Black Canyon (ASX:BCA) expands high-grade manganese discovery at Wandanya with 2km strike and premium metallurgy

Following the release of new drilling results at its 100%-owned Wandanya Project in Western Australia, Black Canyon (ASX:BCA) has attracted growing investor interest around the scale, grade and development potential of its manganese discovery.

Managing Director Brendan Cummins addresses key shareholder questions and outlines what the latest assays mean for the company’s exploration strategy and long-term outlook.

How do these latest assay results compare to previous drilling at Wandanya?

The recently received assays from Phase 2 RC drilling continue to build on the success of earlier campaigns.

These results are located roughly 350 metres north of previously reported high-grade intersections and demonstrate strong continuity of mineralisation both in thickness and grade across the Northern Manganese Corridor.

“The latest batch of assay results from the manganese targeted drill holes continue to demonstrate the significant potential of the Wandanya discovery for the Company and its shareholders.”

Some of the strongest intercepts include 6 metres at 35.0% manganese from surface, including 3 metres at 42.1% manganese from 3 metres depth; and 8 metres at 28.5% manganese from surface, including 3 metres at 43.2% manganese from 4 metres.

These results, combined with earlier intersections such as 8 metres at 31.1% manganese from 5 metres, now confirm a continuous 2 kilometre strike of shallow, high-grade manganese mineralisation with widths between 250 and 450 metres.

What does the scale of the mineralisation suggest about future development potential?

The Wandanya discovery continues to reveal compelling development attributes.

Mineralisation occurs close to surface, generally within the first few metres, and maintains consistent thickness and strong grades across a large footprint.

The mineralised horizon dips gently to the east and remains open to both the north and east, which provides a clear opportunity for further extension.

“The stratabound manganese mineralisation discovered is both shallow and exceptionally consistent in grade and thickness, which is unique to the region and timely in terms of delivering a potential future supply of high-grade manganese oxide from Australia.”

Importantly, this mineralisation style, interpreted as hydrothermal and stratabound, has not been widely documented in the region, suggesting Black Canyon may have identified a new exploration model for the eastern Oakover Basin.

The combination of shallow geometry, lateral continuity and favourable metallurgy positions Wandanya as a strong candidate for future mine development, subject to further drilling and evaluation.

When can shareholders expect further assay results and what are the next steps?

Black Canyon expects to receive the remaining assay results from 47 additional drillholes by the end of August, covering both manganese and high-grade iron targets that will help refine the geological model and support future resource planning.

In mid-August, the company will commence a 3,500 metre Phase 3 RC drilling program focused on infill and step-out drilling along the full 3 kilometre strike of mapped manganese and iron mineralisation, aiming to extend coverage to the north and better define the extents of the system.

“We look forward to receiving more Phase 2 RC manganese results along with the high-grade iron results over the next few weeks. Phase 3 drilling, to continue defining the extents of the Wandanya manganese and iron discoveries, is planned to commence in mid-August.”

These next steps are critical in supporting future resource estimates and development planning, particularly given the consistent success achieved across the first two phases of drilling.

How do you see Wandanya positioned within the broader Australian manganese sector?

Wandanya stands out due to its shallow geometry, consistent grades, and the broader landholding it sits within.

While only three significant manganese discoveries in Australia have advanced to production in the last 50 years, Groote Eylandt, Woodie Woodie, and Bootu Creek—Wandanya is emerging with many of the same hallmarks.

“Whilst it’s early days for Wandanya, the results received from our initial drill programs provide much confidence that we have discovered a significant mineral system with many of the attributes such as grade, scale, thin overburden and the ability to produce a high-quality manganese concentrate required for a potential mine development.”

With a dominant land position of 2,300 square kilometres across the underexplored Balfour Manganese Field and Oakover Basin, Black Canyon is well positioned to advance not only Wandanya but potentially additional discoveries within its portfolio.

Can you provide more detail on the metallurgical testwork and its implications?

Metallurgical testwork conducted on composite samples from the W2 discovery has shown that manganese material averaging 30% Mn can be beneficiated using gravity separation to produce concentrate grades exceeding 44%, with recovery rates over 90%.

In one test, a concentrate grade of 50.8% manganese was achieved at 99% recovery.

These results are significant because they confirm the ability to produce a premium product through a simple, low-cost processing method.

The testwork has been carried out on RC chip composites that are representative of the broader mineralised zone and provides strong support for future processing studies.

Black Canyon still has approximately 47 drillholes in the laboratory awaiting assay results, which are expected to be received by the end of the month.

Additional metallurgical testing is planned across a wider range of samples once these assays are in hand, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of mineral behaviour and processing potential throughout the system.

Outlook: Advancing a high-grade discovery in a proven manganese region

With consistent high-grade assay results over a growing strike, favourable geology, and promising metallurgy, Black Canyon is steadily building the case for a potential future manganese operation at Wandanya.

As further assays are received and Phase 3 drilling commences, the company remains focused on defining the full extent of the discovery and delivering long-term value through systematic exploration.

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