Lion Rock Minerals (ASX: LRM) has defined broad zones of high-grade rutile mineralisation with first-pass results from reconnaissance drilling at its Minta monazite-rutile project in central Cameroon.
Assays from zones spanning 3,800 square kilometres of the total 5,000 sq km campaign delivered outstanding in situ grades as high as 2.2% rutile at the Minta and Minta Est prospects.
The company aimed to rapidly test the tenement package without excluding the potential for unexpected discoveries, and believes the results provide a robust foundation to define a potentially world-class, high-value heavy mineral sands project dominated by rutile with material zircon and monazite enrichment.
Best Rutile Intercepts
Standout rutile intercepts were 4m at 1.3%, 3.9m at 1.2%, 5.0m at 1.0%, and 6.8m at 0.9%—with eight of the top 10 results coming from Minta Est where Lion Rock identified an “extraordinary mineral assemblage” of rutile, zircon, and rare earth-enriched monazite.
A total of 107 locations (or 76% of those tested) recorded average in situ rutile grades of 0.8% from alluvial and residual targets, with rutile accounting for an average 22.8% of the heavy mineral assemblage.
Over 50% of the locations tested returned average grades of 30.7% rutile in the heavy mineral assemblage, inclusive of oversized rutile nuggets.
Approximately 236 residual target holes from the reconnaissance program are still to be assessed.
World-Class Potential
Lion Rock chief executive officer Casper Adson said the results reinforce Minta’s world-class potential and highlight Cameroon’s emergence as a significant new rutile province.
“The scale and grade of mineralisation being defined at Minta is exceptional, and confirms the project as one of the world’s largest undeveloped natural rutile systems,” he said.
“The recent cornerstone investment by our ++strategic partner Tronox++ was driven by the rare-earth-rich monazite assemblage at Minta Est and this same area is now returning some of our highest rutile grades to date, underscoring the exceptional mineral potential and complementary value of this deposit.”
Mr Adson said the application of staged and systematic exploration had given the company sufficient knowledge to commence the targeting of high-value areas downhole and adjacent to the strong in situ results.
