- 01Wandanya MRE: 23.6 Mt @ 25.8% Mn; 16.8 Mt @ 30%.
- 02DSO: 3.7 Mt @ 38.9% Mn.
- 03Iron MRE: 12.5 Mt @ 54.9% Fe; 5.5 Mt @ 57.9%.
- 0490% M&I; year-end scoping study.
Black Canyon (ASX: BCA) has reported a maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE) for the Wandanya project in Western Australia of 23.6 million tonnes at 25.8% manganese and a 12% cut-off, including 16.8Mt at 30% (20% cut-off).
Based on data from 929 reverse circulation holes for 24,021 metres completed since 2024, the estimate includes a potential direct shipping ore total of 3.7Mt at 38.9% manganese.
The company also reported a maiden global iron MRE of 12.5Mt at 54.9% iron (50% cut-off) including 5.5Mt at 57.9% (55% cut-off) hosted in outcropping to sub-cropping iron oxides on an east facing dip slope that strikes to the north.
Metallurgical work involving iron ore drop tower tests produced a 74% lump product grading 59.7% iron, confirming the DSO potential and providing confidence that the products will be sought after in the market.
The Wandanya MRE is considered superior to Australia’s last significant manganese mine development at OM Holdings’ (ASX: OMH) Bootu Creek in the Northern Territory, which commenced operations in 2005 with a pre-mine MRE of 11Mt at 27% manganese at an 18% cut-off.
Favourable Comparisons
The Wandanya discovery has several qualities that compare favourably to existing and previous Australian mines in terms of grade and beneficiation amenability.
The Woodie Woodie mine, located 80 kilometres to the north, comprises 20 deposits over a 20km strike with resource sizes ranging between 200,000t and 5.5Mt at depths from surface to over 200m.
By comparison, Wandanya’s continuous horizon of mineralisation extending over 3.4km in strike has been delineated with the majority of mineralisation at surface or less than 20m depth.
In terms of resource grade, the Groote Eylandt joint venture between South32 (ASX: S32) and Anglo American reports a run-of-mine beneficiated MRE grade averaging 43.9% manganese with a 46% yield and suggests that in situ grades are closer to half the beneficiated grade.
Wandanya’s maiden global MRE by comparison, grades 25.8% manganese at a 12% cut-off and includes higher 15% cut-off resources at 28.4% manganese.
Significant Greenfields Discovery
Managing director Brendan Cummins regards Wandanya as one of Australia’s most significant recent greenfields manganese discoveries.
“Delivering the maiden MRE marks another defining milestone for Black Canyon and confirms our belief that Wandanya is a company making asset,” she said.
“When benchmarked against our peers, the scale and grade potential of Wandanya compares strongly with the shallow resources providing optionality to produce DSO, blended feedstocks and altering rates of production depending on market conditions.”
“We have a high confidence mineral resource with more than 90% in the Measured and Indicated classification, which will enable an efficient transition to feasibility studies without further detailed resource drilling.”
Black Canyon will now embark on a scoping study for delivery by year end, highlighting the potential value of Wandanya’s manganese and iron assets to build a long-life mining operation.
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