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Australian manganese explorer and developer, Black Canyon Limited (Black Canyon or the Company) (ASX: BCA) is pleased to announce further assay results yielding thick, shallow manganese enriched shales at the KR1 discovery within the Balfour Mineral Field (BMF), located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Further assay results have been received from the ~7,000m reverse circulation (RC) drilling program completed across six key targets including KR1 within the Balfour Manganese Field.
- Results demonstrate thick manganese enriched shale mineralisation and continue to show scale at KR1, with the following significant intersections:
- KRRC024 3m @ 19.2% Mn from surface
- KRRC025 15m @ 18.6% Mn from 2m, including: 7m @ 26% Mn from 10m
- KRRC027 23m @ 12.2% Mn from 11m, including: 4m @ 18.4% Mn from 12m
- KRRC031 10m @ 15.2% Mn from 15m, including: 4m @ 18% Mn from 15m
- KRRC045 20m @ 11.4% Mn from 9m
- KRRC046 22m @ 12.2% Mn from 1m, including: 3m @ 18% Mn from 1m
- Drill assays confirm the KR1 manganese discovery has a cross strike width of between 200 to 500m and a strike extent of at least 600m and open to the north for a further 1,600m pending assay results.
- Overall geology, grade, and thickness are similar to Flanagan Bore mineralisation where 171Mt @ 10.3% Mn of Mineral Resource has been discovered at the FB3 and LR1 deposits.1
- Further assay results are expected from the other Balfour Manganese Targets over the next two months. The data will then be collated and Mineral Resource and/or Exploration Targets estimated subject to review of the results.
- Leaching testwork extracted 97% Mn from KR1 material2, which is part of the expanded High Purity Manganese Sulphate (HPMSM) variability study. Purification stages have now commenced on the leached KR1 sample.
- The results from KR1 demonstrate that subject to further metallurgical testwork, it could provide suitable feedstocks for manganese oxide concentrate used as alloys in the steel industry as well as downstream production of HPMSM.
The program, completed in July 2023, was designed to drill test six targets across Black Canyon’s 100% owned tenements within the Balfour Manganese Field (Figure 1). These latest assay results continue to demonstrate widespread manganese mineralisation at KR1 with several higher-grade intersections reported from surface or near to surface. All the drill samples are at the laboratory and further assays from the remaining targets are expected over the coming months.
Black Canyon Executive Director, Brendan Cummins, said:
“The continued delivery of wide zones of manganese enriched shale at KR1 has tripled the known strike of the mineralised body to 600m with a further 1,600m of drill results along strike to the northeast still to be received, which could see a material increase in the mineralised footprint. Cross-strike widths are also significant, ranging from 200 to 500m and the latest results have also shown shallow higher-grade intervals ranging between 18% and 26% Mn. In short, we are extremely pleased with the way the KR1 discovery is currently trending.
“The results are confirming our expectations of the mineralisation model and we are confident that KR1 and other key targets across the Balfour Manganese Field will help to build Mineral Resources, based on previous discoveries we have made in the region.”
Figure 1. Location of the main drill targets across the Balfour Manganese Field and manganese shale target horizon (red solid outlines).
KR1 Discovery RC Drill Assay Results
A total of 220 holes for 6,927m of drilling were drilled across six target areas. The program was designed to drill test multiple targets across Black Canyon’s 100% owned tenements within the Balfour Manganese Field. The drill intersections announced in this release represent further assays received from drilling at KR1, with approximately half of the KR1 drillhole results now reported.
At KR1, the Company tested a previously undrilled 2,500m section of outcropping supergene mineralisation using E-W oriented lines, 200m apart with drillholes spaced at 100m or 200m centres.
Widespread manganese mineralisation was encountered with stronger zones of surface manganese enrichment intersected along a 1,500m long ridge. The mineralised zones are between 200 and 500m wide, extending 10m to 25m downhole. The drill data and mapping completed at KR1 have confirmed the mineralised horizon is shallowly dipping to the west and striking to the north-northeast.
Satellite imagery and check mapping has confirmed additional untested manganese enrichment for a further 3,000m to the north combining to an overall strike length of 5,000m. The mineralisation to the south appears to be closed off or possibly displaced by a structure and infilled with dolerite, however this requires additional drilling to resolve.
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BCA:AU
Fig Tree IP Survey Results
HIGHLIGHTS
- Induced Polarisation (IP) surveys have been completed at Fig Tree targeting hydrothermal manganese mineralisation similar to the high-grade Woodie Woodie manganese mine.
- A Dipole-Dipole IP survey (DDIP) extended over a 1,400m long northwest extension of the HD1 prospect where previous RC drill results included:1
- 7m @ 33.2% Mn from 2m (HADRC017)
- 3m @ 17.0% Mn from surface (HADRC018)
- The DDIP survey detected a number of near surface targets coincident with outcropping manganese mineralisation (34.2% Mn1) and subsurface IP responses interpreted to represent shallow down dip extensions.
- A Gradient Array IP (GAIP) survey, located about 35 km south and along strike of the Woodie Woodie mine was designed to test for mineralisation within an interpreted “Woodie” structural corridor and identified several chargeability anomalies that warrant follow-up
- The Fig Tree IP survey was co-funded to a maximum of $57,875 under the State Government’s 2024-2025 geophysics co-funded Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS).
