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Highlights
- Significant Grades Detected: Initial tests at Mata da Corda project show promising titanium dioxide and rare earth levels.
- Innovative Processing Techniques: The project benefits from gravity separation, enhancing the mineral extraction process.
- Robust Market Outlook: The demand for titanium mineral sands continues to surge, positioning Equinox for potential market gains.
Equinox Resources (ASX:EQN) recently shared exciting updates from its Mata da Corda project in Brazil, revealing significant findings of titanium dioxide and rare earth elements. The project is quickly establishing itself as a key player in the minerals sector with its impressive heavy mineral content and efficient beneficiation techniques.
The initial metallurgical tests conducted at Mata da Corda have demonstrated the effectiveness of simple gravity separation processes in mineral extraction. These results are based on promising reverse circulation drilling outcomes which have consistently shown high-grade titanium dioxide, with percentages reaching as high as 15.5%, along with significant rare earth intercepts.
Zac Komur, Managing Director of Equinox Resources, expressed his enthusiasm about the project's progress. He highlighted the project's emergence as a superior asset with a remarkable 84.7% heavy mineral content. This grassroots discovery not only meets but exceeds expectations with its potential for multi-commodity mineralization.
The project has benefited greatly from the extraction of a clean heavy mineral concentrate and the identification of titanium-rich fractions, suggesting that Mata da Corda could become an important source of premium titanium minerals. Additionally, the mineralization, which is accessible from the surface and requires no chemical reagents for separation, marks a critical milestone for the project.
In an effort to further understand the composition and distribution of the heavy minerals, Equinox Resources has collected an 80-kilogram sample from its initial drilling program. This sample has been sent to Mineral Technologies in Carrara, Queensland, for detailed analysis.
Drilling efforts across the Mata da Corda prospects have confirmed extensive and easily accessible titanium dioxide mineralization from just 30 meters below the surface, with concentrations typically ranging between 5 to 15%. The findings also include significant levels of rare earth oxides and niobium pentoxide, underlining the area's polymetallic nature.
The timing of these advancements coincides with a growing global demand for titanium mineral sands, a sector anticipated to expand significantly. With major economies like the US, UK, EU, Australia, and Japan recognizing titanium as a critical metal, market projections suggest a potential increase in the titanium market from $29 billion in 2024 to nearly $54 billion by 2033.
Equinox Resources is planning to release a maiden mineral resource estimate for the Mata da Corda project in the first half of 2025, an event that could potentially elevate the company's profile in the minerals market.
