Orión critical minerals hunt strikes true for Osmond Resources with first shot

• Osmond Resources’ first hole at Orión project in Spain hits 10.39% titanium dioxide, 3.51% zircon and 0.72% TREO
• Results were within the primary prospective quartzite layer with AV-01 intersecting seven such layers
• Assays expected soon from the second hole with drilling ongoing

Special Report: Osmond Resources is off to a strong start with the very first hole at its Orión EU critical minerals project in Spain returning outstanding grades of titanium, zircon and rare earths.

Assaying of the primary heavy minerals layer intersected by hole AV-01 returned 3m grading 10.39% titanium dioxide, 3.51% zircon, 756ppm hafnium and 0.72% total rare earth oxides (including 0.24% magnet rare earth oxides) from a down-hole depth of 108.45m.

This includes an even higher grade interval of 1.5m at 15.92% TiO2, 5.67% ZrO2, 1225ppm HfO2 and 1.15% TREO (0.3% MREO) from 108.75m.

Most of the titanium is contained in rutile – an important source of the high-tech metal – while magnet rare earths valued for the manufacture of powerful magnets found in electric vehicle motors and wind turbines make up a significant portion of the TREO content.

Besides returning what Osmond Resources (ASX:OSM) described as “world-class” grades, the drilling also confirmed continuity of mineralisation between the drill hole and bulk samples taken from adjacent outcrops.

The bulk samples had recorded highly anomalous heavy mineral concentrations of up to 33% with up to 15.4% rutile, 6.2% ilmenite, 9.8% zircon and 1.8% monazite (a rare earths mineral).

What makes the discovery exciting is that while the assays were returned from the primary quartzite layer, hole AV-01 intersected at least SEVEN prospective quartzite layers.

The result also confirms the potential for the target Pochico Formation to host world-class grades of titanium-zircon-REE mineralisation.

Orión project

The Orión project covers 228km2 of ground in southern Spain.

Initial work found the prospective individual layers of mineralisation within the Middle Member of the Pochico Formation at the 86km2 Orión Investigation Permit are highly anomalous for rutile, zircon and monazite.

To date, OSM has completed five holes totalling 1302.2m with another two in progress.

All holes have intersected the prospective Pochico Formation quartzite layers.

Samples from the main prospective quartzite layers have been submitted to an independent laboratory with results being fast-tracked.

Listen: Osmond eyes world class critical minerals

Assays from the primary prospective quartzite layer in the second hole – AV-01bis – are expected shortly.

The company is also progressing multiple work streams focusing on the potential supply of heavy mineral feedstocks to downstream titanium, zirconium, rare earth element and silica industries.

It is optimistic that Orión’s potential scale and grade would provide a unique, multi-generational opportunity for the supply and processing of critical raw minerals in the EU.

This article was developed in collaboration with Osmond Resources, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.