Surface mapping, sampling and RC drilling completed by previous explorers identified and returned high-grade manganese results from multiple prospects across the Fig Tree tenement which is located 35km south of the Woodie Woodie operations. The IP results have generated a number of targets that require infill geophysical surveys prior to drill testing.
Black Canyon’s Managing Director Brendan Cummins said:
“After the success of discovering large shale-hosted manganese deposits across the Balfour Manganese Field, the Company is now turning some of its attention to exploring for near-surface high grade mineralisation at its Wandanya and Fig Tree projects. Several prospects along the Fig Tree Manganese Trend have been mapped and drilled in the past, establishing the tenement's potential to host higher-grade, hydrothermal-style mineralisation. Its geological similarities to Woodie-Woodie and previous RC drilling have confirmed the prospectivity of the tenement, which is located only 35km south of Woodie-Woodie. Manganese deposits are often associated with chargeability anomalies which can be detected using IP techniques, so we were keen to deploy IP to the area and now have several new targets that warrant follow-up.”
Black Canyon used the high-quality historic exploration datasets at Fig Tree to evaluate the known manganese prospects, and then used this information to generate new IP survey targets. The DDIP survey has confirmed chargeable responses co-incident with outcropping manganese mineralisation and extending down dip. The GAIP surveys have also yielded several large sub- surface chargeable anomalies. Further IP surveys are planned to better resolve the size and strength of these new chargeable anomalies and establish their significance prior to refining potential drill targets in addition to other prospects across the Fig Tree tenement.
Figure 1. LHS - Fig Tree Project areas tenement showing the location of Woodie Woodie and RHS - completed DDIP, GAIP geophysical surveys and historic exploration data.
HW1 Dipole-Dipole IP Survey Results
The DDIP survey was designed to test a 1,400m long zone of subcropping manganese mineralisation along strike from the historic HD1 prospect where rockchip samples and limited RC drilling encountered medium to high grade manganese. The DDIP lines were spaced between 200 and 600m apart along the target horizon providing a cross-strike coverage between 600m and 950m.
Several near-surface chargeable anomalies, coincident with outcropping manganese mineralisation (Figure 2) and subsurface chargeable anomalies were detected with the DDIP survey. The subsurface responses are interpreted to represent shallow down-dip extensions to the surface mineralisation. are estimated to range between 10 to 25m thick from surface to depths of 50m and persist across 4 sections extending over 1,000m of strike (Figure 3) (Appendix 1).
The underlying geology is dominated by ferruginous chert and Pinjian Chert inferred to overlie close to surface Carawine Dolomite. The area is also bisected by a number of northeast and northwest trending faults and fractures. The manganese lenses form isolated subcrops 50 to 100m long and manganese disperses 20 to 40m from the subcrops.
Infill DDIP lines are required to provide more detailed chargeability mapping to resolve the potential strength and continuity of the anomalies. The HW1 target has never been drill tested and subject to further evaluation a drill program can be planned.
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This article includes content from Black Canyon, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Total Gold Sales in August Generates $6.3 Million. Toll Milling of 150,000 Tonnes Continues.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Second campaign of 2024 produces further cash for Joint Venture.
- Three parcels of gold sold at average of $3,697 per ounce.
- Total gross cash generated to date in this campaign is $10.8 Million.
- Second campaign on target to process 150,000 tonnes.
- On schedule to process 300,000 tonnes at Greenfields Mill in 2024.
- First cash of $3.0 Million to be received by Auric within a month.
MANAGEMENT COMMENT
Managing Director, Mark English, said: “Total gross gold sales for 2024 have now been received by the Joint Venture at just shy of $3,700 an ounce. It’s a very satisfying result and reflects the surging gold price.
“Over the coming month, Jeffreys Find Gold Mine is expected to generate around
$25.0 Million in gross gold sales as 150,000 tonnes gets processed at the mill. Everything is right on target.
“Auric will bank cash within the month - $3.0 Million in total, being an initial $2.0 Million surplus cash distribution from the Joint Venture plus the repayment of $1.0 Million working capital contribution.
“We are now at the midpoint of mining Jeffreys Find. It will perform much better than originally anticipated.
“The mill contract is to process 300,000 tonnes in 2024. This 150,000 tonnes parcel is the largest campaign for the year from Jeffreys Find. This leaves a further additional 120,000 tonnes for milling at Greenfields towards the end of 2024.
“On current projections, we will extract in excess of 20,000 ounces of gold this year. This would be a phenomenal result for Auric,” said Mr English.
Photo: Auric Managing Director Mark English, Company Secretary & Finance Manager Catherine Yeo and Technical Director John Utley with a gold doré bar. Greenfields Mill on 6 August 2024.
The Greenfields Mill (Greenfields or Mill) is contracted to process 150,000 tonnes of ore for the current campaign through Auric’s Joint Venture partner, BML Ventures Pty Ltd of Kalgoorlie (BML). As of 14 August 2024 nearly 129,000 tonnes have been delivered to the Mill.
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This article includes content from Auric Mining, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.