Greenfields exploration company Pantera Minerals (ASX:PFE) reports it has had 3 tenements granted at the Weelarrana Manganese Project located in the Collier Basin of Western Australia.
The company says the 3 tenement applications E52/4047, E52/4071 and E52/4072 have recently been granted covering a total of 357km-square and consolidating Pantera’s position in the project area over prospective manganese (Mn) host geology.
Pantera Minerals Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Matt Hansen says: “We are delighted to have had 3 tenements granted at Weelarrana, allowing us to commence further on-ground exploration immediately at our Weelarrana Manganese Project.
“We believe this project area holds significant potential for the discovery of high-grade manganese mineralisation”
We believe this project area holds significant potential for the discovery of high-grade manganese mineralisation, and this exploration program will allow us to fast-track the development of drill targets within the recently granted tenements in addition to our current drill targets on E52/3878.”
Pantera reports tenement E52/4046 covers 203km-square and is prospective for an extension of manganese mineralisation along the contact between the Calyie Sandstone and Ilgarari Siltstone between Pantera’s Mn Area 1 and OM Holdings (ASX:OHM) 701 Mile Manganese Project.
The northern section of this tenement is also prospective for manganese as the Ilgarari Siltstone has been identified and mapped by the Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA).
Tenement E52/4071 covers around 138km-square around 52km east of the Weelarrana Project, and the company reports it is prospective for manganese mineralisation within the Balfour Formation which hosts Firebird Metals’ (ASX:FBR) Hill 616 Project that holds an inferred mineral resource of 57.5 million tonnes @ 12.2% Mn.
This tenement also covers known outcrops of Balfour Formation that has been subject to minimal exploration for manganese and is directly adjacent to known manganese occurrences at Pantera’s Mn 4 and Element 25 Limited’s (ASX:E24) Zebra Bore and Dead Camel projects.
Pantera states tenement E52/ 4072 covers around 16 km-square about 53km east of the Weelarrana Project and is 4.5km along strike from Firebird’s 616 Project within the same stratigraphy.
The tenement covers known outcrops of Balfour Formation and is adjacent to Element 25’s Burranbar manganese projects.
Pantera reports that an immediate work program will concentrate on mapping and rock chip sampling prospective stratigraphy for manganese on these tenements.
A multi-element soil sampling program aimed at testing areas under cover surrounding the recently announced anomalous gold and silver rock chip results on E52/3981 will also be conducted. This soil program aims to expand the potential area for gold and silver mineralisation and is focused on the Ilgarari Fault.
The company also reports a multi-element soil sampling program aimed at testing areas under cover for golf and base metals on the northern portion of E52/4046 will also be conducted.
The Weelarrana project is located 80km south of Newman in Western Australia and overs 958km-square of tenements across the Ilgarari Formation and the Balfour Formation.
Pantera Minerals is a mineral exploration company based in Western Australia. Its assets include the Hellcat, Yampi, Frederick and the Weelarrana Projects.
Images: Pantera Minerals Ltd & iStock
