SAGA Metals (TSX-V:SAGA) has completed a 1,010m diamond drilling program at the Trapper North zone of its Radar Titanium-Vanadium-Iron Project in Labrador, Canada, to collect material for metallurgical testing.
The program comprised four HQ diamond drill holes designed to recover large-diameter core from semi-massive oxide mineralisation.
According to SAGA, the samples will be used to produce sufficient concentrate for downstream pilot-scale studies, supporting the project’s planned Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) and Prefeasibility Study (PFS).
The latest drilling follows an earlier 85-hole program aimed at defining the continuity and scale of oxide mineralisation at the Trapper zone and supporting a maiden mineral resource estimate.
Larger core supports studies
The HQ drilling produced core measuring 63.5mm in diameter, compared with the 47.6mm diameter NQ core used during the earlier resource drilling.
SAGA says the larger diameter provides approximately 1.8 times as much core per metre, allowing it to collect sufficient samples for testing with fewer drill holes.
Two of the four holes have been logged, with both intersecting the semi-massive and rhythmic oxide gabbronorite units that host titanomagnetite and ilmenite mineralisation at Trapper.
Chief Geological Officer Michael Garagan says the holes “were deliberately sited in the heart of Trapper North” to recover representative material for metallurgical testing.
He adds that the samples are expected to provide the concentrate volumes needed for downstream pilot-scale studies and future technical assessments.
Processing optimisation advances
The drilling comes as SAGA progresses stage two bench-scale metallurgical optimisation at Radar.
The work is designed to establish repeatable processing conditions that maximise metal extraction while improving reagent efficiency and solution quality.
It also includes the development of a downstream solvent extraction circuit for iron, titanium, and vanadium.
Processing test work is being conducted by Temas Resources (ASX:TIO) using its proprietary Regenerative Chloride Leach (RCL) technology.
According to SAGA, the optimisation program is approximately halfway through its planned schedule.
Once stage two testing is complete, the company expects to use the new drill core to assess magnetic concentrate production and support further pilot-scale processing studies.
The results are expected to contribute to the technical work required for the project’s planned PEA and PFS.
SAGA Metals is a North American mining company focused on the exploration and discovery of a diverse range of critical minerals.
Write to Jackson Chen at Mining.com.au
Main image: SAGA Metals
