Rare earths and battery metals explorer West Cobar Metals (ASX:WC1) is investigating the potential to produce high-grade titanium from its Salazar Critical Minerals Project in Western Australia.
A recent benchmark study, conducted by privately held TZ Minerals International (TZMI), on the Newmont deposit’s resource supports the development of a flowsheet for the production of titanium minerals.
TZMI benchmarked the Salazar project deposit against several existing operations and potential new projects under development using publicly available information and TZMI estimates.
The findings, according to West Cobar, showed Newmont has “promising potential” for economic extraction and is positioned favourably compared to its peers in terms of titanium and total rare earth oxide (TREO) in-situ grade.
Managing Director Matt Szwedzicki says the confirmation of high in-situ grades gives the company confidence to proceed with the validation of the conceptual flowsheet, which shows titanium as a key product and hence revenue stream.
West Cobar says the initial flow sheet evaluation testwork will focus on ore zone characterisation, mineral separation, and mineralogical analysis.
In 2022, the global titanium market was valued at US$29 billion ($44.95 billion) and is forecast to grow to US$52 billion by 2030. This is expected to be as a result of increased construction activities, alongside the expansion of the automotive and aerospace industries.
The Salazar project comprises the Newmont and O’Connor deposits and sits in the Esperance district of Western Australia, covering a 1,171km2 area.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: West Cobar Metals
