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Highlights
- Dense Media Separation (DMS) techniques yielded manganese concentrate grades of 31.8% Mn and 31.3% Mn for KR1 and KR2, respectively.
- Previous Heavy Liquid Separation (HLS) results showed concentrate grades ranging from 29.2% Mn to 37.4% Mn for KR1 and KR2.
- The DMS results confirm the company can produce a 30–33% manganese oxide product.
- These findings will shape the assumptions of the KR1 and KR2 scoping study, expected by June end.
Black Canyon Limited (ASX: BCA) has shared an encouraging development concerning the production of beneficiated manganese concentrate feedstock from the KR1 and KR2 deposits.
With the use of DMS techniques based on industry standards, the company reported Mn concentrate grades of 31.8% Mn and 31.3% Mn from the KR1 and KR2 samples, respectively. These findings complement the previously shared outcomes from Heavy Liquid Separation (HLS), which indicated concentrate grades ranging between 29.2% Mn and 37.4% Mn, from KR1 and KR2.
The metallurgical results from DMS affirm that the company can produce a 30–33% manganese oxide product, which is highly desired in the high-volume medium grade manganese market.
The DMS findings will contribute to shaping the assumptions of the KR1 and KR2 scoping study, which is advancing well and is expected to be completed by the end of the quarter.
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Metallurgical sample preparation was finalised on 400kg of reverse circulation drill chip samples collated in late 2023 from Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) areas of KR1 and KR2. These samples were extracted from five holes situated across each MRE area to 10m depths.
The preliminary sample preparation aimed to produce a beneficiated manganese concentrate feedstock for the upscaled hydrometallurgical testwork which aimed at developing and optimising the HPMSM flowsheet.
Results from beneficiation testwork on KR1 and KR2 RC chip samples (Data source: company update)
The company highlighted that the results met two primary goals. First, producing a consistent product utilising standard industry equipment and second, delivering 100 to 150kg of 32% manganese concentrate from the KR1 and KR2 deposits for subsequent hydrometallurgical testwork. These deposits are wholly owned by the company.
Manganese ore prices on rally
The ongoing suspension of operations at ASX-listed South 32's Groote Eylandt continues to push manganese prices higher, with alloying smelters competing to secure limited supplies of high-grade ores.
Since the end of March, the price of manganese ore across various benchmarks has shown improvement. As indicated by IMNL and Fastmarkets, in the week ended 26 April 2024, prices increased by an additional 18.4% and 22.2%. These figures follow a previous increase of 8.2% and 11.9% reported for the week ended 15 April.
Consequently, the total gains in manganese ore prices for April now stand at 27% and 34% for the 37% Mn and 44% Mn benchmark indices, respectively.
BCA shares traded at AU$0.135 apiece on 09 May 2024.
