Union Power Metals Corporation has spudded the first hole of a planned 25-hole, approximately 1,000-metre drill program at the Michalová manganese project in central Slovakia.

The campaign marks maiden drilling designed to verify historical geological data from Slovak state archives and to generate fresh material for metallurgical testing. Twin holes are being drilled adjacent to selected historical drill collars to provide a direct comparison with archival records held by the Slovak State Geological Institute.

In parallel with the drilling, Union Power is assembling representative composites from oxide and carbonate mineralization to evaluate potential processing pathways toward high-purity, battery-grade products. The company expects to report analytical and assay results as the campaign advances.

“What we are chasing at Michalová is a question Europe has not been able to answer for itself: whether a manganese deposit on this continent can be taken all the way to battery grade,” said Derrick Dao, Chief Executive Officer of Union Power Metals.

“We are drilling to verify the historical work and running metallurgical testwork in parallel, rather than sequentially, because tonnes and grade alone will not tell us whether this deposit has a place in a cathode supply chain. The answer ultimately comes out of the laboratory.”

Read the full announcement: Union Power Metals Advances Maiden Drill Program at Michalová Manganese Project, Slovakia