Accelerate Resources has identified over 200 manganese outcrops spanning nearly 10 hectares at its Woodie Woodie North Project, with rock-chip assays hitting up to 58.4% manganese. The company is gearing up for its maiden reverse circulation drilling campaign in September 2026.
- More than 200 manganese outcrops mapped across Gingarrigan-El Largo
- Rock-chip assays up to 58.4% manganese at new Rancor and Wampa prospects
- Structural interpretation highlights fault-hosted mineralisation controls
- Maiden RC drilling scheduled for September 2026 at Gingarrigan
- Metallurgical diamond drilling to begin late August at Area 42
Extensive High-Grade Manganese Surface Footprint Discovered
Accelerate Resources Limited (ASX:AX8) has unveiled a significant expansion of its Woodie Woodie North manganese project with over 200 manganese outcrops mapped across the Gingarrigan-El Largo area. These outcrops collectively cover an estimated 9.7 hectares of mineralised surface, highlighting the scale of the project’s near-surface potential. Rock-chip sampling has returned standout assays up to 58.4% manganese at the newly identified Wampa Prospect and up to 57.6% manganese at the Rancor Prospect, underscoring the high-grade nature of these targets.
Rancor, one of the larger manganese bodies, features an approximately one-hectare manganese–chert breccia outcrop with apparent thicknesses reaching 10 metres. The prospect sits at a structural intersection interpreted from recent gravity surveys, with manganese veins in the underlying dolomite suggesting possible feeder zones. These geological features present a compelling case for a structurally controlled, fault-hosted manganese system, analogous to the nearby Woodie Woodie mining district.
Structural Controls Confirmed by Gravity Survey
Accelerate’s high-resolution ground gravity survey has been pivotal in refining the structural framework across the area. The survey’s first vertical derivative image reveals a network of faults closely associated with manganese mineralisation, with many of the larger outcrops coinciding with structural intersections. This insight is guiding drill targeting, prioritising zones where structural complexity may have localised higher-grade manganese mineralisation. The gravity results build on earlier geophysical and geological work, integrating with LiDAR and orthophotography to sharpen the company’s exploration focus.
This structural model supports a fault-hosted hydrothermal manganese system, a style well documented in the region. Accelerate’s CEO Luke Meter emphasised the significance of these findings, noting the strong correlation between surface manganese exposure and the interpreted structural architecture. The company is now poised to test these targets at depth through its maiden reverse circulation drilling program planned for September 2026, pending final heritage clearances and approvals.
Upcoming Drilling and Metallurgical Programs
With heritage surveys at Gingarrigan complete and clearance documentation imminent, Accelerate is finalising drill designs that leverage integrated datasets from mapping, LiDAR, and gravity surveys. The maiden RC drilling will focus on high-grade surface occurrences and structural intersections to validate the subsurface extent of the mineralisation.
In parallel, metallurgical diamond drilling is scheduled to commence in late August 2026 at Area 42, located 15 kilometres northwest of Gingarrigan. Area 42 hosts an inferred mineral resource of 0.7 million tonnes at 20.7% manganese. The metallurgical program aims to secure representative core samples for test work assessing direct shipping ore (DSO) potential and processing pathways, including beneficiation of lower-grade material. These results will inform development strategies for Area 42 and other advanced prospects within Woodie Woodie North.
Project Scale and Resource Context
The Woodie Woodie North Project spans 432 square kilometres along the Woodie Woodie Manganese Corridor, about 260 kilometres east of Port Hedland. It encompasses seven large manganese corridors over 42 kilometres of strike. Previous drilling and RC campaigns have defined an inferred mineral resource estimate (MRE) of 1.2 million tonnes at 19.1% manganese at a 15% cut-off, alongside exploration targets ranging from 5.3 to 10.7 million tonnes at 10–19% manganese. Notably, these figures do not include the new Gingarrigan and El Largo trends, which remain at an early exploration stage.
The company cautions that the 9.7-hectare mapped manganese footprint represents surface outcrop area and should not be interpreted as a resource estimate or imply grade continuity or tonnage. The exploration targets are conceptual, with further drilling required to confirm mineralisation continuity and economic viability.
Bottom Line?
Accelerate is transitioning from surface mapping to drilling, with maiden RC and metallurgical programs set to unlock the subsurface potential of its high-grade manganese targets.
Questions in the middle?
- Will maiden drilling at Gingarrigan confirm the structural controls and high-grade continuity suggested by surface mapping?
- How will metallurgical test results from Area 42 influence processing strategies and project economics?
- What impact will the pending grant of exploration licence E45/7201 have on advancing the El Largo trend?