Highlights

  • Accelerate Resources (ASX:AX8) has secured dollar-matched funding through the CSIRO Kick-Start program to support collaborative research at its Woodie Woodie North Manganese Project in the East Pilbara region of Western Australia.
  • The CSIRO Kick-Start program provides matched funding of between A$10,000 and A$50,000 to Australian small and medium enterprises, connecting them with CSIRO researchers to advance their Research and Development activities.
  • Woodie Woodie North is strategically located directly north of the operating Woodie Woodie Manganese Mine, one of the world's premier high-grade manganese operations, with the project area covering approximately 358 square kilometres across three granted exploration licences.
  • Accelerate Resources has identified over 200 manganese outcrops at Woodie Woodie North, with rock chip sampling returning grades of up to 58% manganese, and gravity survey work confirming structural controls on mineralisation.

Accelerate Resources Limited (ASX:AX8) has secured dollar-matched funding from the CSIRO Kick-Start program to support a collaborative research project at its Woodie Woodie North Manganese Project in the East Pilbara region of Western Australia. The funding reflects the scientific and commercial potential of the project, which is located in one of the world's most historically productive manganese districts.

CSIRO Kick-Start Program and Research Collaboration

The CSIRO Kick-Start program is an initiative by Australia's national science agency that provides matched funding of between A$10,000 and A$50,000 to eligible Australian start-ups and small to medium enterprises. Participants work directly with CSIRO researchers to scope, deliver, and evaluate research projects, with the matched funding sharing the cost of the collaborative work. For Mining companies, CSIRO Kick-Start can support activities such as resource characterisation, metallurgical testing, and geological interpretation.

Accelerate Resources' CSIRO collaboration at Woodie Woodie North is focused on advancing the company's understanding of the manganese mineralisation system at the project. The East Pilbara is home to the operating Woodie Woodie Manganese Mine, widely regarded as one of the world's premier high-grade manganese operations. By leveraging CSIRO's research expertise alongside its own exploration data, Accelerate Resources aims to improve the geological understanding of the project and support its development pathway.

Woodie Woodie North Project Overview and Recent Discoveries

The Woodie Woodie North Manganese Project covers approximately 358 square kilometres across three granted exploration licences in the East Pilbara, situated directly north of the operating Woodie Woodie mine. The project's strategic location within a proven manganese district provides a compelling geological context for exploration, with the mineralisation style broadly consistent with the Woodie Woodie deposit environment.

Recent exploration activities at Woodie Woodie North have delivered a series of encouraging results. The company has mapped over 200 manganese outcrops across the project area, with rock chip sampling returning grades of up to 58% manganese. A high-resolution gravity survey confirmed structural controls on the manganese mineralisation at the Gingarrigan and El Largo target areas. RC drilling has been initiated to test these priority targets at depth and provide geological information to support a more formal resource assessment.

Strategic Context Within the East Pilbara Manganese District

Manganese occupies a dual position in the minerals economy — as a well-established and large-volume input for the global steel industry, and as an emerging battery material for certain energy storage applications. Manganese-rich battery chemistries are being explored by several electric vehicle manufacturers as alternatives to more expensive or geopolitically constrained materials. This dual-use profile has contributed to increased investor and industry interest in high-grade manganese deposits.

Accelerate Resources' Woodie Woodie North project is positioned within a Jurisdiction and district with established logistics infrastructure, including proximity to road networks and the bulk export facilities at Port Hedland. These logistical advantages are relevant to the economic assessment of the project, as they support the feasibility of transporting future production to domestic and international markets. The CSIRO funding adds a formal research dimension to the company's exploration activities, potentially supporting data that could inform future development decisions.

Key Takeaways

Accelerate Resources' CSIRO Kick-Start funding for Woodie Woodie North marks a constructive development in the company's approach to advancing its flagship manganese project. The collaborative research program adds scientific rigour to the company's geological understanding, complementing the field exploration activities already underway. Combined with the company's ongoing RC drilling and geophysical programs at Woodie Woodie North, the CSIRO Partnership positions Accelerate Resources to progress toward a more formal resource delineation and development assessment at one of the East Pilbara's most strategically located manganese exploration projects.