Black Canyon (ASX: BCA) kicks off RC drilling across Balfour Manganese Field Targets

Highlights

• Black Canyon has begun an initial RC drilling program at the Balfour Manganese Field.
• The initial program will cover the Balfour and KR1 targets at the strategic Panther and E46/1383 Tenement acquisitions, respectively.
• With this program, BCA aims to evaluate multiple targets for a potential hub and spoke mining and processing model, building on the successful delineation of a significant Mineral Resource at Flanagan Bore.

Australian manganese explorer and developer, Black Canyon (ASX: BCA) has kicked off drilling activities to drill test multiple high-quality targets across its 100% owned tenements at the Balfour Mineral Field, located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

The initial drilling is planned to test the Balfour and KR1 prospects at the strategic Panther and E46/1383 tenement acquisitions for mineral resource potential, respectively.

Location of the main drill targets across the Balfour Manganese Field and manganese shale horizon (red solid outlines).

Views of BCA’s management

The company believes there is great potential to find and outline substantial Mineral Resources validating the manganese endowment of this region.

He further added, “The drill program will also allow the Company to delineate mineral resources across targets already identified as having potential to produce HPMSM feedstock. In the short term this may allow the Company to develop a low impact mining facility that could be permitted and approved relatively quickly. This could reduce the timeframes for Black Canyon to supply manganese oxide feedstock to a downstream HPMSM facility.”

 Balfour Manganese Field Exploration Drill Program

Data source: company update

Meanwhile, the company has also collected high-purity manganese sulphate (HPMSM) variability samples from some of these drill targets to investigate their hydrometallurgical amenability to leaching, purification and crystallisation.

 Way ahead – Further drilling

Upon completion of the reverse circulation drill campaign, the firm has planned further drilling for the KR2, Pickering and Damsite prospects.

At KR2, a formerly undrilled sub-cropping to outcropping 900m long zone of Mn enriched shale will be drill tested utilising 200m spaced lines. At Pickering, a formerly undrilled 2,000m long section of the sub-cropping Mn enriched calcareous shales will be drill tested utilising 400m spaced lines. At the Damsite prospect, a previously undrilled 500m long sub-cropping to outcropping zone of Mn enriched shale will also be drill tested.

BCA intends to undertake drilling covering up to 7,500m, with assay results anticipated to be received over the coming months.

The company expects further discoveries to deliver additional feedstocks for manganese oxide concentrates used as alloys in the steel industry as well as downstream production of HPMSM subject to further metallurgical testwork.

BCA ASX shares traded at AU$0.16 (market cap over AU$8.27 million) at the time of writing on 17 July 2023.