Petratherm (ASX:PTR) is set to commence bulk sample testwork at its Rosewood prospect, part of the Muckanippie Project in South Australia. This follows a drilling program that identified a 1.6km extension of heavy mineral (HM) mineralisation. A one-tonne bulk sample from the upper mineralised zone at Rosewood East, composited from eight drillholes, will undergo large-scale metallurgical testing by IHC Mining in Brisbane. The aim is to inform mineral recovery processing and potential mineral products using wet concentrator plant, followed by magnetic and electrostatic separation to produce HM concentrates.
Initial results from the drilling program have been promising, with intercepts returning up to 26m @ 17.2% heavy mineral from 7m, including 6m @ 36.4% heavy mineral from 27m. Mineralisation at Rosewood East remains open to the north, with intersections returning 8m @ 13.1% heavy mineral from 6m including 4m @ 20.5% heavy mineral from 7m, extending mineralisation to at least 3.6km in the north-south direction. Further HM drill assay results from additional exploration holes are expected in July. Petratherm’s CEO, Peter Reid, stated that the drilling continues to demonstrate high-grade mineralisation, anticipating future exploration drilling will extend the Rosewood discovery. The Mackanippie Project covers 645km2 of land in South Australia.
