Sampling and mapping work by Pantera has identified several high-grade manganese targets at the Weelarrana project near Newman in WA’s Pilbara region.

This work has confirmed and extended the strike of a historical target from 280m to 800m while identifying two new manganese targets with rock chips of outcropping in-situ material returning between 11% and 43% manganese.

Pantera Minerals (ASX:PFE) noted that the high-grade manganese appears to be developed at the contact between the Calyie Sandstone and Ilgarari Siltstone with up to 5 vertical metres of manganese mineralisation observed over strike lengths of up to 800m

This is significant as the Ilgarari Siltstone hosts the manganese mineralisation at Element 25’s (ASX:E25) world-class Butcherbird deposit.

A heritage survey will be carried out late this month for the Manganese Area 1 with an initial 1,500m drill program expected to start in July.

Drill planning and permitting is also underway for the new Manganese Areas 2 and 3.

“We are delighted to have commenced onground exploration at our Weelarrana Manganese Project,” chief executive officer Matt Hansen said.

“We believe this area holds great potential for the discovery of high grade manganese mineralisation and we are now able to access this area year round.

“It is very pleasing to quickly identify three areas of outcropping high grade manganese mineralisation with large parts of the tenement area yet to be assessed.

“The upcoming drill program will be the first time the manganese mineralisation within the tenement area has been drill tested and we are very much looking forward to the results of the maiden drill program.”

Weelarrana manganese project

The Weelarrana manganese project covers 212sqkm about 75km south of Newman though three new tenement applications could increase this landholding by a further 357sqkm.

Manganese Area 1 was originally discovered by Pilbara Manganese in 2012 with four rock chip samples taken with grades ranging from 32% to 42% manganese.

This area will now be the subject of an ethnographic and archaeological survey in late May prior to an RC drill program being conducted in late June/early July.

Pantera discovered Manganese Area 2 about 2.3km to the west of the first area and along the same contact.

This has been mapped out to a strike length of 730m with widths of 5m to 50m noted while rock chips returned grades of between 16.8% and 25.6% manganese.

Mineralisation at this area appears to be more massive and nodular in nature.

Manganese Area 3 is located 3.4km northwest of Area 2 and is situated entirely within a broadly folded sequence of Ilgarari Siltstone with only sporadic outcrop.

Numerous exposures of outcropping to subcropping manganese replacement of shale were observed over an area of 900m by 450m with rock chips returning grades of 11.5% to 37.7% manganese.

 

 

 

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.