Australian manganese explorer Black Canyon (ASX:BCA) has unearthed ‘thick’ manganese mineralisation from a 7,000m reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at its KR1 prospect in Western Australia.
The company says this manganese discovery extends over a 1,500m strike, with zones of manganese-enriched shale now confirmed by assay on two drill section lines spaced 200m apart.
Key assays include hole KRR004 with 16m at 15.1% manganese from 3m; hole KRR005 with 22m at 13.3% manganese from 11m; and hole KRRC006 with 24m at 13% manganese from 8m.
Black Canyon, which has a $9.81 million market capitalisation, says these results represent the first batch of assays received from the drilling program, which was undertaken across 6 key targets, including KR1, within the Balfour Manganese Field.
The company notes the overall geology, grade, and mineralisation thicknesses share similarities to those encountered at Flanagan Bore, where a 171 million tonnes (Mt) at 10.3% manganese Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) has been delineated from the FB3 and LR1 deposits.
Black Canyon also notes results from KR1 demonstrate, subject to further metallurgical testwork, it could provide suitable feedstocks for manganese oxide concentrate used as alloys in the steel industry, as well as in the downstream production of high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM).
Black Canyon expects to receive further assays from other targets over the next 2 to 3 months. Once in hand, these results are expected to be collated and a mineral resource and/or exploration targets estimated, subject to final results.
Addressing the results, Black Canyon Executive Director Brendan Cummins says: “Successfully drilling the KR1 deposit and the other Balfour Manganese targets was the culmination of 18 months of work since the targets were initially identified and acquired. Significantly, it is our second major manganese discovery in the Balfour Manganese Field, and it hopefully won’t be our last.
“it is our second major manganese discovery in the Balfour Manganese Field, and it hopefully won’t be our last“
The outstanding, broad zones of manganese-enriched shale mineralisation across the first two drill lines at KR1 is strongly encouraging. These initial results confirm the potential of our 100% owned Balfour Manganese Field projects to provide long-life sources of manganese oxide feedstock for both the steel industry and potentially for downstream processing into HPMSM.
Based on our knowledge and resource development experience in the region, we are confident that there is Mineral Resource potential at KR1. The company intends to build Mineral Resource inventory across the Balfour Manganese Field, and the drill intersects released today are a positive start, with the results of the other targets yet to be received.”
Black Canyon is an ASX-listed explorer and developer that has consolidated a ‘significant’ landholding totalling 2,400km-square in the underexplored Balfour Manganese Field and across the Oakover Basin in Western Australia.
The Balfour Manganese Field is located within the Pilbara region of Western Australia and hosts a ‘sizable’ geological basin.
Write to Adam Drought at Mining.com.au
Images: Black Canyon
