Black Canyon Limited (ASX: BCA) has announced the discovery of thick, shallow manganese enriched shales at the company’s KR2 prospect within the Balfour Manganese Field (BMF), located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
The assay results demonstrate widespread manganese mineralization at KR2 with several higher-grade intersections reported from surface or near to surface. The programme, completed in July 2023, was designed to drill test six targets across Black Canyon’s 100% owned tenements within the Balfour Manganese Field which to date has delivered discoveries at KR1, Balfour East and now KR2.
Black Canyon executive director, Brendan Cummins, said: “The prospectivity of the Balfour Manganese Field has yet again been demonstrated with multiple shallow higher-grade intervals received at the KR2 discovery. The results from this first pass RC drill programme are significant in the context of wide spaced drilling into the prospect. The KR2 discovery was only drilled with 14 holes, but more than half of the holes intersected mineralization that remains largely open, providing further upside potential to expand the footprint with future drill programs.
RC Drill Assay Results A total of 220 holes for 6,927m of drilling were drilled across six target areas. The overall programme was designed to drill test multiple targets across Black Canyon’s 100% owned tenements within the Balfour Manganese Field. A total of 14 holes for 378m were drilled into the KR2 target and the results announced today represent all the assays received from that drill programme.
The company tested a previously undrilled 500m section of outcropping supergene manganese mineralization at KR2 using five E-W oriented lines, 200m apart with drillholes spaced at 200m centres evaluating 800m of strike. Widespread, continuous manganese mineralization was encountered with stronger zones of surface manganese enrichment intersected along 400m of outcrop. The mineralized shale is between 400 and 500m wide, extending 10m to 35m downhole with four holes ending in mineralization. At this stage, due to limited drilling completed on the KR2 prospect, the geometry of the mineralisation is not fully understood but a northwest strike is presumed, which based on drilling is at least 800m long.
“The KR2 discovery is located only 6km to the southeast of the recently discovered KR1 prospect, with the final batch of drill assays confirming that the manganese enriched shales at KR1 extend for 2,400m along strike. The KR1, KR2 and Balfour East discoveries continue to build our knowledge and understanding of the mineralization inventory potential across the Balfour Mineral Field and based on data interpretation and previous discoveries we have made in the region, we have commenced mineral resources estimations on these prospects with results expected towards the end of Q4 2023. Going forward the company is building the foundations for a substantial manganese business with a strategy to produce HPMSM for batteries used in EV’s and manganese concentrates required for steel manufacturing.” Added Brendan.
To read more about this, please visit www.blackcanyon.com.au
To read more news like this, please visit www.theassay.com/news
