Rosewood Drilling Yields Up to 29.7% Heavy Mineral Content in Initial Assays
PTR Minerals has completed a major drilling campaign at its Rosewood project, revealing consistent high-grade titanium mineralisation and setting the stage for a maiden JORC resource estimate in mid-2026.
- 446 air core holes drilled totaling 9,388 metres at Rosewood
- Initial assays show thick intervals with up to 29.7% heavy mineral content
- Resource drilling covers approximately 40 square kilometres
- Maiden Indicated and Inferred JORC Mineral Resource expected in Q2 2026
- Mineralisation is flat lying and amenable to conventional processing
Drilling Completion Marks Milestone for Rosewood
PTR Minerals Limited (ASX, PTR) has successfully completed its maiden resource drilling program at the Rosewood titanium project in South Australia. The company drilled 446 air core holes, accumulating 9,388 metres of samples across an expansive 40 square kilometre area. This extensive campaign represents a significant step forward in defining the project's potential.
Promising Early Assay Results
The first batch of assay results, covering 17 drill holes along a 2.5-kilometre traverse in the Rosewood East area, has delivered some of the best intercepts to date. Notably, PTR reported intercepts such as 31 metres at 13.5% heavy mineral (HM) from 8 metres depth, including 10 metres at 24.1% HM, and 29 metres at 13.8% HM including 7 metres at 29.7% HM. These figures underscore the consistent high-grade nature of the titanium-rich heavy mineral sands encountered.
Strategic Joint Venture and Project Scope
The Rosewood project spans two tenements, Rosewood East, wholly owned by PTR, and Rosewood West, operated under a joint venture with Narryer Metals (ASX, NYM), where PTR holds a 70% interest. This collaboration broadens the project's scope and potential resource base. The mineralisation is interpreted as flat lying within fluvio-deltaic marine sediments, which supports accurate thickness estimation from vertical drilling.
Path to Maiden JORC Resource
PTR is currently progressing assaying and resource modelling, with the maiden JORC Mineral Resource estimate anticipated in the second quarter of 2026. The company expects to classify the Rosewood East area resource up to the Indicated category, while Rosewood West is likely to be reported at the Inferred level. The high-grade and thick mineralised zones, particularly in the southern sector, suggest the potential for significant tonnage at attractive grades.
Processing and Future Work
Mineralogical test work indicates that the heavy mineral sands contain over 95% valuable heavy minerals, primarily titanium-bearing, with a coarse grain size conducive to high recovery rates using conventional gravity spiral processing. PTR plans further assay updates and additional infill and extension drilling in 2026 to refine the resource and advance metallurgical studies, including bulk sampling to confirm processing performance.
Bottom Line?
As PTR Minerals advances toward its maiden resource estimate, the Rosewood project’s high-grade titanium potential could soon reshape its growth trajectory.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the full assay results from the remaining 429 drill holes influence the final resource estimate?
- What are the expected capital and operational costs to develop the Rosewood titanium deposit?
- How might evolving titanium market dynamics impact the project's economic viability?
