Black Canyon achieves significant manganese grades in beneficiation testwork

Black Canyon (ASX:BCA) has obtained further positive manganese metallurgical testwork results from the Wandanya project in Western Australia.

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Following up on the initial stage one crush, sizing and assay metallurgical testwork across multiple diamond drill core composites, the latest sighter level metallurgical program has demonstrated key benefits of the mineralisation at Wandanya, including the suitability of all the manganese oxide composites to beneficiate with the application of a simple density-based separation technique.

The test results matched high-quality, low-impurity content product specification with more than 70% of the manganese grade and recoveries produced from the fractions over 8.0mm, which is positive for producing a lump-size product.

Black Canyon is confident it now has multiple options for developing a final product strategy. MD, Brendan Cummins, said more testwork will assist in developing the conceptual operating and processing strategies.

“Continuing on from the positive crush and sizing analysis, the beneficiation testwork applied to the manganese oxide composites have yet again delivered strong results for the project,” Mr Cummins told shareholders today.

“Most of the manganese product grades from the beneficiated low, medium and high-grade composites were close to or over 40% manganese, showing the amenability of the mineralisation to upgrade using simple density-based methods.”

He continued: “The important takeaway from the metallurgical testwork program is the quality and grade of the manganese oxide product that could potentially be produced from Wandanya. Potential end users remain very interested in our product specifications as we continue to move the project forward through exploration, resource definition and pre-development activities.”

The geometallurgical characteristics will be important as Black Canton examines processing options to inform potential flowsheet design and cost estimates for a planned scoping level economic analysis later in CY26.

“Having a well-informed mining and processing strategy is a key objective as we develop the Wandanya project,” Mr Cummins said.

With the completion of stage two heavy liquid separation (HLS) testwork, the company is planning additional HLS in preparation for larger-scale DMS.

Mr Cummins said the additional HLS testwork will examine blended feeds combining low, medium and high-grade Mn composites in ratios reflecting the current geometallurgical understanding of the discovery.

Black Canyon is currently testing iron lump samples for strength, durability, and degradation characteristics under impact using drop tower tests.

At the conclusion, the data will be reviewed, and conceptual flowsheets will be designed for Scoping Level cost estimates. Further larger-scale testwork using more diamond drill core or bulk samples from pits to be excavated from the site is being considered once the deposit has been drilled out.

BCA will open at 30¢ this morning. Mkt cap $48.34M.

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