Can Great Dirt’s New Deposit Model Unlock Hidden Manganese Riches in NSW?
Great Dirt Resources has reported rock chip assays revealing manganese grades up to 51.8% at its Basin and Neranghi projects in NSW, underpinning a promising new deposit model and advanced geophysical research.
- Rock chip samples confirm manganese oxide grades up to 51.8% Mn
- Mineralisation at Basin aligns with host rock fabric suggesting primary exhalative stratiform deposit
- Advanced geophysical processing and 3D modelling underway to identify deposits at depth
- Historical mines produced battery and metallurgical grade manganese
- Further drilling planned to test priority targets identified by research
High-Grade Manganese Confirmed
Great Dirt Resources Ltd (ASX, GR8) has announced compelling new assay results from rock chip sampling at its 100% owned Basin and Neranghi manganese projects in northern New South Wales. The samples returned manganese oxide grades as high as 51.8% Mn, confirming the presence of massive, high-grade manganese mineralisation in historic workings and outcrops.
The Basin area, particularly around Copper Hill, revealed mineralisation that appears conformable with the dominant fabric of the chert host rock. This geological alignment supports the company’s hypothesis of a primary exhalative stratiform manganese oxide deposit, a model that could imply larger, district-scale manganese systems beneath the surface.
Advancing Exploration with Innovative Research
Great Dirt is not relying solely on surface sampling. The company has engaged specialist consultants, including Eureka Consulting Pty. Ltd. and geophysicist Peter Gidley, to apply new geophysical processing techniques and 3D structural modelling. These efforts integrate multi-disciplinary datasets, ranging from geochemical assays to aeromagnetic, radiometric, gravity, and induced polarisation surveys, to reconstruct the subsurface architecture and identify potential primary manganese deposits at depth.
This research has already identified and ranked several priority target areas for further ground examination. The company plans to follow up with drilling at the Doherty Project starting in early November, aiming to validate these targets and potentially uncover previously unrecognised manganese systems.
Historical Context and Future Potential
The Basin and Neranghi projects lie within EL9527 near Barraba, NSW, a region with a history of small-scale mining for battery and metallurgical grade manganese from the 1940s to 1960s. Previous operations extracted around 9,000 tonnes of manganese ore, supplying industries such as battery manufacturing and steel production. However, Great Dirt believes that historical exploration was limited and that significant manganese mineralisation remains undiscovered, especially deposits concealed beneath transported cover or between known workings.
Notably, the company’s exploration model challenges the traditional view that manganese mineralisation in the area is solely supergene-enriched surface ore. Instead, it posits that these surface deposits are expressions of a larger, primary exhalative stratiform system, which could dramatically increase the scale and economic potential of the resource.
Next Steps and Market Implications
With high-grade manganese confirmed and advanced geophysical techniques refining target zones, Great Dirt is positioned to accelerate its exploration program. The upcoming drilling campaign will be critical to testing the primary deposit hypothesis and could unlock new manganese resources in a market increasingly focused on battery and steel-grade manganese supply.
Investors and industry watchers will be keen to see how these exploration efforts translate into resource definition and development potential in the months ahead.
Bottom Line?
Great Dirt’s evolving exploration strategy could redefine manganese potential in NSW, with drilling results poised to be a market catalyst.
Questions in the middle?
- Will drilling confirm the presence of primary exhalative stratiform manganese deposits at depth?
- How extensive and economically viable are the newly identified priority targets?
- What impact will Great Dirt’s discoveries have on manganese supply dynamics in Australia?
