Fortuna Metals Hits 96.66% TiO2 Rutile at Mkanda, Malawi

Fortuna Metals (ASX: FUN) has produced a rutile product grading 96.66% titanium dioxide from a 5.4-tonne bulk sample at its Mkanda project in Malawi. The result came from multi-stage gravity, magnetic, and electrostatic separation run by Mineral Technologies in Johannesburg.

The company compared the grade against product specs from Sovereign Metals' Kasiya project, Sierra Rutile, and Base Resources' former Kwale operation. Mkanda's TiO2 sat above all three. Sulphur and uranium-plus-thorium analyses are still pending.

Fortuna has wrapped up its first major 2026 infill hand auger program at Mkanda – 648 holes for 4,637 metres at an average depth of 8.2 metres. That brings the total to 1,323 hand auger holes for 10,037 metres across the project. The 2025 first-pass reconnaissance used 400-metre by 400-metre spacing and is expected to feed a maiden Inferred mineral resource estimate this month.

The 2026 work is drilling at 200-metre by 200-metre spacing to build resource confidence. A 5,000-metre aircore program runs through July, August and September.

Final metallurgical results – X-ray diffraction and QEMSCAN mineralogy – are due this month. Graphite flotation test work is scheduled for the September quarter.

Fortuna is assessing rare earths and graphite alongside rutile. CEO Tom Langley pointed to Kasiya's graphite and heavy rare earth characteristics as a regional analogue for potential value at Mkanda.