Osmond Resources lands more standout Spanish titanium and rare earths hits
- James Pearson
- Nov 24
- 3 min read
Osmond Resources (ASX: OSM) has planted another big flag in the ground at its Orión EU critical minerals project in southern Spain, as the company’s second drill hole also returned more thick, high-grade titanium, zirconium and rare earth mineralisation from the same quartzite layer that got tongues wagging last week.
The result tightens the screws on what is shaping up as one of Europe’s most compelling new heavy-mineral discoveries. They have also sharpened Osmond’s early view that its flagship project could deliver a rare triple play, with the potential to produce not just one or two, but three, distinct saleable mineral products.
The company’s latest hole was drilled vertically from the same collar as its original hole reported last week but this time punched straight down to test the true thickness of the primary mineralised layer.
The numbers did not disappoint. A three-metre intersection from 105.75m came in at 13.2 per cent titanium dioxide, 4.6 per cent zirconium dioxide, 1,020 parts per million (ppm) hafnium and 0.89 per cent total rare earth oxides (TREO). The hit also includes a 2.1-metre zone running 17.21 per cent titanium dioxide and more than 6 per cent zirconium dioxide.
That section was then capped off by a 1.8-metre uber-high grade slice running at 19.07 per cent titanium dioxide and 6.84 per cent zirconium dioxide with 1.29 per cent TREO. It also includes a high grade 0.35 per cent chunk of lucrative industrial magnet metals such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium.
Indicative modelling suggests the total interval hosts up to 18.8 per cent rutile, 11.9 per cent zircon and 2 per cent monazite. For a single heavy-mineral layer, that kind of tenor sits firmly in global top-tier territory.
Notably, the mineralisation appears to sit inside the same predictable quartzite unit that rises all the way to surface as a single, continuous heavy-mineral layer.
Backing that view, earlier bulk rock chip and channel samples - including 150 kilograms of material hauled from nearby outcrops - also returned the same high-grade titanium, zircon and rare earths, with titanium dioxide running from 11 to 14.6 per cent and total rare earths oxide values pushing up towards 1 per cent.
Osmond says the results have strengthened its view that the heavy-mineral quartzite layers extend well beyond the currently drilled zone, potentially forming a large-scale system across the 228 square-kilometre project area.
The company now has two drill holes, just 27 metres apart, which have both punched into the same powerful mineralised layer. Together, the results show matching grades and geology - the two ingredients needed to kick off early resource calculations and to start running the numbers on the economics of a potential future standalone development.
Five holes have now been drilled for a total of 1,672.7 metres, with a sixth on the go now. Every hole so far has cut into the main Pochico Formation quartzites, with the newest assays confirming the really rich material sits in the main primary layer.
Management says other quartzite layers were also intersected, although they are thinner and lower grade, highlighting the importance of targeting the thick, heavy-mineral zone as drilling steps out.
With assay turnaround now running at two to three weeks, the company says it expects a steady stream of news across the coming months. A resource estimate, scoping study and flow-sheet development have been pencilled in for the first half of calendar 2026.
For Osmond, the timing could hardly be better. China’s export bans on critical minerals have kicked Europe into high gear, with governments now desperate to secure their own supplies.
That shift has opened the door to new funding, fast-tracked approvals and strong political support, with Osmond looking well placed to take advantage. Titanium, zircon and rare earths all rank near the top of Europe’s critical minerals priority list.
Under the EU’s new Critical Raw Materials Act, Brussels wants 10 per cent of its mineral supply to be mined within Europe, 40 per cent processed locally, 25 per cent recycled and no more than 65 per cent coming from any one non-EU country. It’s a big ask and discoveries such as Osmond’s would be the panacea for any pain that policy might cause.
For now though, the latest results appear to have delivered the perfect dose of grade and continuity, giving Osmond the confidence it needs to push its remarkable Spanish discovery squarely into the frame as a potential globally significant titanium, zircon and rare earths project.
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