Marmota recruits titanium guru for SA heavy minerals push

Marmota Limited has put some serious firepower behind its South Australian Muckanippie titanium sands discovery, calling in heavyweight mineral sands geologist Richard Stockwell to guide the project’s next phase of development.

Stockwell, a fellow of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists with more than 25 years in the game, has chalked up a resumé that includes some of the world’s largest mineral sands finds, including deposits rich in rutile and the titanium-rich mineral leucoxene.

Marmota Limited’s Muckanippie titanium discovery in South Australia has received a major boost with the recruitment of mineral sands veteran Richard Stockwell to oversee the whole discovery-to-resource development pipeline.

The seasoned geologist’s career has spanned Australasia and Africa, from early-stage generative exploration right through to feasibility studies and operational support. In turning his attention to Marmota’s titanium play at Muckanippie, Stockwell is taking on a project he says bears all the hallmarks of a spectacular deposit.

Drilling results tabled in May at Marmota’s project lit up like a Christmas tree, carving out a remarkable 1.8-kilometre cross-section of heavy mineralisation, which has the potential to grow in every direction. The company’s 91-hole air core drilling blitz struck titanium-rich sands in every drill hole, with grades peaking at an eye-watering 63 per cent straight from surface.

Standout hits read like a geologist’s dream, with one hole coming in at 37 metres grading 45 per cent heavy minerals from just 2m, including a 5m slice at a jaw-dropping 56 per cent. Another hole turned up 34m at 19 per cent from 4m, spiced with a 1m section grading a stunning 50 per cent, while a third delivered 30m at 20 per cent from surface.

Stockwell says intersections of this calibre and scale have catapulted Muckanippie into the same league as the world’s best, cementing its status as a globally significant titanium discovery.

Marmota says its new signing will take charge of the whole discovery-to-development pipeline. Stockwell’s remit will include mapping out the next round of drilling at Muckanippie and nearby ground, steering geo-metallurgical test work and ultimately signing off on resource estimates and JORC-compliant reporting.

Management says grades of this quality demand credibility and having a recognised industry figure such as Stockwell signing off as a competent person under JORC rules will give the project serious weight as the company shifts into its next exploration phase.

The appointment could not come at a better time. Once the quiet cousin to zircon and rutile, titanium is suddenly back in the spotlight and being prized for its use in aerospace alloys, advanced coatings, bright white pigments and, more recently, in cutting-edge energy storage technology.

With China dominating global supply and western markets seeking diversity, any new project claiming serious scale and grade potential is likely to attract attention well beyond Australian shores.

While Marmota is keen to promote its titanium ambitions, it has also been beavering away at a growing multi-commodity spread in South Australia.

The company has made huge leaps forward with the Aurora Tank gold discovery at its Gawler Craton project. The prospect has now seen more than 70,000m of reverse circulation drilling and delivered some stunning gold grades including 1m of 217 grams per tonne (g/t), 1m of 165g/t and 3m of 72g/t.

Marmota’s Campfire Bore deposit, north of Aurora Tank, has handed the company similar success. It has clocked results including a whopping bonanza 1m hit of more than 100g/t, five 1m hits of 20g/t or more and numerous 1m hits running higher than 10g/t.

The hunt for gold doesn’t end there. The company’s drill rigs are now zeroing in on three fresh prospects, dubbed Mainland, Greenewood and Gold Bore, which give the company five prime gold plays alongside Aurora Tank and Campfire Bore. All sit neatly in line with the historic 1-million-ounce Challenger mine, forming what chairman Dr Colin Rose has called the “arc of six”.

Marmota also holds a flagship uranium resource at Junction Dam, parked right next to Boss Energy’s Honeymoon mine.

With the drills primed, test work on the horizon and a globally respected geologist steering the ship, Marmota looks set to turn its Muckanippie sands into more than just a discovery story.

Add in a pipeline of gold and uranium projects already delivering standout results and the company is positioning itself as one of South Australia’s most intriguing multi-commodity explorers on the verge of a serious re-rating.

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