How Far Can Petratherm Extend Rosewood’s High-Grade Titanium Mineralisation?

Expanding the Mineralised Footprint

Petratherm Limited (ASX, PTR) has delivered a compelling update on its Rosewood Heavy Mineral Prospect within the Muckanippie Project, located in South Australia's northern Gawler Craton. The company reported final assay results from 63 air core drill holes, which have significantly expanded the known extent of high-grade titanium-bearing heavy mineral sands (HMS). These results confirm a mineralised footprint now exceeding 20 square kilometres, with mineralisation remaining open towards the north.

Notably, the drilling program has delineated two prominent north-south trending mineralised zones, Rosewood East and Rosewood West. These zones exhibit continuous, thick, and high-grade mineralisation, interpreted as ancient marine strandlines enriched by titanium-rich basement rocks known as the Muckanippie Suite. The geological setting is particularly favourable, combining a unique source rock with sedimentary processes that concentrate heavy minerals.

Strong Drill Intercepts and Continuity

The Phase 2 drilling results include impressive intercepts such as 11 metres at 16.4% heavy mineral from 6 metres depth (hole 25RW030), which notably includes a 1-metre interval grading 55.7% heavy mineral. Other significant intersections confirm the continuity and thickness of mineralisation, with multiple holes returning grades well above 10% HM over substantial widths. These results build on earlier drilling that already demonstrated the prospect’s potential for a world-class titanium project.

Importantly, the northernmost drill holes ended in high-grade mineralisation, suggesting the deposit continues to extend beyond current drilling limits. This has prompted the company to plan Phase 3 extensional drilling, focusing on further expanding the mineralised zones, particularly to the north where the strongest grades have been encountered.

Next Steps, Drilling and Metallurgical Testing

With the drill rig remobilised, Petratherm is poised to commence Phase 3 drilling imminently. This next phase aims to test the northern extensions of both Rosewood East and West zones, potentially increasing the resource footprint further. Concurrently, the company has initiated bulk sample metallurgical studies using a one-tonne composite from Rosewood East. These tests, conducted by IHC Mining in Brisbane, will evaluate mineral recovery processes and the potential product mix, critical factors for assessing the economic viability of the deposit.

Additional bench-scale mineralogical and metallurgical studies are underway across other prospects within the Muckanippie Project, including Duke, Nardoo, and Claypan. These efforts will provide a comprehensive understanding of the heavy mineral species present and their amenability to processing.

Strategic Position and Outlook

Petratherm’s Muckanippie Project benefits from a strategic location within a mineral-rich region and holds significant promise for critical minerals beyond titanium, including platinum group elements and vanadium. The recent drilling success at Rosewood enhances the project’s profile and supports the company’s ambition to develop a world-class titanium resource.

CEO Peter Reid highlighted the quality of the recent drill intercepts and the expanding mineralised envelope, emphasizing the importance of upcoming drilling and metallurgical work to unlock further value. While the project remains at an early stage, these results mark a meaningful step forward in resource definition and project advancement.