The Perth-based explorer completed three vertical holes for a total of 159 metres at its Area 42 deposit. The standout hole intersected multiple zones of visual manganese mineralisation across a 72-metre downhole span, terminating in mineralised chert breccia and leaving the system untested below. The second hole returned visual manganese from 14.3 metres to 27.3 metres, while the third hit mineralisation from surface down to 23.1 metres.
Managing director and chief executive officer Luke Meter said the metallurgical program was a key step in defining the development pathway for Area 42. "Together, the three metallurgical holes highlight the scale potential of mineralisation at the Area 42 resource," he said.
The drilling will provide bulk samples for an important metallurgical program to assess both direct shipping ore and dense media separation pathways using continuous bench-scale testing.
The news comes amid a tightening global manganese market, with recent supply disruptions at major producers and stronger buyer interest in long-term supply agreements. Accelerate last week consolidated 100 per cent ownership of the project, clearing all legacy payments and royalties.