Chilwa Minerals hits further shallow mineralisation with drilling at Mpyupyu West

• Reconnaissance drilling continues to intersect a shallow mineralised horizon
• Phase one drilling 22% complete with 60 holes finished
• Both rigs now drilling the prospect
• Phase one expected to be completed in late September

Chilwa Minerals (ASX:CHW) has highlighted Mpyupyu as the company’s largest HMS deposit and its first potential development front following further drilling success at Mpyupyu West in Malawi.

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The company has reported that it has now completed 22% of phase one reconnaissance sonic drilling at the Mpyupyu West heavy mineral sands (HMS) discovery, first reported in early June 2026 and subsequently expanded to a target area of over 17 sq. km.

Sixty holes for 551 metres have now been completed in the program with drilling intersecting a mineralised, free-dig saprolite unit from surface, within a stratigraphic sequence that is consistent across drill holes and sections completed thus far.

Mpyupyu West adjoins the Mpyupyu mineral resource of 109.6 million tonnes (Mt), which was more than doubled in mid-June 2026.

MD, Cadell Buss, said two sonic rigs are now operating at Mpyupyu West.

“Sixty holes into phase one and the picture at Mpyupyu West is remarkably consistent,” he told shareholders.

“We are intersecting soft, free-dig saprolite from surface, hole after hole, across a target area of more than 17 square kilometres immediately west of our Mpyupyu Dune and Flat deposits, with the mineralised horizon averaging 7.3m thick and reaching 12m in places – the same system that underpins the 109.6 Mt Mpyupyu mineral resource.

“Consistency of that kind at this early stage of a reconnaissance programme is exactly what we were hoping to see, and it is why both rigs are now on the prospect.

“What has also become clearer is the nature of the deposit itself. Drilling through the full profile indicates an in-situ, deeply weathered saprolite blanket rather than the depositional sands and silty-sands at our other established resources. A residual blanket of this style sits at surface, is soft enough to free-dig, and can be laterally extensive – characteristics well suited to low-cost mining.

“With both rigs at Mpyupyu West and phase one on track for completion in late September, we expect to be well placed to define where a resource-definition campaign should be focused, alongside the scoping study work already underway across our existing deposits.”

Meanwhile, a further 153 hand-panned surface sample points have been completed at Mpyupyu West since the company’s last hand panning update, taking the total to 227 points with results used to guide drill planning.

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