Can Petratherm Sustain Strong Recoveries Amidst Processing Challenges at Rosewood?

Strong Metallurgical Performance at Rosewood

Petratherm Limited (ASX – PTR) has unveiled encouraging metallurgical test results from bulk samples taken at its Rosewood Titanium Heavy Mineral Sands Project, part of the broader Muckanippie Project in South Australia. The company’s recent trials demonstrate the ability to produce a high-quality Heavy Mineral Concentrate (HMC) with grades ranging from 91% to 98% heavy minerals, alongside recoveries between 86% and 95% using standard wet separation techniques.

The metallurgical work, conducted by industry-experienced laboratories IHC Mining and Mineral Technologies, employed conventional gravity spiral separators and magnetic separation methods, confirming that the coarse-grained nature of the mineralisation is amenable to efficient processing. Notably, the mineral assemblage is dominated by valuable titanium minerals, with QEMSCAN analysis revealing over 80% leucoxene content, a high titanium dioxide (TiO2) mineral, which is highly sought after in titanium markets.

Extensive and High-Grade Mineralisation

The Rosewood deposit covers an area exceeding 40 square kilometres and remains open in multiple directions, indicating significant exploration upside. Drilling results have consistently returned thick intercepts with heavy mineral grades typically above 10%, with some zones exceeding 15%. The mineralisation lies at shallow depths, generally between 5 and 7 metres, which could translate into favourable mining conditions.

Current resource drilling is underway to establish a maiden JORC-compliant Indicated and Inferred Resource, a critical step toward project advancement. The bulk samples tested were composites from multiple drill holes representing the main mineralised zones, reinforcing the representativity of the metallurgical results.

Optimising Processing and Product Potential

While initial metallurgical results are promising, Petratherm is continuing test work to refine the process flow sheet. This includes further beneficiation stages such as dry screening, electrostatic separation, and magnetic separation to optimize titanium product suites. The company is also investigating slime thickening and tailings management techniques, with early tests indicating effective water recovery and manageable tailings characteristics.

CEO Peter Reid highlighted the project’s unique geological setting and the potential for further improvements in recovery and product quality through minor process adjustments. The company plans to collect additional bulk samples to support ongoing optimisation and expects to commence preliminary plant design work by December.

Strategic Implications and Next Steps

The Rosewood Titanium Project’s strong metallurgical performance positions Petratherm well within the competitive heavy mineral sands sector, especially given the high titanium content and shallow, extensive mineralisation. As the company progresses toward resource definition and plant design, investors will be watching closely for updates on resource size, processing efficiencies, and potential market positioning of the titanium products.