Marmota Accelerates Drilling at Muckanippie Titanium Discovery with Bonanza Assays

Marmota Advances Muckanippie Drilling Campaign

Marmota Limited (ASX:MEU) has officially commenced drilling at its promising Muckanippie Heavy Minerals Titanium discovery in South Australia. The company is executing an ambitious air-core drilling program comprising approximately 89 holes, each averaging around 30 metres in depth, designed to delineate the titanium-bearing mineral sands from surface.

Within days of starting, Marmota has completed the first 10 holes, totalling 359 metres, all of which have delivered bonanza-grade heavy mineral concentrate (HMC) assays. These results reinforce the significance of the discovery and provide a strong foundation for rapid resource definition.

Geological Context and Scale

The Muckanippie discovery is situated within a newly interpreted regional palaeochannel extending approximately 28 kilometres across Marmota’s tenements. This palaeochannel, identified through recent Geological Survey of South Australia (GSSA) research, is up to 5 kilometres wide and hosts thick, rich titanium mineralisation. Marmota controls about 10 kilometres of this channel to the west and 18 kilometres to the east, positioning the company well to explore a substantial heavy mineral sands system.

Previous drilling and assays have revealed exceptional TiO2 grades exceeding 10%, with thick intervals of mineralisation starting from surface. For example, hole WI-081 returned 28 metres at 19.2% HMC, including 4 metres at 22.2%, highlighting the potential for economically significant deposits.

Strategic Advantages and Market Relevance

Titanium is a critical mineral with diverse applications spanning energy storage, defence, aerospace, semiconductors, surgical implants, pigments, and metal alloys. Marmota’s discovery at Muckanippie is well positioned logistically, being adjacent to major rail infrastructure connecting Adelaide to Darwin and Perth, which could facilitate efficient transport and development.

Chairman Dr Colin Rose emphasised the company’s momentum: "The bonanza heavy mineral assays confirm Muckanippie as a highly significant new discovery. We are moving at full speed with a major follow-up drill program to rapidly advance and grow this outstanding titanium resource." This aggressive approach reflects confidence in the deposit’s potential and the strategic importance of titanium in global supply chains.

Next Steps and Market Implications

Marmota’s ongoing drilling campaign is expected to conclude within approximately nine days, after which further assay results will provide greater clarity on the deposit’s scale and grade continuity. Metallurgical testwork is already underway to assess the heavy mineral properties and processing characteristics, critical steps toward resource development.

Investors and analysts will be watching closely as Marmota seeks to convert this early success into a defined resource that could position the company as a key player in the titanium sector, particularly given the mineral’s rising strategic importance worldwide.