New data released by the New South Wales Government points to promising high-purity silica prospects across the state, setting the stage for renewed exploration and investment in one of the world’s most sought-after critical minerals.
Launched by Minister for Natural Resources Courtney Houssos at the WB Clarke Geoscience Centre in Londonderry, the findings reveal ‘exceptional’ purity levels including silica samples exceeding 99.8%, and one reaching an outstanding 99.96% purity.
The results highlight strong potential across the Broken Hill, New England, and Lachlan regions, positioning New South Wales as serious contenders in the rapidly expanding global market for clean energy materials.
High-purity silica is the only naturally occurring and economically viable feedstock for the production of silicon, which is a critical mineral and cornerstone of high-tech and clean energy manufacturing. It underpins everything from semiconductors and solar panels to optical and electronic components that drive the global technology ecosystem.
The global transition towards a net zero carbon future means there is a growing demand for new discoveries of high-purity silica to meet the needs of the ever-expanding silicon production industry.
While silicon is among the most plentiful elements in the Earth’s crust, it does not occur naturally in its elemental form and is commonly found in various silicate minerals. Quartz (SiO2), the second most common mineral on Earth, is the primary form of silica and the main source of silicon production.
Geoscience Australia notes despite its widespread presence, finding silica with the required purity needed to develop high-tech applications remains a challenge due to its rarity. For semiconductor and solar cell production, the silica used must exceed 98% SiO2 purity.
The government’s new analysis found high-purity silica across a variety of geological settings including granitic quartz pipes, pegmatites, hydrothermal quartz bodies, and silica-rich sedimentary units, greatly widening the scope for exploration.
New South Wales remains largely underexplored for high-purity silica, meaning the potential upside for investors and developers could be significant as global demand for silicon-based materials continues to surge.
Houssos says the new data reflects both the geological promise and technological sophistication underpinning New South Wales’ critical minerals future.
“New South Wales is rich in the critical minerals the world needs to power a clean energy future and support advanced technologies,” the Minister says.
“It’s initiatives like these that provide pre-competitive data and de-risk exploration – instrumental in making NSW a great place to invest.”
Cutting-edge tools leading the charge
The study was carried out at the WB Clarke Geoscience Centre, which recently underwent a $2 million upgrade and now houses the world’s first HyLogger 4 – a next-generation analysis tool that captures high-resolution digital imagery and mineralogical data at millimetre scale.
This capability allows scientists to map the subsurface geology of New South Wales with unprecedented precision, enabling explorers to pinpoint zones of critical mineral potential that may have been overlooked in the past.
Dr Phil Blevin, Chief Geoscientist and Head of the Geological Survey of NSW, says the use of archived drillcore and samples from historic mines was central to the discovery.
“Some of these specimens are from mines that are no longer accessible,” Blevin says.
“This gives us insight into critical minerals that in some cases hadn’t even been identified at the time those mines were operating”
“This gives us insight into critical minerals that in some cases hadn’t even been identified at the time those mines were operating.”
He adds that the state’s geological archives, some dating back over a century, are proving invaluable in reinterpreting old data through the lens of modern technology.
The latest findings feed into the government’s 2024-2035 NSW Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Strategy, which aims to make the state a global leader in sustainable exploration and downstream processing.
Key initiatives include a $250 million royalty deferral program to support new critical minerals projects; more than $5 million in co-funded exploration grants; and the release of over 2,000 new geoscientific data reports to help explorers target the next major discovery.
With the Geological Survey of NSW celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2025, the Minister says the discovery serves as both a reflection on the state’s rich mining heritage and a forward-looking step toward securing its role in the global clean energy transition.
For full details of the High-Purity Silica Project and the NSW Critical Minerals Strategy, visit resources.nsw.gov.au.
Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au
Images: NSW Government
