Tusker Minerals (ASX:TSK) has commissioned its heavy mineral sands laboratory in Yaoundé, Cameroon, allowing the company access to rapid separation and screening of heavy mineral (HM) concentrates.
The laboratory will process soil, auger, and future drill samples internally from Tusker’s Cameroon projects, reducing analytical turnaround times and to improve expenditure.
Tusker will maintain full technical oversight of mineral separation, allowing a fastened assessment for rutile endowment of exploration targets.
The Yaoundé-based laboratory will follow a process flow including sample preparation and sizing from field samples, gravity separation through the use of a shaking table to produce HM concentrates and light tailings fraction, magnetic separation, and portable x-ray fluorescence analysis.
CEO Cliff Fitzhenry says the commissioning of the laboratory marks an “important operational milestone” for the company to strengthen its explorational activities.
“This is not simply an operational upgrade – it fundamentally enhances how we evaluate the exceptional rutile potential across our project portfolio,” Fitzhenry says.
“With multiple exploration programs advancing across our licences, including the historically mapped 70 x 15km BRGM high-grade rutile corridor, this capability will allow us to rapidly assess the rutile potential of our projects and prioritise the most prospective targets for drilling.
“We believe our Cameroon portfolio has the potential to host large-scale rutile systems and this new laboratory capability will be instrumental in unlocking that opportunity.”
As reported by Mining.com.au, Tusker expanded its Central Rutile Project in Cameroon to hold a total landholding of 8,782km2 in early January 2026, with the acquisition of the Yaoundé West Rutile tenement package.
Tusker Minerals is an African-based explorer focused on advancing its portfolio of critical minerals assets in Cameroon and Malawi.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Images: Tusker Minerals
