SAGA Metals and Temas Resources Successfully Complete Metallurgical Scoping Test Achieving Vanadium Recoveries of 97.4% and Titanium Recoveries up to 90.8% and Announce a Pathway Towards a Pilot Plant for Radar Critical Minerals Project
Saga’s metallurgical tests show 97.4% vanadium and 90.8% titanium recoveries, de-risking its giant VTM deposit and paving the way for a pilot plant.
Saga Metals Corp. (SAGA) and Temas Resources have successfully completed Stage 1 bench-scale metallurgical validation using Temas' proprietary Regenerative Chloride Leach (RCL) technology on samples from the Radar Ti-V-Fe Project. The process achieved vanadium recoveries of 97.4% from multiple feed types, titanium recoveries of 90.8% from ilmenite concentrate, and iron recoveries of up to 91.5%. The companies state that the RCL process claims operating costs for TiO2 processing that are more than 65% lower than conventional methods, utilizing a closed-loop design.
Following the validation, the companies announced a positive Gate 1 decision, advancing the project to Stage 2 Detailed Bench Optimization with the goal of moving toward a pilot plant. The release also reiterates top drill intercepts from the Trapper Zone, noting that all 78 holes completed have intersected mineralization. Key intercepts include:
- R-0009: 87.2m @ 50.67% Fe2O3, 10.15% TiO2, 0.339% V2O5, true thickness 84.4m
A maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE) is expected in the fourth quarter of 2026, with a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) targeted for the first quarter of 2027.
Metallurgical recovery represents the primary technical risk for vanadium-titanium magnetite (VTM) deposits, making the achievement of near-perfect vanadium and high titanium recoveries through a potentially low-cost leach process a significant development for the Radar Project. Although the results remain at the bench-scale stage, they are robust enough to justify a pilot plant pathway and substantially improve the odds of economic viability. For a pre-resource explorer like Saga Metals Corp. (SAGA), such a metallurgical upside revelation carries more weight than an infill drill result.
The company’s stock has faced selling pressure, drifting from C$0.88 to C$0.41. This news could serve as a catalyst to reverse the downtrend if the market interprets the findings as a genuine breakthrough.
Saga Metals Corp. is a Canadian junior explorer maintaining a diversified portfolio of critical mineral projects across Labrador and Quebec. Its flagship asset is the 100%-owned Radar Ti-V-Fe Project, a ~24,175-hectare property hosting the Dykes River Intrusive Complex, which features a 29 km² oxide corridor of VTM mineralization. A maiden mineral resource estimate is expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.
The company also holds the 100%-owned Wolverine REE Project, a heavy rare earth deposit characterized by bulk tuff-hosted mineralization and high-grade pegmatites, with grab samples returning up to 21.6% TREO. Additionally, Saga owns the 25,600-hectare Double Mer Uranium Project in the Central Mineral Belt, where surface samples have returned up to 0.428% U3O8. The portfolio includes the 72,107-hectare Legacy Lithium Project in James Bay, Quebec, as well as early-stage assets including the North Wind Iron Ore Project and the Garneau Titanium Project.
As of the first quarter of 2026, the company held C$1.96 million in cash. To fund drilling activities, Saga raised C$6 million in December 2025 and C$10.2 million in May 2026. There are 56.28 million shares outstanding, with the fully diluted count higher due to warrants and options.