoe South Manganese Mine lies on a granted mining lease (M52/806).
Manganese was last mined at the Horseshoe South Manganese Mine in 2011 by a subsidiary of Mineral Resources Limited.
Drilling at Byrah Basin
The company had recently commenced an RC drilling program at the Brumby Creek and Black Hill prospect. The drilling program was focused on testing for extensions of high-grade manganese mineralisation intersected in drilling programs completed in 2019.
The drilling program was fully funded by OM (Manganese) Limited under Bryah Basin Joint Venture Agreement, with Bryah managing the project.
Brumby Creek prospect
The company said that at the Brumby Creek prospect, 14 drill holes for 294 metres were drilled to test for extensions of high-grade manganese mineralisation intersected in BRRC074 which recorded 23 m @ 25.8% Mn from surface in 2019.
Black Hill prospect
BYH reported that at the Black Hill prospect, 9 drill holes for 78 metres were drilled to test for extensions of high-grade manganese mineralisation (BHRC002 – 6 metres from surface @ 38.1% Mn, including 3 m @ 42.0% Mn from 2 metres) intersected in 2019.
High-grade results
The company announced that high-grade Manganese zone was discovered. BYH said that the high-grade assays support near-term direct shipping production strategy.
Brumby Creek prospect
BYH reported that the first results from the drilling highlight a significant high-grade manganese discovery at the Brumby Creek prospect. In addition, anomalous cobalt mineralisation was also observed, generally in association with the manganese mineralisation.
The company said that one metre intervals of up to 1,310ppm Co have been recorded and these results require further investigation as they appear part of the supergene mineralisation with Manganese.
Significant intersections include BRRC089 – 12 metres (11 2 3 m) @ 24.7 % Mn Mn, and 10 metres (29 39m) @ 31.1% Mn Mn, including 3 metres @ 41.0% Mn from 34 m; BRRC090 – 1 7 metres 7 24m) @ 26.5 % Mn Mn, including 3 metres @ 36.6% Mn from 15 m; and BRRC087 – 15 metres (8 23m) @ 26.1% Mn Mn, including 3 metres @ 37.3% Mn from 16 m.
Black Hill prospect
At Black Hill prospect, the company noted that the high-grade manganese mineralisation was largely restricted to the mesa cap which is outcropping.
Significant hits include BHRC005 – 4 metres @ 3 2.7% Mn Mn, including 1 m @ 41.9% Mn from surface; BHRC006 – 6 metres (1 7m) @ 30.0 % M nn, including 1 m 47.9% Mn from 4 m; BHRC007 – 3 metres (1 4m) @ 33.3 % Mn Mn, including 1 m 44.6% Mn from 2 m; and BHRC009 – 2 metres @ 38.8 % Mn Mn, including 1 m 43.2% Mn from surface
The company said that the grades received confirms the 2019 drilling results and are sufficient to define the extent of the hilltop mineralisation. BYH said that a detailed topographic model will be generated to define the amount of mineralised material present and assist in the preparation of a mineral resource estimate.
Fast-tracking Manganese production
BYH said that it intends to fast track studies required to support the lodgment of mining lease applications over Brumby Creek and Black Hill prospects, as well as the Horseshoe South Manganese Mine.
The company announced that the fast track production strategy has commenced. Byrah reported that environmental Flora studies at Brumby Creek and Black Hill has commenced last week, mineral interpretation and resource estimates are currently underway, and bulk samples have been collected from the Horseshoe South Mining Lease for beneficiation test work.
BYH said that the Mining Lease applications will be lodged once preparation of supporting documentation is completed.
Updates and next steps
Byrah Resources reported that the flora survey undertaken last week, primarily to focus on the new prospects at Cheval and Black Beauty, was expanded to cover flora at the Brumby Creek and Black Hill areas to assist in fast tracking the production strategy.
The company said that additional manganese sample assays are expected to be received from drilling at the Mount Labouchere Prospect and Horseshoe South Mine over the coming days.
BYH said that the planning for follow-up drilling at Brumby Creek to extend the mineralisation is underway and a program of works approval from the Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) will be requested shortly.
It may be noted that the heritage clearances have previously been secured for another 100 metres to the north and south of the current drill holes at Brumby Creek, so no additional heritage surveys will be needed for the next drilling program.
Byrah Resources reported that the DMIRS program of works approval to commence drilling at the Black Beauty and Cheval prospects is expected to be received in the coming weeks, following completion of the flora survey.
The company said that further investigation of the anomalous cobalt observed in the last drilling program will be undertaken to establish its mineralogical relationship with the manganese.
Management comments
Bryah Resources Managing Director, Neil Marston said: “We are very encouraged with the latest drilling results, in particular the new high-grade manganese zone discovered under shallow cover at the Brumby Creek Prospect.
These grades and thicknesses of mineralisation demonstrate that the manganiferous Horseshoe Range, most of which is under our joint venture’s tenure, has the potential to host significant tonnages of shallow high-grade manganese. Manganese ore prices have recovered significantly recently, which augurs well for us as we develop a pathway to production.
We look forward to getting back on site to re-commence additional drilling under our manganese joint venture with OMM to progress this project.”