Sovereign Metals (ASX:SVM) said it plans to progress the definitive feasibility study for the Kasiya rutile-graphite project in Malawi as well as talks for rutile and graphite offtake during the March quarter, according to a Friday Australian bourse filing.

The company also plans to conduct further work to characterize the monazite mineralization at Kasiya, including detailed mineralogical characterization of monazite occurrence and distribution within the Kasiya orebody.

It will assess heavy rare earth concentrate recovery rates through the proposed Kasiya processing flowsheet during the period as well, per the filing.

The company's shares fell past 3% in recent trading on Friday.