Pantera hunts manganese at Weelarrana

Drilling is now underway at Pantera’s Weelarrana project near Newman, Western Australia, to test high-grade outcropping manganese mineralisation at Mn Area 1.

The 30 hole reverse circulation drill program totalling 1,200m will test the 800m long by up to 5m thick outcrop where surface sampling had returned results of between 12% manganese and 44% manganese.

This program represents Pantera Minerals’ (ASX:PFE) first roll of the dice at the 958km2 project, which remains largely underexplored for the steelmaking and battery metal despite the presence of two significant manganese deposits along strike and within the same stratigraphy.

“We are excited to have commenced drilling at Weelarrana, which is the culmination of a substantial effort from our team, with support from the Traditional Owners and local pastoralists,” chief executive officer Matt Hansen said.

“This RC drilling program will test the project’s high-grade, outcropping manganese target at Mn Area 1 and is the first drill program targeting manganese within the tenement area.”

Should results from the program, which are expected over the coming weeks, be positive, the company plans to carry out infill drilling as well as first pass drilling at three other prospective target areas.

In the right neighbourhood

Weelarrana is located in the either the Ilgagari Formation manganesiferous shales or Backdoor Formation manganesiferous shales of the Collier Basin, which also host Element 25 (ASX:E25) and Firebird Metals’ (ASX:FRB) large Butcherbird and 616 manganese deposits.

Besides the surface results from Mn Area 1, rock chip sampling has also confirmed and extended outcropping manganese mineralisation at Mn Area 3, 600m east of previous sampling, with even more samples and mapping identifying new mineralisation south of there at Mn Area 4.

Mn Area 2 had three additional samples taken, with one returning 11.5% Mn

Pantera’s belief in the potential of the project is so strong, it is already moving to secure heritage agreements also for tenement applications E52/4046, 4041 and 4071, which are expected to be granted early next year.

Another tenement application, E52/4173, has been made to cover the extension of the Ilgagari Fault to the west and east, surrounding E52/3981, where subcropping goethite-chalcedony fault breccia associated with the fault returned rock chip grades up to 2.44ppm silver and 0.18ppm gold.

This article was developed in collaboration with Pantera Minerals (ASX:PFE), 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.