Bryah Resources Limited (ASX:BYH) has intersected high-grade (>30% Mn) manganesein shallow drilling at the historic Horseshoe South Manganese Mine in Western Australia.
The high-grade hits featured in the company’s final set of results from its latest reverse circulation (RC) drilling programme at its Bryah Basin Manganese Joint Venture project (70% Bryah/30% OM (Manganese) Limited, located approximately 150 km north of the town of Meekatharra.
RC drilling was completed in October/November 2020 to enable improved geological modelling ahead of the preparation of mineral resource estimates in accordance with JORC 2012.
The latest results confirm the presence of high-grade manganese mineralisation beneath the existing Main Pit floor and provide an increased geological understanding of the area Manganese grades and widths within the channel zones show the potential for high-grade mineral accessed on the existing Mining Lease.
Drilling at Horseshoe South in 2020 has been largely focused on two areas within granted Mining Lease M52/806, the Main Open Pit Area and the Extended Open Pit Area.
A total of 40 holes for 925m was completed in this latest drilling programme.
The drill programme at the Main Pit area was focused primarily as infill drilling and to better define interpreted manganiferous channels that previous drilling returned grades in excess of 30% Mn.
15 RC holes (HERC060-HERC074) for a total of 588m were drilled at the Extended Pit Area.
Holes were drilled adjacent tmeo the southern lease boundary to extend the mineralisation identified in earlier programs. Drilling also followed-up on some lower Iron (Fe) and Phosphorus (P) intersections from previous drilling. Hole HERC071 did intersect the lower Fe and P zone over a significant interval (16m (6-22m) @ 26.1% Mn). Lower Fe and P is more indicative of channel deposits which were previously mined at Horseshoe South and the nearby Horseshoe Flats deposit.
Meanwhile, the diamond drilling programme, which commenced in December 2020, will recommence in January 2021 with additional PQ diameter holes planned to recover core samples from the Brumby Creek Prospect. Two holes at Horseshoe South Extended have been completed, which will be used for density and beneficiation testwork.
The Horseshoe Range area has been the main manganese producing region within the Bryah and Padbury Basins, with production dominated by the Horseshoe South Mine, and a smaller satellite deposit at the Horseshoe North Mine. The production from 1948 to 1969 for these 2 deposits was 490,000 tonnes of ore at a reported average grade of 42% Manganese.
In the period 2008 to 2011, Process Minerals International Pty Ltd (PMI) undertook mining operations. During their mining operations, PMI processed historical stockpiles and completing hard rock mining operations to produce over 400,000 tonnes of manganese ore. The stockpiles were processed using mobile screening equipment whilst a Dense Media Separation (DMS) plant treated the hard rock ore.
