Petratherm testing proves Rosewood hosts high value titanium minerals

Petratherm’s metallurgical testing returns significant heavy mineral grades with high levels of titanium mineral content
HM concentrations of 12% and 12.5% were returned from composite samples sourced from shallow depths
Assays pending from selected regional drilling holes that stepped away from historical holes at the Rosewood prospect

Special Report: Metallurgical testing of historical drilling samples from the Rosewood prospect at Petratherm’s Muckanippie project in South Australia has returned significant heavy mineral grades and mineralogy.

The heavy mineral separation test of composite samples from wide-spaced drill holes over 2.5km returned heavy mineral (HM) concentrations of 12% and 12.5% from shallow depths.

Adding further value for Petratherm (ASX:PTR), the laboratory analysis confirms the HM fraction contains high titanium mineral content of up to 65% titanium dioxide, an indication that a significant portion of higher value minerals are present.

X-Ray diffraction analyses of the fraction indicates that 19-21% rutile, 5-7% anatase and 68-70% pseudorutile is present, all of which are valuable titanium minerals.

Titanium is recognised as a critical mineral in Australia, the US and the EU. It is used in electric vehicles and battery storage, wind technology, pigments and as an alloy in steel and superalloys.

Interpreted geology map of Muckanippie with prospect names and 2024 drill collars. Pic: Petratherm

“The initial metallurgical results from historic drilling at the Rosewood prospect are outstanding and beyond our expectations,” chief executive officer Peter Reid said.

“As the Muckanippie project evolves, it continues to surprise with emerging potential to be a significant source of high value titanium minerals and transformational for the company.

“This outcome is a massive step forward for the Muckanippie titanium project and supports our strategy to maintain momentum on activities over the coming weeks and months to determine the full potential of the project.

“We now eagerly await the initial batch of heavy mineral results from Petratherm’s recent drilling at Rosewood and look forward to providing results as they come to hand.”

Metallurgical testing

The three composite samples from historical drilling that were submitted to ALS Laboratories for heavy liquid separation analysis returned excellent HM concentrations from the upper zone with the two composites reporting 12.48% and 12.01% HM respectively over 4m of interpreted true thickness.

The lower zone reports reduced, but still highly significant, 7.24% HM content. This also has a high fines (slime) content, and once they are removed, the beneficiated ore records a 31.90% HM content.

Work is underway to determine the potential to produce a beneficiated ore.

The geochemical assaying of the concentrates returned titanium oxide concentrations of 63.4-65% with significant vanadium credits from 0.28-0.35% along with very low levels of deleterious uranium-thorium concentrations.

PTR discovered heavy mineral sands at Muckanippie in September 2024 with outcrop sampling returning between 10-50% titanium dioxide.

The mineralisation occurs from or near surface and is present as heavy mineral bands forming sheet-like HMS mineralisation.

Re-assaying of historical wide spaced drilling confirms HMS mineralisation extends at least 6km to the north.

Upcoming activities

The company has selected 90 samples from a representative drill section trending over 1.8km from its recent regional drilling that stepped away from the historical holes at Rosewood for fast-tracked HM separation analysis.

Results from this work are expected in three to four weeks.

This article was developed in collaboration with Petratherm, 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.