Wandanya Delivers Exceptional Manganese Grades in Latest Drilling Results
Black Canyon Limited (ASX: BCA) has announced outstanding assay results from its Phase 3 RC drilling program at the Wandanya Project, revealing consistent high-grade manganese mineralisation with some of the highest grades encountered to date.
Record-Breaking Manganese Grades Extend Project's Potential
The first batch of assay results from 56 of 148 holes drilled in the Phase 3 program has confirmed thick, shallow, and high-grade manganese mineralisation along 3 kilometers of strike. Multiple drill holes averaged above 35% manganese (Mn), with the northern drill sections delivering exceptional grades and intervals.
Significant results include:
- 7m @ 37.7% Mn from surface including 3m @ 42.6% Mn from 4m (WDRC164)
- 8m @ 37.4% Mn from surface including 3m @ 41.9% Mn from 4m (WDRC165)
- 8m @ 35.5% Mn from surface including 3m @ 48.3% Mn from 5m (WDRC166)
- 6m @ 39.3% Mn from 6m including 3m @ 47.3% from 9m (WDRC188)
- 7m @ 31.3% Mn from 8m including 3m @ 48.4% Mn from 11m (WDRC190)
Black Canyon's Managing Director, Brendan Cummins, emphasised the significance of these results:
"The Phase 3 drill results from Wandanya continue to impress with consistent intervals of high-grade manganese along 3km of strike and further high-grade iron has also been confirmed. Significantly, the drilling success rate remains very high with 55 of the 56 holes reported in this release all intersecting high-grade manganese or iron."
Dual Commodity Potential: Iron Grades Strengthen Project Economics
In addition to the manganese results, significant iron mineralisation was encountered along a western ridge extending over 1 kilometer of strike. Iron drill results include:
- 8m @ 58.6% Fe from surface (WDRC157)
- 10m @ 61.3% Fe from surface (WDRC158)
- 8m @ 59.6% Fe from 2m (WDRC159)
The iron mineralisation remains open to the north, with widths ranging from 170m to 320m. This adds a valuable secondary commodity to the project's potential economic profile.
Understanding the Wandanya Deposit's Geology
The Wandanya mineralisation represents a fault-related hydrothermal stratabound deposit with a likely supergene overprint. The mineralisation occurs within a sedimentary sequence comprising footwall dolomite, spotted manganese dolomite, massive manganese, and manganese dolomite breccia, overlain by hangingwall dolomite.
This type of deposit is characterised by consistent mineralisation both down dip and along strike, which is reflected in the drilling results showing widespread cross-width mineralisation on the northernmost drill lines ranging between 400m and 500m.
What is a Stratabound Deposit?
A stratabound deposit refers to mineralisation that is confined to a specific layer or "stratum" within a rock sequence but does not necessarily follow the exact boundaries of the layer. In the case of Wandanya, this means the manganese mineralisation is largely restricted to specific layers within the sedimentary sequence, likely controlled by both the original sedimentary environment and later hydrothermal fluid movement along faults.
Key characteristics of stratabound deposits include:
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Lateral continuity: Mineralisation typically extends consistently along strike, as seen at Wandanya with the 3km of continuous manganese mineralisation.
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Consistent thickness: The ore zones often maintain relatively uniform thickness over considerable distances.
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Predictable geology: The host rock sequence and mineralisation patterns tend to be consistent, making exploration and resource definition more straightforward.
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Economic advantages: From a mining perspective, stratabound deposits can be attractive due to their predictability and potential for continuous mineralisation, often enabling more efficient extraction methods.
The stratabound nature of the Wandanya deposit helps explain the consistent high grades and thicknesses being encountered across multiple drill lines.
Metallurgical Testing Confirms Premium Product Potential
Previous metallurgical testwork on the Wandanya stratabound manganese mineralisation has demonstrated excellent beneficiation potential. Composite samples averaging 30% Mn were upgraded using density-based separation to achieve a 45% Mn product grade, exceeding the premium 44% Mn benchmark grade used in international markets.
This is particularly significant as high-grade manganese products command premium pricing in both steel manufacturing and battery applications.
Expanding Exploration Footprint
The consistent high-grade results confirm manganese mineralisation along 3km of strike with cross-strike widths ranging between 160m and 500m. The mineralisation remains open to the north, south, and east, indicating significant expansion potential.
To the south, the W2 Prospect outcrops of manganese have been mapped intermittently over 1km, providing strong targets for further expansion of the mineralisation footprint.
What Makes Manganese a Critical Mineral?
Manganese is considered a critical mineral due to its essential role in both traditional and emerging industries:
Steel Production: Manganese is a non-substitutable element in steel manufacturing, where it improves the strength, toughness, and stiffness of steel. About 90% of all manganese consumption is used in steel production.
Battery Technology: High-purity manganese is increasingly important in the cathodes of lithium-ion batteries, particularly for electric vehicles. Manganese-rich cathode formulations are gaining popularity as they offer a balance of energy density, safety, and cost.
The growing demand for both steel and batteries positions manganese as a strategic metal with strong long-term fundamentals.
Next Steps: Advancing Toward Development
Black Canyon has outlined several key next steps to advance the Wandanya Project:
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Remaining Assays: Results for the remaining 92 drillholes are expected through October to early November 2025.
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Metallurgical Testing: A PQ3 diamond drill program for metallurgical testwork is expected to commence this quarter, providing core samples for testing over the wet season.
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Heritage Surveys: A heritage survey was recently completed with another planned for the end of November, allowing for infill and extension drilling to commence as early as possible after the 2026 wet season.
Why Investors Should Watch Black Canyon
The Wandanya Project is rapidly emerging as a significant manganese discovery with several compelling investment attributes:
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Exceptional Grades: The consistent high-grade results (many exceeding 35% Mn) place Wandanya at the upper end of the grade spectrum for manganese projects globally.
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Dual Commodity Potential: The presence of high-grade iron mineralisation (up to 61.3% Fe) adds a valuable second commodity stream to the project.
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Shallow Mineralisation: The near-surface nature of the mineralisation suggests favorable economics with low strip ratios for potential future mining operations.
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Scale Potential: With mineralisation open in multiple directions and already defined over a 3km strike length, Wandanya has the potential to become a significant manganese resource.
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Strong Metallurgical Results: Preliminary testwork indicating the ability to produce a premium 45% Mn product suggests strong marketability for the project's future output.
Black Canyon's Wandanya Project represents an emerging opportunity in the manganese space at a time when demand for this critical mineral continues to grow for both traditional steel applications and new battery technologies. With multiple catalysts on the horizon including additional assay results and metallurgical testwork, investors should keep a close eye on developments at this promising project.
Ready to Capitalise on This Emerging Manganese Opportunity?
To learn more about Black Canyon Limited's exceptional high-grade manganese results at the Wandanya Project and how this ASX-listed company is advancing its dual-commodity deposit with significant growth potential, visit the Investors Dashboard today. Stay ahead of the market by accessing the latest project developments, presentations, and investment information.
