Black Canyon (ASX: BCA) used the RIU Sydney Resources Round-up 2025 to showcase something that’s getting field geologists and metallurgists talking: a genuine greenfields manganese discovery in the Pilbara with direct shipping-grade iron in the mix.
Managing director Brendan Cummins fronted the room with the latest on the Wandanya project—and he wasn’t shy about what the data is showing.
“We’ve delineated hydrothermal-style manganese mineralisation that’s high grade, consistent, and metallurgically clean,” said Cummins. “It’s a greenfields find in a location that’s never been drilled for manganese. That’s pretty rare these days.”
Brendan Cummins
A Practical Look at What’s in the Ground
Wandanya sits roughly 80km south of Woodie Woodie and is already punching above its weight. The mineralised system stretches 3km for manganese and 5km for iron ore, with promising results across the board. RC drilling has intercepted:
5m @ 31.1% Mn from surface, including 2m @ 42% Mn (WDRC005)
6m @ 29.6% Mn, including 3m @ 41% Mn (WDRC031)
5m @ 32.4% Mn from 3m, including 3m @ 40.1% Mn (WDRC033)
From a practitioner's perspective, the consistency and geometry of the deposit are key.
“We’re seeing shallow, flat-dipping mineralisation that’s easy to chase,” Cummins explained. “It makes drilling logical and efficient—just point the rig east and keep going.”
Metallurgy: Clean Feed, Strong Recovery
The lab work is matching what’s seen in the field. Using 2.85 SG heavy liquid separation, Black Canyon upgraded moderate-grade feed (21–41% Mn) to a premium 44.8% Mn concentrate with recoveries around 80%—a standout result at this stage of the game.
Importantly, deleterious elements are negligible. Phosphorus, aluminium, and silica all clock in low, making the product potentially suitable for either the steel alloy sector or further downstream as HPMSM for batteries.
“We’ve been able to show clean, high-recovery manganese with minimal processing—exactly what you want when considering development pathways,” Cummins noted.
Map showing Black Canyon’s manganese tenement holdings in the eastern Pilbara, Western Australia, including the Wandanya Project, KR1/KR2 Projects, and adjacent discoveries across the Balfour Manganese Field. Key regional infrastructure and neighbouring deposits such as Woodie Woodie and Nicholas Downs are also highlighted.
Bonus Iron: High Grade and DSO Potential
Wandanya’s not just a manganese play. Mapping and sampling across the western ridge have revealed iron grades up to 64.3% Fe, with very low contaminants—well within direct shipping ore (DSO) range.
“The set of steak knives is the iron ore,” Cummins quipped. “It’s a separate mineralised system and the grades are there. It’s compelling, and we’ll be drilling that shortly.”
Drill Plans and Next Milestones
Phase 1 drilling is already done. Phase 2—set to kick off in June—will extend strike by 900m and add cross-strike coverage. Phase 3 will follow later in 2025, targeting the remaining 3km manganese corridor and more of the iron trend.
The aim? Deliver a maiden mineral resource for Wandanya by the end of the year and feed that into a 2025 scoping study.
In parallel, Black Canyon is also reviewing its KR1 and KR2 manganese projects, which have a combined scoping study NPV of $340 million and IRR of 70% based on just two of six discoveries made in the Balfour Manganese Field.
For Operators and Explorers, Here’s Why This Matters
Wandanya offers a case study in how classic geology, high-grade hits, and clean metallurgy can still be found in the Pilbara if you know where to look—and if you're prepared to challenge assumptions.
“Everyone said this ground was the wrong age for manganese,” Cummins recalled. “But I saw manganese at surface. So we drilled it. And here we are.”
With manganese now straddling both the steel and battery sectors, Black Canyon is positioning itself as a nimble supplier of high-quality feed for either stream. For practitioners watching from the pit or the plant, Wandanya’s simplicity, grade, and low-impurity profile make it a discovery worth watching.
