Can Metals Australia Unlock More Value from Manindi’s High-Grade VTM Discovery?
Metals Australia has launched a 12-hole drilling campaign to delineate and extend its promising Vanadium-Titanium-Magnetite discovery in Western Australia, aiming to unlock further value from this critical minerals project.
- 12-hole, 2,500m drilling program underway at Manindi VTM discovery
- Initial metallurgical tests yield two high-grade iron and titanium products
- Drilling targets 1,200m strike length and up to 200m depth
- Potential to unlock four additional look-alike mineralised zones nearby
- Project advancement could lead to resource definition and predevelopment
Drilling Commences to Define Manindi VTM Discovery
Metals Australia Limited (ASX – MLS) has initiated a focused drilling program at its Manindi project in Western Australia's Murchison region, targeting the high-grade Vanadium-Titanium-Magnetite (VTM) discovery. The program comprises 12 Reverse Circulation holes totaling up to 2,500 metres, designed to test the extent and grade of mineralisation along a 1,200-metre strike length of a magnetic intrusion interpreted to host the deposit.
The discovery zone, situated on granted mining leases, has already yielded thick intersections of VTM mineralisation in three initial holes, with vertical extents reaching approximately 160 metres below surface. The current drilling aims to confirm the lateral and vertical dimensions of the mineralised zone, including depth of cover which ranges between 42 and 52 metres in the discovery holes.
Promising Metallurgical Test Results Support Project Potential
Early metallurgical test work on composite samples from the discovery holes has produced two high-grade products – a 66% iron concentrate with 1.19% vanadium pentoxide, and a 43.8% titanium dioxide ilmenite concentrate with significant iron content. The iron product, notable for its vanadium credits and low impurities, has attracted strong industry interest. Meanwhile, ongoing optimisation efforts aim to enhance the titanium dioxide grade of the ilmenite concentrate to capture higher market premiums.
These results underscore the potential for the Manindi project to supply critical minerals essential for emerging technologies, including battery materials and specialty steel alloys.
Exploring Beyond the Discovery Zone
Beyond the immediate discovery zone, Metals Australia has identified four additional look-alike targets within a 4-kilometre strike length, based on detailed magnetic surveys. Success in the current drilling campaign could pave the way for exploration of these adjacent zones, potentially expanding the project's footprint significantly.
CEO Paul Ferguson emphasised the strategic importance of this drilling phase, noting that positive results would support advancing the Manindi project through resource definition and predevelopment studies, while complementing the company’s broader portfolio, including its flagship graphite project in Quebec, Canada.
Broader Portfolio and Market Context
Metals Australia’s diversified portfolio spans critical minerals and battery materials, with significant assets in Australia and Canada. The company’s Lac Carheil graphite project recently reported a substantial resource upgrade, reinforcing its position in the North American battery supply chain. Meanwhile, exploration continues at the Warrego East copper-gold prospect in Australia’s Northern Territory.
The Manindi VTM discovery adds a valuable dimension to Metals Australia’s portfolio, tapping into growing demand for vanadium, titanium, and iron products driven by industrial and clean energy applications.
Bottom Line?
As drilling progresses, Metals Australia’s Manindi project could emerge as a key supplier of critical minerals, but assay results will be pivotal in confirming its commercial potential.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the current drilling confirm the interpreted extent and grade of the Manindi VTM mineralisation?
- How will ongoing metallurgical optimisation impact the market value of the titanium dioxide product?
- What are the timelines and capital requirements for advancing Manindi towards a formal Mineral Resource Estimate?
