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Doug Bright
McLaren Minerals has continued to impress, delivering another batch of consistently strong, high-grade results from its namesake titanium project in Western Australia. The latest 179 aircore holes from a resource upgrade drilling program have returned a length-weighted average of 4.96 per cent heavy minerals (HM) at 15.8-metre depths from surface.
The results form part of a major drilling campaign designed to upgrade the project’s existing 529-million-tonne mineral resource and inform a bankable feasibility study. Notably, every one of the 2835m of sampled intervals reported in the latest announcement began at surface, reinforcing the deposit’s potential for a simple, low-cost open-pit mining operation.
The results land at a time when titanium feedstock prices are holding firm, with recent US Geological Survey data showing rutile prices at around US$1460 (A$2048) per tonne and ilmenite at about US$389 (A$545) per tonne, lending strong commercial impetus to McLaren’s development plans.
The latest results demonstrate remarkable consistency, with 87 per cent of the 179 holes averaging at least 4 per cent HM, and nearly half returning an average of 5 per cent heavy minerals or better. A remarkable 24 holes, or 13 per cent, delivered grades better than 6 per cent HM.
‘This is another very compelling set of results from the 2026 drilling program.’
McLaren Minerals managing director Simon Finnis
On top of those markers, broad intervals were also common, with 101 holes, or 56 per cent of the drilling showing at least 15m of continuous mineralisation, while 46 holes or 26 per cent of the program delivered intercepts of at least 21m.
The real standout intercepts included a 30m hit from surface assaying 6.17 per cent heavy minerals, a 27m section running 6.51 per cent heavy minerals, and another 27m strike going 6.44 per cent heavy minerals. The best individual one-metre assay recorded a peak of 14.54 per cent heavy minerals, while the top “complete-interval” average grade romped home with a stellar 7.19 per cent heavy minerals over 12m.
McLaren Minerals managing director Simon Finnis said: “This is another very compelling set of results from the 2026 drilling program. All from surface and across 2,835m of sampling, to return a length-weighted average of 4.96% HM over an average thickness of 15.8m is quite extraordinary. These results reinforce the consistent grade profile we are seeing at McLaren, and continue to emphasise why we like the project so much.”
The McLaren project, located in the western Eucla Basin, already hosts a significant JORC-compliant resource of 529 million tonnes at 4.5 per cent HM, containing 23.7 million tonnes of in-situ HM. The current drilling program is designed to increase confidence in the existing resource by upgrading a bigger portion to the higher-confidence indicated category, which will underpin a maiden ore reserve estimate.
The broader mineral sands sector in Western Australia continues to be active, with major players Sheffield Resources recently restarting operations at its Thunderbird project, 65km west of Derby in WA’s northwest, highlighting the industry’s ongoing viability and strategic importance in the region.
With titanium now recognised as a critical mineral essential for aerospace, defence and new energy technologies, the development of large-scale, high-grade domestic projects like McLaren is gaining strategic importance.
The company says the latest results will be incorporated into an updated geological model and mineral resource estimate. This work will run in parallel with metallurgical test work and other technical studies to support the ongoing bankable feasibility study.
With a systematic drill program delivering a steady stream of consistent, thick, high-grade results from shallow depth, McLaren appears to be emphatically de-risking its path to production. As the company closes in on updating its already hefty resource and a maiden ore reserve, it appears to be building a solid case for the development of a significant new titanium operation in WA’s southwest.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au
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