Marmota Limited has caused quite a stir with its latest unveiling at the Muckanippie titanium discovery in South Australia’s Gawler craton. The company’s 91-hole air core campaign has not only confirmed the project as a major player in heavy mineral sands but has also revealed bonanza-grade concentrations that are turning heads in the industry.
Picture this – extraordinary titanium-rich heavy mineral (HM) concentrations with peak grades soaring up to an impressive 63 per cent. Yes, you read that right, 63 per cent! These thick intercepts starting right from the surface are nothing short of remarkable.
According to Marmota, these results validate the high-grade nature of their discovery and significantly expand its footprint to a vast area spanning 3.2 kilometers by 1.8 kilometers, with potential extensions looming in every direction. It’s like discovering a treasure trove hidden beneath the earth’s surface.
In the words of Marmota Limited,
“The standout intersections include an unheard-of 37 meters at 45 per cent HM from just 2 meters depth, featuring a jaw-dropping 5-meter section at a massive 56 per cent HM.”
Can you imagine stumbling upon such riches just below our feet?
But wait, there’s more! A 34-meter hit running at 19 per cent HM from 4 meters depth, including an impressive one meter at 50 per cent HM, and another fantastic find of a 30-meter stretch at 20 per cent HM from the very surface itself. It seems like each drill reveals another layer of this wealth waiting to be unearthed.
This latest drill program by Marmota not only doubles the project’s maximum grade to an astounding 63 percent but also showcases how abundant these high-grade HM concentrations are across its tenement. The mineralized zone nestled within a Mesozoic palaeochannel stretching over an impressive span of around 28 kilometers is indeed proving to be a lucrative find.
Moreover, samples from Marmota’s neighboring tenement have hinted at even more richness – with previous indications showing leucoxene levels reaching up to an enviable 100 percent. This suggests a potentially colossal mineralized system yet to be explored and tested through drilling activities.
Looking ahead, Marmota plans to fast-track its journey towards estimating resources using cost-effective air core drilling methods. And if early signs are anything to go by, it seems like their maiden resource will stand head and shoulders above industry standards when it comes to heavy mineral grades.
Compared against other prominent mineral sands projects in Australia like Tronox’s Cooljarloo or Iluka’s Jacinth Ambrosia, Muckanippie shines brightly with its unparalleled grades reaching up to that eye-popping figure of 63 percent! There’s no denying that Marmota is onto something truly exceptional here.
In terms of processing potential, preliminary metallurgical results have shown valuable heavy mineral content averaging around an impressive seventy-nine percent within samples taken from their initial four holes alone – talk about striking gold!
What makes this discovery even more promising is its strategic location just southwest of Coober Pedy and easy access to key rail lines connecting Adelaide-Darwin and Adelaide-Perth routes – ensuring efficient logistics management while keeping costs down. Additionally, having surface-level mineralization eliminates any need for costly overburden removal making extraction both practical and economical compared to deeper deposits elsewhere.
As experts point out –
“The significance lies in how this discovery ties into a regional palaeochannel hosting Petratherm’s adjacent titanium find.”
Controlling approximately twenty-eight kilometers along this highly prospective channel positions Marmota as a key player in what could potentially evolve into Australia’s next big mineral sands district – setting them on course for further success amidst growing demand for critical minerals like titanium worldwide.
With global titanium reserves under pressure due to supply constraints – Marmota’s high-grade deposit offers promise amidst uncertain times. As exploration continues full steam ahead uncovering more layers of this extraordinary find – one can’t help but wonder if we’re witnessing the birth of what could become a globally significant titanium hub within the formidable Gawler Craton.
