Sovereign Metals has released step-out drilling results from its recently discovered Nsaru rutile deposit within the Malawi rutile province, with the mineralised footprint increasing 37% from 25km2 to 40km2.

The Phase 2 program drilled a total of 98 holes up to depths of 14m, with 94 of the holes showing very high-grades consistently in the top 3-5m from surface including:

  • 11m at 1.29% including 5m at 1.55% rutile;
  • 10m at 1.51% including 4m at 2.14% rutile;
  • 7m at 1.18% including 4m at 1.55% rutile;
  • 10m at 1.14% including 5m at 1.37% rutile;
  • 10m at 1.14% including 7m at 1.38% rutile;
  • 10m at 1.15% including 5m at 1.36% rutile;
  • 10m at 1.17% including 2m at 1.41% rutile;
  • 10m at 1.51% including 3m at 1.99% rutile;
  • 8m at 1.25% including 5m at 1.43% rutile;
  • 11m at 1.17% including 4m at 1.53% rutile;
  • 10m at 1.08% including 4m at 1.46% rutile;
  • 12m at 1.16% including 4m at 1.51% rutile;
  • 9m at 1.32% including 5m at 1.59% rutile; and
  • 6m at 1.13% including 2m at 2.14% rutile

The deposit is adjacent to and within the same geological domain as Kasiya where the company recently reported the maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE) of 644 million tonnes at 1.01% rutile.

Overall, Sovereign Metals’ (ASX:SVM) drilling at Kasiya and Nsaru has now defined a very large-scale area of high-grade rutile at 129km2, with the Kasiya JORC MRE covering just 38% of this area – which the company says offers substantial resource growth potential.

Nsaru resource estimate and Kasiya scoping study

The JORC MRE released in June 2021 confirmed Kasiya as one of the world’s largest undeveloped rutile deposits, and the next major technical milestone for the company is the Kasiya scoping study – targeted for completion in late 2021.

The objective is to develop a large-scale, long life, environmentally sustainable and socially responsible natural rutile operation.

“The high-grade Nsaru rutile deposit builds on and continues to validate our view that we have discovered one of the world’s largest and most strategic natural rutile provinces,” Sovereign’s managing director Dr Julian Stephens said.

“In parallel with the company’s primary scoping study objectives at Kasiya, the team is rapidly progressing resource drilling at Nsaru in preparation for a JORC resource estimate toward the end of the year.

“This is an important step toward the company’s objective of becoming a future supplier of premium grade natural rutile to the global titanium markets.”

Ongoing drilling at the Malawi rutile province

Nsaru now shows consistent high-grade rutile mineralisation from surface with lateral widths of up to 9km across and a current strike length of about 11.5km. The rutile envelope remains open to the north toward Kasiya and to the south.

Sovereign said that Nsaru may even link up with Kasiya once more drilling has been completed and has commenced a systematic drill program at Nsaru aimed at bringing the drill spacing down to 400m by 400m to incorporate the results into a future MRE.

Plus, a 100+ hole core drilling program is also planned at Nsaru later in the year to bring higher-grade areas to the JORC Indicated category.

At Kasiya, a +2,000m core drilling program is ongoing, targeting an Indicated JORC MRE category to feed into the scoping study.

And further metallurgical test-work has also commenced on a bulk representative sample as well as investigation and further test-work for a potential coarse-flake graphite by-product from the project.

 

 

 

This article was developed in collaboration with Sovereign Metals, 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.

Read MoreMineral Sands

Featured Companies

You might be interested in