Eclipse ramps up exploration at Amamoor

Eclipse Metals is off and racing at the Mary Valley manganese project in Queensland as it gears up for diamond drilling later in the month. The company’s geophysical survey team on the ground in the area of the historical mine has commenced a detailed ground magnetic survey across the Amamoor workings in the south of its tenure.

A previous study of the ores at Amamoor established the high-grade manganese mineralisation has a strong magnetic signature, making ground magnetics the ideal medium to test the prospect. The survey will see through the soil and vegetation covering the historical mining area allowing better targeting of the upcoming drilling program.

The Amamoor manganese deposits form part of Eclipse’s Mary Valley project area on the central coast of Queensland. The project is located 20km south of the gold mining centre at Gympie, inland from Noosa Heads. Eclipse’s tenure is composed of two granted exploration permits covering 31 square kilometres of highly prospective manganese stratigraphy. The company has already outlined three primary targets through the tenure including the Donaldson’s and Eel Creek prospects in the north and the company’s current focus, the historical mining area at Amamoor in the south.

An evaluation of the Amamoor prospect indicates the ore system has the potential to deliver a direct shipping ore, or “DSO” product for export into the emerging electric vehicle battery market. A simple open-pit mining operation at Amamoor would have access to a range of existing infrastructure in the region including power, water, rail, and roads in addition to a skilled mining workforce at Gympie should a discovery proceed to development.

Preliminary metallurgical studies show that beneficiation of the Amamoor ores produces a high-grade manganese concentrate, with a low phosphorus content, and could be utilised in the manufacture of cathodes for lithium-ion batteries.

Eclipse’s second phase of its diamond drilling program is scheduled to kick off at Amamoor this month with the company planning 13 diamond holes for 500 metres of drilling. The drilling program will test the steeply dipping ore system to a depth of 60 metres and if successful this program will pave the way for a larger systematic program of resource definition across the prospect.

With a team on the ground and drill rig on the way, Eclipse is set for an interesting start to Spring and with parallels being drawn between the Mary Valley and other large manganese deposits in the Pilbara, the company may be of the cusp of a transformational discovery in Queensland.

Is your ASX listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au