With the RIU Sydney Resources Round-Up conference just around the corner, Industrial Minerals (ASX:IND) is gearing up for drilling at two key projects, including one that was acquired only in late-April.
“Industrial Minerals will be discussing our portfolio of high-purity quartz and silica sand projects in Western Australia,” Managing Director and CEO Jeff Sweet tells Mining.com.au.
“As a WA-based listed mineral exploration company, it is good to go to Sydney to meet with some of our east coast investors. We hope to meet with some of our existing shareholders and present our projects to new potential investors.”
With an extensive suite of 21 wholly owned high-purity silica sands projects dotted across the state, Industrial Minerals is positioning itself to supply the growing solar photovoltaic market.
Recent drilling at the company’s Pippingarra Quarry Project in the Pilbara sought to validate historical results from the eastern end of the open cut, returning 1m @ 1.72% lithium oxide from 30m, and 2m @ 1.03% lithium oxide from 37m.
Industrial Minerals also unveiled results from a 300kg quartz sample sent to a Chinese party in late 2023. Initial chemical analysis followed standard processing pathways for high-purity quartz, with results showing the purity improved from 99.97% silica to 99.994%.
More recently, the company acquired the Mukinbudin Project, located 250km east of Perth, at the end of April.
Historical production of high-purity quartz at Mukinbudin was reported as early as the 1970s, with sales to Japan. Further production of feldspar for the glass industry was reported until 1997.
With the RIU Sydney Resources Round-Up conference set to kick off on 7 May, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Darling Harbour, Sweet says Industrial Metals is currently planning drilling programs at both Pippingarra and Mukinbudin.
Metallurgical testwork as well as offtake discussions with potential buyers in China will also continue.
Mining.com.au is a media partner of this year’s RIU conference, which takes place from 7 to 9 May.
Last year’s RIU Sydney Resources Round-Up attracted more than 1,500 delegates, making it the busiest since its inception in 2004. With over 800 of last year’s delegates coming from the investor or broker categories, this conference offers plenty of investor engagement opportunities.
Write to Oliver Gray at Mining.com.au
Images: Industrial Minerals
