DY6 Metals (ASX:DY6) confirms widespread rutile across all licences at Central Rutile Project, eyes next phase of exploration

DY6 Metals (ASX:DY6) has completed a successful reconnaissance exploration program at its Central Rutile Project in Cameroon, identifying visible rutile mineralisation across all five licences.

The program involved auger drilling, road cutting channel sampling, stream sediment sampling and surface grab sampling, with standout results from the Bounde licence, where rutile nuggets up to 4 centimetres in size were observed.

Samples from the reconnaissance program are currently being prepped for dispatching to a laboratory in South Africa, with assay results expected in the September quarter.

In this Q&A, Cliff Fitzhenry, Technical Consultant of DY6 Metals, outlines the significance of these early findings, the geological potential of the region, and what comes next as the company progresses its exploration strategy.

What was the key outcome from the reconnaissance program at the Central Rutile Project?

The key outcome is that we successfully confirmed widespread visual evidence of natural rutile across the entire Central Rutile Project area.

This includes all five of our licence applications in Central Cameroon and our program utilised a range of techniques including auger drilling, channel sampling from road cuttings, surface grab sampling and stream sediment sampling.

We saw rutile in both alluvial and residual (eluvial) settings, which is significant because it confirms that rutile has been both transported and preserved in place across a large area.

The Bounde licence in particular revealed large residual rutile nuggets ranging in size up to 4 centimetres.

These visual observations of residual rutile and HM occurs over an area which now spans more than 100 square kilometres in surface extent, which reinforces our confidence that this region has the potential to become a globally significant rutile province.

As Fitzhenry noted “The reconnaissance programme has been a great success, having identified visual HM and rutile mineralisation across each licence.”

Why is the visual identification of rutile significant even though lab assays are still pending?

At this early stage of exploration, visual identification plays a vital role as it provides immediate geological insight and helps direct our next steps.

Our technical team identified coarse and fine rutile grains in every sample type across the project.

These are experienced professionals with deep knowledge of heavy mineral systems, and their field assessments carry weight, even though they are qualitative.

That said, we are careful to emphasise that visual observations are not a substitute for assay data.

The laboratory results will provide the quantitative measures needed to assess grade and composition.

All samples are undergoing final preparation for dispatch to the company’s laboratory in Cape Town for analysis, and we expect results in the September quarter.

Until then, the visual evidence strongly supports the robustness of our exploration model and confirms the presence of natural rutile on a broad scale.

According to Technical Consultant Cliff Fitzhenry “We are looking forward to the commencement of the soil sampling programme and believe it will unlock areas of higher grade residual rutile mineralisation.”

What is the significance of the Bounde licence within the broader Central Rutile Project?

Bounde stands out as one of the most promising areas identified during the program.

Several auger holes, grab samples and road cutting exposures in Bounde returned strong visual indications of rutile, including some of the largest nuggets seen during the program.

We observed coarse rutile up to 4 centimetres in size within residual regolith zones, which is both unusual and highly encouraging.

This suggests that Bounde could host higher grade, near surface rutile mineralisation that has not been significantly eroded or transported.

Given these findings, Bounde will be a major focus of the next exploration phase and it presents an excellent opportunity to rapidly build geological understanding and identify specific zones for more targeted exploration, including drilling.

As Fitzhenry remarked “What we have uncovered at the Bounde licence is particularly exciting. I have never seen rutile nuggets of this size before.”

What are the next steps for exploration at the Central Rutile Project?

The next phase is a systematic soil sampling program across the Central Rutile Project, this work is already being planned and will commence shortly.

The goal is to define higher grade rutile zones and build a clearer picture of how the mineralisation extends laterally across the licences.

Soil sampling is a cost effective and efficient way to screen large areas before moving into resource drilling.

At the same time, we look forward to the laboratory assay results from the reconnaissance samples, which will give us the HM grades and the mineral assemblage of the samples taken to date.

Once received, these results will guide the soil program and help prioritise specific targets.

This dual approach combining soil data with assay results will set the foundation for more advanced exploration later this year. It is about refining our targets and preparing for drilling with the best possible data.

Fitzhenry added “It was great to be on the ground with the Company’s technical team over the last week to observe the incredible potential of the Central Rutile project.”

How does the Central Rutile Project compare to other known rutile projects globally?

The Central Rutile Project is geologically analogous to Sovereign Metals’ Kasiya deposit in Malawi, which is currently the largest known primary rutile deposit in the world.

Both projects are underlain by kyanite bearing mica schist, which we believe is the primary source of the rutile.

As this rock weathers, rutile is released into the saprolite and, in some cases, transported into nearby alluvial zones.

In our case, we are seeing both styles of mineralisation residual and alluvial which gives us a broader range of exploration options.

Historically, more than 15,000 tonnes of high purity rutile were produced in this region from artisanal mining between 1935 and 1955.

We also border Peak Minerals’ Minta Project, where very high value mineral assemblages have been reported.

So while we are still early in the exploration curve, the indicators are strong.

The scale of rutile identified, the historical production record, and the regional geological context all suggest we are in the right place to define a globally relevant rutile project.

Advancing Towards a Targeted Exploration Phase

With visual evidence of rutile now confirmed across the full extent of the project, DY6 Metals is preparing to transition into a more focused and data driven exploration phase.

A regional soil sampling program will commence shortly, designed to identify higher grade zones within the saprolite layer.

These results, along with pending assays from the initial program, will shape future drilling priorities and bring the company closer to establishing a resource base in what is shaping up to be an important new rutile district.

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