Petratherm (ASX:PTR) is preparing to conduct a phase-four drilling program later this month at the Rosewood Heavy Mineral Project in South Australia.
The company aims to progress Rosewood towards a maiden inferred and indicated resource, while also advancing exploration at the Echo prospect and the nearby saprolitic targets.
During phase four, additional step out drilling at the newly identified Echo prospect will be carried out. Further details will be provided in due course.
Assay results from the phase three program – which comprised 3,227m of aircore drilling across 109 holes – extended continuous high-grade mineralisation a further 2.6km north. Rosewood East’s mineralisation now extends 6.5km north-south and ranges from 2km to 3.4km east-west.
Identified titanium-rich heavy mineral (HM) mineralisation at Rosewood now extends more than 40km2 including two zones totalling 22km2.
Some of the results include 8m @ 20.2% HM from 2m, including 5m @ 27% HM from 3m; and 12m @ 12.5% HM from 5m, including 4m @ 25% HM from 7m.
Grade, continuity, and thickness
CEO Peter Reid says the results continue to confirm the high HM grade, continuity, and thickness associated with the project.
“Importantly, mineralogical testwork to date has shown the Rosewood East assemblage comprises very high valuable heavy mineral content of over 95% dominated by high-grade titanium minerals in excess of 70% titanium oxide content,” Reid says.
“Identifiication of the new Echo prospect, extending 4.5km and open along trend, demonstrates the broader scale potential and emerging camp style titanium province of the Muckanippie Suite.
“Together, Rosewood and Echo provide the company with multiple large-scale, high-grade HM systems that remain open in multiple directions.”
Petratherm adds that a bulk sample, of one tonne, is being tested to inform mineral processing and potential heavy mineral content product groupings. Additional testing of HM zones from Rosewood using mid-sized samples is also underway.
The results from the testwork are expected over the December quarter this year.
Rosewood and Echo are located within the broader Muckanippie Project which covers 645km2 in the northern Gawler Craton of South Australia. The project is considered prospective for heavy mineral sands, titanium, vanadium, and gold.
Petratherm is an Australian diversified mineral explorer focused on the discovery of titanium-rich heavy mineral sands mineralisation in South Australia.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Petratherm
