Tusker Minerals (ASX:TSK) completes first modern rutile exploration program at Mzimba

Tusker Minerals has completed its Phase 1 exploration program at the 710km² Mzimba Rutile Project in northern Malawi, which the company describes as the first modern, systematic exploration campaign targeting rutile at the project.

The program was designed to evaluate the project’s potential to host large scale residual rutile mineralisation and follows the company’s March 2026 announcement of widespread titanium mineralisation, subsequently confirmed through XRD studies to be predominantly hosted by rutile.

Highlights

• Phase 1 exploration program completed at the 710km² Mzimba Rutile Project in Malawi.
• 159 soil samples and 31 channel samples collected from the sidewalls of six exploration pits.
• Geological observations included ferruginous pedolith, mottled clay and saprolitic weathering profiles across the project area.
• Visible heavy minerals and rutile grains identified at surface and within panned concentrate samples.
• Samples to be processed using the company’s established Malawi processing infrastructure and technical workflows.
• Final rutile % assays expected in approximately 5 weeks.

The Phase 1 program builds on the company’s March 2026 discovery announcement, which identified titanium mineralisation hosted predominantly by rutile across multiple areas of the project.

According to the company, the earlier discovery sampling covered approximately 50km², representing around 7% of the total licence package.

The exploration program included mapping and reconnaissance across priority target areas to define the distribution of titanium mineralisation, characterise the weathering profile, identify additional target zones and refine the geological model.

The work also included the excavation of six exploration pits and the collection of 31 channel samples from pit sidewalls to assess rutile potential throughout the complete weathering profile and provide geological and grade continuity information in near surface saprolite and lateritic material.

In addition, the company completed a project wide systematic soil sampling campaign on a 2km by 2km spacing, collecting 159 soil samples.

According to the announcement, the program was designed to define and extend high grade rutile zones and prioritise future auger drilling activities.

Tusker also reported the identification of ferruginous pedolith, extensive mottled clay horizons, deeply weathered saprolitic profiles, visible heavy minerals and rutile grains observed both at surface and within panned concentrate samples.

The company cautioned that visual observations and estimates of mineral abundance are uncertain in nature and are not a substitute for laboratory analysis, with assay results required to understand the grade and extent of mineralisation.

Tusker Chief Executive Officer Cliff Fitzhenry said the completion of the campaign represented the first modern systematic rutile exploration program at the project.

“The successful completion of this program marks an important milestone for Tusker and represents the first modern, systematic exploration program specifically targeting rutile at Mzimba.”

Mzimba is located in the Mzimba District of northern Malawi, approximately 200km north of Lilongwe, and covers approximately 710.5km² across the Mzimba West, Mzimba Central and Mzimba South exploration licences within the Mesoproterozoic Irumide Belt, which extends from eastern Zambia into northern and central Malawi.

The company stated that the belt comprises high grade metamorphic basement rocks including orthogneiss, paragneiss, schist and granulite, intruded by granitic bodies and locally associated with pegmatite swarms.

It also stated that prolonged tropical weathering across the region has resulted in the development of deep saprolite profiles, within which resistant heavy minerals such as rutile may become residually enriched through the weathering of rutile bearing paragneiss and related lithologies.

The Mzimba Project forms part of Tusker’s portfolio of titanium and heavy mineral sands assets in Africa, together with the Central Rutile Project and Douala Basin HMS Project in Cameroon.

Processing of the samples up until final rutile % assays is expected to be completed within the next 5 weeks, with the company stating it remains fully funded for this phase of exploration and intends to continue systematically advancing the Mzimba Project.

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