Osmond Resources Expands High-Grade Target at Orión with Drill Hole SOR-08A

Drill Hole SOR-08A Extends High-Grade Mineralisation

Osmond Resources (ASX:OSM) has delivered a substantial boost to its Orión EU Critical Minerals Project in Southern Spain with the latest assay results from drill hole SOR-08A. The hole intersected a heavy mineral-rich quartzite seam at around 209 metres depth, revealing exceptional grades that confirm the extension of high-grade mineralisation more than 1.25 kilometres east-southeast of the initial discovery hole AV-01.

Highlights from SOR-08A include a 2.7-metre interval averaging 10.75% titanium dioxide (TiO₂), 3.82% zirconium oxide (ZrO₂), 815 ppm hafnium oxide (HfO₂), and 0.784% total rare earth oxides (TREO). Within this, narrower zones delivered even richer grades, such as 1.2 metres at 17.16% TiO₂, 6.55% ZrO₂, 1,401 ppm HfO₂, and 1.324% TREO. These figures underscore the presence of high-quality titanium, zirconium, hafnium and rare earth elements critical to advanced manufacturing and clean technology sectors.

Southern Block Resource Area Expanded

These results materially expand the potential mineral resource in the Southern Block, adding approximately 4.1 square kilometres to the targeted area for resource definition. This is on top of the 2.1 square kilometres already identified in the Avellanar Block. The thicker mineralised seam observed in SOR-08A compared to previous holes suggests the deposit's main unit thickens eastwards, comparable to the thickness seen in the Avellanar Block.

Drill hole SOR-07A, located about 1.34 kilometres west-southwest of SOR-08A, further confirms the continuity of the mineralised quartzite layers through geological and gamma ray logging, although assay results from this hole are still pending. These findings collectively indicate a significant and continuous mineralised system across the Southern Block.

Channel Sampling Supports Resource Modelling

Complementing the drilling, recent channel sampling across the Avellanar Block has extended the strike length of the prospective stratigraphy by over 550 metres. Assay results from seven channel samples show consistent heavy mineral grades, with total heavy minerals (THM) reaching up to 17.6% in some samples, including substantial proportions of rutile, zircon, ilmenite, and monazite.

These channel samples will assist geologists in refining the geological model and geostatistical parameters for the ongoing Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE), which is being prepared by independent consultants. Osmond anticipates that the SOR-08A assays will have a material impact on the MRE and the associated Scoping Study, targeted for completion by the end of the third quarter of 2026.

Strategic Positioning for EU Critical Minerals Supply

The Orión project is Osmond’s flagship initiative, aiming to become the European Union’s first producer of monazite (rare earth elements), zirconium, hafnium, and titanium minerals. The project covers 232 square kilometres in Jaén Province, Andalucía, and is hosted in siliciclastic quartzites of the Pochico Formation, known for heavy mineral concentrations up to 30%.

Osmond controls an 80% interest in the project through its ownership of Iberian Critical Minerals Pty Ltd and associated Spanish entities. The company is fast-tracking development to capitalise on strong EU regulatory support for domestic critical minerals production, with a Scoping Study and MRE due imminently and a secondary listing on the Madrid Stock Exchange planned later this year.

While the assay results from SOR-07A remain outstanding, the current data solidify the scale and quality of the mineralisation at Orión, positioning Osmond as a potential key supplier in the EU’s critical minerals landscape.