en.Wedoany.com Reported - Australian-listed company Fortuna Metals has announced the successful metallurgical testing of bulk samples from its Mkanda rutile and graphite project in Malawi, producing high-quality rutile products with a titanium dioxide (TiO2) grade exceeding 96%.
The metallurgical test work was carried out by Mineral Technologies, a Johannesburg-based mineral processing company. Fortuna stated in a release that a 5.4-tonne bulk sample underwent multi-stage gravity, magnetic, and electrostatic separation before X-ray fluorescence analysis. The separated fractions were processed into pure samples of rutile, monazite, zircon, and ilmenite for further characterization and classification, forming product samples available for potential off-take partners.
Fortuna noted that graphite flotation test work will be completed in the third quarter of this year, followed by additional metallurgical tests as part of a preliminary feasibility study. Final metallurgical reports and results, including X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy-based mineralogical quantitative assessments, are underway and expected to be completed by July.
Company CEO Tom Langley described the production of rutile products with a grade exceeding 96% TiO2 from the bulk sample test as a significant initial achievement, highlighting that it demonstrates the high quality and low impurity content of Mkanda rutile. Langley stated that the company has begun engaging with potential customers to verify the suitability of Mkanda rutile in key downstream applications. He expressed anticipation for a busy 2026, noting that near-term catalysts will reposition Fortuna Metals from a pure exploration discovery to a global critical supplier of titanium, graphite, and potentially monazite.
The Mkanda and Kampini projects cover a total area of 658 square kilometers, located approximately 20 kilometers south of the Kasiya rutile project owned by ASX-listed Sovereign Metals. Kasiya is the world's largest rutile deposit and the second-largest flake graphite deposit, with recent discoveries of monazite mineralization containing strategic heavy rare earths. Fortuna explained that the 2026 drilling program aims to delineate rutile, graphite, and rare earth mineralization across large areas of the Mkanda project, noting that the project has shown potential for mineralization extending over a broad area, with further analytical work prioritizing potential rare earth mineralization. Results are expected to be reported regularly throughout this year and into the first half of 2027. An initial reconnaissance drilling program for the Kampini project is scheduled for the second half of this year. Fortuna stated that it has commissioned its in-country laboratory to conduct preliminary preparation steps for heavy mineral separation samples, aiming to reduce total assay costs and accelerate assay turnaround times, supporting faster decision-making and drilling guidance this year and beyond.
