en.Wedoany.com Reported - PTR Minerals (ASX:PTR) has announced the maiden resource estimate for its Rosewood deposit, which is ranked among the world's highest-grade heavy mineral sand deposits. The mineral resource estimate stands at 463 million tonnes at a heavy mineral grade of 8.8%, containing a total heavy mineral content of 40.6 million tonnes at a cut-off grade of 3% HM. Using a higher cut-off grade of 8% HM, the resource still comprises 208 million tonnes at a grade of 13.5% HM, highlighting the high-grade core within the deposit.
PTR Minerals CEO Peter Reid stated that Rosewood meets expectations for a globally significant titanium discovery. He noted that the near-surface, large, continuous, and high-grade tonnage suggests potential for long-life, efficient mining operations. The broader Muckanippie project area has only seen limited exploration, with promising extensions at Rosewood and significant potential for discovering new high-grade systems.
Rosewood East is emerging as a key development focus. This area hosts 294 million tonnes of resources at a grade of 9.7% HM, containing a total heavy mineral content of 28.5 million tonnes, with over 95% of the material classified as Indicated. PTR expects initial mining to concentrate on Rosewood East, where a high-grade, coherent, and shallow orebody has been delineated. Using a cut-off grade of 5.5% HM, consistent with bulk samples used for metallurgical testing, Rosewood East contains 208 million tonnes of resources at a grade of 12.1% HM, with a total heavy mineral content of 25 million tonnes. This grade consistency provides PTR with flexibility in mining sequencing, allowing the prioritization of early high-grade material to maximize cash flow and shorten capital payback periods.
The scale of Rosewood is supported by a favorable mineral composition. Valuable heavy minerals account for 93% of HM, with high-quality leucoxene comprising 75% of HM. Metallurgical test work indicates that the ore responds well to conventional feed preparation, involving screening, scrubbing, and attritioning to remove oversize and fines, followed by gravity spiral concentration. Bulk sample testing recovered 91.3% of heavy minerals, yielding a high-quality concentrate grading 90.8% HM. PTR is currently evaluating processing options for a range of titanium products.
Australian Mining Consultants is conducting open-pit optimization and mining sequencing studies to examine whether PTR can prioritize high-grade material early in development. Preliminary sequencing indicates that Rosewood is suitable for conventional open-pit mining and in-pit tailings disposal, with open-pit optimization work assessing the potential benefits of early high-grade material prioritization. Rosewood is located within PTR's Muckanippie project, situated in the northern Gawler Craton, approximately 650 kilometers northwest of Adelaide and 150 kilometers southwest of Coober Pedy. PTR notes that the location offers transport advantages, including access to the national rail system and an unused railway siding 42 kilometers east of the project area.
PTR states that Rosewood and the broader Muckanippie project still have exploration upside, including extensions of the current deposit and potential new high-grade heavy mineral systems across the tenement area. Only limited exploration has been completed beyond the main Rosewood area, and further work is expected to upgrade a significant portion of Indicated material to the Measured category.
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