Assays confirm widespread manganese and channel iron for Pantera’s Weelarrana

Pantera Minerals has confirmed widespread manganese mineralisation and channel iron from Weelarrana Phase 1 and 2 subsurface exploration.

Assays from 90 holes worth of RC drilling and 20 rock chip samples are back from the lab confirming what the explorer had more than a hunch about – manganese everywhere, with a maximum one metre Mn grade of up to 22.6%.

2,184m were drilled across four target areas – Mn1 Mn2, Mn3 and Mn4 at Pantera Minerals’ (ASX:PFE) Weelarrana manganese project in the Collier Basin, WA.

Mn 1 showed best intercepts of 1m @ 18.8% Mn from 13m in drill hole WRC099, 1m @ 22.6% Mn from surface in drill hole WRC112 and 3m @ 10.9% Mn from 5m in drill hole WRC113.

Phase 2 drilling assays delivered near surface Manganese mineralisation, with 1 metre Mn grades of up to 22.1% Mn, and best intercepts of 1m @ 13.0% Mn from 1m in drill hole WRC088 at Mn2, 2m @ 10.0% Mn from 10m in drill hole WRC051 at Mn3 and 2m @ 14.9% Mn from surface in drill hole WRC071 at Mn4.

Channel iron

During drilling, channel iron occurrence (CID) was identified in four drill holes to extend to the northeast of Mn4 for at least 650m (Central CID), and a follow-up field mapping campaign identified two more CID occurrences – Western CID and Northern CID.

Best intercepts recovered at Central CID are 2m @ 53.7% Fe from surface in hole WRC064 and 2m @ 53.3% Fe from surface in hole WRC072.

Pantera has interpreted that the drill holes intersected the southern edge of a CID and is likely to increase in thickness.

Following the recognition of channel iron mineralisation at the Central CID, a field mapping and sampling program identified further mineralisation 6km to the west. This Western CID returned rock chips with grades of up to 60.4% Fe with an average grade of 56.7% Fe across all samples.

At the identified Northern CID which was mapped over an area of 500m x 100m, a 62.5% Fe grade sample was found.

Pantera plans to conduct heritage surveys and plan drill programs over several manganese targets identified from sampling, and anticipates spinning the drill bit later this year.

For the channel iron mineralisations, a field mapping campaign will be undertaken at the Central, Western and Northern CID’s.

Historic intercepts of detrital iron will also be investigated.

This article was developed in collaboration with Pantera Minerals, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.