Black Canyon (ASX:BCA) is ‘impressed’ by the scale and grade potential of the Wandanya Project’s system, located in Western Australia, after receiving rock chip assay results.
Results from a 400m-long strike continuation of the manganese-rich horizon located directly south of the W2 prospect including 59.1% manganese and 57.4% manganese.
Further isolated outcrops of manganese and iron mineralisation have been mapped intermittently over a 1.8km strike, with results including 58.3% manganese and 66% iron.
Managing Director Brendan Cummins says while mapping and sampling has shown the overall mineralising system is potentially 9km-long based on the outcropping iron enrichment.
“The relationship between the high-grade iron and manganese has been well-established at Wandanya and the identification of multiple hematite occurrences across Wandanya South present promising targets for next year’s drill campaign,” Cummins says.
“Over the past 12 months, the company has achieved considerable success with the completion of several drill programs at Wandanya.
“The latest rock chip assay results and the mapping undertaken at Wandanya South increase our confidence that the mineralised horizon extends southwards, as we plan for targeted high-impact drill testing in H1 2026.”
Drilling to begin ‘as soon as possible’
Black Canyon, which has a market capitalisation of $60.44 million, says the current diamond drilling program is 80% completed and on track for finalisation in early December with plans to submit PQ3 diamond core for metallurgical testwork thereafter.
A third heritage survey has been completed this year, enabling two drilling programs to begin as soon as possible.
Infill and extension drilling will be completed within the current 3km-long Wandanya mineralised footprint, while extension drilling to the north and east will expand the mineralisation footprint.
Additional heritage surveys are planned for Q1 2026 to enable up to 5,000m of reverse circulation drilling to be completed. Drilling will follow-up rock chip and mapping targets generated over 1.8km of strike on the Wandanya South tenement.
Several pre-development activities are planned to begin as field activities are reduced during the wet season.
“Metallurgical studies will continue to generate results on the manganese and iron mineralisation, including assessments of direct shipping ore potential and beneficiation options”
As Mining.com.au reported, Black Canyon is continuing to engage with parties expressing offtake and strategic interest in the Wandanya Project.
Cummins told this news service that the company “metallurgical studies will continue to generate results on the manganese and iron mineralisation, including assessments of direct shipping ore potential and beneficiation options”.
The manganese market is heading for a deficit as high-grade ore becomes harder to find and long-running mines enter the final stages of their operating lives. Disruptions have already started affecting the market, with the suspension of a number of operations globally in 2024.
Manganese has been emerging as a battery metal. Its use however, is minimal compared to steelmaking. The market is very much driven by the production of ferro-alloys that include silico and ferro manganese that feed into the manufacturing of crude steel.
Global manganese ore supply in 2023 was 60 million tonnes – up 2% from 2022 and is equivalent to 21.24Mt of contained manganese at an average grade of 35.4% Mn. This makes it the fourth most common metal by tonnage, behind iron, aluminium, and copper.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Black Canyon
