McLaren Minerals has finished its 663-hole drilling campaign at its wholly-owned titanium project in Western Australia's western Eucla Basin, with final assays returning strong heavy mineral grades and extending mineralisation beyond the project's current inferred resource.
The company says the final 137 aircore holes returned a length-weighted average grade of 4.27 per cent heavy minerals (HM) with no cut-off applied, wrapping up an 11,568-metre exploration program. The best hit from a south-western extension zone came in at 21 metres grading 6.35 per cent HM from surface, including a one-metre section at 9.73 per cent HM from two metres depth, while the highest individual one-metre assay from the batch yielded 14.15 per cent HM.
The 2026 program was designed to increase confidence in the project's existing 529-million-tonne JORC-compliant indicated and inferred mineral resource, which averages 4.5 per cent HM and contains 23.7 million tonnes of in-situ heavy minerals, and to support a bankable feasibility study. Titanium and zirconium are both on the federal government's critical minerals list.
Results from two variography grids, clusters of tightly spaced holes used to test short-range continuity, confirmed the high-grade mineralisation forms a reliable, continuous blanket rather than scattered pockets. All 20 holes in the southern grid averaged more than 5.4 per cent HM over intervals of 21 to 24 metres from surface, with a standout 24-metre run at 6.13 per cent HM including a one-metre interval at 11.71 per cent HM.
Managing director Simon Finnis said the results continued the consistently strong results reported from the program, and it was "gratifying to see the results from the south-western extension corridor outside of the Inferred Resource returning good grades. This drilling shows the Resource remains open to the southwest, giving us even more scope to increase the scale of the Resource and the project in due course."
With the complete dataset now in hand, the company has what it needs to update its geological model and deliver a revised mineral resource estimate, which it says will support mine planning, metallurgical programs and its ongoing bankable feasibility study workstreams.
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Average heavy mineral grades from south-western extension zone holes, from surface
% HM
All intervals are from surface and are length-weighted averages. Source: McLaren Minerals
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Analysis
Why This Matters
The results open the resource to the southwest, where mineralisation remains open, giving the company scope to expand its 529-million-tonne resource base ahead of the estimate update.
Titanium and zirconium sit on Australia's critical minerals list, and the findings land as the federal government emphasises securing domestic supply chains for these commodities.
The updated resource model will directly support the company's bankable feasibility study, a key step towards any development decision.
Background
McLaren Minerals is an ASX-listed explorer advancing a wholly-owned titanium project in the western Eucla Basin of Western Australia. The project already holds a JORC-compliant indicated and inferred mineral resource of 529 million tonnes at 4.5 per cent heavy minerals. The 2026 drilling campaign was designed to lift confidence in that resource and feed into a bankable feasibility study, and the company has said the forthcoming update could be a significant milestone for the project.
What to Watch
The revised mineral resource estimate, which managing director Simon Finnis said was now moving in "full-speed mode".
Whether the south-western corridor continues to deliver, with mineralisation remaining open to the southwest.
Progress on the bankable feasibility study, which the updated geological model will support.
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
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SupportedFinnis said it was “gratifying to see the results from the south-western extension corridor outside of the Inferred Resource returning good grades.”The Age - Latest News: “In particular, it is gratifying to see the results from the south-western extension corridor outside of the Inferred Resource returning good grades.”
SupportedMcLaren Minerals reported strong final assays from its WA titanium drilling campaign.The Age - Latest News: “McLaren Minerals has capped off a monster drilling campaign at its wholly-owned McLaren titanium project in WA’s western Eucla Basin, with the final 137 aircore holes delivering impressive heavy mineral grades across broad intervals.”
SupportedThe final results show mineralisation extending southwest beyond the project’s current inferred resource.The Age - Latest News: “Notably, the results show mineralisation extending to the southwest, beyond the project’s current inferred resource, where it remains open.”
SupportedThe complete dataset will enable an updated geological model and revised mineral resource estimate.The Age - Latest News: “With the final assays from its extensive 2026 program now in, McLaren has the complete dataset needed to update its geological model and deliver a revised mineral resource estimate.”
SupportedThe 663-hole campaign covered 11,568 metres, and the final assays were from 137 aircore holes.The Age - Latest News: “The results bring the curtain down on an 11,568-metre, 663-hole exploration blitz”
SupportedThe final 137 holes returned a length-weighted average grade of 4.27 per cent HM, with no cut-off applied.The Age - Latest News: “The company says the results returned a compelling length-weighted average grade of 4.27 per cent heavy minerals (HM), with no cut-off applied.”
SupportedThe best hit from the southwest extension zone was 21 metres at 6.35 per cent HM from surface, including one metre at 9.73 per cent from two metres depth.The Age - Latest News: “The best hit from the extension zone came in at 21m grading a solid 6.35 per cent HM from surface, including a peak one-metre section going 9.73 per cent HM from just two metres depth.”
SupportedThe highest individual one-metre assay in the batch was 14.15 per cent HM.The Age - Latest News: “The highest individual one-metre assay from the entire batch yielded a stellar 14.15 per cent HM.”
SupportedThe existing indicated and inferred resource is 529 million tonnes at an average 4.5 per cent HM and contains 23.7 million tonnes of in-situ HM.The Age - Latest News: “The 2026 drilling program was designed to increase confidence in the project’s existing 529-million-tonne JORC-compliant indicated and inferred mineral resource, averaging 4.5 per cent HM”
SupportedThe 2026 drilling program was designed to increase confidence in the existing resource and support a bankable feasibility study.The Age - Latest News: “The 2026 drilling program was designed to increase confidence in the project’s existing 529-million-tonne JORC-compliant indicated and inferred mineral resource, averaging 4.5 per cent HM, and to support a bankable feasibility study (BFS).”
SupportedTitanium and zirconium are on the federal government’s critical minerals list.The Age - Latest News: “Both commodities are recognised on the Federal Government’s critical minerals list”
SupportedAll 20 holes in the southern variography grid averaged more than 5.4 per cent HM over 21-to-24-metre intervals from surface, and the grids’ results showed a reliable, continuous blanket of high-grade mineralisation.The Age - Latest News: “All 20 holes in the southern grid averaged more than 5.4 per cent HM over thick intervals ranging between 21m and 24m from surface, proving that the high-grade mineralisation forms a reliable, continuous blanket rather than just scattered pockets.”